[3.4 SPOILERS] Cutscene Praise and a totally selfish Dev Request

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I gotta come on these Forums to praise you guys for a fantastic story, the best one so far, in my opinion. Thank you for taking the time to think carefully about this world and the characters--they are your characters but they are 'ours' too, in a way, being in this story for so long and being so emotionally invested in it.

I want to praise you in particular for the way, in some of this patch's cutscenes, you let us pick from multiple dialogue options. This is huge to me. For example, when you and Alisae are having an intimate conversation, you can bring up one of three different aspects to your adventures. And she reacts, AT LENGTH, to whichever option you choose! I LOVE LOVE LOVE this so much, thank you SO MUCH for this, this gives us SO much more depth as a protagonist and makes us feel like we're doing so much more in this world, that we MEAN so much more in these characters' lives, than a simple stoic head-nod.

It is my humble request, whenever possible, that you include dialogue options like this in the future. They don't have to be long huge obscene branching trees, but real differences in selection, with real differences in how the NPCs react to them, is an excellent touch that I really appreciate.

In addition, I have one final request...

In a future patch, let me see Minfilia again, and--in a dialogue selection branch like the one you've implemented here, let me say that I love her. Let me select the actual words "I love you Minfilia" on a dialogue tree, and let her react to it. I've been waiting to say these words since 1.0, devs, don't let my character be that guy who never says those words and they turn out to never get spoken. Don't make me just 'imagine' I said it to myself with a knowing head-nod + smile, don't make me resort to fanfiction.

Let me say those words, and let her react to them. Hnnng.

Great patch guys. Renewing sub another 6 months.

Agreed that I really, really like the multiple dialogue options. Really helps to let me feel immersed, playing my character, interacting with others. Like when you're up on the Hill with Alisaie, and can choose one of several anecdotes to share with her, getting a unique reaction from her for each. That's great stuff.

As far as your request goes...personally, I'd love to be able to give a similar confession to Estinien, but I don't see that happening either sadly :P

The cutscene detail was much higher in this patch! If this is what 4.0 is going to be like, I'm excited!

But, there was a moment in the dinner-date with Aymeric that stuck out to me more than anything. Aside from the fangirling from me and Aymeric's unabashed glee upon my choice to invite him for an adventure.

We, the WoL, refuse the wine offered to us and very carefully watch the steward pour Aymeric's drink. No dialogue, WoL never drops their pleasant smile, and Aymeric doesn't notice.

Buy it's obvious that the WoL isn't taking any chances after the last time they had wine with a friend.

After this patch I want that option to come up for Alisae (Sorry, Yugiri).

Anyway, yes i also noticed that we've gotten quite a lot of chance to pick our own dialogue. I was very happy about that.

Yeah I also noticed that the WoL didn't forget how the last party ended. But I am still glad we were given a sequence that served no purpose beside thanking us. And I actually had an alpine coat to put on. Thanks guard dude.

The story also acknowledged out past deeds (Coil, mostly), had plenty of surprising revelations handed out at a good pace, included a new dungeon and old trial (really nice touch) and a super epic single player duty as a final battle.

Yes, this was as close we can get to perfect.

Yes, the wine was a nice touch... As were all the dialogue options.

I was shaking when the guy was mixing the wine, because I thought Aymeric was going to die. After the HW poisonings, I just can't trust anyone.

This patch's story is definitely up there with 2.55 for the best in my opinion. The changes in dialogue during the Titan fight were an especially subtle touch.

The dialogue options were amazing. I specifically mentioned I wish Ser Aymeric could join us on another journey. I feel he's a great friend, and has definitely earned it. Plus he needs an escape from the paperwork.

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Originally Posted by Ametrine

The cutscene detail was much higher in this patch! If this is what 4.0 is going to be like, I'm excited!

But, there was a moment in the dinner-date with Aymeric that stuck out to me more than anything. Aside from the fangirling from me and Aymeric's unabashed glee upon my choice to invite him for an adventure.

We, the WoL, refuse the wine offered to us and very carefully watch the steward pour Aymeric's drink. No dialogue, WoL never drops their pleasant smile, and Aymeric doesn't notice.

Buy it's obvious that the WoL isn't taking any chances after the last time they had wine with a friend.

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Glad to see us, the WoL, finally learn their lesson and not perform yet another Nanamo... We are calling it a Nanamo right? If not we totally should

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Originally Posted by Ametrine

The cutscene detail was much higher in this patch! If this is what 4.0 is going to be like, I'm excited!

But, there was a moment in the dinner-date with Aymeric that stuck out to me more than anything. Aside from the fangirling from me and Aymeric's unabashed glee upon my choice to invite him for an adventure.

We, the WoL, refuse the wine offered to us and very carefully watch the steward pour Aymeric's drink. No dialogue, WoL never drops their pleasant smile, and Aymeric doesn't notice.

Buy it's obvious that the WoL isn't taking any chances after the last time they had wine with a friend.

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Although I did think my character's wide eyed expression at the sheer about of sweetner/birch syrup Aymeric takes in his tea was cute. That was a bit more than a "dash".

The spiked drink PTSD is very real for our WoL. All that is missing at this point is a 1000 yalm stare emote

Real for the WoL? When Aymeric and my character were toasting I was thinking "I know I'm being paranoid, but if one of us keels over I'm going to scream."

. . . perhaps a crafting recipe for a hipflask? I'm impressed the WoL even takes drinks others offer.

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Originally Posted by Naria

Although I did think my character's wide eyed expression at the sheer about of sweetner/birch syrup Aymeric takes in his tea was cute. That was a bit more than a "dash".

