Genshin Impact

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thebigbean said:
So, what were people's thoughts on Natlan’s story overall? Yeah, I lurked, but I was surprised not many people talked about it here. I’m surprised not many people talked about it here.
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I think it had some okay ideas. The Abyss invasion was pretty great, except the game going right back to normal at the end completely undercut the dark, serious tone and made it feel like none of it mattered at all. It felt like the only major change was Chasca angsting about her dead sister instead of angsting about her living sister. Helping Iansan treat people's mental scars was an interesting idea. The Traveler goes around helping the common man, establishing connections with the people of Natlan, with Natlan itself. It ties into what they were trying to accomplish with the Pilgrim's Chronicle thing, which I think did have a pretty good payoff in the end. It's just that the Iansan/reconstruction thing didn't have nearly enough meat to justify it taking up an entire chapter of the main story quest

But overall it's been pretty mediocre. Probably my least favorite chapter so far, below even Inazuma. Overall it just felt like a filler arc from a shounen anime, where the main story doesn't really advance at all. Most of the characters are too nice and perfect. It's like an entire nation where everyone is Barbara. As others have said, Mavuika is too perfect, and that makes her boring. Natlan warriors having the ability to resurrect makes me think Dragonball Z, except it's the Dragonball Z Abridged version, so it has even less gravitas and even lower stakes. It feels redundant as hell -- take a shot every time the characters talk about the power of friendship or attend a feast, and you'll be dead of alcohol poisoning by chapter 5.3. The final battle is a decent high note, but then the game drags out a long anticlimax with a fucking parade and ball-washing session. It really lacks the punch of the Traveler saying, "Want to help me hang up missing person posters?" at the end of the Liyue story quest. And that's not even getting into my autistic nitpicks with the setting.
 
Someone correct if I'm wrong, but I could have sworn it was mentioned in-game somewhere (possibly a past event with the NPC Lieben) that Natlan was a land of war and dragons. We saw the war, but... where's the dragons? Besides the saurian gimmicks, or the one in
Ochkanatlan's world quest where the point is to track down the big-ass dragon.
 
Clancee said:
Someone correct if I'm wrong, but I could have sworn it was mentioned in-game somewhere (possibly a past event with the NPC Lieben) that Natlan was a land of war and dragons. We saw the war, but... where's the dragons?
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Neuvillette was the one to mention it at the end of the Fontaine quests, but he pretty much spells out that by dragons he means the Saurians:

Neuvillette: As far as I'm aware, Natlan can be said to be "a nation of dragons."
Paimon: A nation of dragons? You mean, like you?
Neuvillette: No, I suspect that I would not find myself welcome there.
Neuvillette: Unlike ancient dragons such as myself, the dragons of Natlan have undergone long years of development and evolution. Large numbers of them have entered a form of coexistence with humanity.
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As for the Natlan story, other than the actual war part in 5.1 I thought it was pretty average, like all Mihoyo stories it falls apart the second you think about it some more. Much like how Inazuma's story was fucked by development issues, I suspect Natlan suffered this as well where they probably had some grand ideas but had to abandon them due to the relentless development schedule so they had to settle with getting something out the door.
 
Guess I have a good chunk of meh to look forward to. I just hope that Not-Russia will be cool at least. I don¨t expect them to match the wonders of Sumeru or (coming from someone who just completed the first chapter which ended on a high note of) Fontaine but you know, a nigger can dream.

I am though super intrigued about HSR currently but that might be because I genuinely didn't like Penacony, except a few things and a lot of the Trailblazer continuance stories have been weird as hell. Ahem, Rappa. So Not-Greece is like fresh air after being stuck at a Reddit LAN party with no windows or ventilation.

It's likely also because I'm anticipating the new banner so I can join the Robin hype and get Boothill for no other reason than space cowboys.

A question for everyone who played at launch or completed everything before Penacony was released. Did the other story missions end with a typical black screen, stating "to be continued?"
 
Clancee said:
where's the dragons?
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In the past. There were reptilian humanoids, but quite some time ago. Ochkonatlan was FAKKAYOUUUUUUU DRAGONS place, and it's long abandoned. Zaurians are related. Either devolved reptilians, or a separate evolutionary branch, that did not actually evolve. There's also Ajaw. He's clearly something dragon-based. We also meet another K'uhul in one of the bigger underground locations. Also sealed, but this time in a giant statue, and we basically help it die.
 
DenseDeerFather said:
Guess I have a good chunk of meh to look forward to. I just hope that Not-Russia will be cool at least. I don¨t expect them to match the wonders of Sumeru or (coming from someone who just completed the first chapter which ended on a high note of) Fontaine but you know, a nigger can dream.

I am though super intrigued about HSR currently but that might be because I genuinely didn't like Penacony, except a few things and a lot of the Trailblazer continuance stories have been weird as hell. Ahem, Rappa. So Not-Greece is like fresh air after being stuck at a Reddit LAN party with no windows or ventilation.

It's likely also because I'm anticipating the new banner so I can join the Robin hype and get Boothill for no other reason than space cowboys.

A question for everyone who played at launch or completed everything before Penacony was released. Did the other story missions end with a typical black screen, stating "to be continued?"
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Maybe? I don't remember, but you do get a screen that says "To be Continued".
 
