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

[Atelier-Bagur]

I wouldn't suggest that Garlemald was unpopular. It just so happens that quite a few committed FFXIV players have spent a lot of time actively stalking and harassing anyone who dared to like the 'wrong' characters. Stormblood was also controversial due to Ala Mhigo being seen as rather bland and undeserving of three (technically four) entire zones instead of allowing Othard more room to breathe.

It's not like the writers couldn't have mixed things up more and had us get a glimpse at some of the more stable Garlean provinces, or have someone similar to Regula van Hydrus enter the story.

Or someone similar to Rufus Shinra or the Turks show up. The company can't be unaware that the antagonists alone attract a lot of interest in their games, surely?

uh...I big to differ with that statement my friend. I dont think FFVII was popular because of Rufus or the Turks. Ok granted Sephiroth is a major contender but so was Cloud and Tifa and Aeris etc. I dont think people raved FFX because of antagonists like Seymour being impactful. In the series, the attraction is almost always the protagonists than the antagonists. And in the case of FFXIV, the fact that the protag is a customizable avatar that is the center stage to the story carries a lot more attraction than most of the characters in this story. Heck the fact that your personal character has close relations to many of the other characters says how much thats the case.

[Theodric]

uh...I big to differ with that statement my friend. I dont think FFVII was popular because of Rufus or the Turks. Ok granted Sephiroth is a major contender but so was Cloud and Tifa and Aeris etc. I dont think people raved FFX because of antagonists like Seymour being impactful. In the series, the attraction is almost always the protagonists. And in the case of FFXIV, the fact that the protag is a customizable avatar that is the center stage to the story carries a lot more than most of the characters in this story.

Rufus proved to be so popular that he was brought back from the dead and given an expanded role in the various sequels and prequels to FFVII. The Turks, too, have proven to be very popular...and FFVII's recent remake expanded the roles of both the protagonists and antagonists alike because it recognised that a lot of people enjoy both...

[aveyond-dreams]

uh...I big to differ with that statement my friend. I dont think FFVII was popular because of Rufus or the Turks. Ok granted Sephiroth is a major contender but so was Cloud and Tifa and Aeris etc. I dont think people raved FFX because of antagonists like Seymour being impactful. In the series, the attraction is almost always the protagonists. And in the case of FFXIV, the fact that the protag is a customizable avatar that is the center stage to the story carries a lot more than most of the characters in this story.

FFX is a game with a strong main cast which compensates for having people like Seymour.

FFXIV is a game with a weak main cast which is compensated for by the antagonist factions, or at least that was the case until recently.

I am grateful for the fact that the void is being made a focus early on and that I took a liking to what I saw almost instantly, because in absence of Garlemald and the Ancients there is very little left in FFXIV's world to keep my main interest.