[Spoilers] I'm getting sick of shonen manga power-ups each arc

[LineageRazor]

I wonder if Amaurotine souls and the echo are related in some way.

You're not the first to postulate this, and it has a strong possibility of being correct. Still, we don't have enough canon information to say one way or the other.

Then there's the real guildmaster of gsm at least up to 60 still thinks you're stuff is crap to the point where he freaking died while almost saying your stuff is good (Haven't done the 60+ quests atm).

Gigi is not the real Guildmaster. He's a Mammet that was owned by the real Guildmaster, and is now owned by Serendipity, the acting Guildmaster. The real Guildmaster never makes an appearance, in my recollection.

And while Gigi lambastes your work at every opportunity, it's made pretty clear that he's literally unpleasable. You could present him with a masterwork par excellence, and he'd still spit on it. Serendipity, on the other hand, is blown away by everything you do, just like other Guildmasters.

Both Gigi and Serendipity are left behind past level 50. From 50 to 60, your new contact is Marcel, who also cannot stop gushing over everything you do. Moving on to 60 to 70, you become a Goldsmithing instructor to a class of students; all of them take it as a given that everything you touch turns to gold, and can only hope to one day manage a fraction of your genius.

So, no. Goldsmithing is not an exception. XD

[Mahoukenshi]

Can someone name a JRPG that doesn't have shounen power ups?

It's not even JRPGs, but also some western MMOs like Guild Wars 2 (where the Commander even raised up back from the death once ). The general "trend" seems to be that (some?/many? of) the Western fanbase prefer already bad@ss, gruff and mature characters, whereas the East is used to young-hero-rising-to-glory traits. Unwinnable battles against non-final-boss OP characters is just another staple. Yet, nontheless, while I'm fine with most clichés, I can see how it can get annoying over time. At least it's not as terrible like those overrate LN/Web Novel power fantasy self-insert MCs, who get OP near the beginning and also free affection for little to no work shoved in their behind. While at the same time, most male characters are depicted as pathetic or unlikable jerks with no redeeming qualities.

[SannaR]

Gigi is not the real Guildmaster. He's a Mammet that was owned by the real Guildmaster, and is now owned by Serendipity, the acting Guildmaster. The real Guildmaster never makes an appearance, in my recollection.

And while Gigi lambastes your work at every opportunity, it's made pretty clear that he's literally unpleasable. You could present him with a masterwork par excellence, and he'd still spit on it. Serendipity, on the other hand, is blown away by everything you do, just like other Guildmasters.

Both Gigi and Serendipity are left behind past level 50. From 50 to 60, your new contact is Marcel, who also cannot stop gushing over everything you do. Moving on to 60 to 70, you become a Goldsmithing instructor to a class of students; all of them take it as a given that everything you touch turns to gold, and can only hope to one day manage a fraction of your genius.

So, no. Goldsmithing is not an exception. XD

Serendipity is the true guild master yes even if Gigi says in the first turn in quest he's the true one. I mean you'd be hard to impress if you have been around since the guild became a guild. Even if he's not the real one he might as well be with all the knowledge of what a good piece is. Like I said the damn thing dies on his first praise of your work. He then says the nice thing he said about the cylinder you make for him in the 58 quest must have been a slip of the tonuge. To the students praising you I mean who wouldn't after you make two identical music boxes that play the same tune differently enough that when played at the same time makes a whole new song? Yes, the gem stones are different but let's not pretend that music boxes at least the kind you made are easy things to make.

[Lium]

It's the Superman Conundrum. You've created a character that is likely the most powerful being in your world. How do you make them interesting? How do you create suspense and give this super powerful character a believable challenge? It's why Superman comics are rarely good, and the ones that are focus much more on his relationships and the villain is much more metaphysical. Meaning the "bad guy" is not necessarily a character, but humanity's mistrust or fear of him. This is why Lex Luthor is his best nemesis, because he often embodies and exploits those fears.

