The feeling of beeing Home ...

**SentioftheHoukai** · 08-02-2022 10:45 PM

Originally Posted by MikkoAkure

It's a bit too easy, but isn't there that famous saying "don't judge a book by it's cover"? And I don't understand why you need to make a whole allegory about the game being a book, we all understand how video games and expansions work because we've played it.

On topic, I wonder how what the percentages of people who didn't like EW compared to those who did is like when also taking into account people who got super into the Ancients and people who didn't. I didn't particularly associate with the Ancients because they're a long-dead precursor race we don't really have much to do with despite being reincarnated from one of the important ones. But just because our soul is partially one of them doesn't mean we are one and what's more important to our character is the survival of our own world since that's all we knew about our entire lives until our jaunts through Amaurot and Elpis. People getting way into them to the point they're making signatures about how bad Venat is reminds me that the word "fan" is short for "fanatic".

Despite liking the Elpis parts of the story better than the rest, I wonder if the whole story would have been less controversial if we never went there and instead of the Venat we got, we had a 100% super good and unproblematic Venat and the Sundering was her accidentally kicking Zodiark too hard.

As for the Scions, love them or hate them, they're pretty much the only thing tying the game together at this point and probably will into the future as well. ARR was all the Scions together, HW was 2 Scions + guests, SB was (mostly) 2 Scions, and ShB and EW were "the whole team back together again, plus 1 guest". If it weren't for them, a lot of the story wouldn't have happened and we wouldn't have had a home base. I hope they can introduce new blood that are completely fresh and aren't scrapped from old job quests, but I don't see them going away altogether.

In the future, Mikko it may behoove you to remember that for all of us who rabidly defend anything Ancient and Ascian and Zodiark and Garlean, there are an equally equivalent amount of "fanatics" consistently crowing on about how morally upright Venat is. In other words, when considering whether to throw out a slanderous accusation on a public forum board, it may be wise to weightily consider whether engaging in disingenuous insinuations may make a hypocrite of oneself.

As for Venat, it is by dictionary definition that her actions in performing the Sundering was explicitly an act of genocide. No amount of feelings or "I don't consider it genocide, though!" or "It was the only way and thus, justified!" will change this unavoidable, undeniable fact. Indeed, I run the risk of puking entertaining the thought that genocide justification is a thing here after so much crowing on during Shadowbringers on how it would NEVER be acceptable of an outcome.

In summary, how may I ask is Hydaelyn or any of her supporters in game or out any morally superior than THIS MAN and his people? Especially with everything we know now, all that we learned in the Q&A why does Venat get special treatment? By all rights, these revelations should have soured y'all to her and her philosophy and actions.

The complete erasure of the culture of a people counts as such a heinous crime, even if the peoples themselves yet remain amongst the living. Continuing the trend of such ignominy being deemed acceptable when perpetrated by the protagonist and company, Garlemald attempted (and yet failed) to do this to the city-state of Ala Mhigo in Stormblood through the medium of cultural appropriation, and were deemed evil warlords that must be stopped at all costs for it (and rightly so, I've never once disagreed with this. Regrettable, the opposite equivalence is not present). No traceable remnants of Ancient culture yet remain on the Source and its Shards, and the Ancient people are all but deceased as of the finale of Endwalker. This result can be laid squarely at the feet of Hydaelyn. Yet despite this unavoidable fact, aside from a single line of self-aggrandizement (which denigrates its worth in the process) not once is she rightfully villainized for it. Instead her victims are perpetually blamed for bringing their demise upon themselves. To this day, I struggle to comprehend just why and/or how the concept of a sub-group of fans sympathizing more with the oppressed and executed culture over the supreme deity who dealt them such a lamentable (and indeed, PREVENTABLE!) fate to them is such a heinous, unthinkable crime to y'all on this forum.

**Moebious** · 08-02-2022 10:55 PM

Originally Posted by Aneshda

Am I the only one who has no feelings for the Story of this Game anymore?

Certainly not the only one. After Endwalker's rather rushed and botched story, I really aren't looking forward to anything they(main story writers) may be baking in the oven, honestly.

Endwalker simply felt like such a big disconnect to me, and tainted the well to the prior stories' setup throughout expansions. As such, the New Game+ feature doesn't feel worth it anymore either, and makes me concerned for what or who they might destroy or blemish next. This goes especially for the upcoming Void story, as they seem to be heading towards, possible known characters of past installments, if they botch those too, whatever can they do to course correct the story, if at all, another Time Travel paradox insertion?

