Does anyone ever feel like they're an impostor because they don't look like Ardbert?

[EirolOcarrol]

Like, the idea of the game originally was that we were the "Warriors of Light". Even described in Carteneau in plural, that they couldn't remember us, but that we were legion.

And of course, it's neat the the use of the default Midlander as a stand-in for the Warrior of Light has been a tradition since 1.0. It's nice that you can chart them since the very beginning as the face of Final Fantasy XIV.

But as time has gone on, Ardbert has been introduced, mirroring the exact team as shown in promotional materials, a Midlander man with short brown hair, a Lalafell with blonde twintails, ect.

Coupled with the inherent problem of MMORPG storytelling where a multitude of players share a very specific, linear, one person story of being the "chosen one", that should be exclusive to one player and doesn't make sense between multiple players. Not a problem unique to Final Fantasy XIV by any means, but a problem with the entire genre, themeparks especially.

But it all comes together to make me feel like an impostor. Not only do I have the strange ORPG cognitive dissonance of having a mutually exclusive and unique story shared with every other player. But every time I see Ardbert, I think upon the many increasingly impressive promotional trailers, featuring the Warriors of Light. And I feel even less canonical than before.

It makes me feel like an impostor. And I'm starting to get a strange sense of derealization. I feel like a Lalafell woman pretending to go through the story of Midlander male's. I don't feel like I'm a Warrior of Light. In every cutscene, I feel like a Midlander Man who looks like Ardbert was supposed to be here.

[Valkyrie_Lenneth]

Nope. They had to give the wol a standard appearance for trailers.

Doesn't mean my character isn't the wol.

[Brightamethyst]

I think Ardbert is an imposter because he doesn't look like me.

[Gothicshark]

...
It makes me feel like an impostor. And I'm starting to get a strange sense of derealization. I feel like a Lalafell woman pretending to go through the story of Midlander male's. I don't feel like I'm a Warrior of Light. In every cutscene, I feel like a Midlander Man who looks like Ardbert was supposed to be here.

Ok a few things... You need spoiler tags both in the Thread title and in the text. to add spoilers use [.HB] HB in brackets with no period[./hb]

HB in brackets with no period

.

This said, yes the Default WOL is the Midlander Male found in promotional videos. However your playthrough is just as valid, and you shouldn't feel like an imposter. However, the RP of the WOL is the Everyman default dude, which is how an RP player should treat things. For non-RP players just enjoy the story as you see it, and ignore the promotional videos.

[Edax]

Like, the idea of the game originally was that we were the "Warriors of Light". Even described in Carteneau in plural, that they couldn't remember us, but that we were legion.

And of course, it's neat the the use of the default Midlander as a stand-in for the Warrior of Light has been a tradition since 1.0. It's nice that you can chart them since the very beginning as the face of Final Fantasy XIV.

But as time has gone on, Ardbert has been introduced, mirroring the exact team as shown in promotional materials, a Midlander man with short brown hair, a Lalafell with blonde twintails, ect.

Coupled with the inherent problem of MMORPG storytelling where a multitude of players share a very specific, linear, one person story of being the "chosen one", that should be exclusive to one player and doesn't make sense between multiple players. Not a problem unique to Final Fantasy XIV by any means, but a problem with the entire genre, themeparks especially.

But it all comes together to make me feel like an impostor. Not only do I have the strange ORPG cognitive dissonance of having a mutually exclusive and unique story shared with every other player. But every time I see Ardbert, I think upon the many increasingly impressive promotional trailers, featuring the Warriors of Light. And I feel even less canonical than before.

It makes me feel like an impostor. And I'm starting to get a strange sense of derealization. I feel like a Lalafell woman pretending to go through the story of Midlander male's. I don't feel like I'm a Warrior of Light. In every cutscene, I feel like a Midlander Man who looks like Ardbert was supposed to be here.

I have no desire to play as a plain as white bread Hyur, so no.

[HeulGDarian]

Doest really detract , but i will admit it made me be even more gleefull, especially since i also hit the summoner and mask cause i wanted to be akin to the ascians criteria.

[Haruka_R]

Ardbert is suppose to be our reflection. Our Roxas. So it would make sense that you should be of the same species and gender.

However, this is an MMORPG, where you get to play as a Lalafell. So, in reality, it doesn't matter.

[EirolOcarrol]

Ok a few things... You need spoiler tags both in the Thread title and in the text. to add spoilers use [.HB] HB in brackets with no period[./hb]

HB in brackets with no period

.

You're right! How foolish of me! I'm sorry.

I don't know that there's anything I can do about the thread title. What do you think I should do?

[Astrus]

No. But then I also don't main (or even play for that matter) WAR.
As far as I'm concerned Ardbert and the Derplander stand-in in the trailers are two separate entities with no relation to each other.

And Ardbert being a Midlander doesn't bother me. He's a fragment of Azem, there's more out there and for all I know they come in all shapes and sizes. Should we later encounter another fragment that happens to be a woman of another race it's not going to faze me.

[Enla]

Nah, while there are a few characters on the First who also share similar features or faces with Source counterparts such as Moren having Asahi's exact face we already know that the two worlds aren't one to one analogues. Stands to reason in my mind that each Shard has the chance to look the same across the board but more often than not they're wholly different from one another.