Heavensward
As my obsessive time commitments in WoW reduce, I've put a little more time back into FFXIV and the Heavensward expansion. Functionally, not that much has changed, though you can jump through some hoops to fly in the new zones, which is always neat. It's still possible to run into blockages of quests where you must do an instance to continue, but those aren't too terribly painful really.
The game is still gorgeous, now with more three-dimensional vistas. The music is possibly my favorite that I've experienced in an MMORPG. Of course, in period where now even WoW can be played for gold rather than dollars, FFXIV is still a subscription game.
The story is still strong. ARR (the main game) ended on a hugely tragic note, seeming to destroy much of what was build for the PC(s) and their associated Scions of the Seventh Dawn, leading into Heavensward. That I just hit at level 55 was, however, more emotional in my eyes.
Ysayle, aka Iceheart, the host of the primal Shiva and a figurehead of the "heretics" of Ishgard proved to be a highly principled individual privy to details of history that cast Ishgard in a negative light. We found that out in one of the ARR patches. She's absolutely dedicated to her cause, believing the establishment of Ishgard is the biggest thing in the way of peace between dragons and mortals.
So with this newly sparked "war" of sorts with dragonkind, it's no surprise that she would want to parley for peace. The dragoon Eistinien looks like he might sabotage that, but he actually manages to stay his hand better than I would have thought. So after a notable journey, we come before the dragon Hraesvelgr and...
... he totally shoots Ysayle down. There's no violence in the meeting, but it is one of the most absolutely crushing, devastating scenes I've seen in a game and it's all on a personal level.
She makes a plea, after explaining how she invited his love Shiva's spirit into her. In return Hraesvelgr chides her for her arrogance, explaining (as the Scions sort of theorized) the primal she summoned was not Shiva, but rather some sort of conjuration based on her perception of Shiva. Just a shade. A biased reflection from a limited perspective.
He then goes on to elaborate on the historic breakdown of the peace between man and dragon - because the forefathers of Ishgard sought the power of dragons, taking their eyes to gain that power and establishing a bloodline of descendants who, at but a taste of dragon blood, can awaken themselves into dragons. He explains that Nidhogg, the dragon behind the latest offensive, is not waging a war or an extermination, he's (in his eyes) exacting rightful punishment for transgressions that, in a dragon's sense, were not so very long ago.
This outcome is perfectly predictable and realistic, perhaps, but absolutely crushing in the moment. The look of wide-eyed Ysayle as she realizes how mistaken she was and any hope of a peaceful resolution is dashed... that's heartbreaking.
Just... ow...
The game is still gorgeous, now with more three-dimensional vistas. The music is possibly my favorite that I've experienced in an MMORPG. Of course, in period where now even WoW can be played for gold rather than dollars, FFXIV is still a subscription game.
The story is still strong. ARR (the main game) ended on a hugely tragic note, seeming to destroy much of what was build for the PC(s) and their associated Scions of the Seventh Dawn, leading into Heavensward. That I just hit at level 55 was, however, more emotional in my eyes.
Ysayle, aka Iceheart, the host of the primal Shiva and a figurehead of the "heretics" of Ishgard proved to be a highly principled individual privy to details of history that cast Ishgard in a negative light. We found that out in one of the ARR patches. She's absolutely dedicated to her cause, believing the establishment of Ishgard is the biggest thing in the way of peace between dragons and mortals.
So with this newly sparked "war" of sorts with dragonkind, it's no surprise that she would want to parley for peace. The dragoon Eistinien looks like he might sabotage that, but he actually manages to stay his hand better than I would have thought. So after a notable journey, we come before the dragon Hraesvelgr and...
... he totally shoots Ysayle down. There's no violence in the meeting, but it is one of the most absolutely crushing, devastating scenes I've seen in a game and it's all on a personal level.
She makes a plea, after explaining how she invited his love Shiva's spirit into her. In return Hraesvelgr chides her for her arrogance, explaining (as the Scions sort of theorized) the primal she summoned was not Shiva, but rather some sort of conjuration based on her perception of Shiva. Just a shade. A biased reflection from a limited perspective.
He then goes on to elaborate on the historic breakdown of the peace between man and dragon - because the forefathers of Ishgard sought the power of dragons, taking their eyes to gain that power and establishing a bloodline of descendants who, at but a taste of dragon blood, can awaken themselves into dragons. He explains that Nidhogg, the dragon behind the latest offensive, is not waging a war or an extermination, he's (in his eyes) exacting rightful punishment for transgressions that, in a dragon's sense, were not so very long ago.
This outcome is perfectly predictable and realistic, perhaps, but absolutely crushing in the moment. The look of wide-eyed Ysayle as she realizes how mistaken she was and any hope of a peaceful resolution is dashed... that's heartbreaking.
Just... ow...
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