Zel's Weekly Digest
Week 13 - February 7-12 , 2024
The Cat Returns
Been easing myself back into being at Endgame content again. Not that I ran anything endgame this week. I did a couple roulettes and some fates with Naoh to help them get Scholar to 90.
And had a surprisingly invigorating come-from-behind victory in Shatter.
Honestly, I’ve just been feeling a little…bleh.
Since around Shadowbringers, Xarale and I have had our houses right next to each other in Shirogane. It was pretty convenient, being able to just hop over to his house after visiting mine. Unfortunately, we won’t be able to do that anymore.
He forgot to reset the demolition timer, and as a result, lost his cottage.
To be completely honest, neither of us really wanted houses in this area, but this was all that was available for a while, as we got ours before they added more wards and switched to the lottery. And since we managed to get houses right next to each other, we kept them, but now that his got destroyed, and we can’t get it back due to the lottery system, I’ve decided I’m going to try to get a house in Empyreum, as I’ve been wanting ever since the district was added.
I wasn’t able to get one this most recent cycle, as I went for one of the two available mediums, and thus had a way smaller chance of winning, but hey, go big or go home, kupo!
The Dream Within
Due to the timing of 6.55 dropping coinciding with a few things happening out of game for me, I wasn’t able to get around to one of the biggest things I’ve been waiting for for two whole expansions.
The Allied Tribe quests return!
These endcap quests, which are rewards for reaching the highest rank with each tribe, have long been favorites of mine since I came back to the game just after a long hiatus right after the HW launch, just before Stormblood dropped. They were called Beast Tribes back then, a nomenclature that some people still use today out of habit, even though they’ve just been called “Tribes” since Shadowbringers. It’s kinda hard to call the Dwarves a “beast” tribe when they’re literally just lalafell.
Especially with the addition of Hrothgar into the player roster, the line between “races of man” and “beast tribes” has been significantly blurred, especially when you take into account the revelations from Shadowbringers, as well as the simple fact that the Mord (Kobolds) and Zun (Amal’ja) are considered completely ordinary citizens within Nordvrant, highlighting the fact that in-world, the term “Beast Tribe” was simply Eorzeans being completely racist, as per usual.
I was a little sad that we didn’t get an Allied Tribe Quest for Shadowbringers, due to the world basically shutting down once Covid-19 started spreading like…well…the plague. Because it kinda is. It’s been getting a small resurgence lately too because too many people assume it’s “over” and haven’t been practicing good health protocols.
I’ve always enjoyed the Tribe Quests, and have dutifully done their quests to increase my reputation levels with them to max. You learn more about these awesome dudes and their cultures, and once you’ve gotten all of the tribes in a specific expansion to their cap, you unlocked the Allied Tribes quest, which usually has them all working toegher towards some kind of goal.
This requires leveling the crafting, gathering, and battle tribes.
For Endwalker, we’ve got The Arkasadora of Thavnair for our battle tribe, the Dreaming Ways on the moon for our crafters, and a Cafe at the End of the Universe with the dynamis created Omicrons for our gatherers. A large portion of the game’s player base never actually gets to do these, as quite a few people don’t even bother with the battle Tribes, let alone the crafter and gatherer ones. Even Jacks, who is as much of a Crafter Main as I am, hasn’t even unlocked the Moogle tribe quests!
I didn’t see the Warrior of Light and All Star Racing: Transformed coming, and I was laughing most of the time. I don’t wanna spoil anything, so I’ll just post a few no context screenies, as well as some shots of the cute little dance you get as a reward!
I’m not sure what I was expecting from this one, but I gotta say, I’m quite pleased that Nhaza’a Jaab didn’t show back up again. Not sure if he’s well and truly dead after the Stormblood tribe quests, but I certainly don’t miss him.
I did really like the banter between the various races, as well as the conclusion to the Karellians’ story. I always felt a particularly sharp pang of sadness when going through their section of the Dead Ends, not just because of the horrifying Terminator references all over that section, but because of how, well, human they are. And I mean that in that they’re a lot like us. Their story of mutual destruction is one that could easily happen in our own world. But them learning to live together in the most peaceful livelihood there is, being able to set aside their longstanding hatred to realize they’re still the same deep down, was wonderful.
Conversely, the Nibirun’s story always annoyed me. I know the devs have mentioned that they’re what would have happened to the Ancients if they had simply continued on their course, but I’ve never been a big fan of the “Suffering is good, actually” train of though. Maybe I’ve just been through a lot that I would never wish on anyone, but I can’t say my suffering has been beneficial to me.
The thought that the Ancients would similarly have lost their drive and passion also makes little sense to me. They had that clear creative drive that I know all too well, the desire to make. I don’t personally think they would have reached the point of fatal nihilism of the Nibirun regardless of what Yoshi-P says. I mean his reason for why Ancients evolved into Lalafell was “Maybe they were under a lot of pressure,” which I know was likely meant to be a joke, but it's an unsatisfying answer nontheless. I guess maybe he doesn’t actually understand how evolution and natural selection work.
Maybe if it was specifically Oda or Ishikawa that said it, then maybe I’d be more likely to think about it, but our boy Yoshi, as brilliant of a director and producer as he is, is definitely not a writer, and I don’t know if I trust what he says as “word of god” regarding the lore.
Anyway, onto the reward: The Lop Hop! This dance is just so cute, and best of all, it's persistant! Always happy to have more dances.
I love how it makes miqo’te tails swish about, and it goes good with the rudimentary cloth physics of my Neo-Ishgardian dress.
Shot Through the Heart
It’s Valentiones again!
As usual, Xarale and I did the event together. And now we have another adorable emote to use at each other!
The story was alright. It was more lore about house Valentione, and we all know I’m always down for more useless lore about this game! And I mean that completely sincerely. I was more excited about the emote.
A bit of a shame that they didn't bring back the fortune telling they used to have in previous years. That was always fun. Maybe next year.
See you next time!
Posted 2024/02/16