Final Fantasy XIV

[cyberdemon]

Originally Posted by relentlessflame

Just a few minor clarifications and some more additions:

Spoiler for FFXIV PLL 68, with 6.0 spoilers:

• Regarding the graphics updates, they will continue to support the PS4 for 7.x (they will add more configuration toggles for graphics, such as prioritize framerate/prioritize quality), but beyond that hasn't been decided. (My guess is that PS4 support will end with 8.0, but I suppose it assumes that PS5 supply improves...)
• Regarding trusts, they will implement it eventually for all Story dungeons, but optional dungeons are not planned for now. They also mentioned that they would not be able to rework all the 8-person trials to be trust-compatible in the short term but are considering it for 7.0 and beyond (they did a test of that in 6.0, as most people know).
• Regarding the second Ultimate, they actually had it on the slide for 6.3 not 6.4, although of course things are subject to change.
• Regarding the Convocation, they said that they had decided the identities of everyone, but it wasn't known if/when they will share it all. So it may be they have plans, or it may be they don't yet have plans, but for now they're keeping it secret.
• Regarding the cutscene auto feature, I think the point here was more that this was one of the points that Yoshida was picky about in 6.0 development, and in a number of scenes they used the auto-advance to help with dramatic timing. He said he was also focused on the animations in these scenes, like where people would look or whether their face would turn, etc.

Additions:

• In addition to Westwind, the two level 50 8-person dungeons will be reworked to 4-person dungeons, the Ultima Weapon fight also to 4-players, and the final battle with Lahabrea (in Thancred's body) to a solo instanced fight. So, with that, it seems that the entirety of 2.0 should be able to be played through with the Trust system, currently planned for 6.1 timing.
• Various glamour-related updates are coming, with an increase in Glamour Plates coming in 6.1, and expansion of Glamour Dresser and the places you can use Glamour Plates coming later.
• Data Center Travel (within the same region) is scheduled for Patch 6.18 (before they do the major server reorg in Japan).
• There were also many questions in the Q&A about who was really alive or dead or dead:
  • Hydaelyn and Zodiark are well and truly dead -- completely disappeared, including Venat's soul.
  • Yoshida thinks that, even if Emet-Selch and Hythlodaeus were to be reborn through the aetherial sea, they've truly let go of the past now.
  • Regarding Zenos, they clearly showed that his body is dead and it's stuck in a different dimension at the edge of the universe so he can't jump bodies like before or return to the aetherial sea in the normal way. But Yoshida also said he wasn't allowed to say about the voidsent bound to Zenos as a reaper, suggesting it's plot relevant. (I think the Reaper job questline is probably a good hint here.)
• The moons in the other shards were also serving as prisons for Zodiark (his different parts were divided among all the shards, although they are all gone now) and these moons on the shards will be plot-relevant in the future.

Anyway, all in all a very good update. Next PLL is on 4 March.

Spoiler for Moon:

didnt that just spoil the we will be doing more shard hopping in the coming expansions? Seemed very likely but essentially spoiled early in the letter

[Tactics]

Travelling between shards already on table with Ryne backstory hinted each shards got their own Minfillia that serve as Hydaelyn messenger.
I can see Yoshi-P have no issue to clarify it as ENW got older Scions remember they're making promises to re-visit people in the First; not to mention past cases like Taynor and Unukalhai that contribute to theory that Cloud of Darkness true identity is either Minfilia or former WOL of the Voids as lorebook mentioned that major Voidsents (e.g. Diabolos, Scathach) are former champions of the Void.

I kinda surprised Yoshi-P easily confirming Ascian mask on Gaius belt are Altima's (and Deudalaphon's) when Altima been anticipated to be written by Matsuno for being main antagonist of Ivalice myth in FFT and FFXII.

[cyberdemon]

I’d make a recommendation for you all. Finish endwalker and then go watch the arr opening. REALLY read the lyrics. How far ahead were they planning exactly?! Gives the answer to a question not yet asked. Reveals the truth of the sundered and unsundered. And this was 3 and 4 expansions ahead of their reveal.

[MeoTwister5]

Originally Posted by cyberdemon

I’d make a recommendation for you all. Finish endwalker and then go watch the arr opening. REALLY read the lyrics. How far ahead were they planning exactly?! Gives the answer to a question not yet asked. Reveals the truth of the sundered and unsundered. And this was 3 and 4 expansions ahead of their reveal.

