Fury. Named after Halone, the job is an ice-based tank sharing shields with paladin, but using a short spear as its weapon. The job would fit the Nordic-vibes theme of the expansion and would allow another shield-based tank to exist without stepping on Paladin's toes.
The job would focus on using Ice aether to boost their defense, either increasing their own mitigation, or making a standalone shield of ice in the field for allies to stand behind for protection. As the Fury's ice shards beak, they collect them onto their spear to build towards a larger damage-dealing hit.
If we take further inspiration from Halone, we could see some jumpiness much less than Dragoon, but significant enough to move around the battlefield. I could imagine a ground-targetted gap-closer that does AOE damage with a couple charges, allowing the Fury to either move around on a slow timer, or chain them together and "bounce" across a long area.
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It's obvious there's some connection between the key, Ethos*, and Azem's crystal. And that raises a curious point. While Ethos was probably used by and possibly created by our Azem (maybe even the reason they were chosen as Venat's successor?), Azem had no contact with Azem's crystal. It was created secretly by Emet-Selch after the sundering. And Emet-Selch presumably didn't have access to it when he created Azem's crystal.
Presumably, the crystal is identifying the bearer as Azem to Ethos.** But would simply having the crystal be enough? I think only someone who was able to unlock Azem's crystal will be able use Ethos.***
But why is there an obvious connection between them at all? And how did it get there? It can't have been built into Ethos if it was created before the sundering, so it must be something in Azem's crystal. Only 3 people (using the term loosely) had contact with Azem's crystal to our knowledge: Emet-Selch himself, Hydaelyn (when she imbued it with magic before dying),...and ghost Hythlodaeus to whom E-S gave custody of the crystal, to hide from the rest of the Ascians (because he wasn't supposed to create it.) And those three are the ones we know were particularly close to our Azem so would have been aware that Azem was using Ethos.
It's possible Emet-Selch created the connection, consciously or unconsciously (ghost!Hyth suggests he's powerful enough to "accidentally" do things like giving a conjured ghost consciousness of what he was). The crystal, after all, represented Azem and was presumably created in order to partly restore Azem after all the rejoinings. And of course, Azem would want to be able to use Ethos again. Azem's crystal might even be something a bit more than the other convocation crystals; we really don't know the limits of Emet-Selch's powers (I mean, he created an entire ghost city at the bottom of an ocean...) The weakness here is that a restored Azem (i.e. the entire soul) would probably not need the intermediary.
Ghost!Hyth seems less likely. He claimed to have little ability to do anything...but so did Elpis!Hythlodaeus when he clearly was very capable and powerful (his role in Ktisos for instance.) And he was the Chief of the Bureau of the Architect (presumably very competent with artifacts), and obviously E-S made him a lot more substantial than the other ghosts in his city. Presumably, he created his memory of Hythlodaeus, and where Hyth claimed to be much weaker than he was, Emet-Selch probably saw him as more powerful than he was and may have imbued Ghost!Hyth with that power. So he can't be ruled out.
But Hydaelyn? Now this is promising. Because Hydaelen was responsible for the sundering and according to Halmarut herself, was what kept the reflections stable. If anyone understood what that meant, it was Hydaelyn (who presumably had the knowledge of the people who created her, not just Venat who was at her core.) She absolutely would have considered what would happen after she (the manifestation of stability) was gone. But warning anyone while the Final Days loomed would have distracted them. Nothing else mattered if they couldn't prevent the Final Days. She didn't even say anything to the Watcher or Loporrits.
I've seen theories that she just trusted that the WoL and modern people would find a solution. But this was someone who had failsafes inside failsafes, and dumping something like this on people in the aftermath of the Final Days etc. would have been expecting a bit much.
I think she *did* leave resources without trying to interfere with free will. The Loporrits, of course, may have been meant as a continuing disaster response team. The Watcher for some reason didn't leave like the Twelve**** which suggests he still has a mission too. (Plus a tower that's mostly library lol.)
But what if Hydaelyn was the one who created the connection between Azem's crystal and Ethos as another failsafe to enable the WoL to travel to the other reflections to battle the threat of the Solstice? What if Ethos was created, not by our Azem, but by Venat while she was still Azem? And then passed on to our Azem and keyed specifically to them. For all the jokes I've heard about Azem's ADHD leading to the unpredictability that Preservation encountered when trying to control Ethos, Venat was perhaps just as whimsical.***** And if she created it, she'd be best able to create that connection later with Azem's crystal.
Obviously, my money is on Hydaelyn's involvement based on what we know so far and my belief this was not unforeseen by her. But just as obviously, it could be one of the others. Or a combination. Of course, there may turn out to be a 4th answer. Azem was able to foresee some things and seemed to have known about the WoL. I just find it hard to believe that she could create a link in Ethos to a device that hadn't yet been created (Azem's crystal.)
