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

[Kennar]

But in DT, we do a double dipper and decide who deserved to rule and who doesn't, then execute it. I'm pretty sure it's that very same scene that you're citing in your argument, Thranced said the Scion will go back and against observe silently from the shadow. Excuse my French but "from the shadow" my arse, our foray in DT is anything but that. Not only we were straight up playing king maker, we did it from pretty much front and center. Remember that even before DT was released, the story premise already rub people the wrong way. Some already asked the question "why do we agree in participating in a rite of successor?" because that just how much out of character for the Scion was. And believe it or not, I actually defended the story back then. I told people that the invitation is probably just an excuse to start the story, there would probably some twist and turn that'll take the story in a different direction. And obviously I was wrong, not only they didn't change the direction, they're double down on it and the Scion basically became a paradogy of the CIA.

I agree with a lot of your points, but I must be contrarian about this.

I never felt like our characters did anything to put Lamat on the throne. We cheered her on, talked to the locals on her behalf (and then she took credit for our observations), and stayed out of the way of the other claimants. Gulool Ja Ja even said that this rite of succession was really more of a test to see who was fit to lead, and that he would not step down if he felt no one was ready. Ultimately, it was Gulool Ja Ja who made the decision. We were also invited to participate, everyone was fine with it, and there were no clandestine meetings or plans to install a puppet ruler. She was going to be Dawnservant with or without our help. That whole succession arc could have happened in a vacuum without our involvement, and nothing would have changed.

I still don't like this being our reason for going to the New World, though. I said in an older post that I was mad at the 6.5 story, and that still holds true. I didn't want my character to willingly get involved in a strange nation's politics, but there are interesting and dramatic ways to make that happen if it fits the larger story. That story has to be written for adults, though; it needs to be more complex, more fleshed out, and the characters need more depth and personality.

Reading your comment made me realise Alphinaud could still work. But it shouldn't have been to Radz-at-Han. It should have been Garlemald. Throughout the whole game we've had people coming to our rescue against Garlemald. It'd flip the script!
Alphi was there helping them rebuild during the patches. He was trying to get them to make trade agreements with other nations to rebuild.

Imagine how powerful it would have been for the remnants of the Garlean Empire to come save Tural during its darkest hour. It would have actually made Alphi and Ali's time there during the patches well spent.

I actually had a similar thought, but sadly, Garlemald will never be more than a smoldering pile of rubble.