#afk by the aetheryte

[anneapocalypse]

I personally think Y'shtola deserves some more credit for how she advocates for the Warrior of Light during Shadowbringers. Without knowing the whole story I've always felt she had every right to be uneasy with the Exarch, and to be honest I was expecting a pricklier welcome from her in Rak'tika... but as soon as she realizes who it is, her greeting for the WoL is incredibly warm. I love that her first question is "How are you?" She cares about them! And when her aethersight gives her reason to believe the WoL is in danger, she's concerned! She thinks they need to be told! And when Urianger won't agree to tell them, she does it herself, because she thinks it's the right thing to do. She treats the Warrior of Light like a person who deserves to know what they're getting into and make an informed decision, and it's such a far cry from the "You'll do it because you're the Warrior of Light!" attitudes of everyone in ARR.

And I think it's also worth noting that in the end, after she knows the whole truth, she doesn't seem to hold any of it against G'raha. When you're back in the Source, she's talking about whether he should be given the title of Nunh after his long tenure as the Crystal Exarch, and after he joins the Scions, she seems cool with him, so I genuinely have no reason to think she holds a grudge about any of it.

She was, ultimately, concerned and wanted to do the right thing, and she cares about the Warrior of Light and their wellbeing, and I think that's an important thing about her.

[anneapocalypse]

The more I look at Heavensward's pacing and tone issues (as we have had many conversations about), the more I honestly see a structural problem with the story that the writers wanted to tell versus the format the devs chose for expansions.

Obviously, they wanted each expac to introduce us to a whole handful of new maps, and that's great. A new story that takes you to a whole new part of the world and lets you explore it in depth. That's great!

Except that Heavensward... is a story about Ishgard. The city.

Sure, that story extends out into other parts of the world, into Dravania and the Highlands and so forth. But fundamentally, it's a story about Ishgard--its history, its politics, its social and political hierarchy.

So Heavensward needs to really dig into the story of Ishgard, while also offering seven new locations' worth of content (six maps plus an endgame hub city).

And you can kind of see how that quickly becomes a problem when the heart of the story is still Ishgard.

I look at the pacing of Heavensward, the tonal yoyoing between its very serious plot points, the tribes that I will generously call whimsical, and the ARR follow-up quests that drag you back to the starting cities and disrupt the flow and immersion of the Ishgard plot... and what I see is that the writers had a story that wasn't actually big enough to fill an expansion with six new area maps. And what was needed was a way to flesh out this story, to extend Ishgard's story into all these new areas, and explore how Ishgard's politics and history are bigger than one city and have far-reaching effects.

But what they ended up coming up with... doesn't feel like that. It instead feels like a lot of often-tedious filler. The whimsical Moogles aren't bad on their own, and the idea of this almost fae-like, tricksterish group serving as gatekeepers to Hraesvelgr is interesting on paper, but in practice with where it's placed it steps all over the tone established on the road with Estinien and Ysayle, and feels like busywork to slow you down before you reach the next plot point. Having to deal with the Vanu Vanu and their flying whale god right after Haurchefant's tragic and extremely dramatic death absolutely tramples on the tone and the narrative flow. I love Idyllshire and the goblins, but again, the timing introduction is just tonal whiplash, and by the time you're out of there, all urgency with regard to Azys Lla has been drained away.

There are small things that I think could have mitigated some of these issues, like I actually do think seriously that Haurchefant coming to Dravania for the parley would have helped. If nothing else, I think his own whimsy and relentless enthusiasm could have helped bridge the tone gap with the Moogles, and I also think that his optimism could have been an interesting contrast to the parley with Hraesvelgr if he were actually there to see it fail. Letting Ysayle actually grapple with the fact that she's not Shiva onscreen and keeping her as part of the emotional core of the story and not killing her off, imo, also would have been an improvement.

The ARR follow-up interruptions are kind of their own problem, and those I really agree with Larissa just should have been saved for the patches. The whole flight to Ishgard is meant to make you feel alone against the world, and that's part of what makes the Ishgard story immersive, and I think they're way too quick to try to undo it. It's like if the story about the Scions getting back to the Source happened in the main story, in between the third and fourth Lightwarden. It'd be like... okay, I get that this is important, but why are we handling this now?

But overall I think there's just a fundamental disconnect between what Heavensward wants to do as a story and the format of an FFXIV expansion. It becomes even clearer when you compare it to the other expacs. Old Sharlayan and its history and politics play a major role in Endwalker but Endwalker is not about Sharlayan. It's one piece in a much larger story. Shadowbringers is not about the Crystarium, as important as the Crystarium is; it's about the First. I've seen Stormblood criticized for taking place in so many disparate locations but that's kind of the whole point of Stormblood; Ala Mhigo can't liberate itself alone. It's only with the combined strength of Ala Mhigo and Doma and the Steppe that the Empire's hold can be broken. If I have any complaints it's that we get to see so little of Ala Mhigo itself, but still, it's not solely about Ala Mhigo and that is on purpose.

