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  1. #1
    Player
    MoofiaBossVal's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Location
    Gridania
    Posts
    587
    Character
    Kokoro Liliro
    World
    Brynhildr
    Main Class
    Samurai Lv 100
    I think another reason why there is so little tension in the plot (namely in the first half), is that we never get the feeling that the succession tournament could have a bad outcome. In the Pelupelu village, the saddlemaker says he wants Zoraal Ja to win because he will make money equipping the cavalry as they invade other countries, but it becomes quickly apparent that North and South America are united under the Dawnservant and there is no other power on the continent to wage war against. When Wuk Lamat approaches you at the end of the Endwalker patches, she makes the succession tournament out as if it could result in Tural invading Eorzea, but when we go to Tural we see that they have no navy and only a few rudimentary hot air balloon baskets. There is no way they could move a large enough force past Limsa's navy to conquer anything in Eorzea. What's the worst thing that could happen if Bakool Ja Ja were to become king in Tuliyollal? The other races don't seem to hate each other or have any ambitions, so people just probably stop visiting the so-called capital and tend to their own lands and carry on as usual? And then you get the quest where the Dawnservant says that he won't give up his own throne to the unworthy, which further evaporates the stakes. So what you're doing doesn't feel very important beyond just being a bodyguard.


    Quote Originally Posted by Turtledeluxe View Post
    Bakool ja ja was changed mid development. There is no doubt. He initially states he is trying to bring his tribe to city because they don't deserve the forest as a home. He mentions wanting to make his parents proud. He specifically tells another NPC he has no plans as Dawnservant and basically doesn't care what it takes to get there. He releases a deadly beast. Then we go to his home and find out its stunning. We find out that actually, he wants to stop the horrible practice starting there. And he's just, you know, sorry.

    Sphene does this as well btw. Sphenes ending is so stupid. Sphene should have held onto her anger until the very end and dissipated into AI rage particles. Instead she becomes discount Meteion and just apologizes for everything?? It's so strange. Based on her character I was expecting her to take her mission to the bitter end, especially with all the terminals gone. Instead they try to redeem her. Meteion didn't even do that-- she just tells you straight up that her actions are unforgivable. I didn't want to excuse Sphene, whether by pointing out she had a good heart at some point or telling her she is just a machine.
    Another issue with the writing after Stormblood is how the narrative insists that no one is evil, everyone is just misunderstood and if only their circumstances were different, they would be nice to you! It was pretty frustrating to see Wuk Lamat bending over for BANDITS aka cold blooded robbers and murderers, as if every single one of them would be upstanding citizens if their "circumstances" were different. Bakool Ja Ja was better when he was a dirty schemer and brute. And I didn't need to see Zoraal Ja's story end with the Scions standing around his corpse and sad piano music playing while the little lizard cried "why father?". He should have just died.
    (10)
    Last edited by MoofiaBossVal; 07-10-2024 at 10:23 AM.

  2. #2
    Player
    Turtledeluxe's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2023
    Posts
    1,267
    Character
    Kinda Hungry
    World
    Siren
    Main Class
    Black Mage Lv 100
    Quote Originally Posted by MoofiaBossVal View Post
    I think another reason why there is so little tension in the plot (namely in the first half), is that we never get the feeling that the succession tournament could have a bad outcome. In the Pelupelu village, the saddlemaker says he wants Zoraal Ja to win because he will make money equipping the cavalry as they invade other countries, but it becomes quickly apparent that North and South America are united under the Dawnservant and there is no other power on the continent to wage war against. When Wuk Lamat approaches you at the end of the Endwalker patches, she makes the succession tournament out as if it could result in Tural invading Eorzea, but when we go to Tural we see that they have no navy and only a few rudimentary hot air balloon baskets. There is no way they could move a large enough force past Limsa's navy to conquer anything in Eorzea. What's the worst thing that could happen if Bakool Ja Ja were to become king in Tuliyollal? The other races don't seem to hate each other or have any ambitions, so people just probably stop visiting the so-called capital and tend to their own lands and carry on as usual? And then you get the quest where the Dawnservant says that he won't give up his own throne to the unworthy, which further evaporates the stakes. So what you're doing doesn't feel very important beyond just being a bodyguard.




    Another issue with the writing after Stormblood is how the narrative insists that no one is evil, everyone is just misunderstood and if only their circumstances were different, they would be nice to you! It was pretty frustrating to see Wuk Lamat bending over for BANDITS aka cold blooded robbers and murderers, as if every single one of them would be upstanding citizens if their "circumstances" were different. Bakool Ja Ja was better when he was a dirty schemer and brute. And I didn't need to see Zoraal Ja's story end with the Scions standing around his corpse and sad piano music playing while the little lizard cried "why father?". He should have just died.
    That's the thing is I don't think everyone is misunderstood. Zenos is given a chance to explain himself, but he never apologizes and is never redeemed. You are never given the chance to forgive Meteion either-- you can only mildly comfort her before her impending death. Emet Selch is never redeemed and never apologizes. What makes all those villains better than Sphene is that they don't say sorry for what they did. They recognize they are either unforgivable or don't want forgiveness to begin with. Sphene rushes to apologize and it's comical given the circumstances.

    The way Sphene is handled is exactly what you're talking about though. It feels like someone wanted to emulate the Meteion ending but fell flat because they did not get into that character's mind. She isn't sorry. The only thing she's sorry about is misleading us. The rest of it is her existential mission.
    (7)
    Last edited by Turtledeluxe; 07-10-2024 at 11:20 AM.