Evercold MSQ Party

[Turtledeluxe]

The day they'll realize that keeping the Scions sucking all the air and leaving crumbs for secondary new characters is literally part of their formulaic design that makes everything feel stale over time...

Huh? When did this happen in DT? If anything Scions sucking up air may have done some good. I liked Iceheart. I did not need her to talk for 3000 lines. In fact I would argue this never happened in Heavensward either. Its 100000% carried by xpac characters.

[DiaDeem]

Me, my daughters Ryne and Gaia, Gaius, Jullus, and John G'raha.

I'd bring the twins but I refuse to do so until they go through a time warp and become adults taller than me. Also, Estinien can show up here and there if he wants because he's cool like that.

Everyone else can stay with Tataru and play TETRIS on their tomestone or something.

[Khryseis_Astra]

I love the Scions and don't necessarily want them benched but I'd like them to be plot-relevant when they appear, and more importantly, in-character.

This. My criticism with the Scions in DT was not that they were there. They’re my friends, I want them there! But there were many places where they felt “not themselves,” and their writing fell flat.

The trailer shows Alphy and Estinien so those two are probably a given. Not sure Alisae would allow herself to be benched if Alphy is going! lol which is fine with me. I have missed Thancred and Urianger lately though. And I really hope poor Krile isn’t just going back to Sharlayan forever.

[JohnLakeside]

I don’t understand the love for Graha! All that dude does is glaze us! That is NOT a true bro behavior. Can someone please explain?!?

[Vrankyl]

I don’t understand the love for Graha! All that dude does is glaze us! That is NOT a true bro behavior. Can someone please explain?!?

Don't worry I don't get it either. I wish they would have let him die in ShB instead of giving him a mcguffin escape back to life just to become the ultimate fanboi simp that is just so exhaustingly over done.

[Brynne]

I don’t understand the love for Graha! All that dude does is glaze us! That is NOT a true bro behavior. Can someone please explain?!?

Are you really curious or do you just want to argue with the reasons? Everyone has different tastes in characters - I'm happy to respect your opinion if you respect mine.

[TheGrimace]

It's time for Ryne, Gaia, Ciella/Cylva, and Unukalhai to enter the scene. Let them play a part going forward.

For the Scions, it seems Estinien and Alphinaud are guaranteed, given the previews. I would also want G'raha Tia. Krile would be nice to receive more plot relevance.

I'm kinda cool having less of the others. I really want to team up with denizens of the actual shard, with only a few scions playing a role. We need fresh faces that can have room to grow.

I adore the Scions, but we can't have them around all the time. It's stifling.

[Espon]

I've always viewed the Scions as your party members in a typical RPG, and FF14 is a heavily story-focused MMORPG. They're my trusted friends that have helped me out through thick and thin and would be the first ones I'd turn to whenever I need help. To unceremoniously kill them off and replace them with new characters just doesn't feel right, in my opinion. I'd be a pretty terrible main character if I just let my friends all die off. And yes, there are people that play this game wishing for death for the Scions. I remember back in ShB seeing a few people that wished Thancred died after his fight against Ranjit, and in EW some were upset that they didn't all pointlessly die in Ultima Thule. I get people being annoyed about the fake-out, but some people were outright angry that they didn't actually die.

They need to be relevant though... DT basically sidelined most of them and put too much focus on Wuk Lamat and Sphene, especially for parts of the story where they're no longer relevant. The Scions themselves were just kinda there in the background to help fill up spots in Duty Support.

Now don't get me wrong, I don't mind if the Scions take a short break once in a while, but I wouldn't want to see them become completely irrelevant for all future storylines and replaced with a rotating cast of new characters for every new expansion going forward.

[TheMightyMollusk]

Out of the Scions, Estinien and Alphinaud are a given from the trailer. I'd love to see some of the secondary crew like Hoary Boulder get a chance to step up. They gave him a voice actor, let him get some mileage!

But, like others have said, only if the Scions actually get to DO THINGS, instead of just being hangers-on.

[StriderShinryu]

I've always viewed the Scions as your party members in a typical RPG, and FF14 is a heavily story-focused MMORPG. They're my trusted friends that have helped me out through thick and thin and would be the first ones I'd turn to whenever I need help. To unceremoniously kill them off and replace them with new characters just doesn't feel right, in my opinion. I'd be a pretty terrible main character if I just let my friends all die off. And yes, there are people that play this game wishing for death for the Scions. I remember back in ShB seeing a few people that wished Thancred died after his fight against Ranjit, and in EW some were upset that they didn't all pointlessly die in Ultima Thule. I get people being annoyed about the fake-out, but some people were outright angry that they didn't actually die.

They need to be relevant though... DT basically sidelined most of them and put too much focus on Wuk Lamat and Sphene, especially for parts of the story where they're no longer relevant. The Scions themselves were just kinda there in the background to help fill up spots in Duty Support.

Now don't get me wrong, I don't mind if the Scions take a short break once in a while, but I wouldn't want to see them become completely irrelevant for all future storylines and replaced with a rotating cast of new characters for every new expansion going forward.

I don't think anyone is saying that they need to be killed off (though, to be fair, it would be nice if they didn't all have such obvious plot armour and multiple "shoulda died but didn'ts" between them). They could be rerouted to different narrative purposes. They could essentially be retired (or at least noticeably sidelined) when their personal storyline has come to a close. They can be given lives outside of just being a WoL Tag Along whose life only actually moves forward in time when in proximity to the WoL. Just give them something to do outside of being a Party Member.. and, yes, allow that to open the space for more characters both new and old. I do agree, though, that given the reputation Wuk ended up with (deserving or not), I imagine they're probably reluctant to hang major story events on another new side character again and could see them actively retreating to the Scion Closet for the time being.