Breaking the MSQ

[Enla]

Do you have any idea how many people Liadan would have healed/dispelled/punted out of a window with Water magic at this point?

 

I generally rage at the stupidity of my character in the MSQ.  

 

Same here... I don't mind unintelligent characters in some cases, nor do I mind the idea of the WoL having literal gunk between their ears as much as others might. What I DO take issue with, however, is when the only reason the writers can find to move the plot in a certain direction is to make everyone as mindnumbingly stupid as possible. Literally, the story would not have progressed to the point it did if at least one - JUST ONE- of the main Scions put on the breaks and actually THOUGHT about what they were doing. Which is made all the worse because several of the Scions ARE made out to be highly intelligent, to the point where there is simply no excuse for their failings as a group.

[LiadansWhisper]

 

 

Same here... I don't mind unintelligent characters in some cases, nor do I mind the idea of the WoL having literal gunk between their ears as much as others might. What I DO take issue with, however, is when the only reason the writers can find to move the plot in a certain direction is to make everyone as mindnumbingly stupid as possible.  Literally, the story would not have progressed to the point it did if at least one - JUST ONE- of the main Scions put on the breaks and actually THOUGHT about what they were doing. Which is made all the worse because several of the Scions ARE made out to be highly intelligent, to the point where there is simply no excuse for their failings as a group.

 

 

You should have seen me rage during the MSQ after finding out that Thancred had gone, by himself, to take on a group that only possesses mortal men.  I was yelling at my screen going, "You guys are the dumbest fucking idiots I have ever run into  It's a damn good thing that I'm here, because you guys would have managed to blow the world up by now.  How the hell did any of you manage to survive before I showed up?"

 

I was mad.  

 

[Zelmanov]

Realistically, he'd lose all the patience he would have had when the company of heroes do that obscene errand quest and may decide then to either pack up his toys and go back home or go headfirst against titan. Either that or would be quick to speak of who he was to the owner of Costa Del Sol...whose name escapes me at the moment.

 

 

Barring that, Ysayle would have never made it to that aetheryte crystal and thus no shiva, no heretic leader, perhaps no weakened barrier.

[Caspar]

I think this topic may have been done before, and I probably put a rambling post in it as usual. But anyway, here goes.

 

A lot of folks in here talk about refusing the call and what have you. I like to assume that the Echo would not be granted to a person who would inevitably not have the heroic cajones to do most of what the WoL does. I think Virara has the innate spark that would keep her on the same path, and the same gullibility/obedience. She actually will do a lot of those odd jobs and requests for little thanks as long as she is given food or money for it, or even if they just offered to teach her a thing or two about Eorzean culture. Actually, a lot of things the WoL does, she would do too, I'm not ashamed to admit. She's just not a forward thinker outside of her areas of expertise.

 

I can think of a few junctures in the story, however, where she might behave differently in a way that impacts the plot.

 

 

 

1. The raid on the WS: Virara would consider abandoning the Scions here, depending on what stage in her character development this happens. Early Virara and potential late Virara would leave them to their fate and abandon them to the Garleans, working alone from then on out for probably unfortunate consequences.

2. Doman refugees: At least some of them might know her and refuse her help, and she is uncomfortable around them despite sharing their culture. She would not aid them, and thus probably not have Yugiri's critical aid in certain parts of the story, possibly derailing her and the Scions' efforts.

3. The Echo: Virara is already very strong so buffing her with that power could cause serious problems in cases where she mustn't kill someone or avoid overexerting herself. It is likely she wouldn't hesitate to kill Thancred when he was possessed, thus probably earning her the enmity of every ally she'd need to succeed later on.

4. The Company of Heroes Feast: Virara would only need to be told "gather these things and people and we'll make you a feast" and she'd be on it in a flash, no trickery necessary at all.

5. Ishgard: Virara is somehow even worse at diplomacy than a silent protagonist. I have no doubt that Alphinaud would have to work overtime in order to patch up innumerable diplomatic gaffes in her wake, and Ishgard is the place where it would hurt the Scions the most.

5. Leviathan: Virara is phobic of typhoons so this would be a difficult fight to get her into. Maybe she'd have to be blindfolded? But maybe that too could make Levi HM/EX a more interesting fight...

