#ffxiv replay

[midasmagus]

Our alts are in HEAVENSWARD BABYYY @ 5pm CST specifically

🎮 FFXIV

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[kitty-highball]

Eventually, as i attempt my grand return lol, i plan to add a new muse over here! Her name is Zephyrine, she's a miqo'te and she's who i'm currently playing as in a ffxiv story replay with @kolak-magiya

She's a bit flat, sarcastic and full of bad puns, but she's pretty sweet <3 Currently shes a Black Mage, but i plan to switch to either Dark Knight or Reaper when i'm high enough level- something thats more melee but keeps her dark magic-y theme since i've decided thats a big part of her.

[itsblorbotime]

woowoo stormbloog ng+ time

as an introduction: i started playing ffxiv around patch 4.2, so... oh my god six years ago what the fuck?? SIX?? IVE BEEN SAYING FOUR THE WHOLE TIME --

anyway i felt a lot of pressure to hurry through the msq to get to endgame to do content with my fc, so i wasn't paying as close attention to the story as i probably should have; plus, a lot of plot threads introduced in arr, hw, and stb would later be re-contextualized by retcons and additions made in shb and ew that were not present at the time i was playing through them. i've also changed characters since then; i started on a catgirl with an entirely different backstory to my current main, who is a dalmascan refugee with a more personal stake in the activity of the garlean empire. (i've also changed my opinion on zenos as an antagonist and character.)

i'm a stormblood apologist. i don't think it's a bad expansion, not even the msq, which a lot of people rank the lowest of all in terms of story quality. it's definitely the most divisive of them for a reason, but i think it's really important because of the way it tightens up and really starts to solidify some of the worldbuilding of previous expacs, dives back into the garlean stuff which becomes VERY important in endwalker, and provides some pretty crucial character development, especially for alisaie.

i think people are too hard on it because 1) they don't like lyse, and 2) they expected an expansion that laser-focused on ala mhigo and got a large swathe of the msq pivoting to focus on doma/hingashi/yanxia instead to the point of neglecting the ala mhigan side. i'll talk about lyse probably because i honestly do not remember what beef people had with her, it's been SIX YEARS SINCE I PLAYED THIS??, but i do share the majority opinion that ala mhigo kind of got robbed in this expansion and that's frustrating.

anyway i'm gonna go unsync raubahn's wall (extreme)

[sonderwrit]

outside satasha:

meanwhile, the wol's inventory:

i technically got over 50 pots for free but i used some in battles against mobs

poor edda...

[deathflare]

can you hear me?

[kaldwinroyalty]

Thinks about Emet-Selch, villain of all time

First scene gets shot, plays it as a comedic gag, when he first meets the WoL he takes two seconds before revealing his secret identity, offers to help then when asked to help goes "mm no I don't think I will", dramatically gives a whole speech that leaves you feeling that you had a whole divorce with him you don't remember, uses the most powerful wizard spell of all time gun

[lufdraws]

giant chitinous boyfriend g̶o̶n̶e̶ ̶w̶r̶o̶n̶g̶

[tearlunars]

a silver of faith.

[sasseebeee]

ohhhh my god zero defining a friend as "someone you trust" and then the wol immediately thinking of zenos. like just having it click that the reason that he considered them a friend was because he trusted them. i'm unwell.

[haunted-xander]

I think one of the (several) reason for why Shadowbringers is so good is because the narrative is more about the individual characters than it is the Greater Conflict.

Like, the Greater Conflict is definitely there, obviously, it's what keeps the story going, but the focus is always on the people, much more so than the other expacs. HW and STB also have some level of character focus ofc, but it's very selective and even then the focus is based on them in the specific context of the current conflict.

But in SHB, the story bends around the characters' narratives, rather than the other way around. The story forms to put them in situations that challenges their flaws and limitations, by forcing them to confront it and actually deal with it. Even just at the very beginning, you see the twins being dealt a terrible hand that very neatly clashes against their faults.

Alisaie is confronted with a situation that she can and could never do anything about. She has no means to help the patients (at the time at least). The only way for her to help them is by eradicating the source of the affliction itself: the Light. But the Light isn't just some Big Bad she can kill and be done with. Even when all the lightwardens are down the Light is still there, it's just more manageable. Alisaie learns to not only see the bigger picture, but to care for it for her own reasons. For all that she has participated in Big Operations, it has always been because that's what others were doing, what others cared for to be done. She feels for the people of Doma and Ala Mhigo, but she didn't set out to liberate their homelands because she has any personal investment in it. But other people do, and she cares about what other people- be they strangers or friends- care about.

Caring about other peoples feelings and opinions isn't a flaw by itself of course, but doing things without any sense of personal purpose, is. This is what SHB helps her fix and confront, because it is personal now, she does it because she cares.

Alphinaud is forced into a situation where diplomacy and negotiations does and would never work. He can't talk himself into Eulemore, and he sure as hell can't convince Vauthry or the free citizens to let go of their life of ignorant luxury. The problem here also isn't as straightforward as a corrupt ruler, because even after Vauthry is revealed for the bastard he is, it takes considerable effort and convincing to get them to get off their asses and get to work. It's one thing to change the minds of people who wanted the same outcome just in a different way (like Ishgard- they rejected unity with the dragons, but they still wanted an end to the war), but it's another thing entirely to convince people that another way of life is even worth it.

And this is what SHB teaches Alphinaud, that words and deeds can achieve much, but that there is much more to diplomacy than appealing to their wants and/or sensibilities to convince them of an alternative outcome. His development may not be as immediately noticable as some of the others (largely bc he had a lot of it already from HW), but it is still very much there.

