Final Fantasy XV - General News Thread

[Jubileus]

It's already been said to death in this thread, but aside from "we'll wait and see", and "we don't know everything yet", people are still capable of forming conclusions at this point in time of what they think these DLC will be about.

Think of it as a hypothesis.

We already know their theme and tagline (alternative ending), and a brief summary of the main point of each DLC.

Opinions can change of course, but at this point in time, given what was shown, no matter how brief, I'm already not happy with the direction of these DLC.

The fact that they've entertained alternative material at all is a massive mistake to me.

All in all, I'm just disappointed they're leaving the core game exactly as it is without boosting up any of the chapters scenes that show the cast learning about the lore and their role in the world as part of the main story.

Sorry guys. Hate to be the one who is negative at this point in time, but those who know me know that I was here before the game even launched. I was very positive and enthusiastic, but even I have my limits.

Everyone on this board gave great ideas on what this game can do to improve itself greatly, but it just seems that they're more intent on focusing on the wrongs things entirely.

 

[Paperchampion23]

I'd argue Ardyn is a poor villain because his motives never make any sense. His plight and his struggles make sense, but his actions (especially in the DLCs) contradict what his endgame is. Why fuck with the main party if he wants Noctis to succeed? Why almost go to kill Noctis if he wants him to ascend? Why fuck with Prompto if he's needed in order for Noctis to ascend?

I understand him manipulating people to push them forward, but in some ways he isn't pushing them forward but making their job even worse. His goal is for revenge on Lucis, but Noctis never did anything to him. It's been 2,000 years, you'd think in that time he'd mellow out a bit, but instead he's just fucked around all these years doing god only knows what until the time was right then he's like okay time to make a fuss.

Also, the fact that he barely puts up a fight in the final battle kind of sucks, but I chalk that up to the game's bosses feeling underwhelming most of the time anyway.

I think Ardyn as a character is fine, and I think his backstory is going to be infinitely more interesting than anything he did throughout the game because it's basically the story of a hero turn villain.

Ardyn's whole point is to do everything in his power to go against the Cosmogony and the prophecy of the Chosen. The entire game has Ardyn leading Noctis to the crystal, but all the while making him angry and motivating him to keep pressing on and get "revenge" on Ardyn. Ardyn wants him at his most powerful, as the Cosomogony basically states that with the support of the Crystal and the Astrals, the Chosen can kill the Wicked.

Basically he just wants to stick his middle finger up and screw the prophecy at its best chance.

Anyway, I just chalked up the one scene in Episode Ignis is him fucking with Ignis and he wasnt going to actually kill Noctis, though I'll give you that it definitely wasnt explained well.

 

[Jenova]

To be fair, I doubt Square-Enix is reading this board for ideas on what to add/improve. They probably are taking information from multiple sources as I stated before. It's somewhat short-sighted to expect feedback given here and only here to make all the way to SQEX HQ. Not even that, the "fans" are not a monolith. Various fans are all asking for different things.

 

[Jubileus]

To be fair, I doubt Square-Enix is reading this board for ideas on what to add/improve. They probably are taking information from multiple sources as I stated before. It's somewhat short-sighted to expect feedback given here and only here to make all the way to SQEX HQ. Not even that, the "fans" are not a monolith. Various fans are all asking for different things.

Yeah I think they're pooling their information from a wide variety of places, no doubt.

I used this board as an example, not as their main source.

i just find their approach counter productive.

Like I said before, Tabata saying ""The important thing is [that] we want to release DLC that's closely linked to the main game - the main story - and has a strong influence on that, rather than something somewhat peripheral and unrelated" only to follow up with an alternate focused series is doing the exact opposite.



.

Side question here, but is anyone here still playing Comrades or looking forward to the updates for this at all?

 

[LeonBlade]

Ardyn's whole point is to do everything in his power to go against the Cosmogony and the prophecy of the Chosen. The entire game has Ardyn leading Noctis to the crystal, but all the while making him angry and motivating him to keep pressing on and get "revenge" on Ardyn. Ardyn wants him at his most powerful, as the Cosomogony basically states that with the support of the Crystal and the Astrals, the Chosen can kill the Wicked.

Basically he just wants to stick his middle finger up and screw the prophecy at its best chance.

Anyway, I just chalked up the one scene in Episode Ignis is him fucking with Ignis and he wasnt going to actually kill Noctis, though I'll give you that it definitely wasnt explained well.

I understand that he wants to fuck with them, but then he also helps them. It doesn't make sense to me that you would give people a free ride and then spit in their face at the same time. Why do both? He could have just made them get to Titan on their own, but he drives them in through the gate. There's just a lot of weird stuff he does is what I mean.

