Alphinaud

[Songwillow]

I don't entirely understand how Y'shtola got to be the mascot in the first place, when there's a specific player-stand-in character (generic Midlander trailer guy) they could use.

I mean, sure, "yay catgirl", but is that really enough to put one out of a group of supposedly-equally-important supporting characters (who has been absent for several chunks of the story) as THE representative of the entire game? Evidently the devs think so, but it seems an odd choice to me.

I think it was because of Dissidia. The game needed a face for MMO characters, so they went with NPCs instead of the PCs. In this case it was Shantotto in FFXI and Y'shtola in FFXIV. Honestly I believe that the scions need some good character development.

Urianger was pretty much given an interesting arc which I anticipate us seeing again in Shadow Bringers since I think we will go through what he went through in the Dragonsong/Warriors of Darkness arc.

Alphinaud and Alisaie will both get their time in the expansion and I think it will involve a nice amount of growth for the characters.

Y'shtola has gotten some growth in the last two patches and I think it will get more interesting in the next patch, but I think she will not get much love in the expansion. It is a shame cause she is my favorite scion (especially after the last patch with the Magnai bit)

Thancred looks like he is going to get an interesting story arc finally for the next expansion.

Lyse... well she was more fun as Yda and she is no longer fun after the end of the Dragonsong arc. I have no interest in her anymore.

[Ceasaria]

Y'shtola has gotten some growth in the last two patches and I think it will get more interesting in the next patch, but I think she will not get much love in the expansion. It is a shame cause she is my favorite scion (especially after the last patch with the Magnai bit)

Thancred looks like he is going to get an interesting story arc finally for the next expansion.

Agree for Thancred, Shadowbringers will be his expansion.
For Y'shtola, it will be her moment when Sharlayan will be involved (same for Krile and any character tied to this city).