Hydaelyn Role-Players

So I finally have some time to sit and ramble my impressions.

The mundane starting fetch quest got me instantly on alert. I narrowed my eyes and was like, 'this is really dry, they're gonna mess me up with something I know it'. I expected the Dragon stuff sure, but it was a nice touch seeing it happening in that moment. Sure, Moony is dead but lol dragons are here now, strap your belts and set your cups. 

The stuff leading up to the Steps of Faith was all expected, and that only made me even warier of things to come. I enjoyed that trial a lot. The music, the scale, the mechanics! I cheated and healqueued for it, switching from cannon/tether to emergency OSHIT heals lol. I WASN'T WAITING 40 MINUTES FOR NO DPS QUEUE, NOPE. I didn't like the idea of tanking massive dragon-sama, though I didn't know he was untankable at the time. 

The building up to the banquet/assassination got me nice and tense, I couldn't load into zones and talk to NPCs fast enough, ate it all up, and wondered how the hell all of it was going to come together. 

Oddly enough, it all hit me once I saw the goblet. My mind immediately flashed to the patch graphic and the way it fell and hit the floor during the trailer (at which point I said "Oh -SHIT-!" a bit too loudly for the hour). Nanamo's death scene was BRILLIANT, given the animation contraints. They put a lot of energy into pushing that knife in us and TWISTING IT. They also did a brilliant job of making me DESPISE (and love, omg) Teledji before giving me the immense satisfaction of seeing him split in two. With two people dead in quick succession I began to fear for Raubahn's life, and when his hand got lopped off shit got even REALER. 

I understand the animation and rating limitations involved in the fact that he didn't bleed all over the floor, I even have a little pet theory that Ilberd's sword immediately cauterized the wound. ILBERD. Magnificent bastard. I liked him from the start but I NEVER TRUSTED HIM. They milked that bromance moment (*quietly hides ship*) too hard and got me super suspicious. Well, more than before. Either way, he was despicable and I love him for it. 

The fight! I loved that fight holy hell! Yes, yes, people complain about how it was too animu -- what else these folks expect from a Final Fantasy game I honestly don't know. It was a proper demonstration that these people did not get where they were by just waving around and clashing swords. They are -powerful-. 

The Scions' exodus was lovely. I'm not concerned whether they live or die, but I was moved by their resolve. In that moment they showed exactly how committed they were to their cause. Also Yda's mask getting cut made me squirm and squeal in glee. Thancred and Y'shtola -- that was touching. Y'SHTOLA GIRL YOU A STAR. Kind of literally, after that stunt.

Minfilia -- I've...made my peace with her and was mildly pleased to see her turn back and go to the others. That is to say, I was pleased to see her at least IMPLIED TO BE DOING SOMETHING. If she had made it out I think my hatred for her would have returned in one swoop. ALSO, SIL'DIH WATERWAYS UNDER UL'DAH YES YES LORE GOOD. ALSO ALSO. BRENDT. BRENDT WITH THAT SEXY-FINE ACCENT (I soooo thought of Crofte when I heard him). I was DELIGHTED to see things come full circle with Alphinaud, my character and Brendt on a chocobo carraige again. I was also THRILLED to see Pipin, after having read about him in the Tales of the Calamity short stories that came out during the anniversary event. 

People are disappointed with Yugiri's 'oh well' appearance, but it made me smile. Everyone expected massive fear and ROROROR, but...acceptance. It was there. Tataru said she was pretty (as I cricked my neck from nodding vigorously behind the screen), and that was that. Acceptance. It was beautiful (AND SO WAS SHE HOLY SHIT). I don't think they'll give us more than that until expansion time, and I'm fine with it. ALSO. SHE LOOKS SO MATURE, AND STATELY, AND -NOT DAINTY AND WEAK-. She's beautiful and still looks like she can fuck a man up. She looks like a race of man, and has her distinct features in the scales, horn, tail and that fucking fierce hairdo (WERK.). I AM HAPPY WITH HER.

