Do we really need the Scions again?

[Kazhar]

You mean, besides being almost entirely from East Blue?

Wow they come from the same quarter of the globe, same background.
Even before the story moved to the Grand Line, nobody could argue Luffy, Nami, Zoro, Sanji and Usopp weren't vastly different characters with vastly different dreams, chara designs and backgrounds. While they're a close crew and have strong chemistry with each other, they have completely different opinions on all subjects (which is often the basis of the jokes and their slice of life moments) and realistic conflicts many times. You could write a conversation between all members of the crew while hiding their names and it would be still clear who said what. Try to do the same exercice with the Scions.
Not only that but none of the Scions had a character arc nearly as strong as what Nami or Robin got, yet in XIV it feels like we're already going in circles.

[Theodric]

At the end of the day it isn't the Scions that a lot of players invested in when they developed interest in the setting. It's why the insistence that the story doesn't need a Scion to die or retire rings so hollow to me. The game world is so much more than the increasingly stale Scions.

It's an MMO at the end of the day. Players from many different backgrounds, belief systems, cultures and personality types invest in the game. It's well past time that the core cast reflected that. It seems that whenever the story actually does entertain different points of view, fans of the Scions immediately push for a return to the status quo.

I think it's time for the game to be bolder and offer more variety in terms of what characters are bringing to the table.

[TheNight]

You can just enjoy their company?

Seriously, that's what it feels like, as someone who likes the characters. (My default setting is "I will like them until they do something that makes me actively dislike them".)

They're old friends at this point. They can just be there and do stuff and be friendly to our character, and I enjoy their banter.

...Within the story of course. I'm not deluded into thinking of them as real friends.

How can anyone enjoy their company when their default tendency is to lecture you and explain things you know for the hundredth time, while fanboying over you and telling you how much you rock like a clingy ex.

[LilimoLimomo]

I understand that people love these characters, but do we really need all of them back again? Their character arcs were concluded pretty well in Endwalker, in my opinion.

Y'shtola has never had a character arc and is in dire need of one.

[ForsakenRoe]

Y'shtola has never had a character arc and is in dire need of one.

IDK about you, but I remember a character arc she went along in SHB

maybe more of a 'character parabola' than an arc, I'm not sure

[Iscah]

I don't know if I would call Zero a main cast member yet. She's been with us for a handful of patches and seems very much like a special guest for this whole 13th shard story we're doing at the moment, which I assume will be concluded in 6.5 since every one of the scions that is involved with it will be leaving for the new world in 7.0.

Main character is relative. She is certainly a main character during this story arc.

As I've said elsewhere, I don't expect her to continue in MSQ but she may have a future in a sidequest arc, which has happened previously for characters like Hilda who left the MSQ but popped up in the MCH job quests.

The twins are supposed to be helping with the reconstruction of Garlemald, which I guess they either just abandon or it will be quickly explained that they somehow managed to get them functioning as a self sufficient nation with a stable government and we just shouldn't care how that happened. I really am not sure what Urianger or Thancred would be pursuing since they have no character development independent of us. Really though they haven't given these characters any goals outside of what the plot demanded of them at the time, so they have nothing to do other than whatever we are doing.

The twins are helping with Garlemald, yes. They're not the sole driving force behind the entire effort and it won't collapse without their personal presence – I would find that far more unrealistic. They've been there for months now, presumably working hard, and diplomatic connections have been made for trade with the Hannish. We may be getting updates on their progress for some time yet.

And Thancred and Urianger are off "wandering the realm" and doing stuff independent of us (and being amusingly sarcastic buddies), which is how they've likely ended up independently recruited to Tural.

[SieyaM]

Main character is relative. She is certainly a main character during this story arc.

As I've said elsewhere, I don't expect her to continue in MSQ but she may have a future in a sidequest arc, which has happened previously for characters like Hilda who left the MSQ but popped up in the MCH job quests.




The twins are helping with Garlemald, yes. They're not the sole driving force behind the entire effort and it won't collapse without their personal presence – I would find that far more unrealistic. They've been there for months now, presumably working hard, and diplomatic connections have been made for trade with the Hannish. We may be getting updates on their progress for some time yet.

And Thancred and Urianger are off "wandering the realm" and doing stuff independent of us (and being amusingly sarcastic buddies), which is how they've likely ended up independently recruited to Tural.

Since time passes in such an inconsistent way that I am not sure they have been there for months, I think this entire story arc is supposed to take 1 year from ARR to EW. And no the reconstruction of Garlemald will not halt without them, but for them to just up and leave whenever it suits them smacks of irresponsibility and lack of commitment, it would literally be them saying oh well we know you're still trying to rebuild but we want to do something else even though we've become heavily involved. It's also just another example of characters not having any real or lasting development of their own, just doing whatever the WoL and plot demands of them.

[Hyperia]

I expect many of the older Scions will retire but still be available if needed. Once we get access to the First, many will take a break. That will leave more room for us and not paint the devs into a corner should they need them in the future.

[Fawkes]

Shadowbringers writing made them more likeable and upgraded them from the boring plot NPCs to Waifu/Husbando tier.

I think it's pretty unlikely that any of them go away for a significant amount of time.

[ThaCa]

I was kinda hoping most of them would have taken a backseat for a while and have at most like 3 of them with us. Hopefully they will not get too much screen time so they can develope a new expansive cast of characters.