Stormblood MSQ Discussion (THERE ARE SPOILERS IN HERE)

[Kazgrel]

I think they've been kind of heavy-handed with the 'loyal Garleans cannot be sympathetic' thing ever since Yoshi got butthurt players were sympathizing with van Baelsar. Unless they're throwaways who will die.

Rather hilarious seeing that they (once again) cast a positive light on van Baelsar with this recent series of MSQs.

[Faroth]

I think people may be jumping to conclusions on Zenos being alive. We still have the mystery of the Ascian taking his mask off and the Emperor's "How dare you!?" response to unravel.

I'm still thinking the Ascian took his appearance or took his body itself. Though one would think the Resistance would note if his body up and disappeared.

[lawow74]

The 'Zenos is alive' ruse from the Ascians (if that's not what it is I'll be surprised) is pretty smart. On the one hand it can't be denied cos making that show of 'see? the savages will say anything to save face!' has a lot of propaganda value, and on the other hand it gives them the perfect tool with which to sow dissent and chaos in the midst of the Garleans anytime they wanna detonate that 'civil war/uprising' bomb or any of a thousand other schemes they can set in motion with that face to mask them.

[Graeham]

I’m almost wondering if anyone of super significance will end up dead (and staying dead) during this xpac. Almost seems like they took any sort of complaints about how 3.0 boredered on being Game of Thrones with folks dying at every other turn to heart so no everyone equipped plot armor.

I've always found that complaint to be bizarre. Back in 3.0, only two major protagonists died - Haurchefant and Ysayle. That's nowhere near the same amount of death as can be found in the typical Game of Thrones season/book.

The lack of meaningful death is far worse as it just makes the stakes feel like they're not very high at all.

- - - Updated - - -

I think they've been kind of heavy-handed with the 'loyal Garleans cannot be sympathetic' thing ever since Yoshi got butthurt players were sympathizing with van Baelsar. Unless they're throwaways who will die.

Mm.

I'll be honest, I've grown to dislike Yoshi-P in some ways. He needs to understand that a lot of people sympathise with Garleans like Gaius because they sympathised with characters such as Gabranth, Beatrix and Seifer in past Final Fantasy games. Those people (myself included) are invested in the franchise for those sorts of characters - and we're never going to give a damn about dull, awfully written characters such as Lyse and Minfillia.

As for other ways in which he is out of touch with the playerbase...

He was 'surprised' that people were clamouring for an Ishgardian housing district. Almost everybody I met and got to know during Heavensward wanted to own a house in Ishgard.

His dismissive attitude towards the disparity between male and female glamour options is also irritating, especially when he's quick in interviews to point out how much he likes 'cute gurls xDDDD'. He's a middle aged man - that sort of obsession is just plain creepy, especially when his main is a female lalafell.

- - - Updated - - -

There was also that weird outburst of his a year or so ago where he lost his cool on camera and told his staff to go kill themselves. Which, in Japanese culture, is one of the most offensive things anybody can say.

[Faroth]

There was also that weird outburst of his a year or so ago where he lost his cool on camera and told his staff to go kill themselves. Which, in Japanese culture, is one of the most offensive things anybody can say.

Wh-what? I don't remember seeing a peep of this ever. o.o

[Bullettime]

Wh-what? I don't remember seeing a peep of this ever. o.o

Last year at the news year's countdown event.

[Graeham]

Wh-what? I don't remember seeing a peep of this ever. o.o

I tried to find some of the news articles about it, but a Google search doesn't turn up anything. It was about two years ago, Yoshi-P was meant to do a meet and greet with players somewhere but his team failed to communicate where and when it would be so nobody showed up. So he basically found himself embarrassed during an official stream.

It didn't gain much backlash, though, likely due to the personality cult surrounding him and the lack of any official recognition that it actually happened. So there was no apology given and seemingly the articles about it have since been taken down. So, uh, take it with a pinch of salt I guess.

- - - Updated - - -

Oh, I found a Reddit thread on it:

https://www.reddit.com/r/ffxiv/comme...d_himself_and/

[lawow74]

He's a middle aged man - that sort of obsession is just plain creepy, especially when his main is a female lalafell.

Correction: He's a middle-aged Japanese man. Which I know, there's just as many creepy middle-aged men in all ethnicities, but it's such a trope with the Japanese, I can't help but push the button.

[Faroth]

I tried to find some of the news articles about it, but a Google search doesn't turn up anything. It was about two years ago, Yoshi-P was meant to do a meet and greet with players somewhere but his team failed to communicate where and when it would be so nobody showed up. So he basically found himself embarrassed during an official stream.

It didn't gain much backlash, though, likely due to the personality cult surrounding him and the lack of any official recognition that it actually happened. So there was no apology given and seemingly the articles about it have since been taken down. So, uh, take it with a pinch of salt I guess.

- - - Updated - - -

Oh, I found a Reddit thread on it:

https://www.reddit.com/r/ffxiv/comme...d_himself_and/

Eh... maybe I'm in the cult then, but that doesn't seem like he's raging or blowing up. Comments seem to translate he explained it was supposed to be on Chocobo and apparently he wasn't on Chocobo (though players had gathered on Chocobo), then yelling "where did my order go?!". With way the others are laughing and egging him on and he goes from "angry Yoshi-Primal yelling face" to grinning or laughing himself (seriously, he grins and laughs immediately after one of his angry yells - like he knows it's ridiculous), he seems like he's rolling with it and making the best of the situation.

Even later when people did start showing up, he's leaning forward and squinting asking "what world is this even?!" and making the others laugh (followed by him smiling and laughing again as well).