That being said, there are characters in the DC Universe that are more powerful than Superman. Such as the Spectre,for example. And if someone like that was ever at odds with Superman, than the Man of Steel would be in SERIOUS trouble.

So it is with the Warrior of Light. Do not think EVEN FOR A SECOND that there are characters in the FFXIV universe who aren't far more powerful than the WoL. They just haven't felt the need to make themselves known to us until now (or later). Perhaps they've just been observing us and studying us. Maybe they even admire us and are trying to figure out how to use us for their own interests. It's all about timing (i.e. the storyline.)

However, I will agree Ranjit was kind of dumb. I had the same thoughts as the OP when I first encountered him. "How is this guy beating me?" I actually had the same thought when I first encountered Zenos in SB. I has just canonically taken down Nidhogg solo (with some of Hraesvelgr's power) so this one Garlean beating me with ease seemed out of left field.

But alas, this is why characters like Superman or the WoL can be challenging to write for. Because you have to balance plausibility with believability in a way that avoids PIS. (Plot Induced Stupidity)

[Edax]

It's the Superman Conundrum. You've created a character that is likely the most powerful being in your world. How do you make them interesting? How do you create suspense and give this super powerful character a believable challenge? It's why Superman comics are rarely good, and the ones that are focus much more on his relationships and the villain is much more metaphysical. Meaning the "bad guy" is not necessarily a character, but humanity's mistrust or fear of him. This is why Lex Luthor is his best nemesis, because he often embodies and exploits those fears.

That being said, there are characters in the DC Universe that are more powerful than Superman. Such as the Spectre,for example. And if someone like that was ever at odds with Superman, than the Man of Steel would be in SERIOUS trouble.

So it is with the Warrior of Light. Do not think EVEN FOR A SECOND that there are characters in the FFXIV universe who aren't far more powerful than the WoL. They just haven't felt the need to make themselves known to us until now (or later). Perhaps they've just been observing us and studying us. Maybe they even admire us and are trying to figure out how to use us for their own interests. It's all about timing (i.e. the storyline.)

However, I will agree Ranjit was kind of dumb. I had the same thoughts as the OP when I first encountered him. "How is this guy beating me?" I actually had the same thought when I first encountered Zenos in SB. I has just canonically taken down Nidhogg solo (with some of Hraesvelgr's power) so this one Garlean beating me with ease seemed out of left field.

But alas, this is why characters like Superman or the WoL can be challenging to write for. Because you have to balance plausibility with believability in a way that avoids PIS. (Plot Induced Stupidity)

The simple solution is to not make it a contest of power but a contest of ideology or cunning. Unfortunately given the WoL choices that affect the story is outside SE's comfort zone with this game. But it could be an interesting combat mechanic to have the WoL weakened by some poison or other ruse and must engage in unique combat scenarios with their power handicapped. The leveling roulette regularly strips us of our abilities, they could make use of the meta and make us fight a story battle as if we've been temporary de-leveled.

[Rayo]

I still don't understand why people think Ranjit was ever our equal or superior, I don't think the story ever says or makes it feel like he is. They say he's strong, sure but I feel he's a danger to our companions and goals rather than us. He's the definition of a fighting style/power unique to the source which is the only thing that really gets at the WoL. Even our final confrontation with him in his dragon-scythe form feels more like his last stand to slow us down rather than stop us. I don't think Ranjit was ever meant to be a challenge for us and more a representation of Eulmore's power and capability with disrupting our plans.

[Kuroka]

But tbf, i do think he is ok. He was raised in a ending world, fighting a war with sineaters for decades, was from a figher family, so learned from small on most likely and you should know how they say: Beware of old men in a buisness ppl usualy die young. Yes he had no echo, sineater or any special powers besides his snake and style, yet he was a nearly unstopable force. I just feel he deserves more credit.