 

[dawn]

calm guys, look at this beautiful eos

 

[CloudBuster]

I understand that he wants to fuck with them, but then he also helps them. It doesn't make sense to me that you would give people a free ride and then spit in their face at the same time. Why do both? He could have just made them get to Titan on their own, but he drives them in through the gate. There's just a lot of weird stuff he does is what I mean.

Ardyn's kind of a showman, half the things he does have no purpose other than it's more fun to play games than to simply spray Noctis and his bros with daemon goo the moment he meets them at Galdin Quay, basically ending the game before chapter 1 is even over. He's basically like the Joker who, while yes would love nothing more than to win, wants to make it all a fun game for himself before the grand finale. That and I'm assuming he's mentally pretty twisted by the starscourge. Seeing as to how it turns lesser men into rabid monsters I assume its effects were much more subtle on someone as powerful as Ardyn where it may not have turned him into a beast but it definitely seems to have severely fucked his thought process.

 

[Jenova]

Yeah I think they're pooling their information from a wide variety of places, no doubt.

I used this board as an example, not as their main source.

i just find their approach counter productive.

Like I said before, Tabata saying ""The important thing is [that] we want to release DLC that's closely linked to the main game - the main story - and has a strong influence on that, rather than something somewhat peripheral and unrelated" only to follow up with an alternate focused series is doing the exact opposite.



.

Side question here, but is anyone here still playing Comrades or looking forward to the updates for this at all?

I can't say I disagree with the dev team seemingly being counter-productive at this juncture. I still find it quite perplexing this persistence on an alternate ending. Maybe it's a new narrative technique they want to experiment with? I recall that EP Ignis Verse 2 revealed vital lore details although the events themselves were not canon. Perhaps that's what's being aimed for? There's so little information it's difficult to make a reasonable assessment. Personally, I would not say I'm disappointed at these recent revelations and I also would not say I'm excited either.

 

[Bazztek]

I'd argue Ardyn is a poor villain because his motives never make any sense. His plight and his struggles make sense, but his actions (especially in the DLCs) contradict what his endgame is. Why fuck with the main party if he wants Noctis to succeed? Why almost go to kill Noctis if he wants him to ascend? Why fuck with Prompto if he's needed in order for Noctis to ascend?

I understand him manipulating people to push them forward, but in some ways he isn't pushing them forward but making their job even worse. His goal is for revenge on Lucis, but Noctis never did anything to him. It's been 2,000 years, you'd think in that time he'd mellow out a bit, but instead he's just fucked around all these years doing god only knows what until the time was right then he's like okay time to make a fuss.

Also, the fact that he barely puts up a fight in the final battle kind of sucks, but I chalk that up to the game's bosses feeling underwhelming most of the time anyway.

I think Ardyn as a character is fine, and I think his backstory is going to be infinitely more interesting than anything he did throughout the game because it's basically the story of a hero turn villain.

His motive is

Spoiler

to kill the True King at his strongest as a fuck you to the Crystal that chose him in his stead, and also so that he can know redemption from his immortality stemming from his curse since the only way to kill himself and free him from that curse is by the True King, which can only be done by the True King killing himself by using the Providence which in turn will erase the Crystal of any of its light power and also will kill Ardyn freeing him from his curse of immortality, while at the same time also ending the Caelum line that fucked him over. He says it's not revenge on "the boy" per se, but on him by proxy because he is the Chosen by the Crystal and he's only the Chosen because the Caelum line went on because he was fucked over by the Crystal and his brother exiled him and took the throne. He formed the Magitek in the Niflheim empire by giving Verstael the knowhow for it precisely so he could get the Insomnia wall down precisely so he could get the Prophecy to happen by forcing certain situations that would result in it, he even says how is starting to get tired of waiting for Noctis to rise as the Crystals champion and wished there was a way to expertide the process. Ardyn only helps in that he steers Noctis on the path that will get Ardyn to his goals faster but in a way so that Noctis isn't aware of it.

 

[FFChocobo18]

It's already been said to death in this thread, but aside from "we'll wait and see", and "we don't know everything yet", people are still capable of forming conclusions at this point in time of what they think these DLC will be about.

Think of it as a hypothesis.

We already know their theme and tagline (alternative ending), and a brief summary of the main point of each DLC.

Opinions can change of course, but at this point in time, given what was shown, no matter how brief, I'm already not happy with the direction of these DLC.

The fact that they've entertained alternative material at all is a massive mistake to me.

All in all, I'm just disappointed they're leaving the core game exactly as it is without boosting up any of the chapters scenes that show the cast learning about the lore and their role in the world as part of the main story.