I'm sure it was an uncomfortable meeting afterwards, but I just don't see it being losing his temper so much as playing it up. As to saying the staff should all die, if it's the most offensive thing one can say, the others sure are laughing about it a lot. Not just the polite laugh, either. I'm seeing split interpretations of just how offensive that is. I'll ask my coworker for input. He lived in Japan for years and his wife is Japanese, so he can probably give me some input.

It just seems like the persona they've played up at Fan Fests at times to me and he's using it to save face, but again, I dunno, maybe I'm in said cult.

[StrawberryZebra]

Finally got around to finishing it. Feels more like they're setting up the story for later which makes sense from a story telling perspective, however it leaves the content of this patch feeling very threadbare.

Also they really need to let Hien's voice actor say his lines in a recording studio rather than the bathroom. Every time he says "Doma" he sounds like he's having an accident in his trousers and "Gosetsu" makes him sound like he's constipated. I think we should ask everyone to chip in a bit and get some decent working conditions for the poor man.

I’m almost wondering if anyone of super significance will end up dead (and staying dead) during this xpac. Almost seems like they took any sort of complaints about how 3.0 boredered on being Game of Thrones with folks dying at every other turn to heart so no everyone equipped plot armor.

I will let them kill as many people as they have to as long as Tataru is one of them!

[dope_danny]

I think people may be jumping to conclusions on Zenos being alive. We still have the mystery of the Ascian taking his mask off and the Emperor's "How dare you!?" response to unravel.

I'm still thinking the Ascian took his appearance or took his body itself. Though one would think the Resistance would note if his body up and disappeared.

I think that under the mask is Gaius Van Bealsar. Remember the old jrpg rule: if you never see the body...

[Stormwolf64]

The story has become a piece of shit tbh. Redeeming every villainous cunt, and resurrecting Zenos who should stay dead. Man SE is truly shitting on their own story. Its hard to take it serious at this point.

[Faroth]

The story has become a piece of shit tbh. Redeeming every villainous cunt, and resurrecting Zenos who should stay dead. Man SE is truly shitting on their own story. Its hard to take it serious at this point.

We've got one single villain redemption story set up at the moment..... that's it.

I'm still waiting on the Zenos explanation. It could go either way depending on if it's WoW-ish "just a set back" vs what we've seen being bait & switch.

[StrawberryZebra]

We've got one single villain redemption story set up at the moment..... that's it.

I'm still waiting on the Zenos explanation. It could go either way depending on if it's WoW-ish "just a set back" vs what we've seen being bait & switch.

Pretty sure Zenos ended up slitting his own throat. That's the kind of injury you don't just walk off when it happens in a cutscene right infront of all the protagonists. It's one of the few times where we definately saw the body, along with having an Ascian confirm that he was dead to Zenos' own father.

So naturally it's the real Zenos and he's alive and well thanks to Deus Ex Machina doing whatever it was he did with Krile.

While we're at it, I'm going out on a limb and saying that "Dango" was Yotsuyu's code word for if/when the shit hit the fan. She's certainly the type to have backup plans just in case.

[Deleted]

The story has become a piece of shit tbh. Redeeming every villainous cunt, and resurrecting Zenos who should stay dead. Man SE is truly shitting on their own story. Its hard to take it serious at this point.

i agree.
it looks like SE are doing a blizzard & resurrecting old bosses.
i'll be pissed off if zenos comes back.

[Stormwolf64]

We've got one single villain redemption story set up at the moment..... that's it.

I'm still waiting on the Zenos explanation. It could go either way depending on if it's WoW-ish "just a set back" vs what we've seen being bait & switch.

I dont recall the namrs, but the red haired traitor will walk away scott free in a few patches, as will the black haired amnesia case. They should both be locked away with the key tossed in a dark pit, but i guess thats no way to treat a woman? Or something?

[La]

All that "If change has to happen it has to happen within" and that ending? Perfect foreshadowing considering the respect Zenos has for the WoL and how, even the Warrior of Light seems to have some sort of mutual feeling towards him

Idk how you come back from his death but w/e

[Faroth]

I dont recall the namrs, but the red haired traitor will walk away scott free in a few patches, as will the black haired amnesia case. They should both be locked away with the key tossed in a dark pit, but i guess thats no way to treat a woman? Or something?

Fordola. The one lone, single, sole established redemption arc of a villain in all of FFXIV to date......

But cool. While we're here, what are the last set of bosses in Sigmascape since you know the entirety of how Stormblood plays out?

[lawow74]

I'm fairly certain Yotsuyu's not going to get better than a sacrificial redemption, it fits in with her background of 'abused victim turned abusing victimizer' to escape the horrors of her life. Fordola is a person with the right reasons for doing the wrong things. She wants a better life for her people, but she chose the 'work within the system and earn equality' method, which doesn't pan out so well when the people in question are never going to see you as equal, only lesser and loyal/useful.

[Katchii]

I dont recall the namrs, but the red haired traitor will walk away scott free in a few patches, as will the black haired amnesia case. They should both be locked away with the key tossed in a dark pit, but i guess thats no way to treat a woman? Or something?

The heroes in this game all seem to be aligned with the lawful good archetype where punishing someone for past crimes if they're willing to change is pretty taboo.

If Yotsuyu truly does have amnesia, there's not really much reason or purpose in punishing her is there? A personal vendetta and hate towards her because of her past crimes is not a good justification for exacting punishment/ justice when she doesn't even know who Yotsuyu is or what she did to deserve the punishment she's being given.

Fordola just tried to survive in her previous life and committed some terrible crimes. However, she now has a gift that not many people have that is invaluable in the mission of fighting and defeating primals/eichons and shouldn't just be tossed aside if she's willing and able to change.

That said, it does seem the story is pretty damned predictable which is unfortunate, because it makes it less exciting to experience.