Suggestion: cut scenes with friends/party members in them

Just to clarify off the bat I don't mean watching cut scenes with your friends, but rather cut scenes that can include them.


Something that's always bothered me is cut scenes where you're with your party doing something (an alliance raid) and then the instance ends and suddenly it's just you and the main story characters. What happened to those other 23 guys? Or even just the other 3?

So what I'd like to suggest is cut scenes where you can have your friends/party members in them. Not that they would change the cut scene in any way other than being there. Sorta like the cut scenes you get during instances where it shows the party members all readying for battle or after victory, except during regular content. Doesn't have to be old content, possibly just new stuff too. Also wouldn't have to include everything either.

And to clarify even further what I am mostly suggesting is to add 3 or more 'cut scene slots' where you can change or modify a couple of characters in your cut scenes. If you leave them empty, they just get filled by generic flames/maelstrom/adder characters or you can specify that you want them all to be a specific GC or maybe even to have your GC garrison guys fill the slots and you can specify which ones (or random if you don't care). Possibly even your chocobo or even allow players to pick up cut scene appearance characters.

Unfortunately I don't know how the cut scenes are made, but I assume they must have some level of dynamics since your current outfit is always shown. I assume it'd be possible to make placeholder spots that are just filled by 3D models that are imported into them. In this way I think it would be cool to be able to add others to your cut scenes and save their appearance (or just pull whatever they're currently wearing) and simply pull that appearance for that particular slot.

And if you don't want to be in someone else's cut scene it could just be set up so you need to ask permission by sending something like an 'invite to join cut scene party'.


In terms of actual usage, this could range from them just being background characters who hang out and don't really do anything, to being actively involved in the cut scene in some way. For example, you could have 'role based' slots where you can put a friend's tank class in the tank spot, then another friend who is a dps in the dps slot and a healer friend in the healer spot. Then during a cut scene, those roles could act as they would in their role. It's not like they have to say anything either.

It might even be nice to be able to swap yourself out of being the main character and let someone else do it. I personally would prefer to make my twin the main character as I don't really find myself acting much like they would to be completely honest. Really this is just an idea I simply had to get off my chest and I have not seen anyone suggesting it (though I am fairly poor at being able to browse).

It would be great if they included other people in the cutscenes, especially if they were on your friend's list. Being able to customize them in any replays would be nice as well. But I suspect that so few people would use the feature that SE wouldn't want to bother taking the time to implement it.

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Originally Posted by Mikki

It would be great if they included other people in the cutscenes, especially if they were on your friend's list. Being able to customize them in any replays would be nice as well. But I suspect that so few people would use the feature that SE wouldn't want to bother taking the time to implement it.

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I get the feeling you're right, though I figured I would just get this off my chest since it was bugging me so much.

I think from a Lore perspective it could be rather difficult. Sure, you see your team entering the duty and then the final victory pose (purely like a reminiscent of other final fantasy games) - but it would alter story cutscenes so much.

You'll literally just have these other 3/23 people behind you standing there being ignored by the MSQ characters. At the end of the day, you and only you are the Warrior of Light in your world/game - you're a holder of plenty of secrets and knowledge that simply can't be shared with the outside world. As jokingly mentioned a couple of times in the actual story dialogue, these 'people' you run with are merely coincidental adventurer friends and, as they change with every duty you hold, it makes no sense to incorporate them officially into the story cutscenes.

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Originally Posted by Ryannex

I think from a Lore perspective it could be rather difficult. Sure, you see your team entering the duty and then the final victory pose (purely like a reminiscent of other final fantasy games) - but it would alter story cutscenes so much.

You'll literally just have these other 3/23 people behind you standing there being ignored by the MSQ characters. At the end of the day, you and only you are the Warrior of Light in your world/game - you're a holder of plenty of secrets and knowledge that simply can't be shared with the outside world. As jokingly mentioned a couple of times in the actual story dialogue, these 'people' you run with are merely coincidental adventurer friends and, as they change with every duty you hold, it makes no sense to incorporate them officially into the story cutscenes.