*The choice of the name, Ethos, suggests SO many things given that we're going to use it to try to save everyone rather than the easier route of sacrificing most for the Source alone here but that's for another time lol.
**From what Shale says about Preservation's attempts to use it, Ethos resists being used and does not cooperate. Lots of jokes possible about Azem's ADHD as a security measure lol.
***There's a theory that Sphene is the Azem shard for the 9th, and this might explain why they preserved her in stasis...clearly the Ascians had been meddling and may have recognized Ethos.
****Oschon is still out there, and he's specifically a wanderer like Azem, so he could still come into this, yet another failsafe, but one of his own choosing. However not everyone has done those raids, so that seems unlikely.
*****It seems as if that unpredictability is both to limit the use by unauthorized people and possibly to send a legitimate bearer to where they're most needed, like the little side trip to the 13th just in time to help Zero and Golbez battle one of the few remaining truly powerful voidsent. And where we also gained valuable information about what was happening there AND helped close access to that big voidgate to the Source's moon.
Seriously though is there no gear awarded for normal difficulty raids in EC? Is that. Is that what they're going with? Do harder difficulty content or no gear for you (or rather, get your gear from other sources)? Do higher difficulty content or get fucked, is that what we're doing???
What I hope for the Evercold Jobs: part 1
Musketeer. Uses dual pistols, centered in Limsa. As Machinist has gone more and more from being "the gun job" to "the machines job", I would love to see a more gun-focused job come back. Machinist can lean more into the single long gun as many of their animations, like sprint, already appear to view their weapon as a rifle rather than a pistol.
I imagine the guns would be smaller and come in pairs, like the viper and ninja weapons. It could have some fun pirate-themed abilities, but would likely not have a lot of raid utility, like current Machinist.
We've seen Merlwyb imbue her bullets with aether, so maybe we'll see some elemental shot combos. I could see the Evolved Mode gameplay they've previewed lean towards a style with a bit more freedom. Some elemental-themed shots where shooting one element and then adding another could create some sort of effect. Build three effects and it lets you do a bigger damaging blast.
if the new dps role is falconer (based on the kid from the trailer and the attack sound previews) is the wand the item that will change based on what weapon you equip, or do you think it also be the falcon itself?
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I'm really getting ahead of myself when it comes to Riona's 8.0 lore but I'm rapidly selling myself on the idea that Riona is from the Fourth, not the Source
Chaotic, disordered thoughts about 8.0 lore below
Riona ended up on the Source as a baby because of Halmarut. How did she end up in Haukke Manor? Eh we're not talking about that right now
Riona's parents (still probably dead) were still going to kill her as a baby (the different colored eyes, only one would glow, clearly cursed right?). Maybe an older brother is still alive and fucking hates her when he sees her because he knows the cursed baby story.
But Halmarut stole the baby because she senses a bit of Azem in this baby and will not let her get killed like this.
They were either friends or sisters (undecided) before the Sundering and one of their favorite past times was annoying Emet-Selch. So why not steal baby Azem and bring her to the Source where she could potentially one day become a thorn in his side again? If we eventually have to kill Halmarut, Riona will be far more conflicted about killing her than she had been with any other villain.
Debating ancient friends vs sisters. Mostly because of plants and red mage. Though I'm not really sure the ancients had family like that so that's why they might just be really close friends that studied plants together.
Red mage gets rose related skills at higher levels, well after they start to realize they are one of the Fourteen. If you do rdm, you're far more powerful than X'rhun and Aria. They don't necessarily have the rose related skills. I personally headcanon that post lvl 80 Riona is teaching Alisaie whatever red mage skills she develops. So if Alisaie does it, it's not because of something inherently in red magic, it's because it came to Riona naturally by way of Azem and she passed on the knowledge to the only other red mage she could without realizing where it came from in the first place.
Side note: If Riona ever got an archon mark it would be for almost singlehandedly pulling red magic from the brink of extinction.
I know it probably sounds like I've committed to this but I'm just afraid there will be something in 8.0 that will blow this up. And sure of course I can play with the plot however I want but I'd rather run mostly parallel to the plot than shoot off in a random direction.
Edit: I'm dumb. What am I talking about not being sure if the ancients have family per say. Athena and Lahabrea's mess exists. So Riona and Halmarut could be sisters. So it either turns into toxic yuri or Riona's forced to mostly likely kill someone that was once family.
I also envision a scene where the hypothetical brother tries to kill Riona and Halmarut kills him instead. And she didn't exactly try to stop Halmarut from doing it so she's conflicted about that. But probably some combination of Y'shtola, Thancred and/or Estinien (depending on who all we take to the Fourth) are like well you know that wasn't your brother, that was just a guy who tried to kill you. And I guess we have to thank Halmarut for at least that.
Since NA Fanfest is in two months (and I'll be going and seeing friends!!! wahoo!!!!!!) I thought it would be best to write out my biggest wants for the next expansion, whatever it may be, before the trailer comes out and we get a hint towards where we'll be headed next. This includes potential characters, locations, and system changes!
