Evercold MSQ Party

[Nanchi]

While I definitely do feel that we have a bunch of side characters they could and should pull from (including Fordola, Arenvald and Gaia IMO)

I feel like for those specific characters, their arc is already resolved and it would be kind of redundant to bring them along. I'm not opposed to having them in other story related content though we certainly need more of that. Not to mention those characters have their story revolve around other key characters, Gaia and Ryne, Fordola and Lyse/Zenos, Arenvald and Alphinaud (Fordola). In comparison, their relationship to WoL is relatively weak. The prospect of a new cast would at least leave me with intrigue because they are specifically written to fit into the narrative of 8.0 instead of sub characters that would feel extremely shoehorned into the narrative.

[RedLolly]

G'raha, Y'shtola, Krile, and Estinien are who I want to join us as our primary crew. Honestly they're just my favs and I'd enjoy seeing their dynamic as a team. I've been enjoying the first three with Sphene on recent stuff, but if they opted to let either Y'shtola or Krile cross-class a healer



I was excited in 7.4 when G'raha and Krile were exchanging dialogue akin to the sibling stuff normally always given to the twins. Krile taking the piss out of her friends while also being that genuinely lovely and caring to them is great.

G'raha still has that ticking time bomb of his royalblood magic key just running out and him losing access to Allag. We don't know if that would also nerf his utility and he'd need to job change.

Y'shtola still feels underused.

I'm also among those that want characters like Zero or Ryne back.

[StriderShinryu]

I feel like for those specific characters, their arc is already resolved and it would be kind of redundant to bring them along. I'm not opposed to having them in other story related content though we certainly need more of that. Not to mention those characters have their story revolve around other key characters, Gaia and Ryne, Fordola and Lyse/Zenos, Arenvald and Alphinaud (Fordola). In comparison, their relationship to WoL is relatively weak. The prospect of a new cast would at least leave me with intrigue because they are specifically written to fit into the narrative of 8.0 instead of sub characters that would feel extremely shoehorned into the narrative.

I see what you're saying, though any actual further exploration of both the 1st and 13th will essentially require Gaia and Ryne to make any sense at all. I mean, we literally have an entire being on the 1st that exists purely to balance environmental aether and all that (not to mention a bunch of pre-existing characters who's goal involves that to at least some degree) so to proceed with that story as it appears they are going to be doing sooner or later but ignore all of that would just be blatantly stupid. For Fordola and them, however, they definitely would need to be hooked back into the current story though. They exist and could/should be used more for how important they were at one point but you're not wrong in saying it would feel bad to just randomly have them show up again for little to no reason.

[Nanchi]

though any actual further exploration of both the 1st and 13th will essentially require Gaia and Ryne to make any sense at all. I mean, we literally have an entire being on the 1st that exists purely to balance environmental aether and all that (not to mention a bunch of pre-existing characters who's goal involves that to at least some degree) so to proceed with that story as it appears they are going to be doing sooner or later but ignore all of that would just be blatantly stupid.

It's certainly true that for this specific context both of them are the prime examples to bring back and would fit into that narrative, I'm just not convinced that this is the actual main purpose we're being sent to the fourth. There is no doubt in my mind that characters like Zero or even Ryne/Gaia could (and probably would) get a cameo scene in relations to their already existing plotlines (like restoring the aetherical balance), but to have them tag along throughout the entire msq? I don't really see the relevance unless 7.55 gives me a reason.

[Kansene]

My headcanon is and always will be that everything past 6.0 is my WoL's hallucinations in his final moments as he dies in Ultima Thule, so anybody will do for me personally!

[AstreaLove]

It's almost easier to say who I don't want.
I would be fine if they permanently killed off Y'shtola.

[Barwara]

It's probably an attempt at an HW callback.

I'm all for it. :P

Estinien was explicitly mentioned as out of contact during the meeting at the Rising Stones, which makes me think he'll pop up in 7.55 when we get the rest of the patch. Either he's neck-deep in trouble and it'll lead into the beginning of Evercold, or he'll show up late with no idea what's going on so someone has an excuse for recap exposition.

Ah yes... I forgot there would be a part two. He might just play a bigger part then.

[EusisLandale]

I would be fine if they permanently killed off Y'shtola.

The monkey's paw curls. Every scene going forward includes someone wondering what she would have done, insisting you do it for Y'shtola, thanking her for her sacrifice that bought them time for thing, or random Y'shtola centric flashbacks. Every. Single. One.

[Empyr]

Concerning the scions, I just can't see them doing anything narratively interesting with any of the scions except maybe Y'shtola if she's lucky. They kinda suck all the tension out of the narrative because Square won't really commit to doing anything with them.

I know people say that killing off a scion for tension is kinda cheap and to some extent I do agree, but by the same virtue they've played the death fakeout too much that the opposite has happened instead and now tension with these characters is cheap because I and I imagine many others don't believe anything bad is going to happen to them.

Theoretically if Ryne and Gaia join us in The Fourth, this could be a good place to kill off Thancred. Thancred finally gets to see Ryne again, they get to journey last time, and Thancred gets a cool send-off as the winterers show us that they aren't pushovers. This raises the stakes by quite a bit and shows us that even the scions are still in danger.

Then Ryne takes up Thancred's Gunblade she got back in ShB and starts tanking all over. /s

[Barwara]

Concerning the scions, I just can't see them doing anything narratively interesting with any of the scions except maybe Y'shtola if she's lucky.

It could be interesting to finally see the twins look older. Change of clothes. Change of hairstyles.

I feel like everyone should get a little makeover as we progress into 8.0 and enter a new ‘10 year cycle’.

But otherwise I agree everyone kinda finished their story arc and now they are mostly there for support. I would love to see some new characters introduced to the party, but I strongly feel like it won’t happen. The scions will remain the backbone of our entourage and whatever new character we encounter and travel with will be expansion-exclusive.