This whole thing about teleportation

[Etheos]

I got to thinking about this and the "Echo" ability came to me. Most people already believe that we are teleported to the future and that makes a ton of sense.

How else would they tie in our echo ability? We are going to have to look back on the events that just happened.

[Inaaca]

That's a pretty interesting though. Using the Echo to discover what happened in the years you missed could be an interesting storytelling device in ARR.

[eagleone]

or the echo, is a poors man's mobile.... and it will be forgotten

[Rhomagus]

The echo seems like a plot device that screams, "I don't want to worry about continuity issues ever so I'll create a catch all that can explain anything anytime I make a new scenario that directly contradicts a characters innate psychology or overarching events."

It will be tastefully pulled off if it is used sparingly only to show us what happened in the last five years.

It will be distasteful if they use it to turn a heroic ally into a secret villain.

I don't mind the echo if it's referenced sparingly but it seems like in XIV 1.0 they used it to purposefully tell you backstory that could have been told to you otherwise.

[Etheos]

I think throwing the Echo into the main storyline would be a great idea. I could answer a lot of questions about what happened to Cid, the GC leaders, Louis, etc. Could also be used as a way to explain our history to new adventurers who may not fully understand what happened to us on the "R0 Battlefield".

[Punainen]

That's a pretty interesting though. Using the Echo to discover what happened in the years you missed could be an interesting storytelling device in ARR.

This. I would love that. Very cool.

[Jacien]

I could never understand why people were against the Echo in this game's lore.

A great feature from it is how it auto-translates any language into your own. Especially from beastmen. And quantum-leaping into the past is always a treat.

[Arcell]

Echo is alright but, at least in Limsa's story, it made things incredibly confusing in the beginning. Things make absolutely no sense until they tell you all about the ability and then you've got constant switching back and forth between using it and not using it. It was just handled really poorly and I kind of hope they drop it.

[Rhomagus]

I could never understand why people were against the Echo in this game's lore.

A great feature from it is how it auto-translates any language into your own. Especially from beastmen. And quantum-leaping into the past is always a treat.

Mainly because it's too easy. It's similar to if you watch an entire complicated story take place that doesn't follow it's own rules but in the end the main character wakes up and says, "It was all just a dream".

The echo could be seen as a cop out in this instance depending on how it is used. Fleshing out backstory I personally think is fine. The main problem I have with it in XIV so far is it's not used to any reliable effect and when you do use it, it's only for explanation.

It would be great if we could actually do missions or quests while under the effect of the echo. So far it's only to explain things that happened in the recent past, and even then you don't get to play in it, you just get to watch it.

As of right now it doesn't really seem like a central point and maybe it just needs to be fleshed out a little more. We all seem to have a power, that we can use on command (but we as players can't) and characters in the world only use it when it is convenient for the storyline.

Why don't we use it when in the presence of Gaius Van Baelsar? Why don't we use it when in the presence of Cid Garlond? Why don't we use it when in the presence of the GC leaders?

The story will purposefully create scenarios as carrots on a stick to guide you through the plot (this is a good thing). With the echo, it pretty much negates the necessity of it all. There are no mysteries in regards to a characters motivations. When I can just go into the past and see something I'm not supposed to see they can't really hold sway over me.

It's also shoddily explained and implemented. Some characters notice you, some characters don't. Yet everyone in the "Path of the Twelve" has the gift?

It's central to the main plot and characters routinely ask us to just "use it" but we never use it in the actual game, only during cutscenes.

Again, it could be a plot device that could be tastefully implemented and maybe it just needs some more time to ripen. It seems the story kind of had to take a back burner for ARR so maybe we'll see a more concerted effort after ARR is released but as it is right now, the game would be just as fun and the world just as engaging if we didn't have the echo.

Tons of potential though.

[Fatestorm]

It's also unclear to me what the Echo actually is and does. In some cutscenes, it's just like you *view* the past, and the character you're Echo'ing into doesn't realize you have seen their past. In other cutscenes, you view the past, but the character is somehow aware that you're looking into their past. In other cutscenes, it's like you are *actually transported* into the past, to aid or help or something.

Frankly, I don't know what to make of all this, and while I think it has the potential to be cool, it always came off as a storytelling MacGuffin to me.