Thread: Patch 2.55 Notes    

Originally Posted by LinktheDeme

Spoiler: show

I think you're forgetting about this guy http://www.11points.com/images/zelda...yesofskull.png I used to hit him on purpose to manipulate game RNG during speed runs. and then there is always the Cucco. I do get your point though


Semantics aside though, those people are trying to summon the omega weapon and bring havoc down on eorzea, to not engage them and destroy them before its a threat is allowing Eorzea's demise. There have been numerous times where we've engaged NPCs and killed them when they threaten to harm yourself or an individual. The gladiator quest, the main story quest (when they were going to frame the person for the bread), puglist quest, numerous encounters with the syndicate in the past, and etc. In addition we have no quarells with killing Garleans, whom are humans just trying to rid the world of primals, however we have a quarrel with humans trying to bring the destruction of Eorzea and murdering leaders while confessing to it at the same time? I see no difference in this except we've actively just watched them murder someone of high power in eorzea and threaten to balance all of it. Far worse than what the garleans have done to Eorzea, barring Nael.


The brass blades and crystal braves gave zero fucks about engaging us before, I don't see why now they would think us the good guy. In fact the Crystal Braves were the ones that poisoned the sultana and both the brass blades and the crystal braves were the ones that framed us to begin with. All of the crystal braves that held loyalty to the scions were disposed of they said. So all of the ones that wear the cloak at this point are in with the syndicate/new leader.


With regards to an adventurer poisoning the sultana, didn't the lalafell say that the syndicate were going to pin the blame on you and that he was going to do his best to dispel it because people wouldn't believe that the warrior of light would do such a thing?


edit: Also since the Azure Dragoon did not want to fight, how did he return to his senses suddenly? He was completely possessed by Nidhogg. . .

Spoiler: show

The thing is the rule of heroics frowns against preemptively killing people unless they threaten to kill you or harm innocents. Being arrested by scumbags doesn't give you carte blanche to kill everyone. Infact it'd play into Teledji and companies story that you killed the Sultana.

It's why you and Thancred throw up your arms, even if you both know that the Blades and Braves are taking Monetarist coin. Everyone who has interacted with the WoL knows that even the thought of you killing the Sultana is complete bullshit. But your name needs to be cleared nonetheless.

When Raubahn kills Teledji, all hell breaks loose and what was supposed to be a simple framejob goes south. Raubahn tells you to run and so you run. Only then do the Scions start killing people. As for Ilberd? I'm led to believe that admission was said directly to Raubahn to rile him up (to get captured) and that in the chaos only Raubahn heard that. You get to overhear it for dramatic effect.

As for the Garleans? Their motives are clear and they almost always attack you on sight, hence the licence to kill. They certainly aren't 'just trying to rid the world of primals', they're an invading force bent on subjugating all of Eorzea. They also routinely kill and capture innocents.

Make no mistake, now the Braves motives are clear, you're going to destroy the organization and bring down Lolorito but that's for Heavenward.

Originally Posted by Alkar

Spoiler: show

But the story doesn't end with the SL battle. That sets in motion every single thing in Zilart, you find out about the Zilart brothers and see the 5 Ark Angels. How is it any different than Heavensward? You're still introduced to a whole new story that only continues if you buy the expansion pack. Zilart is the "base story part 2".

Spoiler: show

RotZ retcon'd that SL cutscene with a lame "What, you don't remember?" bit from Lion

Originally Posted by Niiro

"next time on dragon ball Z"

The exact quote i said to my brother when he wondered how the story was going to play out.

We get it, continuing to argue your point isn't going to sway anyone.

I have no interest in trying to convert people to my line of thinking (despite the fact that it appears others do agree with me in here on their own volition, but anyway), pure misinformation is free game though, and I'm just as entitled to counterfiring at posts towards my opinion as alkar is to reply to it.

Highlight of 2.0 was coil for me. Story fully executed and rather well done. Certainly provided a sense of closure, even as a side story.

Originally Posted by Prothescar

No, I'd rather they finish the story they started (or at least parts of it) and have led us along on a string with for the last year+ instead of bringing it in to an expansion and shilling it as the only way to see the ending.

So you really thought the game was going to end come 2.55? Not buying it. Where have you been since 2.1 when it became painfully obvious this arc was a long haul, multiple-season affair? We hadn't even confronted an Ascian until Nabriales. 2.55 was a season finale and the analog is TV.

You're free to dislike the pacing but lets not pretend that it wasn't clear since the original game ended (2.0 -> 2.1) that each patch was a new chapter in a story that will drag out until well into 3.XX.

Shilling Heavensward? Most MMOs give players the same ultimatum that if you want to move forward with the game you either pick up the expansion or quit the game. Nothing new here.

Or shit, just wait for the inevitable YouTube vids.

