I hope you don't mind me asking, but what are your blind thoughts going into stormblood? Although you mentioned having received slight spoilers, despite what you may or may not know, are you hopeful or wary about the upcoming expansion ahead of you and ch'ahri?

I dunno hardly AAANNYTHING here is a complete list of my thoughts

kugane tower jumping puzzle (I will not be attempting to win this one) (I’m decent at jumping puzzles, but only because I’m on controller and enjoy platformers)

Godzilla 💕💕💕💕 no one told me Godzilla was here (seriously even the music and laser beams were goji-like) - they seem to be leaning into some tropes this time (with Gosetsu as well)

people seem to like the omega raids? excited for those. Halfway thru Alexander as we speak and those are fun I love gobbie

i am slightly wary going into the actual story content, since the concept of freeing ala mhigo is a healthy amount of detached from real-world allegories but also a healthy amount more connected to real world conflict around annexed powers and occupied peoples than we’ve previously gone into. It’s very grounded - the primal is a consequence, rather than a part of the conflict, and I expect them to split the focus. Insofar as post-arr and heavensward are, I mostly like how they handle complex societal topics and I trust them as far as not mucking it up entirely goes, but I put myself at a literary distance about the whole thing because im not one to speak about if they’re gonna handle it well. I’m gonna watch and mess around in the world they give me first. As far as pre-stormblood goes, in my not-a-guy-who-knows-things opinion, they handled it about a 7/10? Some dialogue bothered me, some things were like dam the horrors of war and desperation so true😔 (this is a positive). Some things were like yo is that Godzilla

I do LIKE the tone though. I think they did a tonal shift into something a little darker and brought in a Silly Guy to balance it, and it feels like they have a complete grip around their overarching story and world now.

I also wonder if they’re doing two things at once and how they’ll handle it? I want to visit Doma. I want to visit doma I want to visit that underwater bubble city you look like the monkie kid dragon place. Ch’ari will probably like it too, he’s one of those weird cats who likes water and being in water

i wasnt all that interested in the trailer aside from pretty location, it seems very stereotypical fantasy asia world tour. meteor buddy grow your hair out you look so good in Dawntrail

im trying to keep my opinions my own, since I hardly hear anyone talk about stormblood, sandwiched as it is between heavensward (everyone’s first exposure to the good kush) and shadowbringers (everyone’s perfect baby). So, about 1/4 wary of the msq content, 1/2 excited for the new dungeons and fights (is all of stormblood going to have 15+ enemies coming at you at once?? My frames get scared unless I’m wired into the internet and go down to 30 fps when they all load in), 1/4 excited to see new environments and new characters again :]

Ari is always excited to go to a new place. He always tries to make a good first impression, because whatever you do next (even if you’re rude) is colored by your first impression, and it sometimes fails and sometimes works to his benefit. He didn’t have a good reputation in Limsa, and it was shaky AT BEST in Ishgard, this is the first city he goes where either no one knows him or if they do know him it’s in a positive light. New experience for kitty