Finished the MSQ - Feels bad, pushed to do evil [Spoilers inside]

[Eyrilona]

Not to mention that the endless are also fairly accepting to the predicament they were in. Even Outis understood that Espene wasn't the queen he swore to protect.

There is a reasonable problem with this this though -- all those people agreeing with the need for their own destruction, are written in by the devs that themselves believe they are right about their story being good, so we know they are crafted to loyally to the intent of the writers defend the indefensible. There is no independent source of fact there.

The way the MSQ story goes is true and good, because the way the MSQ story goes teaches us so. It is totally circular, and building an argument on that will never be able to convince someone who is already outside the circle looking at it from the outside. Our characters are inside the story nodding it along, but we players exist outside the game, and are capable of looking at it from the outside by definition.

[Tethan]

There is a reasonable problem with this this though -- all those people agreeing with the need for their own destruction, are written in by the devs that themselves believe they are right about their story being good, so we know they are crafted to loyally to the intent of the writers defend the indefensible. There is no independent source of fact there.

This is the Holy Book paradox by just another name, with the MSQ in the role of the Holy Book -- The Holy Book is true and good, because the Holy Book teaches us so. The way the MSQ story goes is true and good, because the way the MSQ story goes teaches us so. It is totally circular, and building an argument on that will never be able to convince someone who is already outside the circle looking at it from the outside. Our characters are inside the story nodding it along, but we players exist outside the game, and are capable of looking at it from the outside by definition.

Exactly, as I said before arguing semantics (or ethics) when the writing is this poor is a waste of time and effort. There is a time and place for this kind of discussion, but this isn't it.

The problem isn't whether or not this or that is the morally correct choice, the problem is that the story is told so poorly it causes this amount of confusion in the first place. The WoL (and friends) isn't meant to be some morally gray character, where you are never really sure if they are right or wrong in their actions. On the contrary, they are portrayed as a Paragon type of character, a true hero. That there is any doubt as to whether or not this is the correct course to take, is in itself a problem.

They mixed metaphors and gestured to some vague "what is a human" tropes while trying to portray the theme of letting go and accepting death/grief, but those are not complementary with each other. Maybe a very skilled writer could pull it off, I don't know, but they were clearly not skilled enough.

[Loggos]

Exactly, as I said before arguing semantics (or ethics) when the writing is this poor is a waste of time and effort. There is a time and place for this kind of discussion, but this isn't it.

The problem isn't whether or not this or that is the morally correct choice, the problem is that the story is told so poorly it causes this amount of confusion in the first place. The WoL (and friends) isn't meant to be some morally gray character, where you are never really sure if they are right or wrong in their actions. On the contrary, they are portrayed as a Paragon type of character, a true hero. That there is any doubt as to whether or not this is the correct course to take, is in itself a problem.

They mixed metaphors and gestured to some vague "what is a human" tropes while trying to portray the theme of letting go and accepting death/grief, but those are not complementary with each other. Maybe a very skilled writer could pull it off, I don't know, but they were clearly not skilled enough.

This is the reason why by the end of the MSQ I didn't even care about the story's resolution anymore and I simply and very comfortably reject whatever logical implications this should have about my WoL.

My WoLs are my characters. The story I create for them comes first.
The MSQ is a story/characterisation that others write (and superimpose) on me. Most of the time the story is good enough, so it works.
But if the story you write "for me" is so bad and absurd that it turns my characters into a parody of themselves, then I just reject it.
SE can make it canon all they want, I don't care. I won't let my WoLs' characters be dictated by some amateur writers who read the WikiHow page on philosophy.

If they can't write a proper story for my characters then they also don't deserve that I acknowledge it.
For all I care, the MSQ never happened the way it did. I'll just take the dungeons and environments and fill them with my own ideas.