I had a mini heart attack when I saw Urianger and the Ascians, but then I realized that he was speaking with Edilibus (that's his name right?), and so he may not truly be allied with them, and instead seeking an audience. When it was all over I just leaned back, wiped my brow and raised a glass to Square, because -- well done.Well bloody done. That was the most engaging story content I've ever played in an MMO without having to go digging for obscure lore or reading between-expansion books. Thank you for giving it to us in game. It was like a damn great season finale cliffhanger deal. 

I'm satisfied as hell, and really excited about what's to come. Bring on Heavensward!

(04-01-2015, 09:16 AM)Clover Wrote: [ -> ]As for Crystal Braves... Ugh... I'd been wondering who the traitors were, but I didn't expect almost the whole group to be stained. The whole video was full of shocking moments for me. Things exploded and broke pretty fast.

the 2.4 storyline rang alarm bells for me. From the missing weapons to how the 1st and 3rd acted in Northen Thanalan XD

(04-01-2015, 09:19 AM)Berrod Armstrong Wrote: [ -> ]I understand the animation and rating limitations involved in the fact that he didn't bleed all over the floor, I even have a little pet theory that Ilberd's sword immediately cauterized the wound. ILBERD. 

Gimme my En-Spells damnit!

(04-01-2015, 08:58 AM)Graeham Ridgefield Wrote: [ -> ]

(04-01-2015, 07:22 AM)Berrod Armstrong Wrote: [ -> ]

(03-31-2015, 07:08 PM)Sastra Wrote: [ -> ]I feel absolutely dead inside. I just. Can't even. 
Illberd was my favorite. 

I have however always disliked Urianger. I knew that pompous son of a knife-ears' up-to level was at "no good" 
I suppose he could still turn out good but.. for now. Grr. 

I hope the crystal braves person with the eyepatch (im terrible with names) is going to come through alright though.

I smelled treachery from him the moment they introduced him as a benevolent soldier bro. I liked him, but I did not trust him at all. I'm really satisfied with how he turned out!

highlanders confirmed as treacherous scum

 /sweats
you know nothing!

(04-01-2015, 08:26 AM)Kage Wrote: [ -> ]I only said traitor because I was relaying one of the first posts on reddit. That was before I even got home from work, etc.

Did anyone else catch the person mentioned by Y'shtola at the end? It's her sister or lover ( ;p but I'm pretty sure it's sister.) She's from the summoner quests!

It is her sister, you can talk to her at Apkallu falls in Gridania.

(04-01-2015, 09:20 AM)Berrod Armstrong Wrote: [ -> ]

(04-01-2015, 08:58 AM)Graeham Ridgefield Wrote: [ -> ]

(04-01-2015, 07:22 AM)Berrod Armstrong Wrote: [ -> ]

(03-31-2015, 07:08 PM)Sastra Wrote: [ -> ]I feel absolutely dead inside. I just. Can't even. 
Illberd was my favorite. 

I have however always disliked Urianger. I knew that pompous son of a knife-ears' up-to level was at "no good" 
I suppose he could still turn out good but.. for now. Grr. 

I hope the crystal braves person with the eyepatch (im terrible with names) is going to come through alright though.

I smelled treachery from him the moment they introduced him as a benevolent soldier bro. I liked him, but I did not trust him at all. I'm really satisfied with how he turned out!

highlanders confirmed as treacherous scum

 /sweats
you know nothing!

Treacherous or not, they don't hold a candle to the evil that Lalafell display in the lore.

(04-01-2015, 10:01 AM)allgivenover Wrote: [ -> ]

(04-01-2015, 09:20 AM)Berrod Armstrong Wrote: [ -> ]

(04-01-2015, 08:58 AM)Graeham Ridgefield Wrote: [ -> ]highlanders confirmed as treacherous scum

 /sweats
you know nothing!