6. Iceheart: Virara doesn't get the Ishgardian grudge against the Dravinians and doesn't care. If the Scions told Virara "Kill Ysayle," she will do so without even so much as listening to her speech. If it's a face to face fight between equals Virara shows respect and a sense of "honor" because that is what she was taught to do. When killing someone outside of those circumstances, what she was taught to do was kill them immediately without fuss by any means necessary. Presumably Iceheart is strong enough to not die to all these cheapshots to the back everyone in here keeps talking about, so her bum rush would probably fail; if it didn't, she'd lose whatever critical clues the foreshadowing Iceheart's dialogue might have had to offer.

 

More recent events spoilers:

 

6. The Ul'dah assassination plot: There are several key areas in which it would differ, though the result would be similar. Virara is not some clever artful dodger who'd see this plot a mile away. She is too uncouth to even be around the Sultana, but were it possible that they had an accord before this point, Virara wouldn't see an assassination plot coming if it wasn't aimed at herself, unless it involved methods or ways she understands. She wouldn't have the political acumen to grasp what kind of danger Nanamo is in either. At the rail tracks, Virara would either not notice or not care about the vial. If invited to drink with the Sultana, she might drink the wine first, feeling some pressure from other people who wish to make her better at handling liquor. Virara has some resistance to poison from both training and natural resilience, but it would incapacitate her, and probably allow Lolorito to take a more direct approach anyway. Virara lacks the ability to defend herself in speech to deny murder accusations, and likely would become fugitive without raubahn ever realizing she is innocent, thus taking the brunt of his ire. Her background is sketchy enough that she would look suspicious from the get go, and already her going to eat with a major ruler is hard to imagine. She would probably become a pariah amongst the Grand Companies, with a heavy bounty on her head, and since she likely sabotaged her dealings with Ishgard by being surly, she would have to flee further abroad. As for the Scions sacrificing themselves, they would have to literally sedate or knock out Virara to keep her from recklessly assisting them.

 

 

So in general, I think actually Virara, powered by the echo would do a lot of things that the WoL did if she was in those circumstances, maybe even do them well given her prowess at killing things. But in terms of uniting others, showing charisma, being a little bit of a leader or inspiration to others, and in negotiation, Virara falls even shorter, and would probably doom the Scions to failure. If that sounds depressing, it just comes to show that overwhelming strength doesn't necessary mean anything in Eorzea.

[Gone.]

Can Vetiver just snuggle with Y'shtola and call it a day? I'm pretty sure that's what would end up happening. Well, aside from not carrying poison-like substances found under mysterious circumstances into the Ul'dahn throne room, anyway.

[Chris Ganale]

Let's go waaaaaaaay back to early in the sylphs part of the MSQ. A certainly little fuckshit betrayer named Laurentius. After the whole deal with the Garleans he calls down on your head, a man who goes by the pseudonym of Ghost would've just shot the fucker in the back and short-circuited a few things later on down the line.

[Viola]

I generally rage at the stupidity of my character in the MSQ.  

 

I think a lot of people do.

 

Just in 2.5 alone, I know for a fact Memenu would be caving skulls in due to the amount of fury she felt for seeing the Sultana die right in front of her.

 

Of course, this alone would've triggered one hell of a witchhunt on her due to obvious reasons.

[CrimsonMars]

Chiyo may not want anything to do with Minfilia or even the elezan lad (I forgot his name) after this. As much as she wants to do good, she's through being their errand girl and would resent the WoL title, especially after

 

losing the echo.

 

 

Also, Telluride brought up a good point on another thread:

 

 

 

....the WoL, who was not at all poisoned, or physically affected during that final scene, simply watching Ilberd, who really is just a scrub in comparion, attack Raubahn. The WoL is held by just a few regular old soldiers - soldiers who should fall like shot ducks within seconds should the WoL decide to fight back. But no - our selfless hero, who has handled EVERY fight challenge so far, must be CHOOSING to do nothing at all while every guilty party in the whole Uldah conspiracy shows up at the same place, kills Nanamo, and pins the blame on the apparent Invalid of Light.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yeah, Chiyo wouldn't leave her boy, Raubahn hanging. She'd try to help him out the best way she can regardless if she had the power to. 

 

[Darien Cadell]

I get the impression the WoL loses all his powers when he loses his weapon. Like everything he's remotely capable of is stuffed into that book. Or axe. Or lance. Or whatever. Without it, he's some kind of mushroom.

 

I can't imagine Qhora would break the plot too much. She likes to play along on the surface and meddle in the background. I could come up with ways for her to do so, and maybe I should in light of the creative exercise, but she's more likely to find a way to actually be the things she's accused of, whether they go wrong or right. Actually, all that stuff you're desperate to show everyone wasn't me? That was me!

