#(kinda....do the late arr post-patches leading into heavensward count.....?)

[catvids]

ultimately, the most compelling aspect of ffxiv to me is its thesis of friendship and cooperation, as cheesy as it sounds. even from the very beginning, the wol is never alone in anything. they always have someone holding their hand. even from the very first scene, they are unknowingly sitting in a cart with two of their future dearest friends. and venat/hydaelyn holds their hand all throughout arr as they stumble their way into achieving acclaim and finding friends and allies in the scions. and every single expansion afterwards is a waxing and waning of them gaining and losing -- but mostly gaining -- allies and friends all throughout their journey. they Always have at least one person there to support them. even when they are accused of regicide and forced to flee north into the frozen fields of coerthas as a fugitive, their few remaining allies are dejected but still beside them, and haurchefant welcomes them with a warm hearth and open arms. even when they awaken in the crystarium after failing to contain the last lightwarden and are shamefully skirting around those who once praised them as a hero, ardbert and feo ul are there to embolden them once again. even when the last of their friends sacrifice themselves to provide them with a path forward up into the endsingers oblivion, and they walk those last few steps alone, they are not truly alone at all, but rather, bolstered by the hopes and dreams and faith of their friends, without whom they would never have made it this far in the first place. even venat (and i could talk about her place in this aspect of the narrative all day), as she stumbles through the darkness after sundering the world, does not have nothing: she loves etheirys and its people, deeply and truly, and that love carries her steps ever onwards.

therefore, i personally disagree with the interpretation that people are "too" nice to the wol, or that they take up too much space in the narrative. i dont disagree with every criticism of this nature; for example, npcs can indeed be overly ass-kissy towards the wol, constantly praising their strength and abilities to a degree that just reads as ego stroking the player. however, generally speaking, i think the fact that people are mostly pretty kind to the wol is a narrative choice that works and makes sense for this kind of story. because ffxiv is, at its core, a tale about the power of friendship and kindness and compassion, and with its generally uplifting and optimistic tone, i think it would create some serious tonal dissonance if the protagonists allies Werent generally fairly kind to them. the wol and their journey absolutely doesnt need to be the main focal point -- they can work well in any role, from the main character to a member of the supporting cast -- but at the very least, i dont personally think that ffxivs thesis of love and cooperation would hit in quite the same way if i wasnt experiencing it from the viewpoint of a character who is often surrounded by people who love them and care for them, whom they love and care for in return