Apyaahi was right. DT Final Role Quest Spoilers

[Wasselin]

I get that the role quests were supposed to be lighthearted but the finale kind of crossed the line for me into being offensive. Which is sad because there was a lot to enjoy in all of these quests.

Apyaahi could have been a much more interesting character. They had me on her side when we talked about her motivations in Thanalan, "As for me, I only want one thing: freedom! My village prospered amid nature unrestrained, while those in it were bound by the rules of society. Our roles were determined at birth... none were allowed to follow their hearts! Obedience meant a life without hardship, yes, but I couldn't suffer the tasks I was burdened with. In defiance of those stifling customs, I went into the forest to hunt, and returned to my village with a prey mightier than any that had been caught before. For this, I was rewarded with exile. Yet my banishment was a blessing in disguise, for it helped me realize I could survive─ I could thrive─ unbound by rules! I also understood that many like-minded souls yet suffered under the subjugation of state. I resolved to become an example they could follow ─ to build the passage that would guide them to freedom!"

Apyaahi was right when she said, "And as I traveled the world, I noticed the same thing everywhere I went. That the many were bound by the few. In Gridania, citizens are discouraged from joining hands with their neighbors. In Ul'dah, merchants craft laws to exert their control over others. Even in Limsa Lominsa, once lawless pirates are made to bow to the state! Need I say more? The countless Ishgardians who were tricked into sacrificing themselves when their church fanned the flames of war. The people of the east, whose entire lives are determined by outdated customs and mores."

But instead of developing her ideas further, the writers reduced her to a foolish character meant to be ridiculed—turning her passion for freedom into a joke. It comes across as mockery of anyone who seeks to challenge societal oppression.

What makes this worse is how they handled the Warrior of Light. My character has stood up for "beast" tribes, fought corrupt governments, and opposed tyranny over and over throughout multiple expansion. Yet in this quest, our only dialogue options were “You don’t deserve to be free” and “I was never going to side with you.” It feels forced and out of character. I didn't want to say either.

The story’s tonal inconsistency doesn’t help either. It can’t decide if it wants to be zany slapstick or meaningful commentary, and the clash undermines both.

Finally, this reflects a trend in recent quests: turning the Warrior of Light into a tool of the state or a mercenary. Are we adventurers and champions of the downtrodden, or just enforcers for those in power? The lack of dialogue options that let us empathize with characters like Apyaahi is what I find most offensive. It robs the story of depth and undermines the very ideals our character is supposed to represent.

[RaideDuku]

Her motivations were completely self-serving. For all her talk of freedom and tyranny of the state, it only served to have her followers become their worst possible selves, becoming the very tyrants she claims she wants to overthrow. All she wants is to be able to due whatever she wants with no consequence, no matter who it screws over. Freedom that harms others is not freedom at all.

Maybe it could've been written with a bit more nuance, I'll allow. However, I think the idea was was to make seem sympathetic at first, but once you clear out the honeyed words and talking points, her real reasons for doing what she does are stupid, and maybe you wonder if you were stupid for falling for it.

[NegativeS]

It's the type of motivation you'd expect from an expansion BBEG, albiet only if written better.

Alphinaud and Co. would have a field day trying to focus those ambitions to be a bit more constructive.

[RiotSiren]

I don't think Apyaahi was right, she was a self serving idiot, the quest made sure we know that, however I do agree the class quest was pretty badly written and arguably offensive from specific standpoints. I doubt this was the intent but one could easily take this as "See this is what all those people who scream oppression are like, there all just selfish idiots!" which is unfortunately a real world view that all to many people have. The idea that "you aren't oppressed, you're just being self serving" is a real argument I've seen people try to claim on others who are VERY MUCH oppressed, its unfortunately common states side. I realize that it CAN be true some times, but this is a kind of subject you want to handle carefully, which they did not. I doubt this was the intent when making this quest, to me it strikes me as someone from another country telling a joke that they think is genuinely funny only to be met by silent stares, as they slowly realize no ones laughing.

It's a shame because I liked the set up, and I honestly found it entertaining from time to time, it even got a few chuckles out of me. It just seems REALLY tone deaf.

I do agree the WoL is acting out of character, specialty at the bridge scene, this is a problem I find with DT as a whole though. Previously they set up the story so that, unless you wanna burn the world or something weird, our motivation was clear, such that the player and the WoL were just about always in sync in terms of their motivation. Dawn Trail struggles with this to put it lightly and I think it's one of the big reasons why people have such a mixed reception to it, when the player character is suddenly taking actions the player does not agree with, its hard to maintain immersion. Obviously we could never side with her, the game doesn't work like that, but freedom has always been implied to be a core motivator to our "adventurer" and not having a option thats even a little sympathetic is really odd.

[Hallarem]

The tone of the quest is weird, it played for sympathy, only to go for full slapstick and us being... angry at her with weirdly hostile options in dialogue.
The writing is horridly paced and all over the place, though thoouuuuuuuuugh, I did laugh at the Landsguard surrounding her and the waitress calling the landsguard on the new villains.