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I thought that everyone had the echo (players) in order to avoid tempering? Also I'd assume it would be optional to have those 3/23 people idling in the background. Though I'd probably implement them in a fitting way such as having them stand around loot as though they're divvying it up, or in the case of action oriented scenes they could just be 'fighting a random creature' so they're busy. I don't really see it as a problem I guess, but really it's just my opinion. And I mean I don't really care to be the main character for the game. I don't actually agree with everything my character does and it'd be a huge relief to be able to put a friend in their shoes instead.

I would absolutely love to be able to do this! In my mind, my character *does* have a consistent party that are involved in the story, and it would be so good to be able to actually have them there together.

If I'm not mistaken, some cutscenes do have other players in them do they not? And I don't mean the opening cutscenes of a dungeon/raid lol

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Originally Posted by Joe777

If I'm not mistaken, some cutscenes do have other players in them do they not? And I don't mean the opening cutscenes of a dungeon/raid lol

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No, Ryannex is correct, as far as the story goes there is only one warrior of light, the character you play. Only your character is in the "canon" CS. If you take MSQ roulette ones for example, the other 7 are in the background and cid and such only look at you, ask you that dialog option they removed in 4.2, so on. So doing this change would be just like Ryannex said, everyone else would just be standing there, like the MSQ roulette ones. that is why it is said it is not very important because they do not impact the overall feel. I do admit though it is nice seeing everyone their glams. When I did the MSQ roulette before 4.2 I would click though them fast just to get ss of some people then skip.

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Originally Posted by Joe777

If I'm not mistaken, some cutscenes do have other players in them do they not? And I don't mean the opening cutscenes of a dungeon/raid lol

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The Praetorium scenes all show your party members with you in them, such as the dialogue scenes between Cid and Gaius (in fact, if you look closely your party members actually have little gestures they make to each other!), but because players used to usually skip them, most were unaware of this - because when those same scenes were replayed in the Undending Journey, as the game is reloading the scene into memory naturally only you are there and thus it only has your character's data to load into it.

This is the reason why when you view scenes in the Undending Journey your character is wearing whatever they currently are wearing, not whatever they were equipped with the first time you played through that part).

Sadly this is also why the Ceremony of Eternal Bonding scenes are not viewable in the Unending Journey - because the scenes specifically require your partner and your character to work, it's simply not feasible to only have it load your character's data into the scene.

Unfortunately given the whole whoha over SE making the Praetorium cutscenes unskippable and the resulting fallout from that, I don't think SE will include your party in story cutscenes again.

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Originally Posted by Vstarstruck

No, Ryannex is correct, as far as the story goes there is only one warrior of light, the character you play. Only your character is in the "canon" CS. If you take MSQ roulette ones for example, the other 7 are in the background and cid and such only look at you, ask you that dialog option they removed in 4.2, so on. So doing this change would be just like Ryannex said, everyone else would just be standing there, like the MSQ roulette ones.

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This is where it gets confusing. Officially both SE meta wise and the story zigzag exactly how many Warriors of Light there are or have been - propaganda for the game has always mentioned 'Warriors of Light' (note the plural), and even the Duty Finder will usually mention you to along the lines of "gather a group of your most trusted Echo-blessed adventuring comrades and take down this Primal!" The aforementioned story-lead-up to the Praetorium specifically states you're leading an 'elite adventurer unit' into the Praetorium to destroy the Ultima Weapon, outright stating it's not just you going into battle, but a group.

On the other hand though, the game does indeed make it quite clear that only you are the Warrior of Light based on your actions in the Praetorium. Although there are (in-universe) countless of other adventurers around also undertaking quests to make Eorzea a better place, (and many of them are also awoken to the Echo, some may even have their own Crystals of Light), from the point of view of the narrative, your character is the only actual 'Warrior of Light' (this was also confirmed by Michael Christopher Koji-Fox at the FanFest when asked this very question).

