Can 7.0 focus on a storyline without the philosophizing

[Nav_Fae]

Honestly, this sounds like the kind of thing that someone says when they just don't want to talk about it any more, because they have no intention of ever returning to it.

"It means what you want it to mean!" is a great way to deflect responsibility off the creators. It's like distracting a pack of dogs in a cartoon by throwing a single steak that they'll all go fight over.

Now "everyone" is correct, so "no one" can be disappointed (or bother you about it any more). Hooray!

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I'm not saying that stories can't be deliberately-written to be ambiguous and open to viewer interpretation...

...I just think calling EW that kind of story is kind of pushing it in terms of plausibility, since it seems to bend over backwards at every turn to indicate exactly what it wants to mean and exactly how it wants you to feel about it.

It pretty much means they are done talking about it, and that they don't want to explore it anymore. Cause exploring it further will most likely just make the plot even worse. That's pretty much why they won't tell us what Azem was doing that whole time Venat did what she did. Because the true answer will probably be an unsatisfying one. It is easier for things to be left unsaid so people can head canon the possibilities that make them happiest. Is it lazy? Yes. Is it bad writing? Yes. But it's not uncommon in video game stories especially if the true answer has risk of displeasing people.

[Yuella]

Shadowbringers have good character developments but the overarching story is boring (the world is shrouded by light, so kill the lightwardens one by one to restore darkness. That's it).

Endwalker is the other way around only because all the characters have been developed in Shadowbringers, so they didn't have to do it again. They can focus on delivering a great overarching story of overcoming despair.

[Kozh]

No one said this.

Venat was faced with an impossible decision. She COULD NOT tell them of Elpis, could not tell them what she already knew about the earthshattering blunder Hermes had made. Could not tell them that they, the Ancients and their overweening arrogance, had laid the seed of their own destruction. Could not tell Emet-Selch about the gaping hole in his memory thanks to Kairos. The timeline had to remain.

From a youtube video commentary

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwTcMt6k8FQ



She had to make a decision no one should have had to make, she had little recourse BUT to sunder the worlds. They had forestalled the Final Days for a time..but she knew that day would come.

There WAS no perfect solution, no perfect answer..she did what she HAD to.

In the same vein as the Kobiyashi Maru, no matter what she did, they would LOSE. Meteion was still out there, the Final Days would come again. There was no choice, no alternative. Often there never is...a lesson that I had to personally relearn a long time ago.

In her own words:

" No more shall man have wings to bear him to Paradise..henceforth, he shall WALK."

"As fragmented, imperfect beings, yours is a never-ending quest.
A quest to find your purpose, knowing your end is assured.
To find the strength to continue, when all strength has left you.
To find joy, even as darkness descends...
...and amidst deepest despair, light everlasting."

I see someone doesn't watch the lore Q&A ;p

[TheDecay]

Was that when the Watcher offers the choice in the Omega side quest? I am a staunch Venat supporter, though I do understand why people wanted a bit more ambiguity and introspection regarding her actions and the reactions form the Scions. That would have been cool, especially to have Thancred or someone call Venat out, but if I could only like and support writing that I felt was flawless, then I would never like anything I feel haha. Thats the thing with writing and storytelling, its very subjective. The very fact her arc can be seen as, at best, divisive rather the outright hated points more to that then bad writing.

I do wish we could move on from just debating about Vanet, but at leats it has been a while since I have seen the Geneva Conventions being posted here... thats somthing!

Precisely. If the intention is to make Venat's actions morally ambiguous, then some different reactions from the Scions would be very welcome. We can have Thancred just wondering out loud that he doesn't know what to feel about Venat's actions as you suggested.

[Kazhar]

Precisely. If the intention is to make Venat's actions morally ambiguous, then some different reactions from the Scions would be very welcome. We can have Thancred just wondering out loud that he doesn't know what to feel about Venat's actions as you suggested.

Thancred had the perfect opportunity of doing so after it was revealed that the escape plan required them to ditch all the population of the shards (including Ryne, shouldn't he care a little more about that?). But I guess the writers were more interested in wrapping the story quickly (since Venat's plan A and B were obviously their clutch to move the story to the finish line) than to write characters who act as themselves, so they just made a small mention and moved on.

[BRVV]

I see someone doesn't watch the lore Q&A ;p

Is that the one where Yoshi P plays Zelda because he's bored? /jk i know that was a live letter.

Why? Did they retcon something there? Or come up with something? I just *LOVE* this defense by people. You have to actively seek out other stuff for the entertainment product you do consume not to be full of plotholes? Most of the times i was dumb enough to go to wikis it's just boring lore that doesn't change anything. If you NEED to read some external stuff for your MAIN STORY to make sense than you have an awful story.

[Carin-Eri]

It pretty much means they are done talking about it, and that they don't want to explore it anymore. Cause exploring it further will most likely just make the plot even worse. That's pretty much why they won't tell us what Azem was doing that whole time Venat did what she did. Because the true answer will probably be an unsatisfying one. It is easier for things to be left unsaid so people can head canon the possibilities that make them happiest. Is it lazy? Yes. Is it bad writing? Yes. But it's not uncommon in video game stories especially if the true answer has risk of displeasing people.

To be honest, I'm one of those who doesn't want to know anything more about Azem. I think, in some cases (such as this one), it's better left as a bit of a mystery.

[Theodric]

Is that the one where Yoshi P plays Zelda because he's bored? /jk i know that was a live letter.

Why? Did they retcon something there? Or come up with something? I just *LOVE* this defense by people. You have to actively seek out other stuff for the entertainment product you do consume not to be full of plotholes? Most of the times i was dumb enough to go to wikis it's just boring lore that doesn't change anything. If you NEED to read some external stuff for your MAIN STORY to make sense than you have an awful story.

It's from the following Live Letter:

https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...803-03-2022%29

The third post is the cliff notes version of the lore related questions. The video in the first post has the full answers if you're willing to sit through it.

[Lauront]

The reddit discord translations section has a transcript of the live version as well, which is more comprehensive than the summary version they put together.

[TaleraRistain]

As such, I think that the core cast should reflect that. I'm Scottish, I've made friends from many different parts of the world during my time playing MMO's. We don't always agree on everything and it's outright bizarre that the writers of this game insist on pushing mutual agreement amongst the core cast at pretty much every turn. That isn't how real, relatable individuals operate.

I had forgotten this but I just went through story on an alt and there was a point where Alphinaud went and asked Riol and Alianne why they stayed with the Scions after the Crystal Braves disbanded. And the simple answer they gave was that they recognized that the Scions were all united in a common cause.

Also, when you watch the core group we interact with, there's an unspoken agreement to be open to input and allow people to speak. They debate different perspectives or paths to take and each gives their viewpoint in a non-judgmental atmosphere. You're not going to see a lot of direct conflict in that sort of environment and it's not unrealistic because that's how effective teams work in the real world.