Wisdom of Nym: The missteps of Final Fantasy XIV's main scenario through Heaven
Posted by smrtsmith on April 18th, 2019
Play Final Fantasy XIVThere shall be spoilers in this particular column. Let's makes entirely clear. If you see this column with no finished up Final Fantasy XIVs main scenario up through patch 3.3, you might very well be spoiled. There will likely be few, if any, spoiler warnings or cuts in the text itself. Are we absolutely clear on that? Grand.I've for ages been very attached to the stories told in FFXIV, and although 2.0's overall main story left me somewhat cold, Heavensward using a whole is a massive improvement and it has done a fantastic job. The conclusion on the arc feels organic and fulfilling, filled up with satisfying resolutions for characters and story arcs, endings that felt fitting or even always FFXIV Gil entirely positive. Not everyone got what you wanted, but everyone had an ending. It's good.Now, let's discuss all of the ways in which it was rather bad and may be improved sometime soon. (And remember, you will see spoilers.)An abrupt conclusionPatch 3.3 very nearly pulls off a serious trick start by making you entirely forget what has story is resulting right for the heels of any patch story while using exact opposite message. This patch is about having hope again, finding the right in people, looking on the future being a positive force, entirely forgetting the truth that patch 3.2 ended having a realization that Ishgard is still equipped with so far to travel before peace while using dragons is even possible. It's at odds together with the message of both patch stories to date.
More on the point, it's at odds with all the entire tragic point of the increase, that you simply can't be there and fix things. Killing Nidhogg is one area you complete halfway from the MSQ inside base expansion, knowning that successfully changes... nothing. The Archbishop's plans still proceed, the Horde still hates Ishgard, Ishgard continues to be hunting dragons, everyone remains to be suffering in mere Buy FFXIV Gil the same way. That's what moves the complete story to the realm of tragedy.Part products I've liked about the increase in general will be the sense this is not really a story wherein you beat the tip boss and things are fine. Killing someone isn't an actual working solution in Heavensward. Death is tragic, and death alone isn't going to erase generations of hatred... until it totally does just that. Which means that if you kill Nidhogg around the Final Steps of Faith, the tale is tacitly admitting that whatever you did wrong was only not killing him enough the very first time. It wasn't with regards to a cycle of hatred which was inextricably bound with existence; it turned out just a matter of degree.
