How would you like the Scions to be used after 6.0? [EW spoilers]

Hello!

How would you like the Scions to be used after 6.0?

We know the following:

• Yoshi P has stated, in the recent Mog Radio interview, that Krile is going to be a part of the story going forward.
• He also said that Thancred will have something coming up (I'm guessing this is likely in the patch cycle somewhere).
• It's hinted at the end of 6.0 that the Scions will be "on call" when we need them for specific tasks.
• It's also hinted that at some point in the far future there'll be some sort of reunion between them, from the scene at the Rising Stones.

It's very clear that the Scions will be working in smaller groups for the foreseeable future (the Unending Journey text also confirms this) rather than as a whole. Personally, while I absolutely adore the Scions, I think this is a good idea.

If you go and speak to the Scions in the overworld, it feels to me like at least some of them might have "wrap-up/epilogue-like stories" in the patches, where we can get a deeper focus on each of them.

In 7.0 I think it's very, very likely that we'll have G'raha with us (with all that talk of an adventure across the seas). I'm not personally a fan of his, but I know he's very popular, and it makes sense. I am guessing that we could potentially have another Scion with us - maybe Krile, Estinien or Alisaie - but that remains to be seen.

I'm very keen that we do see the Scions pop up in the MSQ - my ideal solution would be for us to spend each expansion with 1-2 of them and then a cast of new characters to fill up the team. I'd like G'raha to take a backseat after 7.0/7.3 (depending on when they end that story) - not kill him off or anything like that, and still have him make appearances, but allow other characters to switch in, and to keep the party fresh and different each time.

What are your thoughts on how they could be best used?

I want 6.1 to see us taking a dive into the aetherial sea, armed with the means of bringing Minfilia back to life. Thancred and Urianger are right there, and if their comments on her appearance in the Aitiascope are any indication, there might be something more to that than just "helping the Loporrits" or whatever it is they're doing.

EDIT: To add to that, I think it'd be really nice if the 24-man raid questline, Myths of the Realm, were kicked off by a revived Minfilia. With the duty that kept her chained first to a desk and then to Hydaelyn's grand design over and done with and the Scions effectively under new management and also technically disbanded, actually getting to live her own life would let her finally be a character unto herself again. Bringing back some of that adventurous spirit that was lost in the big 1.0 -> 2.0 transition, hopefully.

Beyond that, I expect G'raha to end up taking us to Corvos, and that line of questing will involve the expansion's artifact weapons. Though in truth I'd be more interested in seeing the content surrounding Garlemald expanded, with us perhaps working together with the Twins on that front. Perhaps this expansion's Trial questline could be focused in that region. We still have no idea what that'll even be about, after all.

Thancred - whatever it is they have planned for him, they better make things interesting quick. His main character arc is basically over, and my patience with him is fading fast. I'd like to have an entirely new character replace him.

Y'shtola - needs to take a break. Let her go off and research for an expansion or two and figure out how to world hop and please invest the resources to come up with a new postergirl for season 2.

Krile - I'm excited to see if she joins the party and possibly takes over Alphinaud's role as a healer trust, though that would imbalance things if she's only a pure/regen healer like G'raha and Urianger. Maybe she could take 2 roles and be a caster and a healer? The more characters we have that can fill multiple roles the better.

Urianger - Him and Y'shtola are basically our lore explainers so if I have to choose between him or her to keep moving forward, I'm going to go with Urianger.

G'raha - Though it took me a long time to warm up to him, I don't mind if he joins us in future expansions.

Estinien - If for some reason they make the mistake of removing him from the story in 7.0 they better have a replacement lined up that covers his archetype. Out of all the Scions he is the one I want to see more of the most.

Alphinaud - needs to go play diplomat and sit the next expansion out. Let him sort out the Garlemald situation or something.

Alisae - loved her in EW and excited for her next job change (?) and given her personality it would make sense for her to be interested in journeying with us to a new continent.

Oof. Thancred is personally my favourite Scion and character, and I honestly think he's fantastic! I really like the relationship they've built up between him and Urianger too, and I think there's a lot of scope there. I do think they should both take a backseat for a while, but I'd love to go adventuring with them again in an expansion down the line.

