Can we get choices that really matter and have a effect?

[MariaArvana]

Wait I thought it was the Ancients warping the laws of reality because of the sound? Or do I have that backwards?

Some text from the quest 'End of a world':

"Have you not heard? Though yet confined to the lands across the sea, a terrible phenomenon afflicts our star. They are calling it the “Final Days.”

'Tis said it starts suddenly, a cacophonous keening from beneath the earth. The sound distorts all living things within earshot, and wrests from us control of our creation magicks.

Once that happens, all is lost. Fear, pain, despair...every dread impulse is siphoned from our minds and given substance: an eternal fall of fiery rain; an incessant spawning of nightmarish beasts...

None can point to the source of the phenomenon. 'Tis as if the star itself has fallen ill─as if a force inimical to life now festers and spreads.

'Tis only a matter of time until Amaurot, too, resounds to that discordant squall. You should stay with your loved ones, child... Stay with them..."

and then there's what Emet Selch says in Amarout:

"The fabric of our star began to fray, and the unchecked energies of creation begat malformed beasts."
"The star was fading; we had to weave its laws anew."

The sound (which its origins are unknown still) itself caused them to lose control of their creation magics, which made every negative thought they had manifest into the Terminus beasts and created natural disasters like the aforementioned eternal rain of fire. The amaroutians themselves didn't mess with the laws of reality, their uncontrolled, berserked energies of creation did.

So basically: Sound happens -> creation magic goes out of control messing with the laws of reality -> amaroutians begin to have fear, dread, etc, creating Terminus beasts -> fear from the beasts creates more fear, creating a greenhouse effect and causing a global apocalypse.
But either way, my point was is that the sound messed with the very foundation they had built their civilization was built upon and turned it against them. It's super easy to see how they would get beat by something like that.

[Edax]

But either way, my point was is that the sound messed with the very foundation they had built their civilization was built upon and turned it against them. It's super easy to see how they would get beat by something like that.

Sure but that also feeds into my point. Their civilization's overreliance on their magic over technology made them totally vulnerable to insanity. Such a sound would not adversely affect the current human races. Insanity can cause magic to run amok but technology requires sanity to use so the human races could deal with such a disaster with machines, engineering and sciences. Something as simple as a sound could defeat the Ancients because of a fundamental flaw in their society, everything required an undistracted, sane mind. The solution of creating a mind-controlling god to resolve the situation came with too many drawbacks and destroyed their unity.

[Alleo]

Wait I thought it was the Ancients warping the laws of reality because of the sound? Or do I have that backwards?

Maybe it was a bit of both? The sound changed their creation magic and the Ancients not knowing how to handle it summoned beasts and other stuff thanks to that.

[Dakuryon]

The only choice I want is the option to marry Magnai ...

[Pintsized]

Both WoW and LoTRO tried providing smallish branching quests which resulted in real consequences (such as gear tied to whichever option you took) and it didn't end well .. endless whining from the min/maxers about losing out to the BiS item (even though both were, just not the same slot). Turbine responded by saying they'd never do it again, Blizzard have never done it either, except for a lame case in BFA which simply provided a short and largely forgettable end-of-story cutscene.

TLDR: people will moan because they 'lost out' by their choice, I expect SE will simply avoid the drama.

[LolitaBansheeMeru]

Both WoW and LoTRO tried providing smallish branching quests which resulted in real consequences (such as gear tied to whichever option you took) and it didn't end well .. endless whining from the min/maxers about losing out to the BiS item (even though both were, just not the same slot). Turbine responded by saying they'd never do it again, Blizzard have never done it either, except for a lame case in BFA which simply provided a short and largely forgettable end-of-story cutscene.

TLDR: people will moan because they 'lost out' by their choice, I expect SE will simply avoid the drama.

They aren't avoiding drama there are so many thing that prove they don't care about how people are drama wise like the Gender lock or all the people talking about markers now. They aren't avoiding drama they aren't even given it a thought which honestly is a good thing.

People being little cry baby ..... isn't a reason not to do it if you don't like it then don't do it but when something is optional noone has any right to cry over it.


Also choices aren't just story related they could effect characters move sets similar to wows specs or ffxi's merit system.

before you say well everyone will cookie cut each other because there will always be that one better option.

First off that is untrue anyone who played diablo 2 knows this the cookie cutter barbarins were what were called bear/ww bars that casted Bo's on themself before killing.

Want to know something I wiped them out as a poison frogger bar that went around one hitting everyone of those builds in hardcore diablo 2.

What I'm trying to say is while yes if every black mage picked Fire for example there damage would be higher but that doesn't make it better even if popular choice was fire a black mage focusing on lighting or frost could always beat them if they do it right.

There is no such thing as "illusional choice" thats just when the maker impletements the choice incorrect to the point it shows no real difference.

THe point of choices is for it TO SHOW A REAL DIFFERENCE to give your character his or her own unique idenedity anyone can pick the same hair same face same glamor all of that can be done by everyone which takes its "unique quality" to 0

[RTX3080]

Final Fantasy has always been a linear game if you want meaningful choices play something like Cyberpunk

[ChrisRedfield2]

I'm just saying this on a personal level so it might not hold true but this is just how I feel about it. Alot of things just feel so Meha I mean it builds up sorrow/joy/anger at moments which fade to meha who cares later on throughout the story for me personally the reason I'm like well who cares what happan to X now we are way way past it to the point that character doesnt matter any more ... is simple no meaningfull choices that we the players can decide. Not saying anything major like good/evil choices but sometimes through the story I personally would have made a choice to Join with zenos or help Emat yet what really got under my skin is the character offered the open ended choice without a box to maybe help them escape secretly or offer to learn their powers. Maybe give rogues a choice to steal from the npcs in the town or something just some kind of real choice that really holds deep meaning instend of answering a choice box that honestly has little to no meaning. I don't really like this example but guildwars has a nice method for given meaningfull depth to the characters story with a simple 3 question menu on creation which has impact on how the story plays out for those choices you decided. Or give us story where we have to go against the good guys to take items and cause some damage instend of the goody toe shoes. I mean it could be like Kill the 3 grand company leaders for the greater good or something

Maybe even a story where we have to get caught and thrown into a dungeon then break out like the classic moments in many jrpgs

i, too, feel the meha