And I think you can even see, in the Heavensward patches and in subsequent Heavensward content (like the Firmament) this sort of relief that okay, cool, now we can actually tell stories in Ishgard! The Scholasticate questline is one of my favorite pieces of Heavensward content; I think it's a fantastic little mystery that does a lot to explore Ishgardian class politics among more ordinary people. But we couldn't get a story like that in the main expansion, because it's too siloed to Ishgard.

I still have very fond memories of Heavensward, as I think many of us do, because it has a lot of great moments that really stick with you. But narratively it is kind of a mess, and I'm glad to see how every subsequent expansion has improved upon it.

i try not to complain about heavensward. i really do. it's a beloved expansion. people love ishgard. i love ishgard.

however, heavensward FUCKING SUCKS.

listen. so much of heavensward's plot is either badly written or badly paced or both. if you play through it once and don't think about it further, it's a great game. if you even glance back at it, it falls apart like a house of cards.

Actual shit that happens in Heavensward (spoilers):

You fight against the Heavens Ward to prove you're not a heretic. Five minutes later you have to go back to Ul'dah to save Raubahn.

After several levels of exploring Dravania and reaching the Churning Mists, you finally find Nidhogg's lair. You can't get there. You turn around and go back to Ishgard.

While you're fucking about waiting for the manacutters to get done, you go get the sultana back. Literally the entire plot momentum built up from your big road trip across Dravania comes to a dead halt as you go back to Ul'dah.

You slay Nidhogg. You go back to Ishgard. You spend eight quests killing time until the Vault, learn that class warfare is a thing, and fight off one of the Heavens Ward, who BACKFLIPS AWAY FROM YOU.

Immediately after the Vault, you go fight a whale.

The Emperor of Garlemald shows up in the Sea of Clouds just to tell you that you suck.

At the exact moment Y'shtola would be convenient to the plot, she returns.

The archbishop gets to Azys Lla way before you, but helpfully waits until you get there before continuing the plot.

and so on. i'm sure there's more.

here's my problem with heavensward: individually, there are a lot of great plot elements in it. however, they are presented in such a fucking buckwild manner that a lot of them are diminished. let's take the Hilda section for example: it's great to learn about Ishgard's class struggles! Of course this is great worldbuilding! However the actual section where you learn about it feels like (and basically is) filler. You finish the Aery, learn a lot of important Dragon Lore, and come back to Ishgard. You then have to fuck about until you're a high enough level to do the Vault, and in that section you do some of the worst fetchquesting in the game. It is atrocious.

Are there things I like about Heavensward? Absolutely. I fucking love Ishgard. I think the overall worlbuilding is phenomenal. Dragon vs man is a compelling storyline. But my god, the plotting and pacing are SO BAD. You spend an unbelievable amount of 3.0 dealing with the Ul'dah plotlines of post-ARR when you should be fully immersed in Ishgardian politics. It would not have killed you to leave the sultana stuff for HW patch quests, guys.

The best comparison I can make is that it's like if in Shadowbringers, instead of seeing the Meanwhile In Garlemald sections, you instead had to just abandon the First and head back to deal with that shit right before fighting a Lightwarden. It brings the narrative to a dead halt. It just doesn't work.

And like, I get it. It's not easy to write a game like FF14. The fact that later expansions are as well-written as they are is frankly a miracle. This is a huge worldbuild with a ton of plot threads and it's incredible even half of them get wrapped up. But viewed in isloation, Heavensward is one of the most tonally inconsistent parts of the entire story.

[battleonthebigbridge]

"Not looking down on me just yet Vahju~"

Childhood friends who went through a lot of suffering but found each other again and treasure each other's friendship save me...

[elizabethrobertajones]

I'll miss the Rats-at-Hand kitty cats staring at me from around the aetheryte when I AFK there... might go back to enjoy the music sometimes...

[pikahlua]

Hi Pika ☺️ Thanks for the translations and analyses 🫂 this is pallate cleanser ask hopefully lol. I think you said you played ffxiv so what do you think Katsuki would play as if he did? And what kind of playstyle would suit him best? (achiev hunting for example)

Any other student headcanons you'd like to share are appreciated too 😌

Katsuki Bakugou certainly has the god complex for a Healer, and he's believable as a big numbers DPS, but given his penchant for taunting, instinctive battle strategizing, insistence on leading his party from out in front, propensity for taking hits for others, and physical advantage in wars of attrition, I declare Katsuki Bakugou is in fact a Tank main (who had an annoying Machinist phase on the side at some point because artillery explosions go brrrrrrrrrrr).