Personally I would like for none of them to appear for quite a bit, frankly. I'd like some breathing room while WoL goes off and does the "wandering adventurer" thing. However, right now I'm leaning towards the next expansion being a bit of a wind-down where we deal with issues across Ilsabard, so just on the face of it I would expect some of them to show up throughout in various zones like Corvos.

If we look at the world map superimposed over the map of Etheirys from space, it looks to me like Ilsabard has kind of an "East and West split" thing going on, so maybe we'll do something like exploring the Eastern part with three zones from Corvos in the Southeast with G'raha and Krile while exploring the Western part with three zones from Garlemald in the Northwest with Alisaie and Alphinaud. That sounds a bit split, but frankly I just want to establish more of the central landmass before we scarper off elsewhere.

https://i.imgur.com/svwWdfI.gif

I like her, but Y'shtola can take a break. Thancred and Urianger, too, honestly. I guess I really want some kind of split, with the 1.0 (and 1.X) Scions taking some time off while we get an adventure with the newer generation: the twins, Estinien, and G'raha (plus Krile, hopefully). Honestly, that sounds like the perfect size party to take into a new expansion, with enough slots to fill in with new characters who also may or may not swap in and out for later adventures.

It may surprise people to hear this from me, but I also want G'raha to get some kind of break. He deserves at least one expansion's time out-of-focus, like Y'shtola in Stormblood, or Dogi in even-numbered Ys games. Even I can tell he gets a little too much to do when he's around, and that can never end well. The light that burns twice as bright, and all that.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by aveyond-dreams

Thancred - whatever it is they have planned for him, they better make things interesting quick. His main character arc is basically over, and my patience with him is fading fast. I'd like to have an entirely new character replace him.

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Similar thoughts. I am so over his melancholy with Minfilia (and I definitely do not want to see her come back in any capacity). Either he gets his ARR mojo back, or he can stay on the sidelines if he's intent to keep moping about her indefinitely.

I don't care if I never see Y'shtola or Urianger again, not particularly a fan of either. I'm not excited about Krile taking center stage, but it is what it is.

As much as I love Estinien, it doesn't fit with his character to follow us around the world. The only exception would be anything dragon related, like Meracydia.

I adore G'raha and he can follow me everywhere. :P

I'm eh on the twins. I like Alisaie, but I get tired of Alphinaud. I think both need to stay off screen for a while to grow into adult Elezen models.

Overall, I'd prefer to see some fresh faces, new personality types and skill sets.

My concern is that I don't think the story should focus around any one character for any huge length of time. This is just my example, but I personally find G'raha extremely uncomfortable as a character and I'd prefer an approach where it's fairer to everyone - not just with the Scions, but with entirely new characters! The more you focus on one character for any huge length of time, the more likely it is that people will get fed up with them - I think Fenral brings up a very good point. Variety is the spice of life!

I'd be fine with Alphinaud (kind of tired of him; been front and center since the last act of 2.0), Thancred (character arc mostly done), Urianger (doesn't seem to have much of a role other than the double agent, which he can't do if he's in focus), and maybe Y'shtola (she never got enough focus to keep me engaged with her as a character). Alisae is fine as the PC's self-appointed protegé, G'raha is fine to keep around but should get a little toned down, Estinien hasn't gotten enough time as a Scion in my opinion, and Krile's mostly just kind of been there so a little screen time would benefit her.

I'm hoping we get a number of new characters from wherever we go; we got plenty of new characters in Endwalker, but they didn't get much time because the story moved at such a breakneck (if disjointed) pace. A new continent or whatever should get lots of new characters, and I'm hoping some of the auxiliary Scions get some attention. Especially Riol.

New cast ahoy! Riol is at least eye candy, much like Thancred, so there's that. Perhaps some utilisation of Jullus?

But I know the twins and G'raha unfortunately are quite unlikely to be going anywhere... Don't care for Tataru or Krile either, so meh.

Y'shtola, Thancred, Estinien and Urianger are the Scions I'd say I like most but at the same time it really is time to meet new traveling companions, although I could see Estinien being involved in any trip to Meracydia.