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Oh lord, I didn't see that! Gotta rewatch when I get home.

Reading through all the cutscene-praise, I think it was not only overdue we got our drink with Aymeric, but also that we get the NPC dating system that was teased with in april fools twice already; some way to get to know our objects of desire ( ;) ) better and make choices when answering their questions.

I, for one, would love to read more about Aymeric's upbringing and his true beliefs and I'm right there with Fatestorm and ZhaneX that I would like my character to confess her love to him, and see him react. I'm sure there is a wide variety of characters people would love to go through somthing similar with.

edit: I want to add another selfish request: Can we get a dance scene with Aymeric?

Perhaps an option to choose a "favorite" NPC that shows up more often in cutscenes and they can get chosen to help out the WoL on their adventures.

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Originally Posted by Remasa

Perhaps an option to choose a "favorite" NPC that shows up more often in cutscenes and they can get chosen to help out the WoL on their adventures.

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I would like this more. I mean, I see much love for Aymeric and Haurchefant, but I never was a fan. They are fine, I just didnt feel a deeper connection to them that so many seem to.

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Originally Posted by Remasa

Perhaps an option to choose a "favorite" NPC that shows up more often in cutscenes and they can get chosen to help out the WoL on their adventures.

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I fear if they did this we'd actually end up losing the very interactions that made many of us fall in love with Haurchefant, Aymeric, etc. in the first place.

For some reason, the first thing that comes to mind with your dialogue request/the 3.4 dialogue is the opening of kingdom hearts:

http://www.destinyislands.com/images...hie-choice.png

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Originally Posted by Alberel

I fear if they did this we'd actually end up losing the very interactions that made many of us fall in love with Haurchefant, Aymeric, etc. in the first place.

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Ah, this is true, but I was thinking more along the lines of the companions they had in 1.0 that tagged along with you and participated in the Duties and various battles. We could select a relevant NPC to tag along with us. We would still have the cutscenes with the main players, and the larger duties with multiple NPCs assisting in battles, but just having that ONE NPC that is more like your "buddy" would be nice.

Edit: I just couldn't help but be both super excited to offer Aymeric a spot adventuring with me and utterly disappointed it would never come to fruition. Flavor dialogue is nice during cutscenes, but sometimes I just wish maybe we would act on some of the options presented to us :P

No opinion on the confession request but I too want to express how much I have enjoyed the dialogue options and cutscene quality/details. It finally feels that we, the WoL are starting to find our own voice and our own way. I know that getting too custom is dangerous and limited in an MMO but I've been very happy at seeing out own characters get to develop alongside our companions. Storywise Patches 3.3 and especially 3.4 we're simply perfect and I hope that way continue to get this level of writing and quality.

Great job dev teams, please keep up the great work!

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Originally Posted by Remasa

Ah, this is true, but I was thinking more along the lines of the companions they had in 1.0 that tagged along with you and participated in the Duties and various battles. We could select a relevant NPC to tag along with us. We would still have the cutscenes with the main players, and the larger duties with multiple NPCs assisting in battles, but just having that ONE NPC that is more like your "buddy" would be nice.

Edit: I just couldn't help but be both super excited to offer Aymeric a spot adventuring with me and utterly disappointed it would never come to fruition. Flavor dialogue is nice during cutscenes, but sometimes I just wish maybe we would act on some of the options presented to us :P

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Yeah, I understand the desire. If they could do it well and do it justice then I would support it. The main concern is that adding additional options to stories, such as who accompanies you, tends to lead to shallower stories or characters overall as the writers try to account for every eventuality. It can be done well, but it's rare.

With regards to Aymeric I actually do think he may be joining us in the field eventually. Now that we know where the expansion is taking us it's looking highly likely that the Eorzean Alliance will finally mobilise. I would expect all of the GC leaders will play a role in the campaign in some form.

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Originally Posted by Ametrine

We, the WoL, refuse the wine offered to us and very carefully watch the steward pour Aymeric's drink. No dialogue, WoL never drops their pleasant smile, and Aymeric doesn't notice.

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Why I'm thinking that my character got traumatic with any drink people offers to him lmao. After seeing nanamo and at bar, I think he trauma enough to get drink...

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Originally Posted by Fatestorm

Let me select the actual words "I love you Minfilia" on a dialogue tree.

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Don't do that to your friend Thancred, you mean, mean person.

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Originally Posted by AlexionSkylark

Don't do that to your friend Thancred, you mean, mean person.

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Thancred and Minfilia have what's really more of a Father/Daughter relationship. Or at least Big Brother/Little Sister...

Which makes me think how hilarious it would be to see him shift gears from "Flirty" with the Warrior of Light, to "Overprotective Parent/Sibling".

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Originally Posted by ZhaneX

Thancred and Minfilia have what's really more of a Father/Daughter relationship. Or at least Big Brother/Little Sister...
Which makes me think how hilarious it would be to see him shift gears from "Flirty" with the Warrior of Light, to "Overprotective Parent/Sibling".

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The dialog between he and Krile on the other patch made me feel like, while SHE looks at him as an older sibling, HE loves her in a deeper manner - Altough he tries to, consciously or not, bury that facet of his feelings in the bottom depths of his soul

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Originally Posted by Eul

Why I'm thinking that my character got traumatic with any drink people offers to him lmao. After seeing nanamo and at bar, I think he trauma enough to get drink...

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Yet still stupid enough to drink without care in the future...

The Warrior of Light is not the brightest bulb in the box.