Biggest thing is that I want this next expansion to feel like it fits more into the fantasy genre. Look, I have nothing against modern fashion/styles or the sci-fi elements past expansions had (like the Allagans or Endwalkers various space elements) but I am so, so done with it after all of Dawntrail. Alexandria and Solution 9 were cool at first but quickly overstayed their welcome and I desperately need wherever we go next to feel like it's more aligned with the fantasy part of of Final Fantasy.
I feel like XIV has become too "referential" as of late, in that if I don't know what FF title they're pulling bits of stuff from to fill out their own story, then I'm missing so much context that it actively harms my experience with the MSQ. While I'm certain people have noticed this with Dawntrail, it's frankly been an issue since later Endwalker and it pulling so hard from FF4 it becomes actively detrimental if you do not care a single bit about FF4 before going in. I'm fine with references (and I even mention which game I would want referenced for 8.0 in my next point!) but I think XIV needs to relearn how to stand on its own two feet and be confident with its own story again and tell something that is MOSTLY original with only some references either in trials or have it be somewhat present in the raids (8man or alliance).
If we do have elements of a past FF title pulled in to support the story of 8.0 (like we did with Dawntrail and FF9), I would like them to pull from FFX! I think 7.4's MSQ hints towards a universal death, similar to how FFX deals with Sin.
I would much rather have a total, ground-up job rework for FFXIV than have a new job added this expansion. I think potentially having to relearn potentially everything (or re-level who knows what's might happen) would be more than satisfactory if the end result leads to classes becoming more unique, a new combat system and META, and potentially reinvigorating the combat system of the game.
THAT BEING SAID: if we get a new job I would LOVE a ranged DPS that uses a whip plsplspls whips in combat are genuinely so cool I want it so bad.
(also pls god give me some more damaging healing spells I'm very tired of really only having two dedicated damage buttons and OCCASIONALLY having another damage spell i either build up or use at the beginning and, depending on the content, I never end up using bc I can't get my stupid shields to proc oh my GOD PLEASE SAGE I LOVE YOU BUT I SUCK AT GETTING TOXICONS--)
I'm being so serious here: either retire the Scions or have them better integrated into the plot. This was easily the weakest and most obnoxious parts of DT, where the twins were BARELY utilized (except to fill in for duty support), other characters hovered in the background waiting for their cue to come in, or just never appeared. This also meant that new characters struggled to shine because the game's story didn't know how to divvy up its time appropriately without choking another character's plotline. I think based on 7.4's threats we're going for the latter, but if we AREN'T just tell us straight-up from the get-go that they're not coming and bring in NEW CHARACTERS to fill their spots.
I feel like one of the most likely zones we're going to is a more fleshed-out Void (meaning more zones IN the Void other than Zero's hub and the fucked-up moon) and my hope for that is Zero won't be as obnoxious as she was in 6.3-.5. I know a lot of people love her but like... I think Zero was the red flag for some of Dawntrail's weaker writing segments and I don't want to live through that again. Please, please make her interesting, and make Golbez a fun character we can interact with more if he's brought back too!
I also think another zone we're likely to revisit might be Norvrandt. I know it's a long shot, but if we do: pretty please give me a duty with Ryne and/or Gaia and Cyella. There's SO much potential with the girls in the Crystarium but they are trapped there by story conventions!!! Please let them free I need to see them in action the brief glimpse I got of them in the 6.5 wrap-up wasn't enough!!!
This is the most spoiler-y point so far BUT: if we are going to have Halmarut and Calyx be continuous antagonists, I don't want them to be "Ascians 2.0," and I don't want their dynamic to be wasted. I want what is essentially a better version of Fandaniel and Zenos, and that duo was CRIMINALLY underutilized and barely displayed. I was extremely sad when Endwalker didn't have them interact more or with the WoL, and I don't want that to happen again. Halmarut is so interesting, and I want to know what the hell is going on with Calyx's whole shtick so bad now that he doesn't have Preservation to back him up.
This is also a somewhat morbid thought, but I want 8.0 to end with a lack of resolution. Each expansion since STB has felt... definitive, in a way? Like, "yeah you've done the main thing! Now we're making a bridge over to the NEXT thing" instead of continuing off the X.0's storyline, with their main antagonists VERY dead, no major antagonists immediately perceivable (to a certain extent) and no indication of what happens next. I want to feel like things AREN'T resolved, or perhaps that I'm even losing. I don't want 8.0 to end with a neat, wrapped-up bow, I want to feel like something's lacking, or I'm about to see something even more harrowing. Dawntrail was a good reset point, but now I want the meat and all its gory bits to chew on.
Wonder what the new jobs will be for 8.0? We’re due for a new tank job, I think. I’ve been going back into older FF titles poking around, thinking about what a good fit would be.
