YoshiP “Torn" Over What to do with the Scions (Interview)

[FuturePastNow]

Give them stuff to do, and more character development, or get them out of the way. If the writers have an actual story they want to tell with the twins, for example, that's fine, but don't bring them along just to meet the quota for Duty Support.

[Bunyon]

Bizarre to me that they made it so the Scions would "disband" and all go to their own ways, opening the perfect opportunity to have the WoL to go to Tural alone (and this would even help justify the emphasis on Wuk Lamat so much, even if just a little bit), but then they just force the Scions in anyway just to have them stand around and do nothing.

I think they had two paths: Keep the scions and make it a typical expansion, or remove the scions and try something different. But they wanted to have it both ways, and the result ended up sitting poorly with most people. Either they are significant to the story, or they shouldn't be in at all.

Honestly, Krile's writing was the most insane to me. They put her front and center going into the expansion as she complains "I don't want to be left behind anymore" and then make a whole ass expansion where you could remove all mentions and instances of Krile and absolutely nothing would change in the least.

[BunnyQueen]

He needs to figure out how to fix the tank and healer problem before he worries about the scions.

[TheMightyMollusk]

Bizarre to me that they made it so the Scions would "disband" and all go to their own ways,

Which didn't even last through the next line in the very same cut scene and was pretty clearly just an excuse to get the Eorzean Alliance to stop dropping every single problem on the Scions all the time.

[Hyperia]

Dealing with the scions is easy:
Thancred, Y’shtola and Uri get retired to the First as they have family there
Twins are busy in Garlemald
Estinian is on a walkabout
Kyle and Graha are in the annex
Tataru is in business meetings

There you go, pull them out as needed or leave them there. No need to kill them like some want as that would paint yourself into a corner story wise.

If we need information, link pearls fix that.

[Rekh]

Ultimately, the japanese subscribers will determine the fate of the scions, that much's apparent. Not gonna bother going to deep into what I'd like but I'd like to see them go away, their time ran out; they reached the end of their line. They fulfilled Louisoix's dream of uniting the world in endwalker; they're now sticking around for fun. When you stick around for "fun" you have no real story arch or story growth left.

I liked how they were used in DT but going past DT xiv needs something fresh and different. Another 9 years of scions is not the right move.

[Destati]

SE already has a track record of trying to please everyone and coming to an awkward if not downright terrible middle ground and I'm not surprised to see it again with how the Scions were handled this expansion.
I was in the group of people who wanted to see the Scions retired. Throughout the course of the entire saga my opinions of them have certainly fluctuated but by the end of EW I felt like I was ready to be absolutely rid of some of them and others I simply wouldn't have minded not seeing again anytime soon. One can imagine how much I rolled my eyes when they showed up in the trailer for DT, but I knew we weren't going to be rid of them that easily so whatever.

I want to adventure with fresh blood. Which makes Wuk Lamat's poor arc and writing all the more disappointing to me because SE will likely shelve her because of the bad reception she's been getting. I'm not particularly fond of Krile or Erenville but I am baffled by the lack of screentime they got despite the relevance they should have had.

Alphinaud and Alisae's presence made sense I guess so I didn't mind them too much. Thancred and Urianger's role in the story made me laugh because oh my god this is the Xth time Urianger has been a duplicitous freak (not really but still). Y'sthtola really had no point being there and I absolutely groaned when G'raha showed up. I knew he was going to appear at some point because of that damn taco eating moment in the trailer, but I wish he had just stayed home all the same.

The only one whose presence didn't make me roll my eyes was... unexpectedly... Estinien. Ironically it was because he really had no role in the story other than to show up and be a chill dude that made him a welcome sight for sore eyes for me. It was actually kinda fun seeing him do his thing and I was left looking forward to bumping into him again, whenever that might be. I wish I felt that way about the other Scions.

I still strongly believe that they should be retired and we're given some new characters to interact with. But if they are hellbent on using them still, cycle them in/out and use the ones that can actually have relevance to the story. Someone mentioned earlier having the NPCs out in the overworld somewhere so the people who like them can still visit even if they're not currently in the story.

@The Scions:I've had the right amount of you.

[Laerune]

Just bench the scion for 1 expansion then come back with fresh new stories to bring them back.

Or better instead of fetch quests, introduce long sidequest where the Scions are part of.

[Merrigan]

Just bench the scion for 1 expansion then come back with fresh new stories to bring them back.

Or better instead of fetch quests, introduce long sidequest where the Scions are part of.

Or role quests ? Those could feature them.