What's the point with that quite lackluster story in Endwalker?

[Brinne]

This probably explains why I see so many streamers seduced by the post-Elpis cutscene. What I can't figure out is how someone can like both Emet and Venat. The two seem mutually exclusive to me. I don't know how you ignore the fact that Venat is directly responsible for every bad thing that ever happened to Emet.

Well, it's because to a majority of players, the most important question isn't how Venat and Emet treated each other. It's how both Venat and Emet treat the player. Particularly as of Endwalker, both Venat and Emet like and support the player, therefore, we like both! Easy peasy.

EDIT: This is very much secondary, and not related to what you're saying, but I kinda want to add that I myself have no problem adoring two characters who hate and mistreat each other, so long as I find both compelling and/or sympathetic. My favorite thing about G'raha Tia is his visceral dislike of Emet-Selch, my overall favorite character, and I wish that aspect of him got more emphasis because I loved their scenes together. If Venat had done the exact same things but had been handled differently by the narrative, I would have had no problems liking her as a character even keeping all the things she did to Emet.

If anything, more characters who are all sympathetic should be allowed to dislike each other and sometimes act upon that dislike. It makes them all feel more real. I don't hate or even dislike the Scions as many in the thread do, but I do think they weren't handled well in Endwalker, and a lot of it ties into leaning too hard on them being a "united front" who didn't have anything to contribute to one another most of the time except agreement.

[Rulakir]

Well, it's because to a majority of players, the most important question isn't how Venat and Emet treated each other. It's how both Venat and Emet treat the player. Particularly as of Endwalker, both Venat and Emet like and support the player, therefore, we like both! Easy peasy.

But, but, but..! *sigh* I'm sure she 'liked and supported' Azem too before tearing their soul apart. :P

If Venat had done the exact same things but had been handled differently by the narrative, I would have had no problems liking her as a character even keeping all the things she did to Emet.

It should have gone the other way more. Emet had 12k years of 'hatred and heartbreak' built up for Hydaelyn, only for that BS commendation to the 'last of us' speech in UT.

[Brinne]

But, but, but..! *sigh* I'm sure she 'liked and supported' Azem too before tearing their soul apart. :P

Listen, at least in the scenes I played, Venat was nice to me and smiled at me and played a nice song about how I was her brave little spark and talked at length about how much she loved me and how I was her light the future. Meanwhile, did you see Azem's soul being torn apart? No? Then it's moot, okay? <_<

It should have gone the other way more. Emet had 12k years of 'hatred and heartbreak' built up for Hydaelyn, only for that BS commendation to the 'last of us' speech in UT.

Oh, absolutely. If a character has natural reason to hate another character, even if both are sympathetic and likable to the audience, let them do it. Too often trying to mediate and hand-wave that away to make sure everyone stays Clean and Good feels like a form of authorial cowardice, to me.