What is with the constant mistreatment of the Garlean story?(6.1 Patch spoilers)

[MicahZerrshia]

They really messed up with cutting the Garlean expac. Then they screwed up even more with the way the end days and its cause, which likely partially a direct result of cutting said expac. And don't even get me started on how they squandered the Magus sisters and Anima. Granted I was tired of Ascians and Garlemald, but this was not the way to close the story.

I don't really think this game will age well like other ff games just because of all the dropped balls, rushed stories, leaning way to hard into manga style storytelling and a turn into catering to the most casual of casuals, the kind who have difficulty with more than 2 buttons, above absolutely everyone else. XIV's level of UwU, chibi, saccharine is also going to be too much for ppl outside of a few select groups. But to be fair, the FF franchise as a whole has been going downhill since XII, the last great FF game imo.

So much care was put into XIV between 1.0 and 2.0. There was so much good will, so many ppl cheering them on and SE really seemed to hear us and care. But now it feels like they don't care, and we are just screaming into a void because they are going to just do what they think is going to net them the most profit right now, with little care to what it does to the game, its legacy and the franchise, like most gaming corporations at this point. Instead of making a good game that will bring in a steady stream of profit for a longer period, because that doesn't sound as appealing to share holders.

I really hope XI gets a proper reboot so more people, especially lore and story enthusiasts can enjoy it, because that was some amazing mmo story telling that makes most of XIV's look like borderline fanfic. I also attribute that to each expac being it's own individual story with its own cast and antagonists, less busy work and more willingness to lean into dark themes.

[CrownySuccubus]

The joke didn't explicitly imply anything - it was suggestive, though entirely left to the player's imagination. As such, it could be as innocent or as dirty as one willed for it to be.

There's no perceptive, intelligent adult on Earth who could ever miss the sexual implications of that description. Not unless they're being willfully obtuse.
Though as Kizuya kindly pointed out, this seems to be little more than a repeat of what befell Blizzard in its quest to try and partake of excessive censorship and virtue signalling.

"Censorship" and "virtue signalling" don't really apply here. As others have stated, it is literally distracting to the story to imply that Urianger created a fleshlight version of his ex and passed it to the WOL.

Also, considering how often the words "Genocide" and "Gaslighting" are used to describe Venat's actions in Endwalker, accusations of "virtue signalling" are pretty dishonest.

[Theodric]

Also, considering how often the words "Genocide" and "Gaslighting" are used to describe Venat's actions in Endwalker, accusations of "virtue signalling" are pretty dishonest.

Using the correct definition to describe the elimination of a species and culture from existence and memory is hardly 'dishonest', nor is it virtue signalling.

It's unfortunate if people not treating 'mommy goddess' like the best, most kindest person unsettles you but we don't need yet another thread turning into a discussion about Venat.

[Slatersev]

How can it be censorship if it didn't exist in any other language anyway?

Actually, its funny to hold up ARR/HW as more "gritty and mature" when it comes to things like sex jokes when at the time they went out of there way to tone down how sexually charged Haurchefant was in english compared to Japanese. A change that was way more in depth and expansive then anything done post HW and would absolutely be called censorship by the same people praising how ARR/HW handled things.

Which is amusing

[Atelier-Bagur]

In comparison to a lot of other MMO's it's a good story. Personally I found it good entertainment value for money and it had a lot of strong points.

But that certainly doesn't mean it's perfect. While I'm satisfied with what I got for the price, I can fully understand criticisms from players who weren't happy with it. Endwalker in particular felt like the devs simply got tired of this story and had a new story arc in mind that they wanted to fill multiple expansions with, so they wrapped everything up in one go and rushed it. There was a lot in Endwalker that left you thinking "wait, that's it?".

Really though, a lot of this game's story tends to be rushed over. Or at least the world lore is lacking, especially to other MMO worlds like WoW and ESO; they have chock-full of lore. For example, remember how in Heavensward we traveled to find out the true history behind the Dragonsong War and we got that echo vision that detailed the past? Oh cool I wonder how grandiose that battle was and how the original knights disbanded and wha- oh it was just a couple dead bodies with a few of the Knights gathered around shooting the breeze...no drama. Or how about in Shadowbringers were we get to see glimpses of old kingdoms; like Nabaath Araeng, Voeburt, the Ronkan Empire? Yeah just ruins. We never get to see how those places used to be or rather we just get "told" how amazing they were.

