*Spoilers* Anyone feel joining Emet would have been better

[Lersayil]

To be fair, I'm not even convinced that they're trying to push a specific message. They've said as much in the past that they're entertainers rather than philosophers. They've also often highlighted that many of the major conflicts within the story can be attributed as a 'matter of perspective' rather than 'good' and 'evil'.

Maybe, but I do feel like they have at least an overarching vague message usually. Hope, peace, compromise, the value of knowledge, hear, feel, think etc. Stuff I can usually get behind.

This time around it kinda felt more specific and hamfisted, but it might just be my imagination or personal bias on the subjects.

wider society however seems to submit ideas based mostly on what trends are in vogue at the moment. It's mentioned at one point that they keep getting weirder and weirder shark based concepts to test, not because of any great need for new sharks, but because shark concepts are currently the in thing among Amaurotians.

It's funny to think that somewhere out there, there was probably an Ancient showing off to her friends: *Holds up concept* 'I made a shark but stuck wings on its head, XD I'm so random lol'

As long as those concepts are subjected to the same criteria as the more practical concepts, I think this is actually a great thing on their part. It would mean that the creation process is open to everyone, but still subjected to extensive testing and regulation. Who knows, the public might come up with something revolutionary just by accident!

[Jandor]

As long as those concepts are subjected to the same criteria as the more practical concepts, I think this is actually a great thing on their part. It would mean that the creation process is open to everyone, but still subjected to extensive testing and regulation. Who knows, the public might come up with something revolutionary just by accident!

I have no issue with killing animals, I eat meat, I wear leather, and I've often idly considered going hunting. I don't even take issue with animal testing in theory, so long as it is serves a valid purpose.

Whipping up frankenstein style creations for fun and fashion, only to wipe them out later when they prove useless is a bit much though, even by my fairly cold-blooded standards.

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Edit: To be fair to the ancients though, I don't really recall anything definitive on just how many concepts submitted actually get tested. They might work through all of them, just to see what happens, or they might extensively evaluate them before creating them, so as to not waste time on obvious dead-ends.

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Edit 2: Failed creations in Elpis be all like 'Tell us why, given Life, we are meant to die, helpless in our cries?'

[Lersayil]

I have no issue with killing animals, I eat meat, I wear leather, and I've often idly considered going hunting. I don't even take issue with animal testing in theory, so long as it is serves a valid purpose.

Whipping up frankenstein style creations for fun and fashion, only to wipe them out later when they prove useless is a bit much though, even by my fairly cold-blooded standards.

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Edit: To be fair to the ancients though, I don't really recall anything definitive on just how many concepts submitted actually get tested. They might work through all of them, just to see what happens, or they might extensively evaluate them before creating them, so as to not waste time on obvious dead-ends.

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Edit 2: Failed creations in Elpis be all like 'Tell us why, given Life, we are meant to die, helpless in our cries?'

This is going entirely into speculation on my part, but its stated that an Ancient needed a measure of understanding of the thing they created by their magic. I wouldn't consider it entirely outlandish to presume that the more eccentric / useless concepts didn't even make it to the creation phase and were discarded before giving them form to test. At least in Elpis I don't recall seeing anything completely ridiculous that clearly served only as a fad.

[Alleo]

This is going entirely into speculation on my part, but its stated that an Ancient needed a measure of understanding of the thing they created by their magic. I wouldn't consider it entirely outlandish to presume that the more eccentric / useless concepts didn't even make it to the creation phase and were discarded before giving them form to test. At least in Elpis I don't recall seeing anything completely ridiculous that clearly served only as a fad.

Well we have that one fate chain where one Ancient basically first summoned are horde of those ugly things from that one dungeon and being like oops that was not how I thought they would be, please take care of them only to bascially do the same thing again just a few seconds afterwards, producing a cyclop which we have to dispose. Not saying that everyone was like that. Some other quests clearly show that they do like their concept even though they still go around and change them up greatly (Behemoth).

The worst is probably for those that land in Pandemonium. Stuck in that depressing place to be studied and tested.