What Zero Could've Been

[Padudu]

Essentially: why be so against that? Some people would actually like to have that, just as much as you'd like to have literally anything else. And there isn't anything inherently wrong with it either. What would be wrong is if Aveyond started saying that every female character and every male character needed to behave like that. Which isn't realistic and is just pushing dumb values everywhere. I'm all for more representation and people of varying outlooks and personal strengths, so I don't see the problem with "strong man protects weak girl" because if I reversed the roles, they'd be in the same dynamic. Yet people react like it's going to undo centuries of women empowerment in society... which, again, it only would promote that sort of thing if that were the only dynamic the story presented.

But when this idea is so much as even suggested, people go haywire. When there's really not much of a need for that? It's even a fantasy some enjoy, women included. Unless the story portrays their characters exclusively in such a dynamic, it doesn't emasculate the guy or remove agency from the woman by having one be strong and the other dramatic. (Before anyone asks "who's 'some'", I point to the amount of women who adore Cottagecore, which is heavily rooted in old 50's values which did force those standards on women and men)

I point you to the most obvious dynamic: Thancred & Ryne.

People DO like that dynamic when it's done well. Ryne was - quite literally - a useless reincarnation magical girl who didn't do anything in the beginning but just kind of sit there and watch. Thancred protects her as he did Minfilia, and at the same time, taught her to be her own person. She does eventually become her own person who makes her own choices. That dynamic is completely fine actually and even at the time -- the story makes sense as to why it goes that route. In the end, it doesn't look like she continues fighting or anything like that. She and Gaia help out in the Crystarium and eat some coffee biscuits together. While she fought, she settled down in the end and just does her best to look after her friends. That seems still strong for me - she chose to live that way and she's found some peace.

Same with the RDM quest line. Anya and X'hrun (I'm probably spelling his name wrong, but ya get what I mean lol) also have that dynamic. You and the old cat protect Anya the whole way through until she learns to fend for herself. She gets over her fears and becomes stronk. Things like that.

I think most of the contention here, at least in this thread, is aveyond's tone really, really borderlines incel/niceguy levels lol. There's nothing wrong with requesting more "strong guy/weak girl" dynamics, really. What is wrong is saying that many women in the story except for Yotsuyu apparently is written bad because they act a little mean towards guys. And yeah honestly just take a look at his other threads about this.

[SassyAssassin]

Oka

Ironically my real life style is of the romantic sort, so you aren’t talking to someone that will take your words personally, but here is my opinion since you asked.

There is nothing against that but in case you haven’t noticed he complains about every character ever made, like dude at this point make your own game or shut up.

And my problem with it personally is that I am sick and tired of the little blond girl being saved by the burly man as much as I am tired of the super strong independent woman who doesn’t need a man.
It goes both ways. It’s beyond boring and we have enough of both narratives going around in movies and games.

He is constantly reducing women to having to be nice to male characters, emotional and in love like ok?…..Much personality?

He says Yshtola doesn’t look good enough to have the attitude she has with Magnai like please tell me you are a neckbeard without saying you are a neckbeard.
According to him if a woman doesn’t look like his standards she should shut up, bow down and accept any advances made to her?
Creepy much?

I want characters to feel REAL, Im sick of fairytales, read them enough as a child and Im glad ffxiv doesn’t go that route.

I think they made more than enough variation of soft women, strong women, annoying women, soft men, strong men etc etc. at this point the guy just complains for the sake of complaining.

I really dont think that the way you look at it, is the way he does, seriously give it a few months and you’ll see yet another post of him being salty Yshtola didnt go in the tent with the big aura man.