Aesthetically, we all know Katsuki's going for a male Au Ra Dark Knight or Reaper. Gunbreaker is a permissible alternative. It's hard to choose anything but Dark Knight for him given the Living Dead ability where dying literally makes him invulnerable. 😂 And he'd spend any duty bossing the healers around so they don't fuck with his skill set.

That said, given the breadth of his character development, it seems by the time he reaches his second year of high school Katsuki will dabble in Paladin and become a reliable carry and support.

Play style? Katsuki plays PvP guaranteed. And he races for worldwide first clear of newly released Ultimates. Whatever is the most competitive shit, Katsuki's doing it and kicking ass (unlike me, as I'm a filthy casual who doesn't really know what I'm talking about even by saying this much).

Katsuki eventually gets into Fisher after he discovers he's a masochist.

Other characters?

Izuku (male Viera) mains either Ninja (for the nerdy complexity) or Dragoon (for the self-destructive tendencies).

Ochako (female Lalafell) is a crafter main who's milking the marketboard for all the gil she can get.

Shouto (male Hyur) is a really bad Black Mage main.

Iida is a mentor who never turns off Shout in the chatbox.

Kirishima mains Warrior.

Tokoyami mains Reaper.

Kouda mains Summoner.

Satou mains Culinarian/Gatherer.

Ojiro is a Monk who does MSQ only.

Hagakure knows all the ins and outs of the free trial version.

Mina mains Dancer and knows glamour is the endgame.

Mineta just ERPs as a female Viera and uses mods.

Aoyama mains Red Mage and uses Verblind every chance he gets.

Momo has max leveled all her roles and runs the class' Free Company.

Jirou joins a Bard Discord, hangs out exclusively in clubs, and AFKs in the Limsa Lominsa aetheryte plaza.

Shouji is a male Hrothgar who absolutely slays at everything he does, as Hrothgars are wont to do.

Tsuyu is a FemRoe.

Kaminari is also a FemRoe. He spends real money to buy Fantasia potions.

Sero mains Blue Mage.

[anneapocalypse]

This scene also really does things to me because Haurchefant knows a thing or two about living trapped by other people's expectations and accidents of one's birth. He's just coming at it from a different direction. But he knows about needing to find one's own way, to prove oneself but on one's own terms.

I feel like he's a really good friend for Alphinaud and I like to think of the talks they could have had offscreen.

'Tis all my doing... I believed myself the only one who truly understood Eorzea's woes. And look what that arrogance has wrought. So, Master Alphinaud, are you content to remain a broken blade? Is there no flame hot enough to reforge you?

[cherrypikkins]

Get to know you: FFXIV

9.Favorite Song? 10.Best Zone? 11.Favorite City-State? 15.Best Memory? 22.AFK Spot? 26.Favorite Mount? 29.One Feature/Content You Would Want Added To The Game?

9.Favorite Song?

Earth Wind and Water from The Swallow's Compass

10.Best Zone?

The Ruby Sea doesn't get nearly enough appreciation for all the sights and content it gave us!!!!! And nor does Stormblood as a whole

11.Favorite City-State?

Used to be Kugane, instantly became Tulliyolal when 7.0 dropped

15.Best Memory?

That time I got accidentally invited (and instantly kicked) from the Cringeslut Brigade.

22.AFK Spot?

The aftcastle in Limsa! It's close enough to all the action and amenities while avoiding the absolute chaos of the aetheryte plaza

26.Favorite Mount?

Mehwapyarra!!! I mean look at it!!!!!

29.One Feature/Content You Would Want Added To The Game?

listen up yoshi-p just let me fight in pvp as a culinarian

thankies for playing :3333

[mimble-sparklepudding]

Ask 21 - AFK Spot? (Or a spot you'd choose to AFK if you did!)

I usually AFK somewhere out of the way, as I worry someone will come up and start interacting with me and think I'm rude if I don't respond, but I have in fact just wandered off to make tea or something. So Mimble ususually hides under the Aetheryte platform in Gridania and Humble stands near or behind the main market board in Ul'dah.

I would say to come and say hello if you see me there, but that would actually entirely defeat the point sadly!

[autumnslance]

Gage Acquisitions - New HQ!

Coeurl Lavender Beds Ward 6 Plot 6 (aka Dark Autumn can walk to work from her own place, which is pretty great for her, actually).

Our decorator lizard "finished"--as much as one can, especially when new housing items drop soon--so time for a tour!

This is a "grade 5" plot but it's on a little island with a nice view of the river, a waterfall, extra yard space around the actual garden area, it's right by a MB and aetheryte; we're liking it! We have a bench out front and a tree swing out back, alongside the bath...but what's this?