On the other hand Zenos was stopping the rebellion at doma on his own, while the whole army there was about to fall and as we now know he has ascian blood, this might enhance him.

[LineageRazor]

I still don't understand why people think Ranjit was ever our equal or superior, I don't think the story ever says or makes it feel like he is.

Well, in our first bout with him, it ends up with us literally helpless at his feet. Following that, we spent the bulk of the remainder of the 5.0 MSQ running away from the guy. The implication is pretty clear that Ran'jit is meant to be more than we can handle.

Charitably, you can say that he's more than we can handle WHILE also protecting our friends (and Minfilia in particular). Folks have also speculated that his sole victory over us was due to a cheap shot, a trick that we would not fall for again. Whatever the case, folks are irked that we have to make excuses at all - in their minds, there's no excuse for a scripted defeat of the WoL, unless we're up against something TRULY impressive, like Zodiark himself.

[RopeDrink]

Yet he also has lived in peace for quite some time and only has one part of a soul on top of that.

20 years out of the guts of a century. Do not assume that just because a small portion was not spent fighting Sin Eaters that it implies he was sitting on his hands doing nothing during that time.

We might not have decades worth of experience but the WoL has no problem beating such old masters in job quests quite often.

They are typically done in the context of passing a torch or surpassing training. I have not done them all but I'm going to assume not a single one of them has been fighting for 1.5 lifetimes as a military leader in a world caked in far more danger than Eorzea and also happens to be written as, you know, a primary antagonist to the MSQ.

As we see ingame most of the sin eaters dont pose a threat for us either.

Comparing power-levels based on standard gameplay against regular mobs is trite. Reminds me of the Vol'Jin debacle in WoW - poor guy was pretty much curb-stobbed by a regular Joe-Soap demon enemy that we've been killing repeatedly for years (outside of, you know, the story). In STORY context we were so overrun by enemies that we'd have all died if we remained, yet it was still just a bog-standard mob and that's all people take from it when they confuse story with gameplay.

We solo most of the normal ones and later even defeat certain lightwardens on our own

And which Lightwarden's did we kill on our own? None. They are dungeon bosses and thus one can only assume that, canonically, they required either the present Scions and/or Exarch or a party of fellow WoL's.

And while we are already affected by the Light.

Which only had a noticeable impact after absorbing the last Lightwarden.

We are able to defeat Omega and we defeated Middy in his prime even if it was a creation of Omega.

With big raids full of WoL's.

Also why was Minfilia always killed if she has such a "father" on her side.

This has nothing to do with his power. As you were told via the story, Ran was training them for combat, yet we know that a) no version of Minfilia has been all that much of a combatant and b) that Minfilia was donating her powers into a vessel, specifically children. You know, little buggers that aren't designed for fighting eternal wars with abominations, especially ones that don't need to do much to convert you into one. Let's keep Ran'jit's power and his ability to train little children separate, because not doing so is like pulling excuses.

And at the end we just level up a bit and defeat him anyways.

Like pretty much every threat, right? The whole point of an MMORPG is for us to get stronger, beit levelling or gearing, and take down the latest threats. It'd be a sad day if the game presented us as an unstoppable force who can wade into any situation and simply never be challenged, even when they are out of their element and battling a foe they know absolutely nothing about. How boring.

So seemingly we only need a few weeks at most to make up for decades if the plot demands it.

Real timeframe doesn't work here. As far as the story is concerned, the whole ordeal took a few days (represented mostly by sleeping at the Inn and give or take one or two story moments that actually transition from day to night, if any).

Honestly, it's like pulling teeth reading some of these posts. Ran'jit surprised us in a grand total of one duty battle, got beaten by Thancred and then ultimately grounded by the WoL. This is not comparable to Zenos legitimately stomping our faces in twice in a row, hacking up Y'sthola, toying with Lyse, then having to be beaten in Eikon-form after casually taking an actual beating when we 'levelled up' for the dungeon, and then having his mere body be controlled by someone else and almost secure an actual WoL kill thanks to Elidibus. I can understand when people are a little tired of Zenos' power-spike, but I can't fathom why so many people are questioning us being winded by an antagonist in their first encounter before getting squashed once we knew what we're dealing with. Boggles my cranium.

