{Spoiler} Main story woes

[Sholah]

As to the complaints about Noraxia, I felt it was largely useless, because Noraxia seemed like a throw-away character in the first place. I think it would have been much more shocking and emotional if it had happened to Minfilia instead of Noraxia.

Her death wasn't useless. It's going to be the catalyst that results in Ramuh being summoned again. You saw how angry those sylphs were with the Garleans.

[Enkidoh]

Indeed, that whole scene in the Waking Sands I was role-playing my character, and

felt my character would have been deeply affected by what Livia and her goons did -not content to just arrest Minfilia and anyone associated with her, she stormed the building with all guns blazing, killing wounded in cold blood (she shoots a man in the back without a care), and even her own troops were shown to be bloodthirsty butchers stabbing already dead victims relentlessly. And that's to say nothing about the apparent sadistic relish in Livia's voice as she mentions as to what she plans to do to Minfilia.

And what happened to poor Noraxia - the sylph was definitely brave, if not a little foolish, trying to protect Minfilia from Livia, and paid the ultimate price for it. I was reminded of Flickblix's death during the original storyline in FFXI when Noraxia died in my character's arms, it showed that the beastmen aren't quite the savage mindless monsters they're made out to be - that the Empire are the real monsters - them and their Ascian allies. I actually typed in emote about my character swearing revenge on the Empire after the scene ended, as being a PLD, such barbarism and brutality is something she simply cannot abide.

And yes it's easy to see that with Noraxia gone this might be the straw that breaks the camel's back and forces the hand of the tempered sylphs into summoning Ramuh. But I guess we'll see.

It's a shame, as up to that point the game plodded slowly with endless fetch quests as filler, and really was putting to me to sleep (specifically, the lead up to the Titan fight). I disagree the main story as a whole is substandard though - I've enjoyed the twists and turns so far in it (especially the murder-mystery substory in Fallgourd Float leading to the haunted house Haukke Manor) and I can't wait to see how it ultimately resolves. It's just the 'Company of Heroes' section to Titan that is lacking a certain something sadly.