Do we really need the Scions again?

[Carin-Eri]

I wouldn't even mind the Scions if they weren't just a gaggle of yes-men following us around. Give them some clashing ideals and we might get an interesting character dynamic for once instead of a droning hivemind.

Sad thing is they have touched on that a few times. Y’shtola didn't mince her words with Thancred when she addressed his attitude toward Minfilia/Ryne. And by the same token, she spoke quite harshly to Urianger when she questioned him over the issue of the WoL's ability to contain the light from the defeated Lightwardens.
But they were both, sadly, self-contained plot points that didn't go anywhere.

[Alec97]

I wouldn't mind some of the newer Scions that joined in Endwalker or towards the end of Shadowbringers, but the old cast had their time in the light, and the arcs were complete. They haven't killed a character since 2017, and every death is a fake death to the point it's now meaningless, which made the ending to Endwalker really fall flat because you know they would be back in 10 minutes.

When I heard the Scions were disbanding and we were going on a new adventure where we went our separate ways, I thought it was a chance to meet new characters and have new experiences, but it's just more of the same, and I'm cynical enough at this point to note it's probably for merchandising reasons.

[Theodric]

When I heard the Scions were disbanding and we were going on a new adventure where we went our separate ways, I thought it was a chance to meet new characters and have new experiences, but it's just more of the same, and I'm cynical enough at this point to note it's probably for merchandising reasons.

Well, there's that and developer bias. Alphinaud is Yoshi-P's favourite character, after all. Yet despite consistently polling very highly on character popularity polls there's very little merchandise relating to the Ancients outside of Venat. It's a stark contrast to the likes of FFVIIR where the game actually embraces fan-service both inside the game and outside of it to a large degree. Even Roche ended up getting a statue on the Square Enix store and he's one of the new, fairly minor characters in the story.

It's why I think the development team is in seriously need of some fresh blood with broader personal tastes.

[Derio]

I didnt see Zero in the trailer so I'm guessing they are coming but the rest of the regular cast is?

I was hoping for a complete new adventure with a brand new cast. Development maybe? Keeping the scions instead of creating new cast members would allow them to keep the current trusts and abilities and models without creating brand new assets. Maybe 8.0 a new cast

[Kazhar]

Sad thing is they have touched on that a few times. Y’shtola didn't mince her words with Thancred when she addressed his attitude toward Minfilia/Ryne. And by the same token, she spoke quite harshly to Urianger when she questioned him over the issue of the WoL's ability to contain the light from the defeated Lightwardens.
But they were both, sadly, self-contained plot points that didn't go anywhere.

And both from Shadowbringers, which was when the writing for the Scions was at its strongest. They were reintroduced one by one and were given good individual characters arcs.
But it was an anomaly and by the time 5.1 started we were already back on previous patterns.

[Theodric]

Yes, I quite liked or at least tolerated the various Scions during Shadowbringers. It was only in the patch content that they started to annoy me again. Even the Scions that I wasn't hugely keen on - such as Alisae and Urianger - struck me as fairly likable during the base expansion.

[Kisshu]

Personally I could do with a break from them.

We've had one expansion with the full team, one expansion with the nearly full team, one expansion with a lot of Alisaie and one with a lot of Alphinaud plus the 2.x patches. While Urianger, Thancred and Y'Shtola were prominent in 2.0, 3.x and 4.x patches.

Would love for a fresh start. The expansion is already giving Treasure of Aht Urhgan vibes, draw from that and let us meet new companions instead of the same group.

Also makes the whole "saying goodbye to the Scions" scene a bit hollow when all patches include a majority of them.

[GalahGriff]

Dawntrail spoiler warning

I really wanted to love Dawntrail. I loved Tural, I loved Wuk Lamat, I loved all the original things that they introduced in this expansion. However, I left MSQ feeling hollow & bored.

Dawntrail's story was unsatisfying. So many players are pinning the blame on Wuk Lamat, but the real culprits for the story's issues are the Scions.

