[spoilers]3.2 MSQ Discussion/Reaction thread

[KarstenS]

If they plan to go down the FF6 route, though, one has to wonder why they introduced a completely new Emperor...especially if he's just going to be betrayed and killed off. I suspect that there may be a twist. Regula could very well be Tempered by the Triad...or driven insane by Allagan technology.

In the case of the FF6 route, Regula would be Gestahl.

Who is Kefka then?

[Kallera]

In the case of the FF6 route, Regula would be Gestahl.

Who is Kefka then?

(Hopes they are wrong)

Assuming they even use kefka, or not try something new...

Wouldn't the most likekly candidates be either Unukalhai, or the new garlean emperor?

[Fenral]

Unikalhai has the same essential flag as Urianger. He won't be going anywhere while he's holding on to those EX Primal unlocks. Makes me wonder how Eldibus could possibly betray us now that one of his servants (or he himself in disguise) is a permanent fixture in the Rising Stones.

I'm hoping they don't copy FFVI too much more, actually, but if anyone's getting shoved off the edge of Azus Lla, it'll be Regula so we can keep a pattern of one Legatus per game.

[CyrilLucifer]

On one hand, you're right. Totally-not-Elidibus-or-his-servant is essential at least until 3.4.

On the other hand, I'm a pessimist and I think SE is going to tear Cutest Ascian from me. What you're overlooking is that SE is cheating.

Unukalhai is writing a book about our exploits, it's sitting right there. And the Ex primals? They're just simulations, triggered by a Tomestone. He could just put the Tomestone in his little book as a gift to us once he's gone. In fact, the book itself is precisely the reason why I do think he's going to kick the bucket or leave us.

I like your option better, though. Please be right.

[Dualblade]

The final one can be left after the last normal version, or if they go to 3.5 thats when he ends up dieing/leaving.

[Theodric]

-snip-

Honestly, I think this might be for the best. Hopefully they'll do it with every character from now on - not because they need to get rid of a character but...because at some point, in the future, it might make sense to do just that. I don't really like the amount of NPC's that 'cannot' be killed just because they happen to be tied to a quest. I feel like something like the ending to 2.0 may have been much longer lasting and in-depth had it involved a different set of characters.

[CyrilLucifer]

I agree that less plot armor for the 1.0 characters would be nice, and absolutely agree about how things could have potentially gone differently in 2.55, but on the other, it's Cutest Ascian. I can't just give him up so easily.

[Nalien]

Unikalhai has the same essential flag as Urianger.

Does this actually matter? Kidibus hasn't shown himself in the main scenario, has he? He can show up in the Rising Stones for anyone starting the Triad quest after 3.5, and disappear in the conclusion. Since he never showed up in the main scenario, it wouldn't be that jarring for him to be there after we've dealt with whatever we're going to deal with beyond Nidhogg. Ultimately no different than the Summoner questline; The final quest can just make reference to the main scenario, the same as the Twelfth Chalice Ascian referenced Lahabrea.

Given he is part of his own questline, Kidibus can expire at the end of it. Urianger is immune to such things because he is part of several questlines, if they kill him off in the main scenario he'd still have to be there for Primals/Coil. Though they could still write him out, and not in the way Nanamo was written out. A Last Verse quest, which ties together the main scenario, Primals, and Coil could spell doom for Urianger. Future main scenario content would then just not include him; If you've yet to do the Primal story, he is still there, but he isn't in any of the new main scenario quests because reasons. They just need to make a concluding questline to tie everything together. Unless I'm forgetting something though, Kidibus is essentially the same as G'raha, sadly.

[Fenral]

Honestly, I think this might be for the best.

Seeings as the alternative seems to be using a proxy questgiver and shoving all related characters in a box, dropping it six-feet under and throwing away the key the second the questline ends, I think they just need to be less deathy in general and stop seeing it as their one source of dramatic impact. Mostly that's the players calling for blood, but still. There are other cards that can be played for drama, and the death card has not been used responsibly.

I was happy seeing Briardien show up again in another questline, and needless to say there are a lot of characters like that with potential outside their origin story. (Was not happy to see Krile magically able to use Allagan tech like it's no big deal, unless that's foreshadowing a meaningful connection to our long-forgotten other Student of Baldesion...)

Does this actually matter?

Krile, Y'shtola, and Urianger are in that quest as well, so the Hard Mode Primals come to mind. I suppose it's 50/50, honestly, between getting folded back in before the finale or simply buried in a ditch and forgotten like it never happened, in which case Cutest Ascian is yet another "major" character doomed to be completely irrelevant to anything, never to be referenced when we start asking Urianger what he's been up to with Eldibus.

Makes me wonder why they insist on making new characters for these stories at all. Binding Coil is still the best raid story.

[Nalien]

I actually have a bit more hope for Kidibus, the way the dialog has so far been written I could see Urianger and Elidibus simple mentioning an apprentice, with quest dialog perhaps altering depending on progression in that storyline. Events are certainly more closely woven together than previous main and side quests. Nobody in the main scenario cared about Crystal Tower, nor Extreme Primals, nor Bahamut (except Alphinaud, who cheated). This time though, the main scenario mentions the Triad, that has me slightly more hopeful that this time, at the very least, we'll seem some different dialog. They seem to be written as one plot, split for gameplay purposes, rather than written as entirely independent plots. Can't imagine it will be perfect, but it'll be better than the mess 2.# ultimately was.

Really though, a Last Verse style quest fixes everything. We can have a quest where we tell the remaining Scions what happened in Coil, and everyone pays their respects and we even tell Tiamat. We can have a quest where we use knowledge from Azys Lla to force open the door to Crystal Tower... SE just needs to get off this ridiculous notion that everything needs to be easily accessible... It's ruining the game, in more ways than one...