
(06-11-2016, 03:18 AM)Caspar Wrote:(06-10-2016, 11:46 PM)Warren Castille Wrote: Alfy suddenly wanting to save his best buddy in the whole wide world, gee golly jillickers, did take me by surprise. He only even knew the guy for the duration of the 3.0 storyline and now they're best bros and practically shipping each other? I don't know.I took it as Alphinaud essentially wanting to at least save one person to make up for his 2.0 screw up parade. He bonded with Estinian a little during the Churning Mists quest, but I took it as him essentially wanting to do right for the first time in what seemed like ages. Initially he hides his insecurity under morally disagreeing with making sacrifices, similar to his persona in 2.0, but I got the impression it was always personal to him. Estinian is not really his friend but rather someone to save. The convenience of the situation aside, I did kinda like Alphinaud achieving a small victory to make up for all his failed plans before.
Yeah I very much got the impression it was a just this once, nobody dies thing rather than a "yes you are my best friend in the whole world and I would be personally devastated by your loss (as opposed to by the symbol which your loss would portray)".
He seems fond enough of Estinien, in that kind of "yeah he's a jerk but I respect him and we kid around" way. But the fact he decided very early on in Estinien's predicament that no, not this time, this is where the killing stops means that it's important to him in a way that cannot be explained if you look solely at their interpersonal relationship. It's a tonne of baggage that Alphinaud is carrying with him from - I mean honestly I'm gonna say probably from his childhood, given that Louisoix's shadow seems to have this effect on a lot of people...
![[Image: 023c68ed03.jpg]](http://puu.sh/poKmU/023c68ed03.jpg)
Alphinaud's determination was more a battle-cry for his own self-worth than it was for Estinien. Which is not to say he was totally devoid of caring for Estinien; simply that the intensity with which said care was expressed was not solely a result of their friendship.