You’re way ahead of Ash with this. I do think that ALL of the content was vastly better after the ARR cross-over grind, but I get we all have favorites, and Shadowbringers seems to take the cake for most.

Some of the sidequests lead to content-specific things, ala Alliance Raids (shh, don’t ask yet) or some of the more amusing Normal Raids or Trials off the beaten path.  It’s really great if you do all those blue !s.

Ash, I’m SO glad to hear from you regarding FFXIV again! This quest brought back a flood of memories, and to relive it vicariously through you was beautiful.

Finally, to your point, “in most MMOs, you are a merchant of death.” My dear, in FFXIV, you are about to be all that and so much more. I await your completion of…

PS - Having participated in dozens of MMOs over the past 20 years, I’m glad to hear you’re enjoying FFXIV.  Myself as well.  It’s great to hear someone else just as enthused, and getting the crowd amped about ‘Endwalker,’ now.

Only one little tiny thing to nit-pick here, but it did make me question your awareness of the game slightly: At what point did you ‘dance between [your] bard and [your] archer?’ Did you remove your soul crystal? That’s not a normal thing you’d want to do, usually. Archers become bards. I think you meant another…