So basically, only your character is the Warrior of the Light from your point of view, but there are many other adventurers around who adventure and explore with you, many of whom have the Echo (which is how they're able to take down Primals with you).

Hopefully that has not been too confusing. :)

Only if it's an optional setting so I can continue to have my character be alone in the cutscenes.

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Originally Posted by Enkidoh

The Praetorium scenes all show your party members with you in them, such as the dialogue scenes between Cid and Gaius (in fact, if you look closely your party members actually have little gestures they make to each other!), but because players used to usually skip them, most were unaware of this - because when those same scenes were replayed in the Undending Journey, as the game isreloading the scene into memory naturally only you are there and thus it only has your character's data to load into it.

This is the reason why when you view scenes in the Undending Journey your character is wearing whatever they currently are wearing, not whatever they were equipped with the first time you played through that part).

Sadly this is also why the Ceremony of Eternal Bonding scenes are not viewable in the Unending Journey - because the scenes specifically require your partner and your character to work, it's simply not feasible to only have it load your character's data into the scene.

Unfortunately given the whole whoha over SE making the Praetorium cutscenes unskippable and the resulting fallout from that, I don't think SE will include your party in story cutscenes again.



This is where it gets confusing. Officially both SE meta wise and the story zigzag exactly how many Warriors of Light there are or have been - propaganda for the game has always mentioned 'Warriors of Light' (note the plural), and even the Duty Finder will usually mention you to along the lines of "gather a group of your most trusted Echo-blessed adventuring comrades and take down this Primal!" The aforementioned story-lead-up to the Praetorium specifically states you're leading an 'elite adventurer unit' into the Praetorium to destroy the Ultima Weapon, outright stating it's not just you going into battle, but a group.

On the other hand though, the game does indeed make it quite clear that only you are the Warrior of Light based on your actions in the Praetorium. Although there are (in-universe) countless of other adventurers around also undertaking quests to make Eorzea a better place, (and many of them are also awoken to the Echo, some may even have their own Crystals of Light), from the point of view of the narrative, your character is the only actual 'Warrior of Light' (this was also confirmed by Michael Christopher Koji-Fox at the FanFest when asked this very question).

So basically, only your character is the Warrior of the Light from your point of view, but there are many other adventurers around who adventure and explore with you, many of whom have the Echo (which is how they're able to take down Primals with you).

Hopefully that has not been too confusing. :)

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I think references to plural has to do with the past one (i/e there was a team in the past, but you are the only one in the present) rest ya I agree with, they def imply the people that you go with have echo.

I think they actually used your party members in a story cutscene immediately *after* exiting the Steps of Faith instance for the first time. (Just a shot of them sitting around looking exhausted if I remember correctly.)

Of course, the risk with including other players in story cutscenes is that you’ll get someone in a novelty costume for what should be a serious scene...

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Originally Posted by Iscah

I think they actually used your party members in a story cutscene immediately *after* exiting the Steps of Faith instance for the first time. (Just a shot of them sitting around looking exhausted if I remember correctly.)

Of course, the risk with including other players in story cutscenes is that you’ll get someone in a novelty costume for what should be a serious scene...

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Oh, those weren't your party members, those were actually npcs, but they were based on player characters who were winners of a competition SE ran a few years ago where you could have your character added as a background npc in a story cutscene (another one was during a cutscene in the Colosseum during the ARR Hildibrand quests which featured a male hyur PLD in hoplite tabard and darklight gear who was made to tank the floor by Typhon, I kind of felt sorry for that character's original player - be careful what you wish for indeed ;)).

Either way they were sort of player characters... once... but now they're story npcs with no names who were just in the background.

Ah, that makes sense. I wouldn’t have paid attention to what my party members looked like at the time, but then it went into the cutscene and they were clearly player-characters and not normal NPCs!