Urianger's development had already been build up and sort-of started already, but we don't really get to see it until it near explodes in his face after we kill Vauthry. Even after he swore off secrecy, he's forced to confront his morals when the Exarch bids his assistance. Urianger has always been looking at the greater picture, to the point he'd almost lose himself in it if it wasn't for the overwhelming guilt he feels. He works with the Exarch, because he knows he's the only one capable of it, and he hates the very fact that he is. When the climax of the plan is about to be executed, he is pained to the point that even he can't mask it anymore. He has betrayed their trust once more and once more it will result in the death of a friend.

But it doesn't, and that's what's needed for him to confront himself. As terrible and unexpected as the circumstances around it was, it did show him that there are other ways. There is no one way to solve a problem, the first choice doesn't need to be the only one. And he would find those other ones of he had just talked to the others.

The pay-off doesn't quite come until EW, where we see him actively make the choice to go against his first instinct of acquiesing to the Loporrits' plans, and instead chooses to consult us, but that scene wouldn't have made sense or even happened had it not been for his development in SHB.

Now, Y'shtola is a bit of an odd one because while she does get her due focus, she doesn't quite get the same amount of development as the others. Rather, it shows how she thrives when not held back by others interests and (often somewhat needless) bounderies. Her intelligence and charisma have the chance to shine, her independence and confidence now rewarded rather than punished. In ARR, she is constantly annoyed by the Maelstroms way of dealing with things, and how no one bothers to actually listen to her. Her advice and reprimands are almost entirely ignored until the problem blows up in their faces and they have no choice but to concede that she was right.

Being independent and confident aren't flaws by themselves, but her sometimes aggressive approaches to telling others off does her few favors. In SHB, she has the Night's Blessed who actually heed her word and respect her, they listen to her and actually take what she says- be it advise or reprimand- to heart.

She does also, however, have to deal with Thancred who, much like the Maelstrom, ignores her reprimands and doesn't listen to her. The difference here is that her bluntness actually serves a purpose. In ARR, her bluntness lacks tact and meaning, simply a result of frustration. The Maelstrom won't listen to someone who doesn't come up with fleshed-out arguments and solutions, but Y'shtola doesn't bother giving them any until she knows they'll listen. But with Thancred, she does give him the solution. It's just that the solution is him. His words, to be precise, and his acceptance. And he needs to be reminded of that, and she does. It doesn't automatically solve anything, but that's simply how it is with complicated situations like that.

Speaking of Thancred, his narrative is probably the most important of all for SHB. He's always been shown as a capable, but ultimately self-destructive man who genuinely does not know how to deal with himself in a healthy manner. Theoretically speaking he knows, he recognizes that he is self-destructive, but he still has no idea how to actually fix it. It's been shown as early as ARR when it results in him getting possessed, but it's not really made a point of until it almost ruins his relationship with Ryne. Up until now he could just ignore his problems, but with Ryne he can't because now The Problem(s) aren't just his anymore. Anything that would hurt him now would also hurt her, meaning that if he wants to continue doing the one thing he actually cares about (protecting his loved ones) then he needs to get his shit together.

But Thancred doesn't know how to. And for all that his friends try and try to help him, he doesn't know how to. He's paralyzed. Thancred is so deep into his self-destructive habits that it takes the threat of both his and the person(s) he loves the most in the worlds deaths to get him into action. He doesn't know if it's Minfilia or Ryne who will return, and I'm not sure he expected to survive Ran'jit. He only has this chance, and if he wants to die without (as many) regrets he has to do something now.

And he does. He does and what it is he does is tell Ryne that whatever happens, it has to be her own choice. That he will accept any outcome, that he will still care about her no matter what, that as long as she lives or dies as she wants to, that he still loves her. He still loves her. And it works, because that's what he's needed to do all this time, to be able to just tell her that she matters. That he cares.

He tells her to live her own life, and he learns to live his own too.

[dadcred]

frenchbringers notes (7/?)

[to ran’jit]

EN!THANCRED: not another step! you’re fight’s with me.

FR!THANCRED: you, you stay right there! i won’t let you shatter the dreams of those whom i made my sister [minfilia] and my daughter [ryne]. they are my only family! 

------------------------------------------------------------

THANCRED EXPLICITLY CALLING MINFILIA AND RYNE HIS SISTER AND DAUGHTER RESPECTIVELY AND DECLARING THEM AS HIS ONLY FAMILY (in present tense because earlier, thancred says he still defends minfilia’s ideals because it’s proof that she existed; so this is how he keeps her alive) fucking killed me man i am s o b b i n g at this translation

[totallycorrectffxivquotes]

Alphinaud, seeing Estinien after thinking he's dead: Oh no... You've come from the afterlife to collect me, haven't you? I'm finished.

Estinien: ...finished, you say?

Estinien: If you're that ready to die, I won't bother with any speeches.

Estinien: Alphinaud... I sentence you to death her and now. Prepare to die--

Alphinaud: Ack, wait!

Estinien: What's the matter? Come at me. I'll make it painless for you.

Alphinaud: But... I don't want to die.

Estinien: You don't?

Estinien: Then don't let me ever hear you say you're "finished".

Estinien: If the afterlife sends someone to collect you, you put that messenger in the ground.

[harbingersecho]

neath dark waters

[itsblorbotime]

continuing my heavensward ng+ replay commentary here on the tumbls bc twitter is a dumpsterfire and this is a better avenue for it anyway...

[of-the-eventide]

"You know... Even before you joined the Scions, you caught our eye quite quick." "Was it my good looks and pleasant personality?" "...I see what you're doing there... But no, most definitely not."

[deathflare]

let us be about it, hero