As far as I see it, we wade into the First, start learning of the plight there, learn of a century-long general who has been fighting Sin-Eaters longer than we've even been alive, who happens to be a martial expert (and with a few powers on the side) who winds us before we escape, ambushes us again only to be beaten, and then gets rushed in his home turf and beaten again. Where's the big deal here? I cannot (and never will) see it. It was perfectly fine.

[Riastrad]

Well, in our first bout with him, it ends up with us literally helpless at his feet. Following that, we spent the bulk of the remainder of the 5.0 MSQ running away from the guy. The implication is pretty clear that Ran'jit is meant to be more than we can handle.

Charitably, you can say that he's more than we can handle WHILE also protecting our friends (and Minfilia in particular). Folks have also speculated that his sole victory over us was due to a cheap shot, a trick that we would not fall for again. Whatever the case, folks are irked that we have to make excuses at all - in their minds, there's no excuse for a scripted defeat of the WoL, unless we're up against something TRULY impressive, like Zodiark himself.

My issue with Ranjit is that his power source is so poorly defined. He has a dragon familiar junctioned to him. Ok, so how does that dragon compare to say, Nidhogg, in terms of power? While we did have the eye of Hraesvelgr to boost our power, I doubt the wyrm Ranjit used was on either Nidhogg's or Hraesvelgr's power level. It is implied that you and you alone with the eye empowering you are able to take down Nidhogg at his most powerful.

The quest text for the Final Steps of Faith:
Imbued with Hraesvelgr's last sliver of hope, you stand at the forefront of your allies as the last bastion against the raging shade of Nidhogg. Have you the resolve to conquer the great wyrm at the height of his power, or will Ishgard perish in fire and ruin? Here, on the battle-stricken Steps of Faith, your deeds shall decide how the final verse of a thousand-year dirge of grief and vengeance will be sung.

Some will inevitably say the standing at the forefront of your allies bit means standing with the seven other players, but we were defending Aymeric and his knights retreat.

Adding to that, the strongest heroes in Norvrandt each had only one crystal of light. We alone have six which gives us The Blessing of Light and the Echo which allows us to see an enemy's attacks before they go off. The argument that his is a fighting style unknown to us pales as an explanation because the reverse is true as well. We had been chewing through demi-gods for the entirety of our career as a Scion member on the Source (and even longer as a legacy player), while he was putting down rebellious farmers for decades who only wanted a future for their children. He couldn't even kill a Lightwarden for the previous Minfilias so they could absorb their aether and bring an end to the flood with an entire nation's army at his back, we do so with four people, canonically the Scions. To flesh him out, far more context is required for him to be even thought of as an equal. Just because you have been doing something your entire life does not mean you are the best at it. We punched his clock within a weeks time of being on the First.

Oh, that's also without noting that we had just gone toe to toe with a fully realized Ascian, one of the three most powerful beings we have ever encountered with a thousand thousand lifetimes (sorry I just had to) of experience fighting for their people with unwavering conviction (which he lacked by buying into Vauthry's idea of paradise ie: suicide by apathy), in the body of one of the most vicious killers in the history of the Source who wields the Ama-no-Habakiri, one of the deadliest weapons in Japanese myth that Susanoo (a storm god of Shinto origin) obtained by slaying the demonic eight headed, eight tailed serpent Yamata no Orochi. We surprised him in such a way as to render him shocked at our strength and only lost the second go around because of bad timing by a certain Exarch. Which i'm glad they noted Alisaie as being upset about said timing and giving him an earful.

So, who is Ranjit in the grand scheme of things? No one. Nothing. And that, that is the issue.