Synodic Scribe's "The Steady Change in Writing..." Video

[Zackneifein]

There are all sorts of reasons you could come up with to answer that, in the same way you came up with justifications for the other expansions.

It sounds like you're using "agency" in an idiosyncratic way. I'll be honest, it doesn't make much sense to me - you feel there's plenty of player agency in stories where the player character is the only one who can do a certain thing and therefore is compelled to do it? Surely that's when the player would feel the least agency then.

At the end of the day I just don't think player agency is a worthwhile metric of quality. It's like talking about the redness of an apple

Wuk Lamat isn't our friend. She is barely someone we know. The current situation of Tural is unknown to us but nothing is said about it being problematic or dangerous for the World. That's why they planted another agency for the WoL: adventure and all the marketing was about that (so much that until the very end, Wuk Lamat was absent from it).
I was hyped for that, and until lvl 91 I was waiting for it, as the WoL could be. But at the end there was nothing about adventure and that's what I'm criticizing here. The only reason for us to go to Tural fell flat.

You don't seem to care that the WoL have a role in the story, I do. That's why I prefer MMORPG like GW2 or SWTOR to WoW or DAoC.

That may be the difference between us. Once again, ARR couldn't have been resolved without the WoL.

Same for Heavensward, same for Stormblood, same for Shadowbringers and Endwalker. It doesn't mean the WoL do everything, it doesn't mean the focus is always on the WoL but the WoL matter.
Dawntrail could have been exactly the same with any elite adventurer replacing the WoL and the WoL had no reason to take Wuk Lamat side. The WoL is narratively just a bodyguard (or a cheerleader) and technically a cameraman.

And to be clear, agency doesn't mean "always a stronger baddies", even without making the WoL weaker, there is many way to render the WoL powerless or near powerless, mainly because the WoL isn't Zenos and isn't some kind of dictator that would just murder everyone on sight. Politics and facing army always was the WoL weakness, who excel in 1v1 (or 8v1).

[Exmo]

Dawntrail could have been exactly the same with any elite adventurer replacing the WoL and the WoL had no reason to take Wuk Lamat side. The WoL is narratively just a bodyguard (or a cheerleader) and technically a cameraman.

Again, this is true of all the expansions.

[Zackneifein]

Again, this is true of all the expansions.

Can you explain me how ?

Anyone but the WoL die against Ultima Arma since it's defeat is only allowed due to the collection of cristal the WoL recovered.
There isn't any adventurer, even with the Benediction of Light or Echo, strong enough to defeat Thordan. And narratively there isn't a reason for an adventurer to concern themself for Ishgard fate after Ishgard being secluded for so long.
Nobody can stand against Zenos but the WoL.
Nobody could have defeated the Lightwarden and contain the Light but the WoL. Like Graha said himself "Why you ? Why not you ? Had I chosen another, we would never have made it this far". Not even talking about the fact that the "hero" of the First is the WoL shard.
The WoL is in the "time loop" of Elpis with Venat.

Just saying "lol no" to everything I said without more explanation isn't very relevant. You can delude yourself as much as you want but it's a fact that never the WoL has so much NOT mattered in the story than in Dawntrail, even at it's lowest point. The WoL even matter more in Hildibrand story than in Wuk Lamat story.

[Exmo]

Can you explain me how ?

Anyone but the WoL die against Ultima Arma since it's defeat is only allowed due to the collection of cristal the WoL recovered.
There isn't any adventurer, even with the Benediction of Light or Echo, strong enough to defeat Thordan. And narratively there isn't a reason for an adventurer to concern themself for Ishgard fate after Ishgard being secluded for so long.
Nobody can stand against Zenos but the WoL.
Nobody could have defeated the Lightwarden and contain the Light but the WoL. Like Graha said himself "Why you ? Why not you ? Had I chosen another, we would never have made it this far". Not even talking about the fact that the "hero" of the First is the WoL shard.
The WoL is in the "time loop" of Elpis with Venat.

All of this amounts to "right place, right time". We never made some pivotal decision that landed us there. We were always just going with the flow and doing what we were told to do. This is the opposite of what player agency describes.

In ShB and EW the game leans into the WoL as this "chosen one" by virtue of being a shard of Azem. But again, this has nothing to do with player agency.

The WoL even matter more in Hildibrand story than in Wuk Lamat story.

O_o

Nah.

[Zackneifein]

All of this amounts to "right place, right time". We never made some pivotal decision that landed us there. We were always just going with the flow and doing what we were told to do. This is the opposite of what player agency describes.

Character agency isn't just about making decision, even more in a RPG game with a linear story. It's also either being the key for the story to progress (that's why Zero have a lot of agency during 6.x) or that it's logical for the character to do what it do. There isn't any of that in Dawntrail, while it's present for any story before.

"Lore wise", the WoL isn't going with the flow during Heavensward. They are doing what they do because they want to, to repay House Fortemps kindness, same for Stormblood, the war is inevitable, this make no sense for the WoL not to take part (even more when you think that due to the Griffin, the WoL may think themself part responsible).
After realising that only they could beat Zenos, they become the key element of the story, without the WoL, there isn't any way for the story to progress in any positive way.
Won't even start with Shadowbringer and Endwalker.

And Heavensward isn't a "right place, right time". The war was supposed to be an "eternal suffering" for Ishgardian, it's the WoL and it's companion that created the situation for peace and the fall of Niddhog.

To be more clear : even if it's a game where we make no decision by design, narratively the WoL isn't a pushover... until Dawntrail.

[Exmo]

...

Everything I'm saying is falling on deaf ears. Let's just agree to disagree.