Sorry guys. Hate to be the one who is negative at this point in time, but those who know me know that I was here before the game even launched. I was very positive and enthusiastic, but even I have my limits.

Everyone on this board gave great ideas on what this game can do to improve itself greatly, but it just seems that they're more intent on focusing on the wrongs things entirely.

It's fine to feel this way, I understand. As long as each of these Episodes have a canon endings, I'll be fine with that alongside an alternate ending if that's treated similarly how they did it with Episode: Ignis, beating the canon route unlocks 'Extra Verse' for an alternate ending. If it's like that, I have no problem, but if it was entirely alternative, then I would not be happy.

 

[Lord_Ham_Mork]

View attachment 969
okay guys i know it's not the topic right now but i've just seen this screen on some fb group and felt that i must share did you see that gentiana's water reflection is shiva (orrrrr almost-naked-gentiana-in-shivas-clothes). But I'm ever more amazed that she apparently took off her shoes and pulled up her pants so they won't get wet xD

Hmmmm...if i remember correctly the PS4 had some nude models in the code.
Nobody has found anything in pc?
It's been a month and i didn't hear anything about nude mods (neither i tried to find them honestly).
But now you made me curious xD

 

[Jubileus]

It's fine to feel this way, I understand. As long as each of these Episodes have a canon endings, I'll be fine with that alongside an alternate ending if that's treated similarly how they did it with Episode: Ignis, beating the canon route unlocks 'Extra Verse' for an alternate ending. If it's like that, I have no problem, but if it was entirely alternative, then I would not be happy.

Despite my gripes with alternative material, you're most likely right that it will be an addition on top of canon material.

I hope you're right that it wouldn't be entirely alternative.

Even though I'm grumpy about this now, I'm leaving myself open to being wrong about this being a mistake later on. If I get proven wrong and these DLC turn out to be fantastic additions, I would be happy to admit that my worries at this point in time were all for naught.

 

[FFChocobo18]

Despite my gripes with alternative material, you're most likely right that it will be an addition on top of canon material.

I hope you're right that it wouldn't be entirely alternative.

Even though I'm grumpy about this now, I'm leaving myself open to being wrong about this being a mistake later on. If I get proven wrong and these DLC turn out to be fantastic additions, I would be happy to admit that my worries at this point in time were all for naught.

Yeah, I'm looking forward to Ardyn and Aranea's Episodes the most, because of the stories they''re fleshing out, ones I wanted to see the most (Ardyn's past 2,000, and the Niflheim empire's downfall), and hope for the best, but clarification and more details on the new DLCs would be greatly appreciated before going crazy over it.

 

[Ikkin]

I'm just going to say that there's no way they are going to make an Ardyn DLC only to make him look more evil lol.

I mean, look at what they are trying to do with this DLC, they are trying to SAVE him from this fate he's cursed with.

Why in the world do you think I'd want the DLC to make Ardyn more evil? All I really expect out of him in that timeframe, canonically, is for him to be sympathetic but rebellious and wrong... much like Ravus, really, but without anyone to pull him back from the consequences of his worst impulses.

As for saving Ardyn, that was already part of the launch game and expanded upon in the Royal Edition. In fact, implying that Noct didn't canonically save Ardyn's soul would be one nasty retcon.

We actually have every reason to believe that what Ardyn is saying is true, especially now that they are even going in this direction. There would be no reason to make DLC therwise if it wasn't to go against the Crystal's will, there's literally no other viable explanation if we are following canon here.

The problem is, adding in options that didn't exist in canon and destroy the themes of canon can't meaningfully be called "following canon." That's the very definition of breaking canon.

If they are trying to save Ardyn, Luna and Noctis, who are they saving them from? That's the question that is being posed here. We can come to the conclusion that Ardyn isn't the worst of it.

Edit: You are totally right in your lore argument, I'm just saying that this has to be only way they go about it.

That's exactly why I think the path they've chosen for this DLC is a huge mistake.

Tl;dr: To reject their fate is to reject the crystal basically. The crystal is likely not all good.

Only in the retcon... which is why I really wish they wouldn't base the DLC on major retcons. -_-

Honestly what difference does it make to the main ending if the alternate stuff ends one way or another?

Because allowing the heroes to succeed more completely than in the main ending by thumbing their nose at the themes of the main ending implies that preferring the main ending is wrong, especially when the option canonically existed all along.

Both just seem like preferential outcomes for their respective groups of advocates. I don't see much difference in you wanting a super sad ending that gets rid of all of the sweetness of the original ending as it actually did have some really tender and sweet aspects to it and the difference in people wanting the super happy ending that removes all of the bitterness of the original ending where more of the realness and "life just sucks sometimes" aspects are removed. I'm personally fine with either one and to have both would be cool.

