The Negative Impact of Poor Character Writing on the Quality of Dawntrail's MSQ

[aquarys]

Disclaimer: I haven't read the whole thread, but I just wanted to add my two-cents to the OP's post.

I 100% agree with what the OP says about the characters falling flat in DT and a lot of decision-making during the course of the story seems irrational (such as Wuk Lamat trusting Sphene 100% off the bat, and that the Turali people who were sucked into Heritage Found seeming to be happily assimilated into their dystopian culture, and Erenville not even batting an eye at this terrible thing.)

But I also want to bring attention to the fact that the "bones" of the story do, indeed make sense. It's Wuk Lamat's blind naivety that warps the Scion's behavior so drastically. When I ran Origenics, I paid special attention to the Scions' dialogue since I used them as a Trust. They were very vocal about the absolute horrors that the Alexandrian society was built on; it's just Wuk Lamat who just doesn't seem to care because she wants to see value in even the most vile of societal cultures. Because the story is Wuk Lamat's, and only her's, she flattens out the entire "arc" of the story to be one about the power of friendship, instead of digging into the very obvious (and imo cleverly done) subtle themes that are hinted at during the course of the story.

I honestly believe that someone took the bones of a story that explored what it means to be a good leader (Wuk Lamat who actually puts the well fare of all societies first and foremost, and Sphene who is unwilling to sacrifice her people's happiness for the good of other societies) and air brushed it so badly that it takes incredible effort to get any real meaning out of the story.