I get the feeling that the developers included all of the Scions in place of well written, new companions because of some obligatory most marketable/popular character inclusion & nothing else. They don't even give the Scions anything to do for the majority of MSQ. This heavily drags the story down & it's the origin of many complaints about Wuk Lamat being on screen far too much-- the Scions don't have a role in the story aside from standing in the background of Wuk Lamat- Koana- Erenville- or whatever other character-focused cutscenes & looking pretty, or to be Trust NPCs.

They try to justify their inclusion but I just can't suspend my disbelief that all of the Scions coincidentally ended up on Tural right after disbanding after Endwalker & going their separate ways, & so on. Krile & G'raha have the best reasons to join us (tracking her grandfather's activity overseas & going on an adventure with us like he has wanted for however many years), & they bench the latter for half of the expansion??? Just so, what, we don't get sick of the presence of the FIVE OUT OF EIGHT Scions that are all helping a Promise complete their rites?????????

Wuk Lamat doesn't have enough supporting characters around her that have good chemistry with her or who fit nicely into this story that is all about learning about other cultures & connecting with other peoples. The Scions can't really contribute to her (or Koana's, or Erenville's, or...) character development so their main role becomes looking &/or smiling at each other knowingly in awkward pauses of cutscenes that are mostly focused on Wuk Lamat (or another non-Scion character).

(1/2)

[GalahGriff]

Dawntrail spoiler warning

If they had bothered writing a new supporting cast of companions that actually had some chemistry with Wuk Lamat, Koana, Erenville, & so on, & were much closer to the Promises' causes, Tural, & Alexandria, we would have an excellent story instead of a mediocre one.

Sure, let Krile, G'raha, & the Warrior of Light go to Tural as Wuk Lamat's foreign allies in the rites.
Instead of Alphinaud & Alisaie insisting they join Wuk Lamat's crew, why not let Wuk Lamat recruit Turali hunters/warriors to her cause as she completes the rites?
Instead of recruiting Thancred & Urianger, why doesn't Koana recruit one or more of his combat-capable friends/peers from his days at the studium? It makes more sense than two strangers that are conveniently Scions, & we would learn more about Koana in a more natural way.
Instead of Estinien conveniently being in Tural & joining us for MSQ 97+, why don't some of the Alexandrian rebels who want to put an end to Zoraal Ja & the regulator system actually join us in battle when we go to fight Zoraal Ja & shut down the unethical supercomputer that is Sphene-bot's motivation for harvesting all life outside of Alexandria???????
Instead of Y'shtola joining us to explain interdimentional portals & whatever, why don't we allow other characters to make educated guesses & inferences?

We're going on new adventures post-Hydaelyn-VS-Zodiarc-arc, why aren't we getting new characters to carry that new story too?

Heavensward was great because the story was carried by our Coerthan & Dravanian companions.

Stormblood was great because the story was carried by our Othard & Gyr Abanian companions.

Dawntrail was mediocre because Wuk Lamat was forced to hold the story up alone most of the time.

(2/2)

[Mnemy]

I'm fine with the Scions being in the story. I certainly love them. What I dont love is how they are written in DT like they're just a cardboard cutouts sharing a hivemind-like personality with Wuk Lamat that never questions her childish personality. I miss Thancred that loves to berate Ryne back ShB. I miss Yshtola being straight forward and confrontational. I miss Alphinaud and his mind for politics. In DT he is literally useless here even tho politics is supposed to be one of his strengths and this expansion could've given him opportunity to exercise it. I miss Alisaie and her going gungho and on the enemy and being offended on your behalf or on behalf of her friends. I miss Estinien and his steadfast prescene, I certainly would love to have more of his steadfastness that i felt in EW since his character arc is kinda new-ish and is only explored in EW, I miss Uri's almost lyrical way of talking and explaining things. In DT they have no personality AT ALL.