Treacherous or not, they don't hold a candle to the evil that Lalafell display in the lore.

I'm pretty sure you can find horrible people in all the races, though. At least Lalafell have folks like Papashan, Momodi, Tataru, and Pipin to help balance the scales back.

(04-01-2015, 10:07 AM)Gegenji Wrote: [ -> ]

(04-01-2015, 10:01 AM)allgivenover Wrote: [ -> ]

(04-01-2015, 09:20 AM)Berrod Armstrong Wrote: [ -> ]

(04-01-2015, 08:58 AM)Graeham Ridgefield Wrote: [ -> ]highlanders confirmed as treacherous scum

 /sweats
you know nothing!

Treacherous or not, they don't hold a candle to the evil that Lalafell display in the lore.

I'm pretty sure you can find horrible people in all the races, though. At least Lalafell have folks like Papashan, Momodi, Tataru, and Pipin to help balance the scales back.

Uh. I'm a big Highlander fan, but I won't deny that they can be pretty vile. Think about the Corpse Brigade dudes, Ilberd himself -- hell the bastards were conquerors who invaded other lands because they wanted thing. 

Lalafell 'evil' only seems significant because they look like potatoes. It's easier to take some eyebrowless muscledude's heinousness for granted!

All the races have their despicable members. Oddly enough, the Miqo'te strike me as having less than most.

(04-01-2015, 10:07 AM)Gegenji Wrote: [ -> ]

(04-01-2015, 10:01 AM)allgivenover Wrote: [ -> ]

(04-01-2015, 09:20 AM)Berrod Armstrong Wrote: [ -> ]

(04-01-2015, 08:58 AM)Graeham Ridgefield Wrote: [ -> ]highlanders confirmed as treacherous scum

 /sweats
you know nothing!

Treacherous or not, they don't hold a candle to the evil that Lalafell display in the lore.

I'm pretty sure you can find horrible people in all the races, though. At least Lalafell have folks like Papashan, Momodi, Tataru, and Pipin to help balance the scales back.

Of course, but go through the MSQ again and tally how many Lalafell exhibit douchey or downright evil action.

They leave the other races in the dust.

(04-01-2015, 10:28 AM)allgivenover Wrote: [ -> ]

(04-01-2015, 10:07 AM)Gegenji Wrote: [ -> ]

(04-01-2015, 10:01 AM)allgivenover Wrote: [ -> ]

(04-01-2015, 09:20 AM)Berrod Armstrong Wrote: [ -> ]

(04-01-2015, 08:58 AM)Graeham Ridgefield Wrote: [ -> ]highlanders confirmed as treacherous scum

 /sweats
you know nothing!

Treacherous or not, they don't hold a candle to the evil that Lalafell display in the lore.

I'm pretty sure you can find horrible people in all the races, though. At least Lalafell have folks like Papashan, Momodi, Tataru, and Pipin to help balance the scales back.

Of course, but go through the MSQ again and tally how many Lalafell exhibit douchey or downright evil action.

They leave the other races in the dust.

Lolorito and Teledji are the only ones that come to mind - but they've been popping up often due to the focus on Ul'dah.

If you expand to the job quests and the beast tribes, you can bring in the merchant that wants to make a zombie army and the Lalafellan BLM.

I have trouble disassociating your character type from your actual OOC self, Berrod, so seeing someone like you write such a passionate and (I'm sorry for this, but) adorable reply like that honestly lifted my spirits quite a bit.



I didn't pick up on anything threatening Nanamo's life until the moment we got into the room with her and there really was too much attention being focused upon the handmaiden and the pouring of the wine. My first thoughts were "Be smart, Nanamo" but then I was rationalizing with myself thinking: "No, she's likely been her aid for a long time. She'd have no reason to mistrust her". With that, I started saying to myself that there was no way it could possibly be poison. It was obviously something else, something to knock her unconscious so that she could be kidnapped or something... but once her eyes shot open like they did my heart just dropped like a brick.... and once she began struggling it honestly began to shatter. From that point on, especially when Raubahn seems to grow wary after hearing the clattering of her chalice falling to the ground, my hands were forever glued to my face.

