Building a better Alphinaud

[Sarkany]

Found wanting by who? Are there more people who dislike that Alphinaud doesn't physically hit people, than there are people who like having a male character who has power without being physically strong? Because if the NPC setup is "found wanting" by ten people, but fifteen people love it, then it is actually a good business idea to keep this NPC setup.

(Estinien is over six feet tall and repeatedly talks about how his primary role on the team is to hit people real hard. Thancred has never done anything but physical combat, and G'raha, who's got some decent muscle on him when you see his arms, started as an archer and can tank just fine in Trusts. So it's not like there are no physically strong men in the group. But Alphinaud's "politically oriented support/healer class" character type is more commonly female, and I like seeing a male version.)

[MellowMink]

G’raha Tia is my favorite character in the game; don’t be mean to the cute cat-man.

[Alleo]

People are 100% allowed to give feeback otherwise quite a few here would be banned from this forum if it wasnt the case...but being allowed to give feedback does not mean that SE has to listen to you, especially when its in regard to something highly subjective like the story.

So if seemingly the story and most of the content is bad for you, maybe it is time to find another game. (And this is coming from someone who has complained a lot too) If I did not like Endwalker and did not look forward to a couple of future updates I would not be playing it anymore. Endwalker is the PERFECT opportunity to drop the game if you dont like the direction its going. The first big arc is finished and it will take some time for the new one to start.

I have been here for years and I lost count how often some of you said that expansion x would be the breaking point. How some even after Endwalker said that they wont sub anymore. Just to have you all still here, complaining quite a lot while also giving SE not only the sub money but also cash shop money on top of that. Why should they change anything if the absolute worst state of the game (in some of your opinions) is seemingly still good enough to pay for?

About the topic: I love the Twins. They are one of my favorite characters. I would not want them to be changed at all.

[aveyond-dreams]

Times like these I am reminded of how Archades was wrapped up in the aftermath of FFXII. Larsa, who unlike Alphinaud didn't regress in terms of his characterization and was less preachy besides, ended up becoming Emperor. With the senate and their political machinations out of the way and under control, a new positive future awaited them without completely uprooting their political system.

What an intriguing concept. If only such care was given to FFXIV's Garlean Empire, instead the writers choosing to exclude Gaius from its narrative in Endwalker, refuse to flesh out characters like Nerva, and leave the Leveilleur family to set up a samey republican provisional government as has been done many times in the past. This song and dance has gotten too old and it needs to be called out at every available juncture so that the message is made clear that this cannot be repeated again and that it has thoroughly disappointed those of us who are fans of the Empire. We exist.

I hope that in the future and for the sake of this game's longevity that Alphinaud and the remaining scions are permanently benched in favor of a more interesting party. The route of having immortal forever characters (who also happen to all look the same) does not make for anything good outside preserving the feelings of the twitter community, who would be quick to attach themselves to the latest new posterboy regardless.

6.2, from both a gameplay and story perspective, represents a make or break moment for the game. I do hope that they restore people's confidence in both, but after all that has happened since the launch of Endwalker a lot of confidence and goodwill has been lost.

[TaleraRistain]

choosing to exclude Gaius from its narrative in Endwalker

Did you miss him in the cutscene in Ala Mhigo telling us it would be a majorly bad idea to come with us because he was persona non grata for being accused of killing the Emperor?

leave the Leveilleur family to set up a samey republican provisional government as has been done many times in the past

Yeah, you didn't do the role quest.

[Zanarkand-Ronso]

I wasn't aware that White hair makes everyone look the same.
So a Human, 4 elves, and a catgirl, all look the same because of White hair. lol. Nevermind the differences in hairstyles, body structure and attire. But ok.
Im not so quick to discard my faith in this game because of a couple of blunders. Until the game becomes 100% unenjoyable, I will keep playing, 6.2 looks and sounds exciting, cant wait.

[aveyond-dreams]

Do you see why I considered that writing to not make full use of existing characters and why it was disrespectful to those of us who are fans of the Empire?

[Sarkany]

What did you want Fourchenault to do? The entire royal family is dead except for Zenos. Zenos has been exiled, doesn't want to rule, and would clearly be horrible at it. Gaius refuses to set foot in the country because half the population wants him dead because they think he killed Varis (which means he can't effectively govern them, because he doesn't have the military strength to force them to obey). The only Garlean candidate I can see for an actual monarch at that point is Vergilia van Corculum, who at least still has the Third Legion, and she really doesn't seem like she wants to be empress. "Well, you used to have a Senate, right? Let's have the surviving members run things while you decide how to put a government together" seems reasonable enough.

[aveyond-dreams]

What did you want Fourchenault to do? The entire royal family is dead except for Zenos. Zenos has been exiled, doesn't want to rule, and would clearly be horrible at it. Gaius refuses to set foot in the country because half the population wants him dead because they think he killed Varis (which means he can't effectively govern them, because he doesn't have the military strength to force them to obey). The only Garlean candidate I can see for an actual monarch at that point is Vergilia van Corculum, who at least still has the Third Legion, and she really doesn't seem like she wants to be empress. "Well, you used to have a Senate, right? Let's have the surviving members run things while you decide how to put a government together" seems reasonable enough.

There's this wonderful idea of having the writers not kill off the entire royal family or come up with bad reasons to exclude characters from the story, as well as making use of existing characters with leadership qualities that could potentially ascend the throne.

[Sarkany]

What existing characters with leadership qualities do you think they should have used instead? Who should Fourchenault have put on the throne?