It's even more amazing considering that they apparently did not plan this back in ARR or even 1.0, and it fell on Natsuko Ishikawa to essentially build Endwalker around Answers. Endwalker was essentially the "Question" to ARR's "Answer", especially when you consider that one of the main antagonists himself started with an Answer looking for a Question.

By comparison you can see how people are completely trashing the finale of WoW Shadowlands.

[cyberdemon]

Originally Posted by MeoTwister5

It's even more amazing considering that they apparently did not plan this back in ARR or even 1.0, and it fell on Natsuko Ishikawa to essentially build Endwalker around Answers. Endwalker was essentially the "Question" to ARR's "Answer", especially when you consider that one of the main antagonists himself started with an Answer looking for a Question.

By comparison you can see how people are completely trashing the finale of WoW Shadowlands.

I doubt they had everything planned to a t but they knew what they wanted and how to go about it. The song gave them a good path to walk.

Wow meanwhile had none. The alliance vs horde was a good start but people would lose interest in it in the long run if they just kept having to create reasons out of left field. There is only so much they could keep blaming the old gods or the jailer for needing to mangle characters just to fit their narrative that they wanted. They lacked a path unlike ff14.

[Alchemist007]

Answers just has that really encompassing narrative built into its lyrics, supplemented of course by the raw performance of the song as a whole. It worked for the tale of Meracydia's dragons vs the Allagans, and the elder primal's fury, and it works for Endwalker too.

[cyberdemon]

Spoiler for 6.1:

after 6.1 I ave to think that emet was probably telling us the locations of the portals to other worlds and that he’d emphasized the ruins beneath the bounty because he was hoping that we might save the void like we saved the first.

On a side note. The dancer job quest was quite a spoiler fest for Endwalker lol

[Twi]

Yeah, it did. I kind of wonder if the staff came up with that after creating the job or planned it from the start when they created it.

[cyberdemon]

It was probably created with Endwalker in mind kinda like the initial dragoon quest and Heavensward. It was released the same expansion that they revealed the original end of days and yet it is more advanced than Emet selchs knowledge of what happened.

[cyberdemon]

Just saw another job quest detail that seemed so small at first but ended up becoming a thing in Endwalker. In the lvl 60 alchemist quest, severian creates a powder that allows ones aether color to be discerned. Then comes Endwalker and it ends up being an ability that certain ancients had. It’s actually clever on a fundamental level as well because the ancients weren’t warriors but creators so having it in a crafting rather than fighting quest makes sense. I love finding all these small details that suddenly become plot points later on. Really makes you appreciate the amounts of detail they put into the game.

Btw what are your opinions on 6.1? Do you think it hinting at a future expansion or do you think it’s the next Eureka/Bozja?

[Tactics]

Is it?

I mean, Y'shtola lose her sight in Heavensward, then Alexander Raid confirmed she can distinguish color and other just fine as long it within her sight (reiterated in Shadowbringer where she mentioned she can't see stars in the sky). So I took it that Severian is detailing how aether sight works in regards to common eye.

And IMO Emet and Hytholandeus eyes are something of one tier higher, if not the perfect version of aether sight as it allows them to observe underworld / aetherial sea.

About next open field, I believe its going to be Corvos with all the hype about last generation Allagan Relics.
I think the notable "problem" of Corvos is said place belong to G'raha and Krile sub-plot and now both are kinda tied to Myth of the Realm. So we likely will see either Rammbroes take over the role, or do it like Cid that both WOL and him jumping around Ala Mhigo and Bozja to take down Valens and Gabranth at relatively close time.

[cyberdemon]

I was reading theories regarding info about 6.1 and something struck me with inspiration for a theory.

Spoiler for Zenos’ reaper voidsent:

A lot of people think that his reaper voidsent is the shard of the WoL. I believe that too but this takes it further. Basically, it is actually Zenos himself who is the shard and the Reaper voidsent is his true form. Nothing was ever stated that a shard of the WoL ever had to be alway good. We saw how the generally life loving Hermes could get twisted as a result of his reincarnations.

My theory is that Elidibus once created an artificial body and had a powerful voidsent inhabit it as one of his plans to cause a calamity. This happened to be the voidsent version of Azem. Inhabiting the body, and possibly with his memories sealed, the being took on the name of Zenos. The child then replaced the real Zenos and became the crown prince of the powerful Garlemald. Due to the twisted nature of voidsent, the aether color could have been altered so Emet didn’t catch on.

This helps explain his strength as well as ever growing obsession with the WoL. He is naturally drawn to him due to being a fraction of the WoLs soul. It makes him instinctively seek us out to either usurp us or become one with us again.

