*SPOILERS* Terrified for the remaining Scions!

[TeraRamis]

This isn't a major point, but I'll make it anyway. While Eorzea isn't technically the world of the original Ivalice, the game's story makes it pretty clear that events essentially parallel to the War of the Lions occurred here. And that was, bar-none, Final Fantasy's most violent game - the vast majority of major characters you encounter in FFT die.

Not saying that will happen here, but FFXIV is probably most closely tethered to FFT of all the other Final Fantasies, if not in mood, then at least the structure of the world, specific jobs, etc. So if things turned quite dark before we reached the end, and 'FF MMORPG Roman Numeral: ?' released, it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest.

[KizuyaKatogami]

Let me break it down comparing 14 to other games in the franchise. I'm going to put all this as a spoiler, since this is spoilers for a lot of FF games.

FF2: No main series game has matched its death toll for main cast.
FF4: Tellah only.
FF5: Galuf only
FF7: Aerith only
FF9: Vivi, only after final boss
FF10: Auron (and technically Tidus, but he was only a dream)
FF12: Nobody who was a main character technically died. Just a guy who showed up near the latter part of the game and didn't have much backstory to him.
FF13: Cid only
FF Type 0: Highest death toll in franchise.
FF15: Noctis and Luna.

Of those, FF14 beats out every other main series game other than FF2 in terms of main characters dying. We've had at least 3 main characters die over the course of the expansions.

You can argue that an expansion is the equivalent of a base game though. Cuz in that case you could argue things like sequels etc. Irregardless of that though, it’s a common theme in ff for people to die, or not even that but for there to be consequences for the protags. For example, ff12 major characters may not have died, but the game ended with the antagonists technically winning and the world slowly getting messed up which the protags couldn’t prevent.

[Rokke]

Again, I'm not saying I'm opposed to a main character being killed off (as long as it's done well). I just don't understand how people can claim that this story has been "low stakes" so far.

If the main characters escape every situation theyre placed in completely unscathed then it doesn't matter if they're thrown in another death trap because its a safe bet that they'll once again make it through...completely unscathed. If theres no consequences to fear, why be afraid? There is no reason to worry about any of the main scions at this point. Their plot armor is as thick as ours and we're the one that was chosen by the sentient crystal god*.

Haurchefant's death had more substance than Tesleen or Moenbryda or Gaius's flock of lizard children because he actually had presence in the story for more than a quest or two.

I agree that death does not a story make, but there should be some level of consequences for events happening to our leads when they're thrown into situations as dangerous as they're presented as.

[TaleraRistain]

This isn't a major point, but I'll make it anyway. While Eorzea isn't technically the world of the original Ivalice, the game's story makes it pretty clear that events essentially parallel to the War of the Lions occurred here. And that was, bar-none, Final Fantasy's most violent game - the vast majority of major characters you encounter in FFT die.

Not saying that will happen here, but FFXIV is probably most closely tethered to FFT of all the other Final Fantasies, if not in mood, then at least the structure of the world, specific jobs, etc. So if things turned quite dark before we reached the end, and 'FF MMORPG Roman Numeral: ?' released, it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest.

I think that honor goes to Type-0. That one was dark from that chilling beginning cutscene to the end.

[ItMe]

Irregardless of that though, it’s a common theme in ff for people to die,

Then you should be happy, because if you just want people to die I'd like to introduce you to
Papalymo, Noraxia, Moenbryda, Haurchefant, Ysayle, Meffrid, Conrad, Tesleen, Louisoix, Nael van Darnus, The Griffin, etc. etc.

[KizuyaKatogami]

Then you should be happy, because if you just want people to die I'd like to introduce you to
Papalymo, Noraxia, Moenbryda, Haurchefant, Ysayle, Meffrid, Conrad, Tesleen, Louisoix, Nael van Darnus, The Griffin, etc. etc.

None of those are recent barring tesleen and again, we knew her for quite literally 5 minutes. It’s not just that i want them to die, i want there to be consequences for them to properly display the severity of the situation and the actual stakes in the story. It’s funny how no one can answer my question of why in the expansion against the strongest foes and with the highest stakes, it’s the expansion with the least amount of consequences for the protags. Again, keeping characters alive through plot armor only makes the story disjointed and jarring again, like what they did with Graha. When they start neglecting their own plot elements they raised up simply to keep a character alive, there’s a problem.

[Hyperia]

Then you should be happy, because if you just want people to die I'd like to introduce you to
Papalymo, Noraxia, Moenbryda, Haurchefant, Ysayle, Meffrid, Conrad, Tesleen, Louisoix, Nael van Darnus, The Griffin, etc. etc.

You forgot to mention that we, the main character, died at the beginning of the 8th umbra calamity. True it was reversed, but, we still died none the less and in a nasty way too.

[TaleraRistain]

None of those are recent barring tesleen and again, we knew her for quite literally 5 minutes. It’s not just that i want them to die, i want there to be consequences for them to properly display the severity of the situation and the actual stakes in the story.

We watched someone get skewered, turn into a sin eater before our eyes, and then we fought them in the first dungeon. That did pretty well to properly display the severity of the situation and the actual stakes in the story for me.

Again, keeping characters alive through plot armor only makes the story disjointed and jarring again, like what they did with Graha. When they start neglecting their own plot elements they raised up simply to keep a character alive, there’s a problem.

There's also the flip side, killing someone just to kill someone for stupid drama reasons like Papalymo.

[Vahlnir]

We watched someone get skewered, turn into a sin eater before our eyes, and then we fought them in the first dungeon. That did pretty well to properly display the severity of the situation and the actual stakes in the story for me.



There's also the flip side, killing someone just to kill someone for stupid drama reasons like Papalymo.

Yeah, that sin eater encounter was certainly unnerving. They did a good job at showing us just how bad things were. As far as Papalymo goes...yeah, that was pretty lackluster. "Hey guys, I'm gonna go toward that giant egg in the sky and die. Kbye!" I just kinda sat there afterwards not feeling much of anything. It was pointless, not that I liked the character anyway.

[KizuyaKatogami]

We watched someone get skewered, turn into a sin eater before our eyes, and then we fought them in the first dungeon. That did pretty well to properly display the severity of the situation and the actual stakes in the story for me.

I’m not so quick to get attached to a character. We knew her for such a short time, and while the transformation was gruesome, the fact of the matter is it really did nothing. If persay, it had been one of our scion friends to transform into one and we had to put them down, then yeah that’s actual stakes. Because then we’re left wondering is that going to happen to anyone else among our group? It’s why the severity of the WoL turning did nothing for me as well. I knew we would make it out fine because obviously we’re the main playable character. The scions is the way that they can achieve proper severity and stakes of situations by making consequences for them. Remember when Yshtola’s life was supposed to be gradually decaying? Instead she gets a power up in shb. I’m more inclined in these situations to ask, what does keeping these characters alive do for the story. Graha for example, has served little purpose. Everything we’ve done we could’ve done without him. Same with Yshtola. Same with Thancred.