As someone who loved it, why I think Dawntrail didn't work for everyone [Spoilers]

[Cleretic]

The fact the back half of the story is an adaptation of IX, which can come off as lazy writing to fans of that game or otherwise tries to invoke nostalgia for a game you've never played, doesn't help.

Is it? Because while I think we can all agree that it borrows heavily from IX, I'd hardly call it an adaptation. It just borrows some names and figures, has a final zone deliberately evoking Memoria, and characters clearly riffing on Garnet and Steiner. I'd hardly say Dawntrail resembles FFIX in more than trappings at all, any more than I'd say Stormblood resembles XII. Hell, Sphene and Otis are more dark mirrors of Garnet and Sphene than anything. And I think the deliberate evocation of IX also serves a thematic purpose, to give what it would call Alexandria a nostalgic feeling to us as the player; Living Memory as a concept begs for the world it's evoking to feel familiar and friendly (contrast with Fake Amaurot needing to feel foreign yet strangely tranquil, and Ultima Thule steeping itself in the alien and hostile). FFIX is actually a perfect fit for that, as it's not only a nostalgic title by itself, but its choice of aesthetic was always very 'storybook', a whimsical and friendly depiction of a classic high-fantasy setting; very 'Disney'. I can't speak for the people who haven't played it, just as I assume you can't, but I feel like there's nothing else that could've managed it.

[SeriousPan]

I agree with Cleretic. It has some small parts of IX to illicit a kind of small response but it doesn't commit to anything large scale for IX to feel like an adaption but more borrowing concepts. The Alexandria Dungeon had the vibes of it and fit the look but I think that's as far as I can go with how much it borrows.

[Cilia]

Is it? Because while I think we can all agree that it borrows heavily from IX, I'd hardly call it an adaptation. It just borrows some names and figures, has a final zone deliberately evoking Memoria, and characters clearly riffing on Garnet and Steiner. I'd hardly say Dawntrail resembles FFIX in more than trappings at all, any more than I'd say Stormblood resembles XII. Hell, Sphene and Otis are more dark mirrors of Garnet and Sphene than anything.

I agree with Cleretic. It has some small parts of IX to illicit a kind of small response but it doesn't commit to anything large scale for IX to feel like an adaption but more borrowing concepts. The Alexandria Dungeon had the vibes of it and fit the look but I think that's as far as I can go with how much it borrows.

Sphene's MO and goals are, broadly, identical to Garland's but adapted to service XIV lore. Her character bears Garnet's compassion, but in almost every other way besides appearances Sphene and Garland (IX) are pretty much the same character.

It's not a 1:1, but there are entirely too many similarities to call it its own story. If not an adaptation it is heavily derivative of IX, so much that if you're familiar with that game it's very obvious how things with Alexandria are going to shake out in the second half of the story.

[Cleretic]

It's not a 1:1, but there are entirely too many similarities to call it its own story. If not an adaptation it is heavily derivative of IX, so much that if you're familiar with that game it's very obvious how things with Alexandria are going to shake out in the second half of the story.

And I'm curious, how do you feel about the Garlean Empire? Especially in relation to Archadia from XII, but also Vector in VI to a degree. Because I actually think they're even more derivative than Alexandria; Alexandria took a half-dozen pieces from IX and remixed them to the point where even you're saying they combined the secondary hero and secondary villain into one character. Meanwhile, the Garlean Empire is just... another 'Rome but with mechs' evil empire, that goes down the same story those always do.

[Cilia]

And I'm curious, how do you feel about the Garlean Empire? Especially in relation to Archadia from XII, but also Vector in VI to a degree. Because I actually think they're even more derivative than Alexandria; Alexandria took a half-dozen pieces from IX and remixed them to the point where even you're saying they combined the secondary hero and secondary villain into one character. Meanwhile, the Garlean Empire is just... another 'Rome but with mechs' evil empire, that goes down the same story those always do.

Totes truthsies? I never finished VI or XII, so I don't have the necessary nostalgia needed to properly appreciate the Garlean Empire. That said, I never really cared for them beyond as a starter villain in A Realm Reborn; they're very clichéd imperialistic villains, outside of supposed concern for the environment (that they despoil by way of ceruleum extraction and refinement, in addition to exacerbating the primal problem).

For the record, I've never been fond of importing characters or grafting locations from previous games into XIV. The standout example is the Return to Ivalice raids and accompanying characters, which I emphatically did not like. Also I do like IX (even if it has some serious flaws), but that doesn't mean the second half of Dawntrail isn't derivative of it (though not necessarily bad) and by extension predictable.

[Cleretic]

Totes truthsies? I never finished VI or XII, so I don't have the necessary nostalgia needed to properly appreciate the Garlean Empire. That said, I never really cared for them beyond as a starter villain in A Realm Reborn; they're very clichéd imperialistic villains, outside of supposed concern for the environment (that they despoil by way of ceruleum extraction and refinement, in addition to exacerbating the primal problem).

For the record, I've never been fond of importing characters or grafting locations from previous games into XIV. The standout example is the Return to Ivalice raids and accompanying characters, which I emphatically did not like. Also I do like IX (even if it has some serious flaws), but that doesn't mean the second half of Dawntrail isn't derivative of it (though not necessarily bad) and by extension predictable.

Then honestly, I think what's letting you down here isn't that they were more blatant about the references and homages: it's that this time you recognized the references and homages, and you prefer when you can't.

[Cilia]

Then honestly, I think what's letting you down here isn't that they were more blatant about the references and homages: it's that this time you recognized the references and homages, and you prefer when you can't.

What's letting me down is lifting the plot of IX with a few elements shuffled around and replaying it. IX Terra and XIV Alexandra are almost point for point the same thing with the same story and similar themes.

It's the same problem I have with the Endwalker patch storyline, it takes so many elements from what it's referencing and paying homage to it's (almost) not its own story.