[Chasingstars]

Yeah we should of just let Ellerete and Kokonowa poison everyones drinking water, have uncontrollable laughter, and spike the food.
And We should also let Leophyne just cause ishgard's people just fall asleep, suffer corporal punishments, put guards in compromising positions, and die.
But also letting Virazahn holding the radz-at-han civilians hostage and putting innocent in danger and injuring them, all so so he can fulfill his dreams as a hero.
And Chalteaufite who only wanted to mobilize a bunch of armed thugs to pressgang ala mhigans while using armored tanks in a way to cause property damage.
And who could forget dear old Samidare who only wanted to impersonate people, make people angry, people getting into physical altercations.
Not to mention how Apyaahi wanted a bunch of riled up mercenaries, create an army of fungus-made beasts, and perform an insurrection attempt upon that Tuiloyallal.

After all, if you disagree, then you clearly don't care about freedom and liberty and taking down the Corrupt Society™ as Apyaahi wanted. And that by preventing her various agents from doing such things as I listed means you want corrupt society to persist. After all Apyaahi is right, the Unbound are right, and they can't be wrong. As such tactics that one would deem as terroist are required to make changes. Why, the WoL should consider it an honor to be impersonated by Samidare, after all, they do say mimickry is the sincerest form of flattery, and that the WoL is a symbol of change and saving the downtrodden. And that even after being defeated, Apyaahi could change, run for office maybe, change the laws to suit her brand of anarchy. Just look at the end of the quest, more Unbound members look up to Apyaahi, viewing her as a symbol of revolution, the fires of which won't die, as they have their secret conversation in broad daylight at a busy restaurant.

Though to be fair most wouldn't get it, they would need to have a 300 IQ to understand such subtlety and have a master's degree in the effects of various histories about revolutions over the many centurys. It is questlines only meant for intellectuals. Especially with the humor that would fly over most peoples heads.

[Zelda206]

Dawntrail has been THE expansion so far to have a victim card for just about every protagonist AND antagonist, and the WoL has the least sense of direction.
ARR to EW made some manner of sense and had good flow, but DT has single-handedly been some of the worst storytelling in the history of Final Fantasy games period, including side-branches like the tactics games, and that's not to say it's been borderline insulting to the players. You have to wonder who's making these calls and why. Who snapped?

[ovIm]

Yeah we should of just let Ellerete and Kokonowa poison everyones drinking water, have uncontrollable laughter, and spike the food.
And We should also let Leophyne just cause ishgard's people just fall asleep, suffer corporal punishments, put guards in compromising positions, and die.
But also letting Virazahn holding the radz-at-han civilians hostage and putting innocent in danger and injuring them, all so so he can fulfill his dreams as a hero.
And Chalteaufite who only wanted to mobilize a bunch of armed thugs to pressgang ala mhigans while using armored tanks in a way to cause property damage.
And who could forget dear old Samidare who only wanted to impersonate people, make people angry, people getting into physical altercations.
Not to mention how Apyaahi wanted a bunch of riled up mercenaries, create an army of fungus-made beasts, and perform an insurrection attempt upon that Tuiloyallal.

Well, no one is really arguing in favor of Apyaahis commanders - they were self serving egoistical assholes that did harm their surroundings. Capturing them and preventing their schemes was still very much in character and aligned with the morals of the world.

With Apyaahi, its a bit different - we start up by learning more about her, in her case actually relatable, issues. Nothing about wanting people to laugh to death, or sew chaos. No, she simply did want to be master of her own fate.
The writers then decided to employ a very haphazard way of justifying the protagonist antagonize her, by making the wronged party do something so absolutely absurd and destructive that not stopping them is the wrong thing to do. I've read a good comparison somewhere, where in one of the marvel series a group of humans had their homes seized, so in retaliation they blew up a hospital. Thats the kind of hamfisted approach here that just feels wrong, especially considering that the WoL, who is usually championing for allied societies and those down on their luck, is suddenly devoid of any empathy.

There would have been better ways of handling that scenario, surely. No, instead we get a laugh track haha so funny.

[Chasingstars]

Well, no one is really arguing in favor of Apyaahis commanders - they were self serving egoistical assholes that did harm their surroundings. Capturing them and preventing their schemes was still very much in character and aligned with the morals of the world.

You mean like Apyaahi herself? After all her entire thing is she doesn't want to engage with a money-based society, doesn't want to pay for room and board, doesn't want to pay for food and drink, feels the only way to pay for a service should be by labor. And the only thing she learned in the end was:

After all, dear leader should run for office, and change those pesky laws, don't you agree?

[ovIm]

You mean like Apyaahi herself? After all her entire thing is she doesn't want to engage with a money-based society, doesn't want to pay for room and board, doesn't want to pay for food and drink, feels the only way to pay for a service should be by labor. And the only thing she learned in the end was:

After all, dear leader should run for office, and change those pesky laws, don't you agree?

Yes, you are precisely proving the point i am trying to make - why do we have a group of villains doing villain stuff, and suddenly there is someone with relatable (and fixable, mind you) issues who then gets written to say and believe asinine things like that?