#she played a pretty big role in the archon quest and then a few story/event quests i think

[ninas-gf]

part of me thinks that hyv originally intended for sara to have more of a presence in events and stuff

[autumnslance]

Hello! Are you looking forward to 5.3, and do you have any story predictions? :)

I am very much looking forward to 5.3! I am planning to be up bright and early in the morning (6am my time) for the Live Letter and likely a trailer. I also took Patch Day off work so I can just play and not sit and be unproductive and distracted at work all day.

As a reminder: trailers are meant to hype us up and are often cut to be misleading! Incomplete, out of context voiced lines over entirely unrelated scenes/images! Things spliced together to pique interest and fuel theories! Do not trust it!

They may use more NieR music. Or part of the boss theme for the Secret Trial. Or both.

I had a lot to say so here’s a cut!

Predictions? Hrm. At this point I’m not sure. I can think of a few different possibilities, especially with The Crystal Tower raids becoming mandatory (and honestly they should have just done that before Shadowbringers entirely). We also know Our Lady Natsuko Ishikawa is back to lead writing for this finale of the storyarc she’s guided this entire time.

-I do think the Crystal Tower on the Source will become important again, as will its slumbering keeper. There’ve been hints dropped to that regard since the end of 5.0.

-I’m not so sure the Exarch will die; there’s a lot of talk about it and people claiming “OMG death flags!!!” but that just makes me think the opposite; he might come close, but with the way the narrative has relied on second chances and hope, I don’t see it as that likely. Also Her Grace Ishikawa dislikes killing off characters if she can help it, so unless she’s under orders, I feel it’s unlikely.

There are other ways The Queen can break our hears, after all.

-I am ready for a big, teary scene where Ryne says goodbye to the Scions, especially Thancred. There are a couple possibilities for how it can go, though.

-Interrupted by an enemy/event, leaving only last soft looks and things still unsaid but the communication is finally there.

-Thancred (and/or Urianger and/or Y’shtola) end up remaining on the First after all, perhaps to give the others a chance, or to help the Exarch, or Ryne, or similar last minute emergency reasons; unintentional, but they won’t just leave their friends hanging.

-The Archons do get to leave, but it’s difficult getting them back to their bodies; this is where I think Young G’raha comes back in. His blood on the Source can be used to reverse what Exarch does on the First to get the Scions into the souljars and back into corporeal form.

-A big part of me wants Ryne to last minute suddenly have to help us get the Scions back. That’s been my theory the whole time and I won’t let go until this is resolved. Minfilia got the Heroes of the First home with her, Ryne could be able to do the same; she’s as Blessed as the WoL is, after all, and just as Rejoined.

-That last one does leave Gaia alone, though, which is rough, but also she could finish Eden on her own at this clean break point in that story. While Ryne dearly loves and wants to rebuild the First, she is the Oracle of Light--and Light’s time over that world is done. That Oracle’s powers and point of hope are no longer needed, but a personification of Darkness’ changes, well...

-Runar may have a role somehow; there’s theorizing on the focus on him last patch, and him overhearing Y’shtola talk of leaving, might leave him open to manipulation.

-Frankly all the new-minted WoLs are open to manipulation, and Elidibus turning them on the Scions somehow.

-I want Angelo to come back with Alisaie. Barring that, she immediately remakes him. I definitely want a scene or at least mention of her testing her new technique on Ga Bu, but that might take another patch or two.

(I’m pretty sure out of all of them, the twins are definitely getting home; their stories on the First have been neatly wrapped up and their role alongside the WoL keeps them pretty safe, I think)

-I want a stabilized portal with the First. I don’t want the world “cut off” so far as plot goes (open for us to return for leveling/crafting/instanced reasons, but the story there being over). It would negate in so many ways the point of saving the First to let it rot in MMO static world status, but I’m also sure that’s likely to happen. Story moves on, as do the lives there, but the game can’t depict it unless there’s a plot reason for it to update.

-We’ll start working on the still-destroyed other side of the Firmament. It’ll go much like the last patch’s progression did, as that actually worked out rather well. Maybe it’s a new form of player housing. Possibly. They’ve got to come up with something different.

-Anogg and Konog will blow things up. Machine lifeforms will attack the Goggs’ carnival. The Chief will yell and curse a lot. Nines may end up helping protect people from the machine lifeforms and then begrudgingly work with us, and 2B if we can wake her; she’s in promo art still so may get woken up during the story leading into the Bunker. I know there’s at least one other faction in NieR those figures in the art could be, and the gear they hinted will be based on said figures. We’ll learn some, but not the whole story, of what happened to 2B and why Nines was enraged while not infected (his eyes were clear). Maybe we’ll meet A2; as a boss? I doubt we’ll see Adam and/or Eve until part 3, though; they feel like end bosses, if I understand their role in story right (I’ve not played any NieR).

-People will gripe and whine there are no changes to the actual writing, dialogue, or voice acting for ARR, especially in EN, not realizing how much more work that is, not to mention probably legal issues and contractual obligations with that studio and the actors.

-I’m hoping for Class and Job quests for New Game+

(as an aside, I would love for the ARR Beast Tribes to get retooled to be a bit more like HW and later Beast Tribes, and ARR and HW DoL/DoH quests to get updated to be more StB-style; for one thing, it’s an actual test of your gathering/crafting skills, not “buy it from the MB/have a buddy make it” and for two, once contained to story items, it might make it easier to add those quests to New Game+)

-Please give us Hildibrand. Please. I’m begging, SE! Greg canonically has riftwalking powers and used them at the end of StB Hildy. Please. Give us the Inspector, he’s how the WoL destresses from what MSQ throws at them.

There’s probably more I’m forgetting, but this is more than enough for now. I’m trying not to go too hard on speculation, as whatever happens will still surprise me somehow.

I do expect tears though. Lots and lots of tears.