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

[Mnemy]

Aymeric got shanked by his political enemies....

If only he knew that sharing a cold one with nidhogg would end a thousand year war he wouldnt have to get shanked...

[Vhana]

In 6.55, G'raha for some reason is saying "hear, feel think", like it randomly happens during Dawntrail as well. Him offering to stay behind so Krile could go is completely out of character as well, because didn't we just promise to take him to a new adventure? Didn't he always get excited to go somewhere new?
If only the game had given us a reason of why it's so important for him to stay and take care of things, then it wouldn't feel so bad. But in Dawntrail, we only got him saying "I took care of the most pressing matters". What pressing matters? What was so important that G'RAHA TIA didn't flinch at the thought of not going on an adventure with the Warrior of Light?!

In 6.55, I really thought that G'raha offered to stay back because he found something off about the whole situation and wanted to return to the crystal tower to review whatever old Allagan intel existed about Tural. As usual, I was so so very wrong about the direction of things.

[Galvuu]

It''s also how quickly these things get resolved. It's literally 10 minutes of talk-no-jutsu.
The corruption and malicious influence of the monetarists is still felt in Ul'Dah, a problem from ARR. The WoL and the scions not only had to begrudgingly let Lolorito go, they sided with him to hasten the recovery of Ala Mhigo through the salt trade deal with his company.
Little Ala Mhigo still has unresolved issues with refugees in the Thanalan.
Ishgard was still facing class issues deep into ShB (that were explored in the custom deliveries).
At no point in this game's life have these issues been resolved in such a simultaneously quick and infantile manner. I'm not saying XIV is the peak of political or interventionist fiction, but there was some nuance and sobriety to these topics.
Problems were chipped at for years- ingame and in terms of real life time. There were morally gray actors, lesser evils, compromises, plans that backfired (someone mentioned Aymeric's stabbing in another post, but all of 3.1 was like this, our allies died, we had losses, we were betrayed). Some people would not come around- Nidhogg, Zenos, the list goes on. Some people did and were good men and died anyway after we saw avenues of peace, like Regula, a proud soldier who legitimately cared about his soldiers and put their well being and that of the star above even his oath and duty.
All of this is gone in DT. Any issue, no matter how complex- eugenics, racism, resource scarcity, war and, in a way, even the nature of life and consciousness, are somehow resolved with a few tacos, some beers and three paragraphs of platitudes.
It's all so... unpalatable. This game went from some high highs to this childish dribble that is fit for a children's picture book.
"If you talk things out, anything can be resolved and we can all be friends!" isn't what I expected from the game where, in the postmoogle quests, we learn about Gridanian racism or Limsan human trafficking.

[Turtledeluxe]

Bunch of beast tribes having problems with

Alpacas
Floats
Food
Indentured servants
Nothing really
Nothing really

And so on and so on.

To stop a villain who wants to teach the value of peace by destroying everything and everyone.

Plesse.enjoy Dawntrail.

[Xellith]

Bunch of beast tribes having problems with

Alpacas
Floats
Food
Indentured servants
Nothing really
Nothing really

And so on and so on.

To stop a villain who wants to teach the value of peace by destroying everything and everyone.

Plesse.enjoy Dawntrail.

What even WAS the message behind dawntrail? "Genocide is okay as long as it's in self defense" is what I took away.

[Malthir]

What even WAS the message behind dawntrail? "Genocide is okay as long as it's in self defense" is what I took away.

It was a really really really shitty allegory around evils of consumerism and nihilism.

[OMGJesuis66]

What even WAS the message behind dawntrail? "Genocide is okay as long as it's in self defense" is what I took away.

I posted this in another thread, so I will just copy and paste here.

