Thread: FFXIV ARR Plot questions and comments (pre 3.0)    

Didn't find a thread specifically for the plot, so I'm starting a new one.
On Friday I returned after a 6+ months break to tie up the loose ends and complete the ARR Storyline (I stopped at 2.4).
After some healthy discussions with friends I was curious to see what's the general consensus about ARR plot and how they wrapped everything up at the end?

Personally there are more than a couple of things where I was positively surprised, it really made me think "wow, they really scripted this part well!" but I don't want to discuss much about those parts. I'm more interested about those that for some reason left me with some doubts, unconvinced, or maybe just a slight sour taste in my mouth.

1) Midgardsormrr and the Blessing of Light

Spoiler: show

Why does Midgardsormrr remove the Blessing of Light from our character? From the original JP text I get that he's "trying to help us" because the gift is too weak now and hence useless. I mean... ok. It's useless. But even if it's useless, if it doesn't give me any negative thing, why remove it? I understand the purpose of this choice in the script-writer's mind. He wanted to undo the main character semi-invulnerability, to remove that annoying deus ex machina, and that Midcardsormrr part was just there to emphasize on that. To make the character look more vulnerable and hence add some spice to the future plot. I absolutely agree with this purpose, but despite their efforts the final result seemed a bit hasty and not very well contextualized... it felt slightly rushed and coming out of nowhere. (maybe it would've been better if in past cut-scenes we already had several other "hints" of our Blessing growing weak, and then Midgardsormrr gave a better explanation? But this way it felt... I dunno, rushed, contrived)

2) GC Leaders Reactions concerning Steps of Faith

Spoiler: show

I found the reaction of the 3 GC leaders when Alphinaud asks for help very, I dunno, strange. Once again I get what the script-writer was trying to do. Spice up thing, make it less obvious, make the outcome less obvious, emphasize the fact that the character's role was under the spotlight to solve that messy situation at the Steps of Faith. It's all good. But the way the script-writer achieved this very agreeable end, felt once again very contrived to me. I mean wtf? After all you've been through it's 1.0 pre-GC once again? Where magically everybody emphasize how their loyalty is only for their country? And what is gonna happen to your wonderful country if Ishgard were to fall? Helping them was in their own countries' best interest. And then Alphinaud even apologizes to them. Apologize about what exactely? He was bloody right in getting angry lol. And then, even more strange, during the dinner party, Aymeric thanks the 3 GC leaders for sending help during the Steps of Faith fight. Ehr... wtf? They did not? And they all answer "it's np buddy, glad you liked our help". Uh... Okay.

3) Dinner Party Plot Twists

Spoiler: show

The following part is a huge series of plot-twist. The Illberd one strucked me. I would've liked a bit more emphasis on that, but in the end it's ok. In hindsight I think this one is a plot-twist they tried to plant seeds for before. I already had a hunch something was off from the previous cut-scenes with him. Could've been better maybe, but overall good job. Not sure Nanamo's death was necessary, but it was a cool part. I'd have something to say about Moenbryda as well, why letting such a relatively new introduced character die so fast? But then again, I guess it did serve a purpose so it's ok. The following part kinda annoyed me instead. The Hero stays silent while he gets accused. He could've talked in front of all the people, fought back, pointed the finger at the girl. Sure maybe someone wouldn't have believed him, but a discussion would've started. We're talking about the hero of light, the scions of dawn, the "saviours" of the previous era. Everybody (almost) stay silent as they get accused as if all the plentiful deeds they did until then were nothing. I mean, that was a very very very cheap overlooked part on the script-writer. Or at least it felt that way to me.

4) The Group gets slowly left behind to let others escape

Spoiler: show

The last part is where there's the group of the hero and his friends, and they slowly get left behind to stop the enemies in pretty stupid and contrived ways, usually sacrifical ones, to let the others escape. In the end they all die (or SEEM to be dead! Plot Twist for next part of the scenario!) but the hero is safe.
I mean... I don't want to question wether or not this part was necessary. The goal the script-writer probably had in mind was that to leave some important characters off screen for the next part of the plot, so he could focus on new/other characters. It's understandable and I agree with this choice somehow. Yet I've seen things like this happen so, so, so, so, so many times in Movies, Animes, Mangas... maybe it's because of the fact that I'm old and that Iv'e seen so many things that I kinda became more demanding, it's now harder to surprise me or satisfy me, but it all felt very boring and cheap to me.

So all in all I dunno how I feel about it, I need more time to "digest" everything.
I can't say I'm completely disappointed, some parts were unexpectedly cool.
Many others though felt really cheap and contrived, and what make it worse is that it wouldn't have taken THAT MUCH of an effort to make them feel perfectly fine, they just didn't want/care, or maybe it's my fault for being too demanding or too anally obsessed with small details that most other people don't even notice.

What's everybody else's opinion on all of this?

i always always hate how the GC leaders react to you. the things you've done for them you should own those towns. i'm used to my character being a dumb idiot so that part is okay.

the Escape and not fighting is really bad. instead of Steps or in addition to Steps, i would've liked the presentation a lot better if they made a dungeon to fight your way out of and after each boss you would lose more Scions (though this would drive the cutscene skipping crowd nuts). i guess to counter that you can start the dungeon being split from Yda and Papa and just after the final boss you split from Thancred + Y'Shtola. i do like the overall concept of getting rid of them for the HW story but Minfilia's reason to stay behind is the dumbest of all, wtf. having a dungeon there would've gone over a lot better with me.

also the Yugiri reveal was seriously underwhelming. i would have done Cid + Tataru, Pipin + Alphinaud and Yugiri would come get you. the dungeon boss (Ilberd?) would've played out like get the boss to 10%, he jumps away and you get swarmed as you pass out you see Yugiri drag you away as her mask comes off.

those were my basic thoughts before HW came out.

Spoiler: show

The impression I had when Middy removed the blessing of light was that it was about to become a liability of some sort, something something Echo and Ascians, but as to what made me think that I can't recall this long after having gone through the story.

To date it doesn't seem like that's really come about, although I've only started the 3.0 story.

Elidibus (patch 2.3?) seems to hint there's a connection between being blessed with the Echo and becoming an Ascian, but dunno, he never says anything else since then.
Thing is, if Midgardsormr had such a serious reason (which might as well be the case) why the fuck do you treat such an important point of the plot in such a light way? >.>


@layoneil
Yeah I guess Yugiri being presented that way felt a bit anticlimatic... rushed. But then again I didn't judge it a key part of the plot so I didn't really care regardless.
Speaking of the escape thing, I dunno. I think it's the "let's stay behind one by one" thing that it's very very clichè. If the script-writer wanted to put those characters out of the stage, he had more than enough time to create a more original/believable situation instead that resorting to such cheap methods we've seen so many other times, no? That's my main point, rather than the "interactivity" of it.