Does FFXIV Hate Politics Now? [Spoilers for Dawntrail 7.1]

[Mirikh]

One person's filler quests are another's world building. Why care about or save a world we don't know anything about? I don't need to laugh or cry every 10 minutes on cue, and I don't like watching as the hero formerly known as the Warrior of Light becomes an errand boy for railroad barons and tourist agencies. I miss tearing down eviction notices in Thanalan.

[CaptainLagbeard]

We're actually the CIA now, engaging in regime change to ensure enemy nations have the least competent people running them so they are no longer a threat. ;p

The only problem with that is that Koana was the only candidate who was even remotely competent and he's now effectively in charge...
I don't know what Bakuul would've done as the ruler, aside from possibly kicking out people who aren't Mamool ja...
Zoraal wanted to invade Eorzea without having a navy.
And wuk lamat is wuk lamat.

[Daralii]

Garlemald being destroyed offscreen (endwalker) = SE: "Nah, cba to write all that political intrigue in an expansion"
Nophica in the raid (endwalker) = "The elementals love you, they are just misunderstood" = Any politics and nuance in Gridania is done and swept under the rug, what duskwight and keeper mistrust?
(At least they didnt sweep religion under the rug)

To be fair, Shadowbringers was a world ending situation, not much room for politics there except in small ways. Endwalker partially too, but I'm not forgiving that expansion for pressing the pedal towards this issue and actually the "world ending" was ONLY Radz-at-han being bombed for an afternoon, so yeah. Endwalker doesnt get a pass, they were lazy even with their world ending threat.

Sharlayan's handling was another big issue. In HW, they were sending assassins to murder anyone that even considered giving any of their knowledge to the mainland barbarians. Everything along those lines was ignored or handwaved away in EW because the twins made their dad cry.

[Red-thunder]

One person's filler quests are another's world building. Why care about or save a world we don't know anything about? I don't need to laugh or cry every 10 minutes on cue, and I don't like watching as the hero formerly known as the Warrior of Light becomes an errand boy for railroad barons and tourist agencies. I miss tearing down eviction notices in Thanalan.

The DT worldbuilding consists of PELUPELU TRADE BARTER!!! TRADE TRADE TRADE BARTER BARTER BARTER BARTER BARTER

[Exmo]

We're actually the CIA now, engaging in regime change to ensure enemy nations have the least competent people running them so they are no longer a threat. ;p

We've done that since StB. HW if you want to give a strict reading.

[AllenThyl]

The DT worldbuilding consists of PELUPELU TRADE BARTER!!! TRADE TRADE TRADE BARTER BARTER BARTER BARTER BARTER

Well, you seemed to be enjoying that, seeing as you bought this expansion 3 times now
I'm sure SE has you in the "very happy customer" category

[Manamaru]

Snip

There were several things from previous expansions and character arcs that were forgotten about in place of them cardboard cutouts. Whether that was the writing staff not including it because they forgot or it was a complete disregard out of disrespect is something we may never know; but we can always get a hunch.

But yeah, the story giving off the feeling of being totally defanged to really have any nuance. Story beats and elements sideline you into either being completely psychotically evil, or you're completely subdued and a one dimensional side-character. But this bares the question if the writing staff and etc. have become a victim to soft-modern writing, where they would be too afraid to even approach the nusances of like when Godbert and Nanamo had a little talk about how Nanamo wanted to give funding to refugees and didn't consider how the citizens of Ul'dah would feel about it. Not without oversimplifying the issue and "somehow" making it work because peace and happiness

Starting in the Shadowbringers patches, the writers embark on handwaving away all of the unpleasantness in the setting, at the expense of FF14's realism and feeling of weight

I think you, like many others, are confusing "realism" with "believability".

[Valence]

The DT worldbuilding consists of PELUPELU TRADE BARTER!!! TRADE TRADE TRADE BARTER BARTER BARTER BARTER BARTER

Thanks, now I think I hear my inner abacus clacking away

[Hallarem]

There were several things from previous expansions and character arcs that were forgotten about in place of them cardboard cutouts. Whether that was the writing staff not including it because they forgot or it was a complete disregard out of disrespect is something we may never know; but we can always get a hunch.

But yeah, the story giving off the feeling of being totally defanged to really have any nuance. Story beats and elements sideline you into either being completely psychotically evil, or you're completely subdued and a one dimensional side-character. But this bares the question if the writing staff and etc. have become a victim to soft-modern writing, where they would be too afraid to even approach the nusances of like when Godbert and Nanamo had a little talk about how Nanamo wanted to give funding to refugees and didn't consider how the citizens of Ul'dah would feel about it. Not without oversimplifying the issue and "somehow" making it work because peace and happiness




I think you, like many others, are confusing "realism" with "believability".

I'm guessing its either a corporate decision, or them starting to listen to some western influence / japanese (probably westernborn) consultants or some hired firms / individuals who they trust with "Oh this is what they love in the west and how we can sell it in the west" kind of deal. And I'm guessing the word "Problematic" has come a lot out during those meetings. Thats the catch term when you want to soften your worldbuilding, writing, believability and other lovely things that make your story good.
The lack of arguments between characters also follows said trend, like in Dragon Age where you cant say anything bad to your party members, and they barely argue.

While I most of the time believe its simply just bad writing and handing reins to a bad writer with mostly only anime as their main source of media for reference their whole life. I WOULDNT BE SURPRISED if it came out that there was someone in their ranks, a consultant or something who was like. "Ah yes, we must not make conflicts with the natives in Tural or anything scandalous and make them look good and not have any strife, because the real native americans / natives in south america would get offended. (Read this as someone getting offended on their behalf.)
With all that comes bad writing as a sidebonus. Nuance gone etc.

[JohnLakeside]

I have no basis for saying this and I'm still on EW, but I'm worried the Disney-fication of the story stems from the writers and localizers (who I suspect are more involved in actually writing the game now than they were in previous expansions) trying too hard to not be offensive and be politically correct.