The theme of the expansion is Legacy.
It is all about knowing that the cycle of nature must be respected, the living must carry on the legacy of those who passed before us while knowing that one day, we will pass too and we will pass this legacy to others.
Altering the cycle is harmful since it builds stagnancy. The Ea and Omnicron got erased by stagnancy and lack of meaningful purpose.
There is no reason for them to move forward, there is no reason for them to even feel like they should pass their legacy to someone else as they rest.
Everything within Primals, Dragons, and such still respects the cycle of life, and those outside of the cycle of life straight up were consumed by Meteion and the despair it brought.
It is simply a story to learn the weight people have on their shoulders, even Zoraal Ja as simple of a villain as he was, turned into his whole situation due to the inability to be worthy of his father's legacy, as the populace, in general, kept putting pressure onto him.
Learning about the culture, the entire conversation where the Newest Hanu Hanu is forgetting about old rites, how every single bit of the culture was being diluted or not being able to be fulfilled was also the theme of legacy.
The only race that truly respected its legacy where the Giants as they were so attached to their past, and those teachings were taken by Sphene, learned differently since they are from another reflection and twisted due to the inability to move on and know that everything has an end.

[Voidmage]

What even WAS the message behind dawntrail? "Genocide is okay as long as it's in self defense" is what I took away.

The big message I got out of it was:
Respecting history and culture while not forgetting progress. Both can live in harmony but are harmfull in extremes (Solution 9 and the soul stuff technoology vs the Mamool Ja two head breeding culture).

It was only drown by all the "peace and happines are our friendship is magic" stuff.

The story TRIED to also say you can't safe all but didn't do a good job with that in my opinion.

The first thing (technology and culture) wasn't so badly done if you ask me. Just a bit too much in the background and sometimes too onesided.

[Raven2014]

The big message I got out of it was:
Respecting history and culture while not forgetting progress.

In which it makes no sense with the way they're telling it tbh, unless we can agree on Gulool Ja is a very bad parent and shitty ruler. Like ... how on earth did all 3 of his successors remain that oblivious about their own people culture right before the eve of succession? Wuk Lamat crossed a long and dangerous journey to get someone to help her take the throne, but also said she never really leave the capital and met any of her people ... like ... WTF!?!?

I understand the point "journey" and the "theme" being used for exposition and world building for a new world. But they chose the wrong platform and delivery for it. This would make a lot more sense if:

- Instead of a succession rite, it's simply Wuk Lamat's coming of age and we just tagging along. That would make her naive and obliviousness much more tolerable and understandable.

- Make the WoL the main character as usual, and we will learn the new culture through our own eyes instead of Wuk's.

Even if you don't account the quality of writing, the role assignment already make little sense to begin with.

[Voidmage]

In which it makes no sense with the way they're telling it tbh, unless we can agree on Gulool Ja is a very bad parent and shitty ruler. Like ... how on earth did all 3 of his successors remain that oblivious about their own people culture right before the eve of succession? Wuk Lamat crossed a long and dangerous journey to get someone to help her take the throne, but also said she never really leave the capital and met any of her people ... like ... WTF!?!?

I understand the point "journey" and the "theme" being used for exposition and world building for a new world. But they chose the wrong platform and delivery for it. This would make a lot more sense if:

- Instead of a succession rite, it's simply Wuk Lamat's coming of age and we just tagging along. That would make her naive and obliviousness much more tolerable and understandable.

- Make the WoL the main character as usual, and we will learn the new culture through our own eyes instead of Wuk's.

Even if you don't account the quality of writing, the role assignment already make little sense to begin with.

Oh I don't disagree with that. Just giving my impression of the message.
I liked some stuff with the first message like Koana and the harvest or the people of Solution 9 having the ability to harvest stuff in those circumstances for technology and the giant's rites for the dead for the culture stuff.
It was just too much in the background like I said and failed sometimes (the not VanuVanu harvest saying that "sure Koana did the same and faster but Wuk Lamat is the best because of her all are smiling uwu").

Wuk Lamat's entire story with not knowing her people doesn't make sense because that's her only character trait, I agree.
ZJ makes sense because he really doesn't care for his people too much and Koana is an antisocial nerd.
Gulool JaJa being a bad parent... if anything my problem with Gulool JaJa is that he is obviously biased towards Wuk Lamat. There is so much favourism it's not even funny.

He talks specifically with us, her "party member" and only tells us that he has the last word in the throne race.
He says none of the other contestants have someone to push them despite Thancred and Urianger doing that better then anyone else.
He makes her father a member of the Jury and he is so biased that he doesn't even give a real reason why the other team lost and helps Wuk Lamat get her ingrediens. Bakool JaJa's father had Kettenramm there just to hold him in line.