Story Telling Styles

[Virtuso]

Disclaimer: Potential spoilers for Grand Company quest line.

So, I just got back after month ago, started up GC storyline from the beginning and just finished. Is it just me or is it dramatically different from the main story line and just about every storyline back in XI?

I remember Yoshi-P saying recently that they still have the same main writer from XI through XIV but that now he's working with her closely to develop the story.

From: www.rpgsite.net/interviews/397-final-fantasy-xiv-a-realm-reborn-developer-interview

Yaeko Sato (FINAL FANTASY XI, FINAL FANTASY XII) will continue her role as lead writer. I, personally, will also be involved in working on the plot. In addition, we have introduced a talented new Scenario Director, but you’ll have to wait a little longer for more information regarding him at the moment. Him!? I’ve already said too much…

It feels like now, the storyline under Yoshi-P's direction puts a lot more emphasis on the player being more critically important as the main character. Where else before in XI and XIV's main quest line the emphasis was always on the npc's. While the player was just some random person in the background who happened to get stuck at the wrong place at the wrong time and talked into doing all the dirty work/fighting so the NPC's can go enjoy the cut scene's spot light for the bulk of the time.

I thought before that style of being some nobody couldn't be helped being an MMO and our characters are silent. But the GC storyline turned that around extremely well. Through out it's story I felt unique and important. And the ending made me feel like I was some great hero. That the day couldn't be saved without me and that spot light shined like a thousand suns straight down on me the whole time.

Despite completing most of XI's story lines, XIV's GC quest felt like the first time in a FF MMO I was a real main character/hero of the story like Cloud in VII or Squall in VIII. That finale in "To kill a raven" was especially rewarding.

So I wanted to ask people here who finished it as well if they got the same feeling? If they noticed the same differences between Yoshi-P's style vs Tanaka's? I remember hearing on the boards that Yoshi-P was a big fan of Skyrim and the GC quests do feel much more similar to that then anything I've ever experienced in XI or XIV's main quests. Specifically referring to how the story lines pay more attention on the player vs the npc's.

[Rau]

I love it. I made a thread a while back about how it was stupid that we'd be a level 36 MRD, somewhat hardened, and still get our ass kicked by some nameless grunt from the MRD guild, or how at level 46, we could solo Dodore on THM, but still get our ass handed to us by Darnus.

I didn't feel any sense of progression, because we'd always be like "loltooweak"

[elreed]

Yeah i felt the same, the story now feels more rewarding to us, i hope they keep this kind of emphasis, one thing this game lacked was the sense of achievement

[rina_inverse]

We roleplaying
We have to be the hero

ps: yes, it was an awesome experience. totally Once in a Lifetime

[Orophin]

I feel the same as you OP. While the earlier quests such as the main scenario and the class quests mostly centered around the NPCs involved, the Seventh Umbral/GC quests made me feel like I was actually someone important after a point. As you were rising through the ranks you were just a grunt being instructed to go perform certain tasks, and from a military perspective, this is rightfully so.

Once you get up to the Sgt. ranks, you actually get audiences with your GC leader and are personally asked to undertake critical missions. With the ending of the GC storyline, you actually have all the important NPCs gathered and cheering for you for all your efforts. I actually felt like my character was someone important and central to the plot and not some bystander helping out some other person.

I hope Yoshida can continue to keep that kind of emphasis on us as the players being someone important through the storyline.

[AlexNiculaie]

I'd have to agree. It's the one thing that always irked me with XI; no matter what you did, it seemed everyone was always surprised to see you there. The stories got better after TOAU, but the mainline XIV quest started it back up again. So glad they seem to have gotten it through their heads that players want to be the hero.

[Allistar]

I actually prefer to be part of a recognized group of heroes as opposed to 'the' hero...I mean its kinda hard to believe that in this world I'm the only person who got up and decided to do something about all the evil thats going on...and the fact that their are other players doing the same things I'm doing should be acknowledged. Its all well and good to be the hero...but I refuse to accept that I am the only one. Besides that the storylines have been really great.

[Ruisu]

At first I hated all of the emphasis on you during the main questline.

And then I downed Nael. I fucking deserved to be the hero, and I got what I wanted. I want them to give us more punishing main quest battles, and in reward, they say you're the hero. Not some NPC, you.

[DrJackal]

while i liked being the hero , i felt sometimes they relied on me too much
for example in "to kill a raven" GC leaders asked me to go and fight him while they all waited for me in Gridania
usually in most RPGs if there was ultra strong NPC they given mission like clearing the way for the hero or exposing final boss weakness before the hero finish him off.
here : today might be doomsday but we will wait for you here ,your the man /cheer

[kazaran]

Yoshi made a difference and it helped it come together. Hope it grows to better storeis, CS's and battle in 2.0.