Is Minfilia always useless ?

[Riastrad]

I honestly feel the same way about Tataru. Don't get me wrong, I like the character well enough, but she basically does the same exact thing that Minfilia used to while not being important to the plot. Which is not to say that she isn't integral to the Scions as she takes care of a whole mess of offscreen issues (Like Minfilia did). She is the treasurer of an organization trying to save the world after all who just happens to have made us some outfits. Minfilia was the diplomat that we sorely needed even if her role was tied to the day to day busy work that not everyone feels is exciting. Honestly, having come from Ul' Dah in 1.0 and seeing Ascilia's story first hand, knowing full well how important she was and is, it kind of bothers me that a character that was meant to provide context for the story was relegated to "she kinda sucks because she doesn't fight.". This is without even mentioning her father Warburton, whos journal is still to this day undeciphered and was so important to the story for about a good 4 years there and neatly forgotten about because the writers couldn't figure out how to link it to the story even though it would have been easy to link it to Black Rose or whatever Emet did to Zenos.

One is celebrated, the other was written straight into the grave. Three expansions worth of writing to remove an integral individual because they couldn't figure her out but managed to do so with another who literally was her secretary. They botched the execution full stop.

[Brightamethyst]

One is celebrated, the other was written straight into the grave. Three expansions worth of writing to remove an integral individual because they couldn't figure her out but managed to do so with another who literally was her secretary.

The difference is expectations.

Popular fiction has conditioned us to expect the leader of an organization like the Scions to be powerful, charismatic, and lead the charge into battle when the time comes. Minfilia not really being any of those things is confusing for everyone expecting cutscene badassery that never comes. Tataru on the other hand is under no such pressure. As the office manager, "does boring stuff off-screen" is exactly what you expect from her character so no one gives it a second thought.

[Riastrad]

The difference is expectations.

Popular fiction has conditioned us to expect the leader of an organization like the Scions to be powerful, charismatic, and lead the charge into battle when the time comes. Minfilia not really being any of those things is confusing for everyone expecting cutscene badassery that never comes. Tataru on the other hand is under no such pressure. As the office manager, "does boring stuff off-screen" is exactly what you expect from her character so no one gives it a second thought.

Then Urianger is just an ass for sending an individual he knows can't fight to a literal hellscape. Feel heroic? Maybe he can send Tataru next time it comes up.

[Iscah]

Then Urianger is just an ass for sending an individual he knows can't fight to a literal hellscape. Feel heroic? Maybe he can send Tataru next time it comes up.

Sending her as Hydaelyn's emissary to the First is very different to sending her as a mortal into a situation she can't handle.

[Riastrad]

Sending her as Hydaelyn's emissary to the First is very different to sending her as a mortal into a situation she can't handle.

Oh, it certainly helped. But it would have been better to just send us to begin with. The stalemate at Ala Mhigo was a disastrously bad campaign that cost the original timeline dearly. We knew the threat the Firsts fall into light would spell out and we did nothing. Original timeline WoL being a pile of bones on the wasteland of the Source is a testament to that. We act surprised that the aether of the land is drying up and wonder what could be going wrong, thinking all the while the threat on the First was dealt with by our little sacrificial lambs. The only difference was made by G'raha and the plan to alter history. So not for nothing, a random mortal had more of an impact than the Oracle who had been kept prisoner for at least the few years of her current incarnation. Even worse, she dies knowing it was all for nothing in the end in the original history.

Urianger actually comments on how it was all his fault during the trek in Ahm Arang. All the death and suffering were caused by his actions. Convenient then that he never pays the cost.

[Iscah]

Oh, it certainly helped. But it would have been better to just send us to begin with.

How would he plan to do that, though? As far as anyone is aware at this point, living mortals cannot cross the rift without first abandoning their body. The Warriors of Darkness had to kill themselves so their souls could travel to the Source; that's not really a solution that's viable for us. It would leave our own world unprotected.

He is sending Minfilia – now an aetherial being and an extension of Hydaelyn Herself – to do a job that an extension of Hydaelyn can do. And at least in its original presentation in 3.4 was supposed to involve outright fixing the First by absorbing the Light and using it to recharge Hydaelyn's failing strength. Somehow (real answer: to give us a narrative in 5.0) that part didn't happen, Hydaelyn seems weaker than ever and Minfilia could only hold back rather than undo the Flood.