Noebel said:
In the past. There were reptilian humanoids, but quite some time ago. Ochkonatlan was FAKKAYOUUUUUUU DRAGONS place, and it's long abandoned. Zaurians are related. Either devolved reptilians, or a separate evolutionary branch, that did not actually evolve. There's also Ajaw. He's clearly something dragon-based. We also meet another K'uhul in one of the bigger underground locations. Also sealed, but this time in a giant statue, and we basically help it die.
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Troon Whisperer said:
Neuvillette was the one to mention it at the end of the Fontaine quests, but he pretty much spells out that by dragons he means the Saurians:
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This is so fucking lame, they could've made anime skyrim but went for retarded pokemon that are budget versions of the natlan characters

Mavuika riding a dragon or something instead of her bike, and wearing monster hunter-esque armor instead of her travesty of a biker suit would've been pretty cool
 
poggies123_ said:
Mavuika riding a dragon or something instead of her bike, and wearing monster hunter-esque armor instead of her travesty of a biker suit would've been pretty cool
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It'd make more sense too. It wouldn't even have to be a winged dragon.

Something like this for example but minus the sci-fi sstuff.
1738623667389.png

Didn't join in on the whole Natlan aesthetic debate several pages earlier but I will say that Mauvika and her bike are really jarring, her suit too. So that she was kinda eugh in the story evaporates whatever tiny amounts of regret I could have felt by skipping her. '

I like Kinichi but his 8-bit shit is really silly too. Same with Xilonen's DJ Ultimate though I am fine with the rollerblades. Same with Chasca's...whatever the hell she's riding.

Anyway;
poggies123_ said:
retarded pokemon that are budget versions of the natlan characters
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So that's what they are? No wonder I got Mystery Dungeon vibes from the first one you meet after you put a random-ass red scarf on its tail.

Now, I have not touched any main quest in Natlan at all, I just unlocked one part of the map so I was beyond confused when the game dropped the armadillo thing on you.
 
Leaf Wage Slave Jr said:
I'll admit, the Chuychu death caught me off guard, just because she looked like an actual character rather than a cookie cutter NPC with a name - they seem to have learned that lesson from Teppei in Inazuma, I'll give them that.
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that's why I knew she was likely gonna die for drama :story:

Staphylococcus aureus said:
I agree with people saying the characters were too shallow.
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I wouldn't call it shallow, more like flat in comparison.

imo natlan overall has lower heights and higher lows compared to other nations which made them more memorable (both good and bad), all the chars are more "simple" and less over the top characters like before, which inevitably colors the impression. they all have a common goal right from the start compared to "being there and things happen", which would most likely happen with or without the traveler.
the problem is when you constantly raise the stakes and try to outdo previous stories and content, you easily can go off the rails where at the end it's even more ridiculous and nonsensical (just look at world of warcraft's "lore"). in that regard I don't mind natlan reigning in everything so snez is able to feel more "epic" or whatever in comparison to natlan and re-adjusting expectations.

and still, I have to give hoyo kudos for actually trying something different with the region and lore (which obviously never meshes for everyone) instead of keeping it safe and just rehashing the expected tropes, which would be less jarring but also boring.

I also got the impression natlan was kind of a soft-reboot for new people to get into genshin, being more self-contained and "accessible", which I assume is part what makes it feel more like filler.

Hammr2 said:
But I definitely hate any force walking section like recent Lantern Rite or whatever Mavuika reminisces section.
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the alternative is putting it in a lore-drop somewhere (which as you said people likely miss or don't read) or have a VN section as loredump. there are only so many ways to convey inner monologue and loredumps in a videogame, and if it doesn't overstay it's welcome I'm ok with it. the parts in natlan were fine imo (especially compared to the average sonyslop moviegame).

as for the traveler glazing, after 4 years running around on teyvat and being involved in pretty much every recent happening he's a known entity now, compared to getting into mondstadt the first time as literal who.

DenseDeerFather said:
Now, I have not touched any main quest in Natlan at all, I just unlocked one part of the map so I was beyond confused when the game dropped the armadillo thing on you.
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cute things sell, and it's story isn't over yet so without spoilers you have to keep playing, it's basically the narzissenkreuz quest to fontaine's mainquest. resolution should be next patch, unless it happens in that one worldquest of the hidden area to west I haven't done yet.
 
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ZMOT said:
cute things sell
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So in short, they started out mild with the Aranara in Sumeru (which I found pretty cute. I could buy a plush), then turned it up a little more with all the Melusine running around in Fontaine (Btw I hope we can get one of those poodles in the teapot) and now Pokemon Natlan Version. Would explain why they were all over the Hoyolab app right when Natlan was released.

Should be something else if they hyped them up so much and it'd end like Old Yeller - though I'm not expecting that.
 
DenseDeerFather said:
Pokemon Natlan Version
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Not to mention how one of them is a very obvious Yoshi rip-off. It's a shame that the saurians have the same abilities as Natlan characters, but are worse by being more limited and still requiring Philogiston. They could have had a nice trade-off there. Use saurians, try out the movement gimmicks of the region. Get the characters, it's an upgrade.
 
DenseDeerFather said:
A question for everyone who played at launch or completed everything before Penacony was released. Did the other story missions end with a typical black screen, stating "to be continued?"
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Wasn't a black screen, but a graphic did appear going "To be continued in the next trailblaze mission"

ZMOT said:
resolution should be next patch, unless it happens in that one worldquest of the hidden area to west I haven't done yet.
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It'll be in 5.5, there's no new area in 5.4 and the world quest finishes in the volcano we can see but can't reach.
 
Troon Whisperer said:
It'll be in 5.5, there's no new area in 5.4 and the world quest finishes in the volcano we can see but can't reach.
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wait what does even happen in 5.4 then? metaplot stuff is usually after everthing's resolved.

Clancee said:
Use saurians, try out the movement gimmicks of the region. Get the characters, it's an upgrade.
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the saurians are the fallback if you don't own the character, just like fontaine had conveniently placed arkhe bubbles where you needed them.
 
Man, I have so much to catch up on. I still need to get through Fontaine. Luckily, another gacha is getting sunset next month so there's some free time gained
 
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