THIS IS IT
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0:00 – Introduction
0:42 – QUEST: “Stormblood”
4:17 – DUNGEON: Ala Mhigo
22:59 – QUEST: “Stormblood” (continued)
33:53 – TRIAL: The Royal Menagerie
42:46 – QUEST: “Stormblood” (continued)
54:11 – Credits
1:01:11 – QUEST: “Stormblood” (continued)
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Edited by Daniel Floyd
♫ “Pray Return” by Chris Logsdon
https://lnkfi.re/pray-return
#PlayFrame #FFXIV #FinalFantasyXIV #Stormblood
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37:53 This trial fight was also a lot harder before they changed res rules. Previously if you were knocked off the edge of the arena in fights like this, you could not be resurrected.
So my first time clearing this was about 50% me being dead and nothing i could do about it.
42:00 Hey, you might not have been doing as much damage, but you didn't die. Which is very hard to do on this fight (as almost everyone else on the party can attest). Good job Dan and Durmin!
4:15 In German, the description of the “dungeon” Ala Mhigo reads as follows [translated]:
“The hour of truth has come. Supported by Hien’s intrepid samurai, the alliance managed to breach the main gate to Ala Mhigo. The Maelstrom, the Adder, the Flames, the Temple Knights, the Domans, and above all the Ala Mhigan resistance are storming the city. In the midst of all the chaos awaits crown prince Zenos yae Galvus, the ‘hunter’… Now its liberty or death. Of that you may put the reign of terror of the fell viceroy to an end.”
*watches Zenos’ reaction to his defeat in the dungeon
With that, a stalker is born…
Oh no, I know what Dan needs time to do, and it is somehow both my favorite thing in the game and my least. Might've just been the atmosphere of the time, but I shan't say more. Just impressed that you shall be doing it.
Overall Stormblood is a good expansion, and one that set the foundation for the game as it stands today, I think it has a lot of the most invisible changes to the modern player. Actually playing it at the time there are a number Quality of Life and fight design philosophy improvements that greatly helped expand the reach and potential of the game. That is why I think it gets more of a bum wrap, the story is the most obviously flawed, not broken or anything but less than great. So if you weren't their to see the improvements in combat design, you just sort of miss the greatness of it.
I hope you plan to play through at least the 8-man raids in this xpac, Dan. They give a lot of context to some other stuff. Unfortunately, I have nothing to say here that isn't spoilers for later down the line, so…
Spoilers for future xpacs:
I know that we didn't actually see them interact much if at all, but I can't help but think that Zenos's great-grandfather, Solus zos Galvus, would have had nothing but contempt for him. That's certainly all I felt for him. I just wish that the writers had let him stay dead instead of what ends up happening here, and he definitely didn't need to play the role he did in Endwalker. Zenos's story ends here, and it's a satisfying enough conclusion given that the man was at the very least on the ASPD spectrum. Lyse is probably right about the Ala Mhigans not having any justice or closure from how it happened, but I agree with Raubahn and it's not like what ends up happening gave them any regardless. What's the point in stretching it out..?
Long May She Endure.
– I'm honestly surprised this game doesn't use more NPC Bilboards to fake crowds… or they do & they're very good at it
– Durmin being support to the Ala Mihgan companions feels right… still, the game could afford to let Alphinaud join
– I'm starting to think Zenos might be a sociopath… please tell me someone already reenacted that scene from Puss n Boots!
– "you proved me wrong, therefore I'm right" ah yes, the ancient internet maneuver… well played Zenos
– well the problem is solved, it's still kinda unsatisfactory that Zenos goes out the way of "GG no Re"
– o7 Viva Ala Mihgo & your glorious anthem that reminds me of DeltaRune's theme
– someone pick up that LinkPearl because I FREAKING CALLED IT!!
– a fantastic finale to what's a really good expansion, however I've stated my grievances, which I'm sure get aliviated if you include sidequests… but still rubbed me the wrong way your crew departs to Doma as soon they lose to Zenos once, you don't even get to reclaim/secure Ralghar's reach to make sure you don't leave Gyr Abanya worse than how you found it. Also i agree with the rest of the comment section & i feel they could have done more with Lyse besides "ok you're in charge now… oh look at that, it worked out pretty ok"
– finally, we have a Jessie! & she even brought in Cid's boyfriend, not Gav, the other, no no, the OTHER other… yes that one!
so something had bern bugging me: is Shinryu based on the dragon super boss from i think FF6?
Normal hiatus, yeah, that makes sense.
