Feedback: Feeling disappointed by 6.55's narrative, and thus unsure about Dawntrail

[AmorfaVex]

Funny how this thread started as critiquing the political set up in 6.55 but quickly turned into the "Lackluster storytelling in EW" thread.

This thread got hijacked before it left the runway.

On topic though, I agree with much of what the OP said.

PS: My WoL would decapitate all her enemies after battle. No more of this resurrection BS.

[Swordsman]

I agree it's a good example for the Ascians...However, I disagree on the WoL.

My reasoning being that if it were the Ascians that took power - The Rejoining would ultimately occur and unfortunately it would only be a matter of time before The Final Days returned and another Zodiark/Hydaelyn situation would happen...and round and round would the cycle go. However if the WoL holds power it at least breaks that endless cycle and opens up new possibilities to all life.

Therefore, it's not a case of which set of morals is perceived to be "correct" dictated by the one who holds power - In XIV's case, I argue that it shows the WoL's morals and course of action to be actually correct because the alternative leads to the same never ending results.

Yes, I too agree the WoL/Scions' morals are actually correct as opposed to that of the Ascians', but it's because of the WoL's and the Scions' victory over the Ascians that these morals were allowed to become the leading moral standard in the first place. That's why I mentioned the "might makes right" principle. The freedom to let people make their own choices in life and choose from many different possibilities is still a moral standard in itself, and it's one the WoL/Scions had to ensure would become the dominant moral standard by killing beings who opposed that.

In short, I do agree that the WoL's morals are actually correct, but the fact is these morals (the freedom to choose from many new possibilities, etc.) were dictated by the ones who hold power, which are the Scions/WoL.

[Iscah]

Issue 3: Urianger and his secrets

While I agree with you on your other point about us being railroaded into agreeing to support Wuk Lamat's claim without enough information, this feels like grasping for reasons to complain, particularly given that we weren't actually shown anything of Urianger withholding secrets while interacting with us – but more importantly, it's just a totally different situation to him talking about being open to each other as friends.

In the context of this competition, we're not friends but opponents, and keeping to himself isn't any more a betrayal than if we were playing a card game and he won't show his cards to us. It's just how the game is played.

I do think it's odd how much of a game the contest seems to be portrayed as, but as our own character is (or should be) doing, I'll wait until I get there and have all the facts before I pass judgement on it.

[TaleraRistain]

I got the impression we agreed to go see but it's not like we signed a contract or have a geas put on us or anything. We can still refuse if anything seems hinky.

I'm curious what the deal will turn out to be with Thancred and Urianger. Have they possibly already agreed to help another candidate and are scoping out the competition? Who knows. We'll find out I'm sure.

I'm not making any assumptions about things because the pre-ShB story had me scratching my head about what could possibly be more important than what we had going on, and then we got Shadowbringers. So all I'm expecting is that I'm going to be surprised somewhere.

[Chasingstars]

6.55 to me was just evident they were playing with the cards close to their chest.

What Wuk Lamat Said: "Hey if you got any questions about Tural just let me know."
What Wuk Lamat really meant: "I will tell you only about the contest for the throne, the 80 years of peace, and my language, and my warmonger of a sibling."

[KageTokage]

It would've been nice if they had had even a slight teaser towards the deeper underlying plot in 7.0.

I get that we're starting "fresh" and all, but I would've liked more then pointless reassurance that the other Scions are coming along for the ride.

[LilimoLimomo]

particularly given that we weren't actually shown anything of Urianger withholding secrets while interacting with us

I won't deny the possibility for alternate readings, but given that he was waiting a mere 2 minutes from our dwelling, it seems like he could have chosen to discuss what was overheard with us. If he chose not to do that, then he chose to make it a secret.

In the context of this competition, we're not friends but opponents, and keeping to himself isn't any more a betrayal than if we were playing a card game and he won't show his cards to us. It's just how the game is played.

I don't mind that Urianger won't show us his hand, but I do mind that he isn't telling us he's playing the game. Especially when it's not a game; the Scions have experienced far too much to treat a contest that will determine the well-being of at least one nation — if not the world — as if it were a game.

Regardless, I'm not writing off the expansion yet. I like Wuk Lamat as a character. I'm eager to see Tural. But there do seem to be some red flags that the writers don't understand the characters or the world they're writing, and that has me concerned. I hope I'm wrong.

[hynaku]

From reading other comments doesn't sound like Dawntrail will be very good. I already don't like part were forced to help one win event to make them a ruler. How about let the WOL enter the contest to become the ruler and let Scions back Wuk Lamat if they want to.

[Ath192]

So what's your solution. Not have the WoL ever exist, allow the Ascians to succeed in the rejoining, and after they wipe out all life in existence except the unsundered 3, we get to play Sim Ancients in Amaurot and Elpis?

Also, the Ascians and Meteion were not trying to save people. They just wanted to return to their old world, but they couldn't bring back those sacrificed to Zodiark. Meteion absolutely wasn't trying to save anyone. She explicitly states her goal is to kill everyone, because the universe is too depressing to continue existing.

Obviously FFXIV wouldn't exist if we went with your preferred narrative.

Huh, I wasn't solving anything, we got into a discussion that the current faction holding power largely sets what is moral and what isn't in the conscience of its subjects. Some people said it didnt, and that the WoL is good, and I was on the side it was subjective. All arguments ensuing were about that discussion.

My solution to keep the game more fun from the narrative perspective? Well, idk, it can't be solved anymore unless they make up some depowering event. It was more prevention that would've been great, the story should've focused more on reasoning why you and other adventurers had to band together to make this story happen and via teamwork we acheived it instead of turning us into this godslayer. We have no where to go. We defeated the biggest threat to the universe already. Now, we just roam and utterly murder anything we choose to take issue with. Hopefully the gameplay improves because if it doesn't itll just be a double punch of staleness.

As far as me as a player, well I'll pretend I didn't already kill gods and am an unstoppable murder machine so that things still feel like they could be a threat to me and probably hum along until I get bored and quit. But we're definitely in the post endgame stage of XIV narrative wise.

The way things are looking basically we already integrated Doma, Ala Mhigo, The mols, the city states, Ishgard, the beast tribes and sharlayan to our european union conglomerate and we're about to integrate Tural and eventually the rest of the world and make globalization a reality. At the end of all this Alphinaud, a kid, will take the helm and assume the position of global leader, because in this world letting a little Elf kid dictate politics is what people do.

[Avoidy]

Thank you for writing what I've been wrestling with as well. It felt wrong and gross how quickly we just agreed to help her despite knowing so little. If this was the way they were gonna go with dawntrail, then all of post-ew should've been us learning about Tural and its political situation. Zero's filler arc, though enjoyable to some perhaps, reeeeeeeally wasted what could've been critical setup for DT. We needed more than a .5 patch for this, that's for sure.