Originally Posted by Prothescar

The ending of 2.0 gave a resolution to none of the threads of intrigue throughout the story. Not a single one.

2.0 ended with Ultima, Lahabrea, and Gaius' defeat. There was a party thrown in honour of the hero. The Garleans were for all intents and purposes dealt with. The Primals posed no immediate threat. The Eorzean Alliance was at its strongest. There was a roar at the end, but that could've been anything really. Oh and the Acians were a bit of a cliffhanger I guess. 2.1 was a slow patch story-wise since it was mostly just "Oh, it seems the beast tribes are summoning their primals again, the Garleans might be back, and the Ascians are up to something again. Thought we were done, but nope!"

(I know what you meant, but technically 2.0 ended with very few cliffhangers.)

Also, LoTRO left cliffhangers with each expansion for obvious reasons. Guildwars 2 obviously is doing this with its expansion, Heart of Thorns (they charge for living story packs and for the expansion). The Secret World does this with its content packs. All of these cost money. Want me to name some more?

Originally Posted by Prothescar

Not a dead stop, but some form of resolution to something anyway. Even a minor victory would've been nice. Again, this is about bad storytelling and a bad way to end what was the main scenario of 2.0, not the content coming with the expansion. Not sure why people keep bringing that up like I'm attacking Heavensward for being garbage or something or that I don't plan on buying it. I fully expected the Ascian storyline to continue well through 3.0 and beyond, but there's myriad other threads to the tale that are also all left open. Are you telling me that not a single one could be wrapped up for a sensible conclusion without a giant "TO BE CONTINUED IN HEAVENSWARD"?

Anyway, I'm done talking about it. You're free to have your opinion on good storytelling and I'm free to have mine. Just like everyone who still have differing thoughts to this day about Mass Effect 3's ending.

They didn't want to give us a happy ending. And that's fine, storytellers are free to toy with the emotions of their audience. It isn't indicative of bad storytelling. Infact, it invests the audience in seeing what happens next. Standard TV program affair. Season 2 just ended.

Season 1 - Breaking Gaius (2.0)
Season 2 - Better Call Ishgard (2.1 -> 2.55)

XIV isn't being canned so the storytellers have decided to slow the pacing down to detail things. There was no way they could have given anything a proper resolution considering how many threads we've got running anyway. Even with what we were given the story didn't even properly set itself up.

Funny you mention Mass Effect 3 which got most of its shit for coming to an abrupt ending that tried to tie everything up with a simple choice rather than add the detail players wanted. Precisely what would have happened if SE tried to tie up any of the big threads they had running.

Haven't played Lotro or TSW enough to know so I'll take your word on that and assume you don't kill a big baddie to end that chapter of the story, but with GW2 you're dead wrong. Name me one event at the end of 2.0-2.55 (since we're being precise) story arc that equates to defeating the Elder Dragon Zhaitan, cleansing Orr, and marching the Pact to victory. Please. Garlean temporary defeat in Eorzea works, but that was more of a mid story point to open up for the Ul'dah intrigue. The end of 2.0 was certainly a good way to end that arc. But they continued on after that, and really didn't provide anything for the second "half". Again, not a complete ending. Any sort of thing that isn't just a dragonball z episode ending.

@sparthos, I don't necessarily even want a happy ending. Just something that isn't a blatant to be continued screen. Too many threads running and inability to set up in time isn't really indicative of a good story just as not having a good ending isn't indicative of bad storytelling tho.

I think you're all just misinterpreting what I'm trying to say here. I'm not looking for the perfect paragon ending to the entirety of XIV's story, just something better than shit tier trope after trope after trope after trope with a definitive "oomf" that isn't just a giant case of blue balls. I hate shows like Walking Dead for a reason. You like them? Ok cool. Not everyone's like you, and I'm allowed to want things too, and express my desire for them.

I want to say that Yoshida mentioned somewhere that the story would drag well into 3.XX but I'm not digging through all those interviews for it. Either way, the continued thing wasn't surprising given what we'd been given previously. I would be upset if the story didn't shift to coaxing Ishgard into the Alliance two patches ago.

The only storyline they could have had any way of concluding properly was the Ul'Dah crisis and that would have had to compete with the A plot (Ascians) and B plot (Ishgard v. Dravanians). Both take priority in needing to setup the expansion and so we're cliffhangered on three plots. Better to do that than give us unsatisfying conclusion.

As for a GW2 comparison? Post Zhaitan (GW2s 2.0) into the Living Story (2.1->onward) in many ways mirrors the buildup to Heavensward except with the entire world changing with each episode of GW2. Where ARR wants to be more like a TV series with season-long arcs, GW2 is more an episodic format much to the chagrin to people who missed out. But GW2 has unanswered questions like the awaited return of Rytlock, what will become of Destiny's Edge and the Elder Dragons (Ascians) question going into Heart of Thorns.

Same baiting there. Just a looser story with different problems.