"Good bit of time… Most rigorous and daunting amount of playframe recording I've ever done" … wait. waitwait. No way you're going to do THAT, right?
… I think I need to do a bit of content myself sooner rather than later, then…
Okay but raids tho?
Man, I love this series. Thank you, Dan, you are a shining star!
I havent done enough trusts to notice how they play with the jobs. Raubahn is still a Gladiator, for obvious reasons. But Lyse is a Pugilist, not a Monk.
HAVE YOU THE STRENGTH?
Thought all of this, I just wanted to say to Zenos, "When I'm done humbling you, I'm going to send one of your fingers to your father with a note saying that if the Garlean Empire doesn't withdraw its forces from all occupied land it claims, he'll be receiving a parcel of your testicles next."
I always liked Zenos as a villain but i always eye-rolled at his dialogue because i never agreed. Just because I have the power to oppose you does not prove my savagery. I never sought the strength to destroy eikons to protect my friends, I gained it through good deeds, but since i have it I will stand up and use it when needed.
30:00 ah yes, the first true interaction with the Battle Husband
Playfriends, it's time for the Liberation of Ala Mhigo. Time to face the Crown Prince and take our vengeance. This is your spoiler free lore comment!
The system for Duty Support in Ala Mhigo is how Shadowbringers and Endwalker dungeons work, with enough NPCs to fill a full party. It usually means that one gets left behind when you enter the fray, but it allows you to choose whichever role you feel most comfortable with. One thing that I don't know is if they had voice actors record combat barks for these dungeons. I don't recall Lyse ever dedicating one of her strikes to her sister.
8:09 – Ah, the FF7 reference. As Dan notes, this Scorpion is based on the first boss of FF7 in the Mako Reactor. Notably, the advice of attacking while its tail is up was due to awkward text boxes. The full statement is "Barret, be careful! Attack while its tail's up! It'll counterattack with its laser!" This means that attacking while its tail is up results in a counterattack, which is what you don't want. It's an accurate translation that is chopped up badly. Of course, we don't have that issue here.
10:23 – This is something that dungeons will do with increasing frequency: display other NPCs taking on the enemy in their own way. This was actually something I was concerned about with the expansion of Duty Support. They can only choose story NPCs that aren't already featured as fighting in other parts of the set piece without breaking some of the suspension of disbelief.
11:11 – It's a testament to how good the NPC logic is that none of them die to the combined dogs and artillery here. Older versions of NPC duties absolutely would've eaten it here. It's not unusual for new players to bite it here.
13:10 – The Soul Extraction sequence is a lot of fun. I have no idea how this works in lore, but having to get back to your body is a fun little mechanic. And yes, it's your soul that takes the damage from the lasers.
14:09 – If you take a careful look, there are mages attacking the team from long range here. This marks them as people recruited from the provinces, either willingly or conscripted.
17:50 – This sequence of sword attacks aren't just to teach you how to deal with each individual technique Zenos has. As FFXIV content creator MTQcapture (Mizzteq) puts it "mechanics will repeat with increased overlap". In this case, each of the blades at 20:40 use each of his sword arts in turn, and knowing how to respond and prioritize is critical to destroy them all before Zenos uses his ultimate attack and kills everyone.
21:07 – The FFXIV community loves this combat bark. MORE!
24:00 – Ew.
24:39 – I think this is new to Duty Support! Since usually these characters aren't in the room with you, I think the cutscene ends without the Garlean army running in.
25:00 – Heeeey Playfriends, do you remember the patches right before Stormblood? Zenos remembers! Say hi to Shinryu! Zenos loves a good fight, and with every little step toward Ala Mhigo, from the moment the Warrior of Light slew Nidhogg, we have been walking towards this confrontation. Or so Zenos believes. He thinks this is destiny. You're his other half.
28:25 – Do you remember the experiments the scientists conducted in The Resonant? Zenos has this artifical Echo. And he's been planning a very different technique compared to Fordola.
30:10 – I've found that there are two generally different types of players. Those who are hyped to fight a big strong enemy usually accept Zenos. Everyone else, they usually deny him.
30:55 – "No I don't! I live to Fish! Have you seen my Fishing Log!?"
32:20 – Welcome to the final trial of Stormblood. You get to fight Zenos piloting Shinryu, a dragon primal. Huh. A big dragon primal. You know who would really be good at this? Someone who spent his whole life training how to kill big dragons. Some kind of edgy dragon slayer. I wonder where that guy is.
As Dan notes, the Shinryu fight is kinda hard. Honestly, I think it's one of the harder Main Story Quest trials in the game. This fight has plenty of "instant death" mechanics, which start showing up at 36:10.
