Wow, Wuk Lamat is really single-handedly ruining the DT story...

[aquarys]

Ok coming back to read the forums after finally finishing the MSQ - I will say that I liked Wuk Lamat before she became Dawnservant. She was endearing, naive, and had a lot to learn, and her willingness to learn and grow was what made her a good character to follow around while learning about Tural. But I think the second half was where the story failed to deliver. She should have made a real blunder trusting Sphene even more than she did, and really pay for it.

I'm disappointed that all of that journeying in the first half resulted in almost no pay-off character development-wise for Wuk Lamat. I wanted to see her newfound experience applied in new ways. I didn't want to just have another 5 levels of the same "I want to learn about you and come to an understanding" without learning what it means to be betrayed by Sphene.

TLDR: I liked her before she became Dawnservant. The second half of the story was a wasted opportunity to utilize her character better.

[FlowerMilk]

Ok coming back to read the forums after finally finishing the MSQ - I will say that I liked Wuk Lamat before she became Dawnservant. She was endearing, naive, and had a lot to learn, and her willingness to learn and grow was what made her a good character to follow around while learning about Tural. But I think the second half was where the story failed to deliver. She should have made a real blunder trusting Sphene even more than she did, and really pay for it.

I'm disappointed that all of that journeying in the first half resulted in almost no pay-off character development-wise for Wuk Lamat. I wanted to see her newfound experience applied in new ways. I didn't want to just have another 5 levels of the same "I want to learn about you and come to an understanding" without learning what it means to be betrayed by Sphene.

TLDR: I liked her before she became Dawnservant. The second half of the story was a wasted opportunity to utilize her character better.

The worst part about the second half of the story is that it completely undid all of the progress she made in the first half. We were helping her become the Dawnservant because she's a good leader for her people, and in the second half she comes with us to fight Zoraal Ja/Sphene and her people didn't even need her, her brother Koana handled everything just fine on his own, even making strategic alliances to protect the people and stuff. Why did we even help her become the leader of her country if she is not even needed then???

This is why stories like Shadowbringers worked so much better, we had multiple plot points and storytelling spread out across multiple different characters, instead of just one single character doing all of the things, succeeding at everything, and never failing. The story in Dawntrail is incoherent because they tried to do TOO MUCH with Wuk Lamat.

[aquarys]

The worst part about the second half of the story is that it completely undid all of the progress she made in the first half. We were helping her become the Dawnservant because she's a good leader for her people, and in the second half she comes with us to fight Zoraal Ja/Sphene and her people didn't even need her, her brother Koana handled everything just fine on his own, even making strategic alliances to protect the people and stuff. Why did we even help her become the leader of her country if she is not even needed then???

This is why stories like Shadowbringers worked so much better, we had multiple plot points and storytelling spread out across multiple different characters, instead of just one single character doing all of the things, succeeding at everything, and never failing. The story in Dawntrail is incoherent because they tried to do TOO MUCH with Wuk Lamat.

I honestly think they wrote Wuk Lamat and Koana to be "one and done" characters for Dawntrail only, similar to Lyse. I would be surprised if we saw them again as main characters in the future. The reason I say that is because they already seem to become "perfect" rulers immediately during the course of the Dawntrail main story, and there's really nothing else for them to improve or change as characters.

Edit: That being said, Vrtra was also kind of in that position, but he was written SO much better.

[Voidmage]

I honestly think they wrote Wuk Lamat and Koana to be "one and done" characters for Dawntrail only, similar to Lyse. I would be surprised if we saw them again as main characters in the future. The reason I say that is because they already seem to become "perfect" rulers immediately during the course of the Dawntrail main story, and there's really nothing else for them to improve or change as characters.

Edit: That being said, Vrtra was also kind of in that position, but he was written SO much better.

I also think they wrote Dawntrail like this. They probably wanted to test the waters on how players reacted to not being the main character and having more of a mentor / free role. If the reception was good they would continue it and leave her in the team but if it was bad... then I hope they learn.

I don't even say that this concept is bad or impossible but they did it completely wrong.
I guess, how FlowerMilk implied, most players would have been more accepting if there had been anything for our character, like the second half.

Wuk lamat was fine in the first part, even though she was imo badly written but she really overstayed her welcome and I don't know who's brilliant idea it was to have her cover the WoL in certain cutscenes but this person needs to lose one sock in the washing machien... repeatedly.

I think these initial reactions to the story will be seen as overblown in a few years, which is exactly what happened to Stormblood. Seeing comments that are saying stuff like “WuK is tHe WorSt cHaRaCTer sinCe LYsE” really cements this for me. Hating Lyse that much in 2024 is just hilarious.

That may very well be but for a video game the future is not important but the initial impression.
Otherwise 1.0 wouldn't have blown up because the game might have become better later.

[AlexisLestrange]

The worst part about the second half of the story is that it completely undid all of the progress she made in the first half. We were helping her become the Dawnservant because she's a good leader for her people, and in the second half she comes with us to fight Zoraal Ja/Sphene and her people didn't even need her, her brother Koana handled everything just fine on his own, even making strategic alliances to protect the people and stuff. Why did we even help her become the leader of her country if she is not even needed then???

The way I think Wuk Lamat was written in the second half, and hear me out, is in the theme of two parts to everything. Thinking and acting, or reason and resolve.

This next bit will contain some spoilers from lv96 MSQ onwards.

Wuk Lamat crosses over into Heritage Found with the WoL but without Koana. She didn't have her reason with her so she was all shoot first and ask questions later, saying things without much rhyme or reason. Similarly, we experience this with Zoraal Ja. The moment he was greedy for power, which goes with a lot of backstory and resentment with his upbringing and sibling rivalry, is when he declared he was no longer thinking logically, slaying his right-hand man Sareel Ja. Exhibit B? When you see his altered form in the 2nd trial, you can see he becomes a Blessed Mamool Ja without his second head because he had slain his reason. He's not clear of mind, hence he speaks out of turn when he says to Gulool Ja you are asking a man who is lost for the way.

There are probably more links, but these are the ones I could think of from the top of my head.