I am tired of being the hero (aka the chosen one)

[Kragon]

I just want to be a simple adventurer. Is that so hard to do that in mmorpgs nowadays? Why does game developers always need to stroke our egos by making us 'the chosen one' in every online rpg games. Back in the old days... during the era of Everquest, Dark age of camelot and Ultima online nobody was the chosen one. In those games each and every players were simple adventurers trying to survive in a harse and hostile world. Oh how I miss the good old days of gaming.

Sadly those golden days of gaming are never coming back. Every single mmorpg I play nowadays the game makes me the chosen one. And another worst thing is that thousands of other players around me are also the chosen ones.

[BillyKaplan]

I think it will be nigh impossible to write a larger story for such a setting, and this is, after all, a Final Fantasy game. You kind of need something like that, if it's not something you should at least expect.
I agree there's room to stress that out more, however. That is one of the things I liked the best about 4.1's story, how suddenly everyone remembered we were, first and foremost, adventurers. Let's go on an adventure; share with me your lived experience from your travels; remembering that you're supposedly a neutral party because you're a wanderer, which lets you think objectively about individuals' skills. I'm definitely down for more of that.

[Penthea]

I just want to be a simple adventurer.

FFXIV is a heavily story driven game. It would be difficult to make the story interesting if you were just a bog standard adventurer. Because then someone else would be the WoL and you likely wouldn't be interacting with most of the major npcs in the story. Would cutscenes even be needed if your character was such an unremarkable person?

[Kragon]

I think if developers tried to make a story about the world instead of making us players the heroes it would really make the world more immersive. The problem is that today's devs doesn't try that... I don't know why. There shouldn't be any chosen ones in mmorpgs... this type of hero mentality only works in single player games.

[Joe777]

I think if developers tried to make a story about the world instead of making us players the heroes it would really make the world more immersive. The problem is that today's devs doesn't try that... I don't know why. There shouldn't be any chosen ones in mmorpgs... this type of hero mentality only works in single player games.

This game uses the Warrior of Light concept used in other games the same as it does in single player games. Also there are still times in the MSQ where we are referred to as adventurers. They can't make us just simple adventurers without some fame as a hero because that would break Final Fantasy tradition.

[Aronys]

GW2 did that and the community didn't like that an NPC commander took all of your glory. I like that here we're the heroes.

[Oscura]

To be fair the game isn't even about the player. It's story driven but we're literally not even a true central focus in any portions of the story whatsoever. ARR was about introducing multiple new NPCs and their struggles, as well as establishing the Scions and their struggles properly to anyone new to them. Gaius was the closest thing we had any personal investment as in terms of "in character." Meanwhile Heavensward, more or less, was all about Alphinaud's struggles with becoming a proper leader, Ysayle's desire to unite dragon and man, while Estinien just really, really wanted to kill Nidhogg. Even the following stories past that, it was mostly about Nidhogg's vengeance towards man and specifically Ishgard. You just...happened to meddle. The only personal involvement we had was with the WoD, but that was more of a sidestory than any major focus. Yet again with Stormblood, Lyse and more importantly Hien's interests take a front seat towards everything, and their personal desires and goals are the most important thing emphasized in the story. The only thing we have is that Zenos is really obsessed with and wants to fight us. Aside from that, yet again, we're just meddling in something that we have no personal stake in.

If anything, we are just a simple adventurer, who happens to have extraordinary power. It is not as if the world revolves around us and quakes in its boots upon seeing us. It pretty much ignores us and passes us by until we have to kill something. The story is definitely more about the world and the characters in it. Sure, we reap rewards and reputation, but it quite literally always comes down to "Yay you killed something!!!" instead of anything meaningful.

Though I recommend checking out the crafter or gatherer story quests, they're more down to earth and the whole "Warrior of Light" aspect is heavily downplayed. You're just a cog in the machine working yourself up as a respectful person in your trade.

[DeaconMoore]

I just want to be a simple adventurer. Is that so hard to do that in mmorpgs nowadays? Why does game developers always need to stroke our egos by making us 'the chosen one' in every online rpg games. Back in the old days... during the era of Everquest, Dark age of camelot and Ultima online nobody was the chosen one. In those games each and every players were simple adventurers trying to survive in a harse and hostile world. Oh how I miss the good old days of gaming.

Sadly those golden days of gaming are never coming back. Every single mmorpg I play nowadays the game makes me the chosen one. And another worst thing is that thousands of other players around me are also the chosen ones.

Yeah, the good ol' days are gone old chap.

Grab a shovel and meet me out back, I'll get the gun.

[Kragon]

This game uses the Warrior of Light concept used in other games the same as it does in single player games. Also there are still times in the MSQ where we are referred to as adventurers. They can't make us just simple adventurers without some fame as a hero because that would break Final Fantasy tradition.

Its not just in FFXIV. Every other mmorpg I have played recently in the past 3-4 years the game always makes us players the chosen ones... like we are some kind of demigod or something. But older mmorpgs didn't do that. Like Vanilla WoW (in 2004) we were just simple adventurers trying to make a living.

[uvuvwevwevweonyetenyevweugwemu]

I'm confused. Why are you the chosen one? Minfillia was the one taken by Hydaelin. Eorzea have been killing primals before we exists. With or without WoL, the story is the same. I don't think gratitude stroke my ego but I appreciate the common courtesy in the story, for little things like carrying a heavy sack. There are more times when people don't recognize who we are. The echo and aether bound to us is a story tool, not a merit badge. It's nothing special really, or as special as the weapon we use.