My unpopular opinions on modern mmo

[linay]

While that is one option, I strongly disagree with this one. That is how we get Cataclysm Thrall (blessed be His name).

In WoW the issue was more noticable since the pcs there are handled like faceless... what? Mooks? Soldiers? Basically its written as if the characters aren't even there. Handing an important artifact to them sort of rubs in the issue.

In FFXIV we are a core part of the story and interract with NPCs, villains and the world. We ARE the heroes that you would expect wielding artifacts of legendary power. Artifacts are also made a lot less important overall to the world and story, so it doesn't stick out as much. Given that we also have to work for them, and its not a free Ashbringer handout, they are also a lot more rare.

That being said, I do like some story behind my artifact weapons, and disagree with everything the Eureka weapons stand for (and look like, but thats another question).

While our character is more prominent in FFXIV, the story is also more focused. We don't need to be carrying some lore-significant weapon because the story is more centered on our immediate surrounding. Even Shadowbringer's story, which starts to expand the scope of the story, is still primarily about people, not weapons of lore/object. Our player character's greatest strength is ourselves (being able to master all types of combat even), not necessarily the weapons we carry.

And I like that. The problem with having legendary weapons is that it doesn't work in a game that provides you better weapon in the next major patch or two, unless you want to stick with one weapon forever. Weapons can have some backstory, sure, but in the end, it'll be replaced anyway, so if there are weapons that are significant to the immediate story, then they should be used for the purpose of the story only to keep their significance.

FF14 does acknowledge other players which I like. Shadowbringers has a good example and I was glad to see that part of the story. At the same time, I still remember falling off the platform when I fought Titan for the first time only to be hailed as the hero of the event. At the time I already wasn't taken in by ARR's story and that just made things feel contrived. Praise without merit comes across as hollow. Perhaps my failings aren't a part of the lore like you suggest, but that just made it harder for me to feel immersed.

But again, that's a reflection on you, the player, not necessarily on your character as far as the story is concerned. If you're really that hardcore about it, you can quit the duty as soon as you make a mistake. It may not help for those times where you die right at the end, but it's something.

In the end, there has to be some separation between gameplay and story, unless you want to delete your character as soon as you die the first time.