The arch and banner work together with a stump seat; /sit on the stump and hit jump, and you should end up on the roof for that nice view I mentioned. Great place to hang with friends while waiting for raid (to our organizer's chagrin).

Inside now!

The lobby, stairs, dressing room for freshening up, boss's office, the kitchen and dining area. Upstairs...

Gallery, Lab/work room, and a sparse-ish music room as there's only so many slots and also just need to shuffle things around.

But we're not done! There's still a basement; we used all 3 floors! Basement includes a gameroom, our requisite door to a room "under the stairs" for one of our lalas, payroll, and a secret...

Wonder what's down this hallway...besides an AFK @driftward...Ah. A lounge, and if one goes to grab a book...well, gotta hide the booze from certain people in this company.

There's a few things that might be shuffled, a few colors changed here and there, but overall, this is a delight and I am so happy. Big thanks to my FCmates for contributing the gil and materials, and their patience, as we were slowly putting in a single bid each available lotto. And thanks to our decorator @xiuhteena who "feng shui'd" my rough layouts into this lovely home for our little group!

[nagunkgunk]

half. half way there

another stupid long grind that I will get eventually bc. i want a kity tiger

[k8aclysm]

The IASIP guys play FFXIV:

Frank:

Spends 8 hours in character creation making his perfect Femroe. Names her "JugsN' Ormous". Plays the game for about 5 minutes and barely understands the controls. Goes AFK in front of the tutorial NPC because he's busy jerking it to his character with his feet.

Charlie:

*Also* spends 8 hours in character creation, but it's in an attempt to perfectly recreate himself as a Lalafell. Spends an hour on the first quest because he thinks you have to interact with NPCs by actually talking to them in /say. Somehow finds his way to an RP venue and assumes it's the main story quest. Spends the next few weeks at level 5 running ads for the RP venue. As a result he becomes the richest player of the bunch almost immediately.

Dennis:

Plays a default male Au Ra because he's convinced that he'll get attention for being the tallest. Sees an <Alpha Legend> player at the Limsa aetheryte and gets pissed that they're "Showing off" and becomes obsessed with one-upping them. Buys a story and level skip and immediately starts applying for hardcore raid groups, claiming to be a "Gold Parsing DPS". Makes his FFlogs private so that nobody can see his gray parses. No hardcore groups accept him because he's still got the sprout and hides his FFlogs page. Gets to the point where he starts stalking the groups that reject him. He is permanently banned for harassment in 3 days. Never actually enters a single savage or ultimate instance.

Mac:

Spends 30 minutes in character creation making the most oddly specific miqote you've ever seen; as if he had the sliders memorized from the start. Begins the game in the same city state as Charlie to play with him, but picks up on how the game works faster and properly follows the MSQ. He hears Charlie's "understanding" of the "MSQ" and goes to help him; finding the ERP venue. He is immediately offered a courtesan role and takes it, allegedly excited to deal with women. Only ends up working with men.

[anneapocalypse]

I think it's kind of neat that Elidibus calls Urianger "Archon" rather than his name. He does the same when he tries to speak with Minfilia in the Waking Sands, calling her "Antecedent." By the standards of the Ancients, calling them by their titles is the polite thing to do, as he doesn't know them personally but wants to have a good working relationship with them, just as his own colleagues call him Elidibus and not Themis. It might sound stiff and cold to our ear, but to him, he's addressing them with courtesy and respect.

[iloveyoufor800years]

>logs in

>immediately afks in an aetheryte plaza

[anneapocalypse]

It definitely was one of his defining moments for me. 💙 It comes at a point in the story when everyone around you has repeatedly been like, "Well, here's this very dangerous thing that needs to be done! You're the only one for the job. I'm sure you'll be fine." To have another character actually show real concern for the Warrior of Light and not act like they were obviously wearing indestructible plot armor was both refreshing and touching.

Haurchefant just has such a generous spirit and is so free with his affections. He cares and he's not afraid to show it, and I love him for that.

Haurchefant: What were you thinking, Ariane!? Wagering your very being on a dubious theory which might allow you to enter Iceheart's lair--knowing full well that she could have sufficient forewarning to complete her ritual to summon Shiva anyway…?

Aw, he was so worried. 💙

[spiribia]

i talk about ffxiv a lot when im not actually subbed for the record. i just boil its characters in my mind into a broth. see, due to my advanced mind i can play final fantasy 14 without a subscription. ah yes.... i am AFKing next to the limsa lominsa aetheryte right now

[doozclops]

Oh yeah, here's a mystery for anyone who's interested:

I arrived in Thavnair yesterday to find a DNC dead on the ground at the aetheryte. They were AFK too.

You can't bring enemies that far in, and you can't change jobs while dead so they didn't self-destruct as a BLU.

Any ideas as to what happened to them?