Minfillia Speculation

[Fenral]

Our role in the greater affairs of Eorzea is much more important than hers as she said. We are the rallying point and the beacon. Our role is too important to risk being sidelined.

And this right here is the entire problem with Final Fantasy XIV's narrative. We're so powerful that the powerless masses see us as "hope," but those around us have their self-worth beaten down one ilm at a time. Because we're just that much more capable, more important, than they are. They just aren't as necessary as we are. Hell, it's already text in a number of quests (but please don't make me quote them one by one), and subtext in a lot more.

Maybe it's a teensy, tiny problem when the hero is that much better than everyone else?

[Aryalandi]

This somwhat reminds me of Soul Edge vs Soul Calibur honestly, soul calibur claims it seems to be goodness and light while soul edge is viewed as and acts like evil and darkness.

In the end they /both/ turn out to be dangerous body possessing villians that needed to be destroyed. It's possible that we are being used and it has been said that if we knew the whole truth the scions and ascians would not be enemies.. I would not be surprised if Minfilia becomes a host for the dying mother crystal, it might very well mean she could become an unwilling villian sometime in the future..

[MagiusNecros]

And this right here is the entire problem with Final Fantasy XIV's narrative. We're so powerful that the powerless masses see us as "hope," but those around us have their self-worth beaten down one ilm at a time. Because we're just that much more capable, more important, than they are. They just aren't as necessary as we are. Hell, it's already text in a number of quests (but please don't make me quote them one by one), and subtext in a lot more.

Maybe it's a teensy, tiny problem when the hero is that much better than everyone else?

It would help if the scenario writers actively made the NPC's get off their asses and do shit for once. Instead of ringing the WoL hotline.

Most of the time it's every country going "I would love to help but I'd rather do nothing instead".

[Belhi]

And this right here is the entire problem with Final Fantasy XIV's narrative. We're so powerful that the powerless masses see us as "hope," but those around us have their self-worth beaten down one ilm at a time. Because we're just that much more capable, more important, than they are. They just aren't as necessary as we are. Hell, it's already text in a number of quests (but please don't make me quote them one by one), and subtext in a lot more.

Maybe it's a teensy, tiny problem when the hero is that much better than everyone else?

Yes and no. There is a reasonable limit to what you can expect to achieve before you have to start seeing someone as something special. This popped up recently in WoW where in its story the main character has been holding more and more importance in the world. A lot of people wanted to be just a nameless grunt or soldier. The thing a nameless grunt or soldier is going to stop being nameless at a certain point if he or she starts killing off gods, ancient dragons and repeatedly saving the world. Heroics makes you stand out. Repeated heroics makes you get put up on a pedestal. That's just naturally going to happen.

Even if we ignore all the rather unusual talent the WoL has, they kill gods regularly and are an outstanding fighter. Our actions by definition make us stand out. The narrative in FF14 embraces this and rather than trying to make us feel less important instead puts the burden of having to be the one to do it on the WoL's shoulders. They have to do it cause there isn't anyone else and frankly the world is running short on the amount of losses it can take.

I would point out that they do mitigate this. The WoL cant do everything on their own. We can win key battles but on our own we can't win the war. Its often mentioned subtly and people often overlook it and it applies to the meta conflict as well as the more mundane battles. Take the Steps of Faith for example. We defended the Dravanian attack on Ishgard there and kept the city from falling. However it wasn't the only place that got attacked. There were pitch battles at both Vigils where the volunteers we collected, the Crystal Braves and the Ishgardians took quite a beating. No matter how great we are we couldn't have defended those places and the Steps of Faith. Without others Ishgard might have stood but most of Coerthas probably would have been in ruins.

Further, I suspect the Minfilia thing will also highlight that we cant do it alone. Our role is realistically to counter the Ascians directly. I think that what Minfilia has don't is do something else equally as important but different. All the WoL's efforts wont mean squat if Hydaelyn falls while they are out kicking ass.

[Fenral]

I would point out that they do mitigate this. The WoL cant do everything on their own. We can win key battles but on our own we can't win the war.

Oh, it's not that I'm overlooking those moments, it's just that, in the grand scheme of things, so long as the WoL is portrayed as the king piece that must be kept alive at any cost, including the lives of our allies, our symbolic value becomes increasingly dangerous. So long as we keep on winning, it's fine (and the Parting Glass quest no longer counts as a defeat), but if our fallibility were ever proven on a grand scale, after everything we've succeeded through, it would be the end. Not because we'd lose our only shot at victory, but because the belief that our only hope of victory had been lost would have disastrous implications for a world where beliefs can be made manifest.

The light of hope isn't some frail thing that must be kept alive through sacrifice. It's something that never goes out, because there's no such thing as a truly hopeless situation. Ever. Period.

[Belhi]

Oh, it's not that I'm overlooking those moments, it's just that, in the grand scheme of things, so long as the WoL is portrayed as the king piece that must be kept alive at any cost, including the lives of our allies, our symbolic value becomes increasingly dangerous. So long as we keep on winning, it's fine (and the Parting Glass quest no longer counts as a defeat), but if our fallibility were ever proven on a grand scale, after everything we've succeeded through, it would be the end. Not because we'd lose our only shot at victory, but because the belief that our only hope of victory had been lost would have disastrous implications for a world where beliefs can be made manifest.

The light of hope isn't some frail thing that must be kept alive through sacrifice. It's something that never goes out, because there's no such thing as a truly hopeless situation. Ever. Period.

That's the thing. We aren't the king piece. Hydaelyn is. We are the queen. The strongest and most powerful piece on our side of the board. The thing is its late in the game and the enemy is in a much stronger position than we are. We have to defend our king but we cant win unless we are successful in our offense as well and the WoL is key to that offensive plan, at least in part due to the lack of other pieces Hydaelyn has left to field. Likewise the queen cant be wasted playing defence. Doing so risks leaving the board in control of the enemy.

I'd also point out the light of hope goes out if you lose. If everyone was dead there wouldn't be much hope. Sure us dying might not kill the light of hope per say but the way the story has painted it we are down to Hydaelyn's last play. She doesn't have the strength left to try again. The WoL is a key piece for her forces.