That's absolutely not what I'm looking for. If they want to expand the main ending in a way that makes it clear that Noct and Luna are now divine protectors of the world and the world itself has been reborn in a better form, I'm perfectly fine with that. What I want to preserve is exactly what you seem to want to change -- the theme of obedience.

Anyways I know you love the original ending and I'm right there with you as it will always be my preferred one but the main problem it has is that the entire theme of it is essentially just "Jesus take the wheel!!!" as everyone doesn't give two shits about the situation being forced upon them due to their blind loyalty to destiny and fate. Wanting characters to pry for answers then still having them continue down a preordained path is a "have your cake and eat it too" situation. More I think about it the more the original campaign's fetish for ambiguity to the max makes sense now, cuz no one but the player ever wants any answers in it. lol

And therein lies the rub. The theme that I want to preserve is exactly what you want to be undone. The devs seem to be giving in to the people who want the game to be something that it's not.

Which isn't to say, mind you, that I wouldn't mind getting answers. The thing is, they have to be answers for why things had to happen the way they did in the main ending. Giving Noct a better option doesn't explain why he did what he did in the main ending. All it does is say that he was foolish for not being more inquisitive and willing to rebel in the first place. =/

Edit: Also I'm fairly certain if Noct's episode has branching paths we'll get both super sad and super happy outcomes anyway.

Which matters naught if the outcome that we know about causes as many problems for the OG game's theme as it seems likely to do. =/

 

[Storm]

https://www.bleedingcool.com/2018/04/06/sqaure-enix-4-dlc-eps-final-fantasy-xv/

here it states Ep Luna will be about saving her as well as Noctis (which makes sense giving the promotional art of all of them together)

"The third episode is Episode Lunafreya, working title The Choice of Freedom — which will save Luna from death. This also overturns the destiny dealt to the king of Lucis, which means this is a Noctis-lives universe."

that's why the tentative title is Choice of Freedom i guess, its about her choice to be free from her duties?

i don't know, it sounds totally alternative.

edit:

"Mitsuno did almost tease the idea of even more DLC based on fan feedback" lol

im just here thinking, from all the things they could and have been requested, how they came up with idea of focusing on alternate scenarios lol and why they would want to change the perception of the players about the ending (the new one being the last and the happiest one), which was basically perfect?

 

[Paperchampion23]

https://www.bleedingcool.com/2018/04/06/sqaure-enix-4-dlc-eps-final-fantasy-xv/

here it states Ep Luna will be about saving her as well as Noctis (which makes sense giving the promotional art of all of them together)

"The third episode is Episode Lunafreya, working title The Choice of Freedom — which will save Luna from death. This also overturns the destiny dealt to the king of Lucis, which means this is a Noctis-lives universe."

that's why the tentative title is Choice of Freedom i guess, its about her choice to be free from her duties?

i don't know, it sounds totally alternative.

edit:

"Mitsuno did almost tease the idea of even more DLC based on fan feedback" lol

im just here thinking, from all the things they could and have been requested, how they came up with idea of focusing on alternate scenarios lol and why they would want to change the perception of the players about the ending (the new one being the last and the happiest one), which was basically perfect?

I'm pretty sure bleeding cool is misinterpreting her DLC description. It says Luna has a fate "not even death can keep her from" and she wants to change Noctis's fate.

 

[Dorothy95]

Quoting tumblr "
A side-by-side comparison of Ardyn and #SelfDefenseDude

For those that don’t know, this local guy on the news had an uncanny resemblance to Ardyn and it became a huge meme in Japan so the SquareEnix twitter made their own Ardyn version to promote Episode Ardyn "​

tumblr post here: https://avarii.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F172091137903
(wtf xDDD)

 

[Storm]

I'm pretty sure bleeding cool is misinterpreting her DLC description. It says Luna has a fate "not even death can keep her from" and she wants to change Noctis's fate.

it might be, even then Luna will have to live so that "happy ending" with everyone together can happen, and they'll have to waste cutscenes to show that.

edit:

http://fearlessrevolution.com/viewt...d=397f5ae2bd6577f92e6b40bfa3e968da&start=1005

 

[SerjAngelo]

Hey everyone/
I've made some music swaps for the PC version so if you guys are interested in freshing up the experience, feel free to check it out (please back up your initial folders though) https://www.nexusmods.com/finalfantasy15/mods/40

Video with the samples here:

 

[Dorothy95]

it might be, even then Luna will have to live so that "happy ending" with everyone together can happen, and they'll have to waste cutscenes to show that.

edit:

http://fearlessrevolution.com/viewt...d=397f5ae2bd6577f92e6b40bfa3e968da&start=1005

how the fuck luna walks in those