Watching the leaders' reactions of despair to the news, yet Raubahn ironically being the only one immediately unphased... as though what Teledji had implied was just an absolute impossibility.... only for him to thereafter collapse into despair just destroyed me. Luckily my laptop was blocking my face because the tears were streaming down my face at that point... and when Teledji then began making insulting and mocking comments toward Nanamo with that fucking, smug face on him I was just shaking with anger. I could feel at least one of my eyelids doing this weird twitching thing as though I couldn't control myself.... but when Raubhan just spouted that line:

"THEN MOCK HER FROM HELL"  (coupled with the aftermath)


....I was suddenly hit with the immense, but far from pain-curing satisfaction for the fact. I worried for him in part, especially because his charge toward Lolorito was a little dragged out(and I mean that it only took a few seconds but even that short wait was agonizing).

Seeing him lose his arm was such a kick in the gut though.... Raubahn and Nanamo were both in my top three favourite characters, and as if Nanamo's loss hadn't damaged me enough, now Raubahn had taken such an injury. I wasn't even thinking about the possibility of death at the point. And all at the hands of Ilberd.... someone whom I had put complete trust and faith into. Someone who had the audacity to give Eline that speech about not selling out your comrades for coin, no matter how bad you had it in life - that everyone had their own hardships too...

What annoyed me more was Merlwyb's reaction. Kan-E-Senna, being my favourite character and of a pacifistic nature was largely exempt from this, but for the woman who is so full of Lominsan pride... for the "badass, pirate leader" to just walk out on Raubahn, her ally and - I would have THOUGHT - friend, to forsake him to whatever fate was in store for him.... just... stirred up feelings of sheer contempt. At that point, everyone knew what was going on and I was trying to tell myself that it was in the better interests of her nation to not interfere with whatever the proceedings were for this particular situation, but I still cannot come to terms with it. She could have and should have gunned them down right there and then if she had any integrity and understanding of loyalty.... well, in my biased books anyways.

Ilberd's cruel comments about Nanamo's hold on the now-changed Raubahn, as well as him suggesting that he was only "fit for slaughter", both filled me with even more malice but also fear. When he stood up(I think he did?) I felt as though he were going to execute the defeated-looking Raubhan right there while he was wallowing in a pit of despair... luckily, he only continued to fight back.


Yda looked absolutely beautiful but I didn't have enough mental capacity to appreciate it at the time.


My screen froze as Y'shtola bid farewell and I was too afraid to reload the game for fear of having to click through ALL of the dialogue and/or having to go back to the inn after first finding myself in a new area that spoiled part of the outcome since. Luckily, though I was tossed back out into the Chamber Of Rule, skipping cutscenes only skipped them in segments.

Y'shtola was my fourth, favourite character so seeing her possibly sacrificing herself was just another tragedy for my book - but I only found out that it was a sacrifice after going back to the inn to rewatch it since skipping the scenes from the Chamber Of Rule after my crash sent me from the scene of escaping the banquet to escaping the ruins. Though I am not completely sold on her death, so I am yet hopeful.


I am with Clover on the Alphinaud business. He is totally defeated now and his self-assessment was a very, well done scene. If you want to blame him for trusting that his belief that such a group could actually be ever-virtuous and incorruptible then you must also blame all three leaders(Raubahn, not Nanamo) for supporting his cause without questioning it either.

Seeing Cid was a massive relief. He had pretty much disappeared from the 'real' quests after the main scenario yet seeing him again, only there to come and save us once again was somehow, very reassuring. Whatever aura the man has about himself, I could just feel somehow safe once he made his appearance. For me it was unexpected but sooo, very welcomed.