FFXIV is more about an character driven story rather than one defined by its world. Which is why many feel parts of the story feels "lacking" because the msq itself never really dives too much into its own world and culture to give us a good background on what where dealing with. We're just being TOLD there was a civilization here, were' just been TOLD this part of the world had some interesting culture. Dont believe me? Look at how many areas of interest dont get a chance to truly shine because either they're just ruins of a bygone age or they're just gone. Doma? Its been devastated by the Empire, we never got to see their culture. Ala Mhigo? Oh yeah also conquered by the Empire, just stories of some mad king and how the Ala Mhigans had this interesting inner conflict, but they dont ever show that. Voeburt, a kingdom built by the Galdjent and Drahn? Oh its just ruins now. Ronka Empire? it supposedly had this ideal civilization that had peoples from the Viis, to the Ronsos to even the Qitari, and where they had created all sorts of weird magicks? again...ruins. Uh....Amarout...? AGAIN JUST RUINS...sorta... although there's at the very least, some bit of world lore thanks to the couple of minor quests you can do.

The only places that sorta feel flesh out are Ishgard and the 3 starting zones.

[CrownySuccubus]

Using the correct definition to describe the elimination of a species and culture from existence and memory is hardly 'dishonest', nor is it virtue signalling.

I don't buy that, considering that you were once offended that I used the term "dictatorship" to refer to the Garleans. You are clearly aware that words are more than rote definitions and have positive or negative implications. The word "genocide" is specifically being used because of the negative association with the term, otherwise we could use the word "changed" and it'd be just as accurate.

[Lauront]

Or we could use genocide, since it is exactly what she did... and that is what the "change" in question consists in.

[Slatersev]

Really though, a lot of this game's story tends to be rushed over. Or at least the world lore is lacking, especially to other MMO worlds like WoW and ESO; they have chock-full of lore. For example, remember how in Heavensward we traveled to find out the true history behind the Dragonsong War and we got that echo vision that detailed the past? Oh cool I wonder how grandiose that battle was and how the original knights disbanded and wha- oh it was just a couple dead bodies with a few of the Knights gathered around shooting the breeze...no drama. Or how about in Shadowbringers were we get to see glimpses of old kingdoms; like Nabaath Araeng, Voeburt, the Ronkan Empire? Yeah just ruins. We never get to see how those places used to be or rather we just get "told" how amazing they were.

FFXIV is more about an character driven story rather than one defined by its world. Which is why many feel parts of the story feels "lacking" because the msq itself never really dives too much into its own world and culture to give us a good background on what where dealing with. We're just being TOLD there was a civilization here, were' just been TOLD this part of the world had some interesting culture. Dont believe me? Look at how many areas of interest dont get a chance to truly shine because either they're just ruins of a bygone age or they're just gone. Doma? Its been devastated by the Empire, we never got to see their culture. Ala Mhigo? Oh yeah also conquered by the Empire, just stories of some mad king and how the Ala Mhigans had this interesting inner conflict, but they dont ever show that. Voeburt, a kingdom built by the Galdjent and Drahn? Oh its just ruins now. Ronka Empire? it supposedly had this ideal civilization that had peoples from the Viis, to the Ronsos to even the Qitari, and where they had created all sorts of weird magicks? again...ruins. Uh....Amarout...? AGAIN JUST RUINS...sorta... although there's at the very least, some bit of world lore thanks to the couple of minor quests you can do.

The only places that sorta feel flesh out are Ishgard and the 3 starting zones.

WOW lore isnt a thing, not really its just constantly shoving whatever hackneyed "cool" thing they came up with on top of the old thing they just retconned for the 1000th time. The world isnt fleshed out because it can never have any actual basis as they quite literally can't go a patch without changing fundamental aspects of what is supposed to be the setting.

Reminder they made three lore books as the definitive lore guide (there own words) and had retconned it multiple times before the second book even came out.

[Atelier-Bagur]

That joke wasnt even in the original Japanese, it was pure english with no basis anywhere else, not a deviation like what naturally happens with Loc, but straight up its own bubble that didnt have any basis. Shit I remember at the time on these very forums people were complaining, not because it was a dirty joke, but because it was wildly out of character for Urianger. Which has only gotten more true with time.

In a post EW world especially it just didn't fit and wasn't supported anywhere else.

But on that note, they haven't shied away from "mature jokes anyway. We literally just had Y'shtola threaten to spank us last year lmao.

Besides, the entire point of the Foam joke is that Y'shtola was embarrassed at being reminded of a think she made when she was a young cringe nerd kid. Which is better then her being the same uber serious scholar literally every second of her life. Or do we want the Scions to be hard locked in with no room for change whether in there past or future?

Just look at the amount of folk who despite G'raha Tia now, because oh teh noes! he's not super serious anymore, they ruined his character! As if he's not allowed to finally be happy and live his life alongside the WoL. Crystal Exarch G'raha was only that way because of the situation he was put in Shadowbringers. And its not like he lost his leadership qualities and serious moments. Did we all just forget how he managed to calm down and lead the panicking Thavnarian people at Radz-at-Han during the Final Days?

[CrownySuccubus]

Or we could use genocide, since it is exactly what she did... and that is what the "change" in question consists in.

Which is my point. The term is being insisted on specifically because it involves a negative utility. A negative utility which is meant to direct others to make a moral judgment towards a character that was not intended within the writing itself.

Aka "virtue signalling".