End Game and BBI questions

[Geek Ultra]

I just defeated the red big bad dragon, and im confused on what's going on. Is the dragon not the end game? im currently collecting 12 waketones.

also, is the BBI part of the story or is it just a post-game extra challenge for people to have something to play with for a while?

[Q_taro]

The story ends when you collect 20 waketones and complete the quest.

BBI was originally a DLC, so it's separate from the main story, but your progress will be reset if you clear the main story or switch to hard mode.

[Spirit]

Consider the post-game overworld a practice area for BBI. The world is much more dangerous after killing the red dragon

The wakestones are needed to finish the story. There is nothing else left other than the wakestones as the last boss is really just a meeting and a way to end the story and start new game+

BBI is a endgame dungeon for higher level players

[Goof]

BBI is the true journey, it's to defeat the Dark Arisen after all

[Guh~hey~hey~♫]

The dragon is the plot twist that lead to the real end game boss.

BBi is a standalone story that only require you to unlock your main pawn. When you go there everything get paused in Gransis, so you can go back and forth whenever, complete BBi several times, etc...
Though when you hit the end of the main story in Gransis and go to new game +, your progress in BBi get reset, bosses respawn, etc...
Also if you pay attention to BBi lore, you might get spoiled about Gransis main story if you went there early.

I'd say, for a newcomer, the right moment to go to BBi is once you killed the dragon.... so you can use the dragon's weapons to ease your first trip into BBi and to farm the required 20 wakestones there to complete Gransis main story.
If you're already in new game+, just grab your pawn and immediately head to BBi, or go farm Ur dragon first (there will be a portal on cassardis beach that lead directly to the chamber of lament in NG+)

[InvaderJim]

also, after you are done with the wakestone-quest and the credits roll, ng+ (its not even called that officially) isnt "start new game", as that would reset all your progress and start a blank new game, its "load game", which resets the story but lets you keep your pawn, your lvls and all your items or "hard mode" which does the same just well in hard mode. if you do want to go to bbi AFTER the mainquest is finished, you should chose ng+ as that will allow you to keep your gear and vocation skills etc for what is basically the hardest content in the game.

[AvG]

Originally posted by Geek PH:

I just defeated the red big bad dragon, and im confused on what's going on. Is the dragon not the end game? im currently collecting 12 waketones.

also, is the BBI part of the story or is it just a post-game extra challenge for people to have something to play with for a while?

there is some more story in BBI yes, it has some more lore to the world but it is optional content. most of the cursed gear there greatly surpases the original game, as well as some normally rare drops in post dragon world are now found in bbi for collecting reasons.
its quite fun, but a lot of the enemies will be challenging until you start upgrading your gear.

The wakestone quest is the final quest so only do that quest when you want to progress to the ending (it will force a decision that ends the game, but you can start a new game plus or hard mode then)