I just want everyone to know that this is entirely speculation but the idea hit me while discussing the concept in the main thread.
Anyway:
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Ignoring Episode Aranea since it is called a "Side-Story" DLC, likely to please those of us that want more Niflheim overall (the characters, the continent, etc).
So, remember when Tabata constantly talked about how these new DLC would be part of a new gameplay idea that the series hasn't seen before? That Episode Ardyn would "poineer" this idea and the others would continue and follow suit? That all of them would connect on a "Thematic" level yet all 3 of these characters, even just based on the new descriptions for the episodes, dealing with entirely different things? That all of the DLC will be much more closely related to the main game unlike the previous character episodes which were more episodic, yet seemingly all 3 DLC are focusing either on Alternative story or leading to it?
Well I personally think the idea isn't all that new, and in fact, has been used before in other games like Mass Effect and Dragon Age; planned stories that connect to each other via choices made in a trilogy.
I'm actually not saying this is a bad thing though. This could actually be a great fucking idea if executed right.
What I think the DLC will be like, or can be like:
Hope you all enjoyed lol.
Tl;dr: The "new" gameplay mechanic is a carry over feature in terms of story between the 3 DLC. 1 ending affects the rest and the main game. There will be new "canon" content, but a big focus will be achieving these new endings, especially the "Grand Finale" ending.
Anyway:
--
Ignoring Episode Aranea since it is called a "Side-Story" DLC, likely to please those of us that want more Niflheim overall (the characters, the continent, etc).
So, remember when Tabata constantly talked about how these new DLC would be part of a new gameplay idea that the series hasn't seen before? That Episode Ardyn would "poineer" this idea and the others would continue and follow suit? That all of them would connect on a "Thematic" level yet all 3 of these characters, even just based on the new descriptions for the episodes, dealing with entirely different things? That all of the DLC will be much more closely related to the main game unlike the previous character episodes which were more episodic, yet seemingly all 3 DLC are focusing either on Alternative story or leading to it?
Well I personally think the idea isn't all that new, and in fact, has been used before in other games like Mass Effect and Dragon Age; planned stories that connect to each other via choices made in a trilogy.
I'm actually not saying this is a bad thing though. This could actually be a great fucking idea if executed right.
What I think the DLC will be like, or can be like:
- All 3 (Episode Ardyn, Luna, and Noctis) will have full canon parts to the DLC. Each will take place at a specific point in the game (Ardyn prior to the start of FFXV story wise, but perhaps taking place during the second half somewhere, Luna somewhere in the middle either before or after she dies, and Noctis also somewhere in the middle/during his sleep/I honestly have no idea where this could take place lol)
- They will be integrated as special chapters into the base game, or at least thats still what I'm banking on.
- At a certain point, or by the end of the DLC, each character will need to make a choice or choices, one that canonically falls in line with the main ending or does not (Example: Ardyn makes an evil choice at the end of his DLC = canon to the main game OR Ardyn makes a good choice at the end = alternative canon. Luna's canon ending is that she dies, or her Alternative ending is that she lives).
- Most importantly, each DLC will affect the next. Or rather, Episodes Ardyn and Episode Luna will affect Episode Noctis (considering his is the finale DLC).
- If you do ONLY the canon parts of the DLC and follow each ending canonically, Episode Noctis will end (or rather, will lead into) with the current ending the game gives you (basically best OG ending ever). Perhaps it will add a better Ardyn fight or an extended ending, but it will canonically be the same.
- If you do the CANON endings for both Ardyn and Luna but then do the Alternative ending for Noctis, you'll get a "bad" (lets just call it that) ending. Noctis tries to revolt against the gods, ends up failing to beat Ardyn, and in the end, dies along with the rest of the world and Ardyn gets his revenge (just a random example I threw up)
- If you do Ardyn's or Luna's ALTERNATIVE endings, but not Nocts, you could get some other interesting endings as well. If you do both of their alternative endings, you can get something different.
- If you do all 3 DLC's ALTERNATIVE endings, you can achieve this new "Grand Finale" they are talking about.
- With these 3 DLC, you can get 6 endings (1 is the main games, 4 of them are either bad or have different outcomes, the final one is the "good" ending they are pitching).
- Most importantly, the 3 DLC must be played with only the canon content first if they are integrated into the story at any point. Once you beat the game and see the original ending, you can return to these "special chapters" and change up whatever you see fit, experiencing a new ending.
- THIS is what I think Tabata could have meant by having this new DLC much more integrated into the story. The DLC will have canon parts such as Ardyn's past, Luna's conflict with Nocts fate (something we actually never got in the main game) and Noct's own conflictions about following the Astrals (something we also never got in the main game), and initially there will be no choices. However, upon playing the chapters again, you can unlock these alternative choices. This is why I also think they are releasing really close together in 2019, so firstly they can work out these kinks all to make sure each ending and concept works well together, and secondly to allow everyone to experience everything in a short amount of time because they all (save for Aranea most likely) depend on each other.
- This is a great way to please everyone with more canon story that effectively extends the game for another 6-12 hours (+ Episode Aranea), further solidifying the DLC's significance into the main canon, while also giving us some fun, diverging plot changes that can shake up how the game is viewed.
Hope you all enjoyed lol.
Tl;dr: The "new" gameplay mechanic is a carry over feature in terms of story between the 3 DLC. 1 ending affects the rest and the main game. There will be new "canon" content, but a big focus will be achieving these new endings, especially the "Grand Finale" ending.
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