37:55 – Fun fact, you can see what happens when a player disconnects here. Solan has been cursed, but they're still there, waiting to reconnect and pick up the fight again. They still take damage though.
38:40 – For players that completed the Alexander Raids, the idea of "do something to escape the arena being destroyed" has been seen before. But since Raids like Alexander are optional content, this can be the first time players really encounter this kind of mechanic. Dan notes that Shinryu recycles some Primal mechanics, but this also shows off the trend of creating mechanics in Raids and Savage Raids, and introducing something similar to normal story fights in the next expansion (usually heavily toned down).
39:10 – This attack always gets me. I take too long reorienting myself and usually end up running the wrong way.
40:03 – The Burning Chains mechanic is from The Vault, and two players need to separate to break the chain that's damaging them. It an be hard to see in all the spectacle.
45:30 – Zenos believes that nothing in this world can compare to the bliss he has just experienced. Everything after this will be downhill for him. He chooses to go out on his terms. And so passes the Crown Prince of Garlemald, Zenos yae Galvus.
49:30 – And here is the theme of Stormblood, "The Measure of His Reach". Not a military march or mournful ballad like Heavensward. An Anthem. A crowd, singing to the best of their ability. A group of disparate peoples, announcing in one loose tune, "we are free".
And now the hard work begins. An Ala Mhigo for everyone.
Some of the big criticism of Stormblood is that the bifurcated nature of the setting causes the Ala Mhigan side to lose momentum, while the Doma side manages to remain a cohesive chunk. But I agree with Dan, a lot of good writing went into Stormblood and it's vital to the overall story of the game. And the patches are seen as some very good content.
1:01:20 – Like a blister, The Azure Dragoon shows up when the work is done. Where were you when we were fighting a big dragon, buddy!? Well, at least he sees to the end of the Eyes of Nidhogg, resolving that plot thread.
1:15:30 – Commander Lyse Hext, a Scion no more. Or perhaps a Scion in reserve? Our bonds may never be broken, but we acknowledge that things change. Responsibilities happen.
1:16:00 – GUESS WHO'S BACK. BACK AGAIN. Gosetsu! And… Yotsuyu!?
What is Elidibus up to? And just what project was so important that Jessie put Nero on the payroll? There's plenty to do in the Stormblood patches!
Durmin Durami will return for more Final Fantasy 14: Stormblood
Playfriends, it's time to free Ala Mhigo, and let's do it with STYLE.
Of course, what would be a finale without a Primal Lore? This time, it's Shinryu, the shadow of the dreadwyrm.
Shinryu is an anomaly- while primals are usually made manifest from crystals and the fervent prayer of a tribe's religion, Shinryu was born differently, from Ilberd's undying hatred and the blood of the misguided revolutionaries he sent into Baelsar's Wall. Not only that, but the catalyst is Nidhogg's eyes, brought to its summoner by the Ascians and summoned forth in memory of Bahamut's rampage. Ilberd hoped that the sheer power of Bahamut's successor would destroy the Garlean empire, but if it wasn't for Omega's awakening, it probably would've rampaged in a much more uncontrollable and drastic manner.
Of course, Shinryu and Omega's battle wasn't as bloody as the massacre the Griffin forced. However, it did unfortunately bring Shinryu into the hands of the Garlean army and a gaping hole within a nearby mountain. But with Shinryu in the hands of the Garleans, Zenos planned to not destroy it, but welcome it into his arms so that he and his Empire can use it to their own ends.
As a side note, Shinryu was named by the Domans taking refuge within the Rising Stones, and as Shinryu was a notable creation of man with no other deity in mind, it has obtained the name "Death Dragon" in their native tongue. Fitting for what would've been a destroyer of worlds.
Edit: Another thing is what I think about Lyse, and… despite everything, she's one of my favorite characters in Stormblood, alongside Arenvald, Gosetsu, and Fordola. While her design is… unfortunate with a story like this, I never really found her annoying- or useless, like everyone says she is (if she was useless, she wouldn't have had scenes where she did some physical fighting.) I just like hot-headed characters, and despite all the road bumps I found her sympathetic enough, and willing to pull her weight.
This is her story- which is unfortunate, as the Warrior of Light (our player character) ends up being used like a common foot soldier and put on the sideline.
On the comment about the VA, he actually got a couple awards for his role as Zenos on stormblood
I love this game, I wish I had the money and time to play it, but this series really helps this story be easier to access (especially for someone that doesn't know much of Final Fantasy, only Kingdom Hearts)