Haurchefant is getting a lot of praise and while I normally like him, his eccentric personality, as kind-meaning as it was, didn't offer me much in the end. He is a good man and incredibly kind but it just was just nowhere near enough to salve the massive wounds that I had been inflicted. The tone of his voice(japanese) just reflected how out of touch the impact has truly had on the three of us seeking asylum, which wasn't his fault of course. He was trying in his own way.

Tataru was incredibly adorable. I was very worried for her after the "farewell" quest it almost seemed that we had with her, and the fact that we only left a note for her all alone in the Rising Stones...

Yugiri was pretty but not too pretty - which was good. Her horns caught my attention too, however, because they appeared on top of two, long lengths of hair that really they should have sank behind so it was a little distracting.

I liked Tataru's comment though. Like Berrod said, it was simply "acceptance".


*sigh*



Thank you again Berrod. Your post helped me do the same I think ^^

Yugiri's reveal solidified for me the notion that AuRa will not unseat Miqo'te as most popular race, not by a long shot.

They have a very specific cold look that won't appeal to most the way Miqo'te cute does.

(04-01-2015, 11:01 AM)allgivenover Wrote: [ -> ]Yugiri's reveal solidified for me the notion that AuRa will not unseat Miqo'te as most popular race, not by a long shot.

They have a very specific cold look that won't appeal to most the way Miqo'te cute does.

While I hope you are right, I don't think you can really assess that based off of Yugiri alone.
If anything, I would imagine that Yugiri would have been created to serve as a balance between both possible looks. Cute and pretty, to dangerous and feral.

We'll see, I think there will be a lot of variation on the horns, but the faces will be inescapably cold, just the same as Miqo'te being universally cute.

Im also talking about the player base as a whole, they will of course be numerous among RPers, though I still think Miqo'te will reign supreme after the novelty wears off.

(04-01-2015, 11:12 AM)K Wrote: [ -> ]

(04-01-2015, 11:01 AM)allgivenover Wrote: [ -> ]Yugiri's reveal solidified for me the notion that AuRa will not unseat Miqo'te as most popular race, not by a long shot.

They have a very specific cold look that won't appeal to most the way Miqo'te cute does.

While I hope you are right, I don't think you can really assess that based off of Yugiri alone.
If anything, I would imagine that Yugiri would have been created to serve as a balance between both possible looks. Cute and pretty, to dangerous and feral.

She may even be a special model a la Kan-E, Robby One-hand and Merlwyb, so I'm not using her as a gauge for the others yet.

BUT MAN I LOVE HER LOOK. Her model seems incomplete, but that's okay. I understand how things go sometimes.

(04-01-2015, 11:19 AM)allgivenover Wrote: [ -> ]We'll see, I think there will be a lot of variation on the horns, but the faces will be inescapably cold, just the same as Miqo'te being universally cute.

Im also talking about the player base as a whole, they will of course be numerous among RPers, though I still think Miqo'te will reign supreme after the novelty wears off.

Oh I know, so was I. My main is already miqo'te and only recently have I become aware just how popular they really are, particularly the female variety.

As for the horns... I certainly hope so too. While I got surprisingly happy results with my characters(as I'm sure as has everyone else), it really was considerably limited for an MMO creator. I'd really like to think that - now that there is no time constraint and panic to reboot an entire game - they'll now pay more attention and heed into customisation.

(04-01-2015, 11:34 AM)Berrod Armstrong Wrote: [ -> ]Robby One-hand

WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT???

(04-01-2015, 11:37 AM)K Wrote: [ -> ]

(04-01-2015, 11:34 AM)Berrod Armstrong Wrote: [ -> ]Robby One-hand

WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT???

It's what my boyfriend calls him now. He said it in the car and I almost ran into a ditch. "TOO SOON," I yelled, but here I am, using it ever so casually...