Can 7.0 focus on a storyline without the philosophizing

[TheDecay]

We really don't need another lecture on the meaning of life or existentialism. We don't need to watch yet another monologue on how life is worth living and we can still have purpose even if we fail and suffer, or how humans have free will and we need to fight for our purpose and choose our purpose even if we might fail, defying our fate and the purpose others impose on us (basically existentialism).

It's quite enough, CBU3. Please find some new material. Please write a story with nuanced and interesting character development perhaps, that isn't just traveling with 7 people who just alternate between "you are my friend and I appreciate you" or "don't die on me".

EW had barely any character development, and now FF16 doesn't have it either (other than maybe Joshua). It's like character arcs no longer exist in CBU3 games, giving way to the philosophy and life lessons that CBU3 wants you to remember. Which is fine once or twice but it is seriously getting tiring and tedious when it's the twentieth time the same moral of the story gets repeated again and again.

[tsuchii]

Is this ragebait? LOL
That's not a valid feedback. You can't just demand a game developer what they should and should not go creative-wise. It's their story to tell.

That kind of storytelling you are describing has always been a signature of the Final Fantasy main titles. Character development doesn't always have to be drastic to be interesting or nuanced. But yea, you are entitled to your wrong opinion.

If you want other styles or stories, there are plenty of other options outside of XIV.

[TheDecay]

That's not a valid feedback.

Thanks for being frank about your bad-faith attacks being bad-faith so I can skip reading the rest of your post.

[Nav_Fae]

Thanks for being frank about your bad-faith attacks being bad-faith so I can skip reading the rest of your post.

The only thing bad faith around here is your passive aggressive hated for CBU3.

[Kranel_San]

We really don't need another lecture on the meaning of life or existentialism. We don't need to watch yet another monologue on how life is worth living and we can still have purpose even if we fail and suffer, or how humans have free will and we need to fight for our purpose and choose our purpose even if we might fail, defying our fate and the purpose others impose on us (basically existentialism).

It's quite enough, CBU3. Please find some new material. Please write a story with nuanced and interesting character development perhaps, that isn't just traveling with 7 people who just alternate between "you are my friend and I appreciate you" or "don't die on me".

EW had barely any character development, and now FF16 doesn't have it either (other than maybe Joshua). It's like character arcs no longer exist in CBU3 games, giving way to the philosophy and life lessons that CBU3 wants you to remember. Which is fine once or twice but it is seriously getting tiring and tedious when it's the twentieth time the same moral of the story gets repeated again and again.

I wholeheartedly agree with you. The entire 6.0 EW MSQ and the whole concepts of Dynamis and "The universe and its world have fallen into depression and that's why they're all dead" is quite boring to me. Perhaps one of the most boring cosmic-themed concepts I have seen so far in the history of gaming. Do you really want to convince me that the vast expanse of the universe, with hundreds, thousands, or even millions of civilizations got wiped out because of depression and despair? That they share the same understanding of emotions as the rest? That no one managed to stand against it other than a group of 16-30 years old scholars who took it down via the power of friendship? I'm not trying to shame people who like this sort of philosophy, but I'd prefer actions, actual mysteries, plot twists, and grey morality where neither side's actions are justified just like ARR/HW story writing over emotions and friendship.

[ZephyrMenodora]

All the things OP dislikes are exactly the story beats that I love about XIV. When Endwalker came out, 3 people close to me all passed away young. It was a hard time in my life and the messaging about life and value resonated with me.

I also see character growth for Clive in 16. I'm only halfway through but he's already been through a tale of self-loathing and forgiveness.

[TheDecay]

I wholeheartedly agree with you. The entire 6.0 EW MSQ and the whole concepts of Dynamis and "The universe and its world have fallen to depression and that's why they're all dead" is quite boring to me. Perhaps one of the most boring universe-themed concepts I have seen so far. I'd really enjoy a return to the ARR/HW style of story-writing with its grey morality.

Exactly. Once or twice is fine but they've been doing this for six years now and it's really getting stale. There's really only so many times they can use the existentialist/defying fate trope before it completely loses its power.

[Remish]

I wholeheartedly agree with you. The entire 6.0 EW MSQ and the whole concepts of Dynamis and "The universe and its world have fallen to depression and that's why they're all dead" is quite boring to me. Perhaps one of the most boring universe-themed concepts I have seen so far. I'd really enjoy a return to the ARR/HW style of story-writing with its grey morality.

Do you want to convince me that hundreds of civilizations got wiped out because of depression and despair, with no one able to stand against it, and then a group of 16-30 years old scholars manage to beat it with their emotions??

Not to shame people who like philosophy, but I much prefer actions and actual mysteries and plot twists over emotions and philosophy.

I personally thought the story was incredible. I had a lot of fun on patch day and felt on the edge of my seat constantly. It's 6.1 and beyond where I feel disappointed. The lack of longevity with content and a story not remotely as engaging. The fake disbands of the scions that never should have happened.

[TheDecay]

All the things OP dislikes are exactly the story beats that I love about XIV. When Endwalker came out, 3 people close to me all passed away young. It was a hard time in my life and the messaging about life and value resonated with me.

I also see character growth for Clive in 16. I'm only halfway through but he's already been through a tale of self-loathing and forgiveness.

Sorry but maybe you should finish the game because character growth pretty much ends for everyone (maybe other than Joshua and Dion) halfway through the game. Jill, for example, pretty much gets no development after Drake's Breath.

Also, there is no issue with philosophical themes, but the protagonists really do not need to bluntly espouse their philosophy every other cutscene. Show, not tell.

[Deo14]

I don't think it's far fetched for them to shift story from some philosophical stuff, to some more direct story with hopefully more focus on characters. Other parts of the game shifted drastically from original game anyways, I don't see why story should be exception. The philosophy they tried to portray in 6.0 EW, for me personally, fell really flat. Especially since we saved universe without any sacrifice, and without any real stakes. It all felt staged, only philosophical thought I got from this is that as long as you're one of the main characters, you're untouchable. As for 6.1, that garbage isn't neither philosophical, or good in any way, even characters are recycled from some 20+ years old game.

There are more philosophical and existential thoughts in this thread alone than in 6.0. For example, the idea of living rent-free in someone's head. How much they must hate you, just so they completely disregard any of your opinions, even if they're valid and constructed in polite way? How hypocritical can you be, when you call someone practicing bad faith, while you're practicing it yourself? If you're trying to discuss something and call someone's opinion straight out wrong, then list cheap argument and give author no chance to counter argue your point, then that is dead giveaway that you're not opposing the idea, but you're childishly opposing the author. You know, if you don't like someone, you can just block them and don't engage with them, it's that simple.