FFXIV has luckily other things and content to peer through, and upcoming content like Criterion Dungeon, Island Sanctuary, or even next Deep Dungeon(6.3x hopefully). Kind of wish they had more stuff like Palace of the Dead, continued in some bizarre cosmic horror flavor way, akin to how the floors from 151 and onwards felt mystical, where time had either stopped or gone beyond its own end. I would love them going back to those things, especially by that, leaving things up in the air, which the players can speculate, ponder, and wonder for themselves.

Endwalker sadly didn't do that, it tried to push themes and messages, through morally dubious and questionable characters, which committed acts of genocide(s) on planetary or galactic scale. While our WoL were seemingly just nodding through it all, no proper means/options of confronting or questioning moralities, this time around.

FFXIV isn't only about the story but it does feel like a big part of its allure has been compromised.

**Larirawiel** · 08-02-2022 11:01 PM

Originally Posted by SentioftheHoukai

As for Venat, it is by dictionary definition that her actions in performing the Sundering was explicitly an act of genocide. The complete erasure of the culture of a people counts as such a heinous crime, even if the peoples themselves yet remain amongst the living.

True. But such acts are typical for the ancients. They have no problems with erasing something if it does not meet their expectations. You see it in Elpis, where the wolf-like creatures are killed, Hades wants to erase you from the weave of history, Venat erases the ancients etc.

Cheers

**xenahawk** · 08-02-2022 11:06 PM

Originally Posted by XiRon

no no the story is so perfect idk why anyone would hate hearing Alphinaud say to a room of Bozjans, Dalmascans, Domans and Ala Mhigans that "None suffered more than Garlemald" as if Garlemald were not responsible for their own suffering because the second the Emperor dies they start bombing each other.
Or listening to Emet-Selch explain why you were his bestie in a past life, thereby robbing YOUR CHARACTER of agency, and whether or not you find Giga Hitler a likable character or not because you're forced to watch your character look somber over the death of a man who nuked 7 Shards because he cant move on.
No the story is perfect and you hate Ishikawa if you disagree.

Because though "none" suffered more then garlemald is a stretch, truth be told innocent people often pay the price for bad even foolish leadership. But the story did a good job showing that much like you people believe they brought it on themself and leave it be. Now again different people see characters differently because hell people are different so debating on how certain characters ruin the story can always be countered with others saying how it was great because of it. Neither side is wrong though because people will view things differently. Might not like every part of the story but as a whole it was pretty damn good and coherent.

**SentioftheHoukai** · 08-02-2022 11:09 PM

Originally Posted by Larirawiel

True. But such acts are typical for the ancients. They have no problems with erasing something if it does not meet their expectations. You see it in Elpis, where the wolf-like creatures are killed, Hades wants to erase you from the weave of history, Venat erases the ancients etc.

Cheers

As do the Sundered, her direct beneficiaries. Sad to say, this doesn't prove the point or represent the foolproof "Gotcha!" you believe it to.

Cheers~

**Jojoya** · 08-02-2022 11:28 PM

I feel like a few people n the thread didn't read all the way through the OP's post.

The OP stated that they would quit the game now if it weren't for the fact that they had already paid for subscription and retainers that will last another 80 days. Someone replies that they may as well quit now if there's nothing else they're interested in now that the story plot points the OP was interested in have been resolved (whether anyone thinks those resolutions were done well or done poorly).

Then others come in and say "how dare you tell the OP to do what the OP wants to do! They will learn to like what's left in the game if they just keep playing". Seriously, the fanatical tribalism is out of hand.

There's an old saying that I think may have a lot of truth in the OP's situation. "Absence makes the heart grow fonder." The OP probably would be better off taking a break from the game for a bit rather than stay where they're now unhappy just because of Sunk Cost Fallacy. Maybe after a couple of months they'll decide there were other parts of the game they enjoyed enough that it's worth it to keep playing. Or maybe they'll decide that the story really was all they had been interested in and that there is no reason to come back. Either way, they're not on a one way street. They can go then come back later if they are interested.

The OP gets to decide whether or not they enjoy the game. We don't get to make that decision for them. It's okay for them to no longer enjoy the game even though they did in the past. It's okay to tell them it's okay to quit the game and play other games. And it will be okay if they decide to come back after.

**BRVV** · 08-03-2022 12:14 AM