Tl;dr - I think the overall Dev talk update was mostly good but the devs original game vision, design, and identity when they first started is officially gone once 2.0 arrives. A lot of story issues need revamping regarding our role as a proxy within the in-game universe. Zenless is going to become a new game but there's still a void that needs to be filled.
We're literally becoming less and less as proxies and more like a playable agent. Especially with the proxies training as disciples under Yunkai Summit that was directly mentioned. The head of the new faction is going to be our mentor in the new region/area to help us learn her 'craft' and explore Hollows directly. Our 'inner powers' are awakening and Lycaon and Ellen were talking about our combat skills within Hollows. What made Phaethon legendary in the first place was because of our technology, unique integration with bangboo consciousness, and bangboo know-how as protege's of Carole Arna.
They need to revamp a lot of world-building stuff and replace TV mode properly as well. Because they took out half the original intended gameplay/content and have yet to replace it with something. TV mode has been effectively dead since 1.3. We've gotten 2 total Exploration commissions since Chapter 4 (check your HDD I ain't lying). We don't really have a use for the interknot, we never hear or see other proxies, nor hackers, or any other info brokers etc. anymore. The Techie world building identity stuff that set ZZZ apart from other Gacha's is literally nonexistent now.
They said they'd replace TV mode with the Bangboo obstacle stuff to explore Hollows, and we haven't seen any of it in tangible ways since 1.4. The Bangboo fall guys game mode doesn't cut it. And now in 2.0, HDD (Literally the most advanced Hollow tech and the legacy of our teacher Carole Arna) is no longer necessary to interact with even though we barely have been using it since 1.4 anyways.
We're also going into Hollows personally (for no reason) without the need for Bangboo carrot data thus effectively making Eous' role useless now. Sure, your ether aptitude is higher now, but we're literally not combatants and have zero reason to be inside of a Hollow with the risk for corruption and running into Ethereal enemies. Fairy also took a hard backseat in 1.5+1.6 and we barely had interactions with her even during missions compared to earlier chapters too. She's been relatively quiet.
IF Wise and Belle speculatively become combatants down the line, then they don't even need agents to explore the Hollows anymore and could just do it themselves (their original goal of exploring Hollow Zero). We originally needed connections and money BECAUSE we couldn't fight and jump into Hollows ourselves.
We also haven't had many commissions outside of the main story and special agent stories in a while (Since like 1.3). Like a good sizeable batch of side hustle and side commissions for PHAETHON and not for agents. In the early stages when we had TV mode, they gave us literally over 100+ commissions that were non-agent related. Both combat and exploration nodes to make us FEEL like a proxy. And to world build and make it feel like other characters/npcs exist in the city of New Eridu by interacting with them. Now when Wise or Belle talks about cash flow it's literally a meme because we aren't doing any side missions anyways as a Proxy.
Kami North storyline, Venus, Shepard, Hero's Journey Quest, Withering Garden, Car Hollow mission, Pokemon/Bangboo battle sim, etc. Like I said at the start, this is really just the biggest part that I'm concerned and critical about. Everything else that was presented was pretty good. But as someone who genuinely likes the game and what it offered early on. I just dislike how it moved away from all of the Phaethon Futuristic Tech worldbuilding stuff. We're literally the number one most legendary proxy and due to that, a criminal on the interknot and in the city. Yet the game refuses to explore it further but instead is leaving it behind entirely with each patch.
I know I'm going to catch flak for this take, but is it just me?🤷🏻♀️
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