Before Zenos fights us for the final time, he mentions us going back to a world where we are a hero. Whereas when The voidsent went back to the void, it mention finally returning to a world bereft of heroes. It’s musing about it’s time as Zenos and generally longing for his “friend”.

YoshiP has also teased that there was a reason the Zenos went down the path of a reaper. Maybe he just knew instinctually how to draw out the power of his soul since he was actually, if unknowingly, a voidsent so becoming a reaper was the best choice to bring out the full power of his body and soul.

“So of course, since Zenos is a Reaper, he would obviously be using an avatar,” he continued. “Zeno’s only friend is the Warrior of Light so in that respect maybe his avatar is some sort of variation of our Warrior of Light.”

This at least points to the reaper voidsent possibly being our shard. While the way they described how voidsent come to the source in 6.1 could be hinting at the true nature of Zenos and his obsession with the WoL.

[Tactics]

Zenos physical strength is result of Emet-Selch project restoring Ancients.

You can see this in Solus family lines, his children are taller and stronger than regular human. Not only Zenos but also Varis which Cid confirmed to be former military man with achievements similar to his son in Memoria Misera. Yoshi-P himself in 6.1 Live Letter confirmed Zenos strength in Endwalker is combination of Emet genetic modification, Zenos resonance project in Stormblood and his own pursuit of skill perfection (which he mentioned briefly before body swap that he would like WOL to experience pursuit of greater heights through weaker body).

Zenos also confirmed his obsession to WOL is due to desire for challenge.
He literally said it in his last stand, being textbook example of good ruler, military man, royalty loved by people are easy, however for him its equal to despair of not being himself. Thus he refer WOL as friend, being the only person he can be honest about himself.

Besides for Emet to unaware someone swap his great grandchildren is weird considering this is person who quick on deducting creation issues in Elpis with basic knowledge and aether sight.

[cyberdemon]

Emet doesn’t give a shit about shards prior to and during shadowbringers. If it brings about a rejoining, he would gladly let it happen even at the expense of Azem.

[Tactics]

Emet cares enough about his family in Source, at least up to Varis as he still present during Varis birth.
Otherwise he won't mocked Varis about how that grandson of him is so quick on resorting to WMD despite benefit of killing Scions that actively ruining Ascian plan.

In Shadowbringer itself, he also mentioned about how he tried to believe in humanity as he became family man, and watched people build Garlemald, comparing it to how people of Eulmore built Golem; not to mention promoting and funding Prima Vista to degree it became travelling performer with their own airship. Its just he cannot rationalized that because succession war combined with being tempered by Zodiark fed his mind with "Let it perish then we will undo everything".

So he's not all "I don't care about Source".
Besides if he doesn't care about his creation to the point swap is sensible, it doesn't make sense for him explaining Garleans super strength at cost of inability using magic is based on conclusion from observing Allag, his previous creation, rise and downfall. Even personally recruiting Amon which technically requires him to pay attention to every individual there.

[cyberdemon]

He admittedly pitted his own descendants against each other in the war of succession. It was intentional too. He tried to turn the WoL into a light warden despite his closeness to our unsundered self. He holds no love for family save where it can be beneficial to his ends.

[Tactics]

He's willing to forget the outcome of succession war if Varis lead Garlemald as usual (following his master plan)
Its still on "only if it benefits him" but at least he expressed he wouldn't mind to sit and support Varis if Varis ever said "Yes" to that offers.

He also gave chance to WOL. Constantly talking with him, resurrecting Yshtola which he consider no different than WOL's pet, all for WOL as Azem shards to favor him.
Messing with Exarch plan is to ensure WOL come to him and side with him for cure of Lightwarden transformation following the opportunity, not because he big-brain planning it since WOL arrives. You can see he lose his composure only after WOL chose to continue fighting with Scions even after tour in Amaurot.

So he does tried his best to believe in family and friendship, only to see both his grandson and a part of his former comrade said "No" to him at the end.
The difference is its easier for him to ditch Varis as Varis put military supremacy above everything else, even his own family as proven by how Zenos didn't need to think twice about killing his own father.

[cyberdemon]

Manderville weapons. That ought to be interesting lol

[Tactics]

Yoshida chuckles as he said its because Manderville family is the strongest in Eorzea they could think about.
It helps that Godbert is said to be planet's finest goldsmith and Gilgamesh somewhat tied to Manderville. Even so, I can understand why some raiders didn't like it.

[cyberdemon]

Anyone besides me getting strong Gaius feels from the old man on the 6.2 special site? It would give his and Lahabrea’s relationship in arr a whole new meaning