A Storyteller’s Point of View on Final Fantasy XIV

[hagare]

kink shaming in my 14?
Ok scaly xD

[VelKallor]

Over the last 10 years, I have published 15 novel.

15?

Interesting.

Titles? Genre? Publisher?

[Raoabolic]

kink shaming in my 14?

*looks at lower limsa aetherite plaza*
*sweats profusely*

[kindar1]

15?

Interesting.

Titles? Genre? Publisher?

Tristan, 6 book series, Science-Fiction Thriller, complete
Inheriting the Line, 5 book series, Urban-Fantasy(Adult), complete
Death by Predation, 4 book series, Procedural/mystery, 2 books published, 2 coming out before the end of 2022
Demons, 3 book series, action/adventure, 2 books published, last book coming out early 2023

I'm self-published under the "The Tiger Writes" imprint.
the link to my website is in my bio

[kindar1]

(https://ffxiv.consolegameswiki.com/wiki/Chasing_Shadows)

Right off the bat, we have a storytelling flaw. We ‘have proven ourselves a friend to Gridania’ by our tireless efforts. And we can now be trusted with sensitive intelligence.

I’ve just stood here, finishing one quest and started this one.

We are told that we are good and important to Gridania, but we haven’t been shown to be so. ‘Show don’t Tell’ is a much repeated rule in storytelling, and I think that here it matters. Instead of trusting we did helped people (which in and of itself doesn’t prove we are trustworthy). We should be given minor tasks and missions where we show we can be trusted to do what we are told.

We get a cut scene that starts with some words I like the least in games like these. ‘Time is of the essence’. Unless the mission is on a timer (few are) then time is not of the essence and the NPCs shouldn’t act like it is.

We are told there is a suspected link between the suspicious character and the Ixali activities. We are sent to investigate, told that we might need to act covertly to catch this character.

While one of the function of this quest is to get us to interact with an item. On a storytelling level, the problem with it is that there is no story here. We interact with the sword, people show up, including author inserts, there is a fight, basically the end. There is no need to ‘do’ anything story related.

We aren’t part of the story; the story happens around us.

After the fight we get a cut scene telling us again we’re special, and given what sounds like the plot of the story. Assemble a crystal to banish a darkness.

The strangers leave. I take the sword and return to Galfrid.

Here we have the first clear indication that we can speak, and yet, our dialog doesn’t show up.

My big problem with this quest is that it’s supposed to be something only I could do, but how could any guard fail to see a sword in a stump? In a story, events have to happen for a reason supported by the narrative. Nothing in the narrative support that I should be the one to resolve this issue. There was no subterfuge involved, no mysterious person to find. Just a sword in a stump anyone passing by could have seen. And guards have been passing by, since they made a report about that area.

[ReynTime]

When I read the title I was worried this would be another "FFXIV's writing is amazing and if you don't agree you're wrong because I'm a real author" but this is a lot more interesting than that.

I'm gonna keep my eye on this. Fascinating.

[VelKallor]

Here we have the first clear indication that we can speak, and yet, our dialog doesn’t show up.

Silent protagonist.

Btw.."went and'?

[SannaR]

May I ask who or what you're labeling as an author insert? The story more often then not assumes you've gone and done side quests.

[Kes13a]

*snip*

while to some extent I agree, you have to be aware that the game has been around for 12 years.

they have changed the original arc to make it shorter for new players. this is going to cause issues with your attempt to critique the story, since its not the same as it was. in fact, they removed 13% of the ARR quests, lines of dialogue that used to be part of quests were removed to shorten the quest chains themselves. at this point, especially in ARR, you are being handed a book with entire paragraphs, pages and chapters that are simply removed to make the experience shorter because players complained it was too long.

while your attempt is interesting, I feel its conception is flawed from the start

[Wissp]

(https://ffxiv.consolegameswiki.com/wiki/Chasing_Shadows)
We aren’t part of the story; the story happens around us.

Remember this thought, because it will rear it's ugly head time and time again throughout the story.

In short, we observe and react to the events around us, and are just there to be a 'tool' for others to use when needed.