Urianger actually comments on how it was all his fault during the trek in Ahm Arang. All the death and suffering were caused by his actions. Convenient then that he never pays the cost.

He beats himself up a lot about being forced into hard decisions, as I see it. He regrets the suffering that the generations of Minfilias have gone through, but if he hadn't sent Minfilia to begin with, the whole world would have drowned in the Flood of Light a hundred years ago and they never would have been born. (And they probably didn't suffer greatly more than the rest of the people trying to fight the sin eaters anyway.) It's a bad thing that happened instead of a far worse alternative, but he blames himself for it regardless.

[Iscah]

The only difference was made by G'raha and the plan to alter history. So not for nothing, a random mortal had more of an impact than the Oracle who had been kept prisoner for at least the few years of her current incarnation.

G'raha is not the only one to make a difference. Minfilia already did make a difference, which is why the world is still there for G'raha to intervene and do his part.

And the current Minfilia being locked up by the people she should be saving is hardly something that could have been accounted for in anyone's plans.

[Riastrad]

How would he plan to do that, though? As far as anyone is aware at this point, living mortals cannot cross the rift without first abandoning their body. The Warriors of Darkness had to kill themselves so their souls could travel to the Source; that's not really a solution that's viable for us. It would leave our own world unprotected.

It is an option for us though. We didn't know it at the time, but the implied reason the transference works perfectly fine for us and not others is that it is Azems power working for us. Ardbert may not have had to kill himself to traverse the rift. We also know that any one can in fact travel rifts due to our experience with the Crystal Tower. Nero physically went to the Thirteenth and came out no worse for wear. We just needed someone to open the way and we could have gone in. Hydaelyn's Oracle was right there, opening a portal. As for leaving the World at risk. We left the Ala Mhigan front for a boat trip for a good amount of time. The Grand Companies held the line just fine.

He is sending Minfilia – now an aetherial being and an extension of Hydaelyn Herself – to do a job that an extension of Hydaelyn can do. And at least in its original presentation in 3.4 was supposed to involve outright fixing the First by absorbing the Light and using it to recharge Hydaelyn's failing strength. Somehow (real answer: to give us a narrative in 5.0) that part didn't happen, Hydaelyn seems weaker than ever and Minfilia could only hold back rather than undo the Flood.

That is another problem I have. Hydaelyn seems inable to draw in aether as a primal should. It almost seems as though she has either been directed to never partake of the stuff or something is sapping her of it. It could also be that she is killing herself by constantly causing the stuff to enter stasis.

He beats himself up a lot about being forced into hard decisions, as I see it. He regrets the suffering that the generations of Minfilias have gone through, but if he hadn't sent Minfilia to begin with, the whole world would have drowned in the Flood of Light a hundred years ago and they never would have been born. (And they probably didn't suffer greatly more than the rest of the people trying to fight the sin eaters anyway.) It's a bad thing that happened instead of a far worse alternative, but he blames himself for it regardless.

I stand by my statement.

Its all moot. We should have just used the Crystal Tower to drain the aether of the land and wardens after each slaying as that was the plan to begin with. It was just botched due to G'raha and Urianger wanting to do it all at once, like fools.

[Rannie]

Eh Riastrad she's been cutting off pieces of her Power and giving them to previous warriors of light in the form of the crystals of light so over time and how many people get one is a considerable loss of power. This is from The Eye of the Beholder quest.

So I'm going to take a wild stab in the dark and say it's both she was programmed not too and is slowly giving away what power she does have.

Oh I also forgot to mention it used a lot of her Power when she shielded us from Ultima's attack even Lahabrea stated that she had been weakened drastically when that happened.

[Iscah]

It is an option for us though. We didn't know it at the time...

If we didn't know we could do it, it's not an option.

And in any case it wasn't because of Azem's power, because the other Ascians can't do it that way. They also have to abandon their mortal host and find a new one in the destination world; meanwhile, Emet is puzzled and fascinated by the fact that the Exarch seems to have summoned us with our body intact, implying that this is something beyond even their ability.

We made it across the Rift in one piece because we weren't sent, but summoned by a method that the Ascians did not know existed.

And the reason we were able to be summoned is that Minfilia went first and halted the Flood so G'raha could go there and summon us to do our part. There is no getting around that sequence and skipping straight to "us saving the First" because those other pieces had to be in the right positions to make it happen.