[Cydramech]

Heh, glad something like this has come up.

 

My character would have quite the few divergences to say the least.

 

 

 

Firstly, she'd have worked as a mercenary instead of an employed figure by the Scions. She certainly wouldn't have tolerated their low wage. With regards to Gaius, she'd only have fought him to prove herself the stronger leader since he did make some good points. Upon being asked for help with the Sylph, she'd have just killed the Sylph. After meeting Iceheart for the first time she would've secretly sided with the Dravanians only to sabotage the Machina used by Ishgard during the SoF-ish battle, and finally she certainly would've resisted imprisonment in Ul'dah (even going so far as to call the Sultan weak and deserving of an assassination).

 

 

[Dat Oni]

Elidibus: "Have the laws of man grown so twisted in my absence that it is now permitted to lay hands upon an emissary?"

 

Koporo: "Yerp."

 

[U'roh Tia]

Well, this is my personal one here and a little vengeful. 

 

 

At the party of 2.55 Roh would've probably physically defended himself. Not surrendering, and at the final confrontation of where the blades and crystals were physically taking him down. He would've probably realized that he as a Dragoon with the best weapons and this amazing recreated relic weapon with all of this, could easily handle a platoon of Blades.

 

In short, Kit be right beside Raubahn killing himself some monetarists and basically standing there like a boss with. "Next?"

 

Teleji: "He poisoned the Sultante!"

 

Roh: "I saved the Shroud's Guardian tree, killed SIX, SIX BLEEDIN' primals, near single handedly killed Gaius, felled three coils worth of crazy Allagan tech, WENT INTO THE VOID IT'S SELF TO BREAK A CONTRACT TO DEVOUR US!!!! Not to mention the killings of various beastmen, corrupt blades, and Ishgardian Heretics. You honestly think, you honestly think I would kill the Sultante now, MUCH LESS RESORT TO POISON?! FOR AZEYMA'S SAKE I CAN JUMP GODS KNOW HOW MANY ILMS!!! Oh and I saved bleedin' Ishgard too. So... are you going to listen the Monterists who just wanna make some coin? Orrrr are you going to listen to the man who can ya know... kill primals?"

 

 

[Leanne]

The major derail would happen during the Ishgard/airship/Garuda questline.

Leanne tries to be very, very, -very- nice. Unfortunately, that would make her a little passive in a lot of things, pretty much like the WoL.

 

BUT. She'd snap sometime at Ishgard. There's being understanding, aand there's being clearly sabotaged by a stupid inquisitor.

 

Drillemont: "We believe, Leanne, now-"

 

Evil Inquisitor: "Distrust her, she's evil!"

 

Drillemont: "OMG I shall distrust you! Vanish from my sight."

 

Leanne: *eye twitch*

[Kuro]

At this time I have only played through MSQ original bit, but I can already say that Zali would have punched a lot of people in the face for being obvious evil people, looking at you evil merchant from uldah, you ifrit freak.

 

That said she is possibly nice enough to do errands and join scions, compensated of course, though not just nod at everything

 

Finally she'd have gone "you know what baelsar, you are right", leave him to burn while commandeering only the disabled ultima weapon out of the fortress, going onto rule and prevent most, if not all stupid stuff to come, as this thread hints.

[LiadansWhisper]

The major derail would happen during the Ishgard/airship/Garuda questline.

Leanne tries to be very, very, -very- nice. Unfortunately, that would make her a little passive in a lot of things, pretty much like the WoL.

 

BUT. She'd snap sometime at Ishgard. There's being understanding, aand there's being clearly sabotaged by a stupid inquisitor.

 

Drillemont: "We believe, Leanne, now-"

 

Evil Inquisitor: "Distrust her, she's evil!"

 

Drillemont: "OMG I shall distrust you! Vanish from my sight."

 

Leanne: *eye twitch*

 

Yes.  That was the part where Liadan would have finally lost her shit and started throwing people off towers.  ._.

[Dante Abigor]

If we are simply talking Eligor in the story as the WoL PERSONALITY wise with none of his actual story character development that takes place around the same time frame....he honestly would not be that different. At least up until after he faces down Ifrit. At that point he would start questioning every little thing.

 

Wtf is going on here? Why doesnt anyone else do anything worthwhile? WHY THE FUCK DO THEY CALL ME TO TELL ME TO COME TALK TO THEM? Why is the leader an idiot?

 

This would likely eat at him until he gets to Cape Westwind, at which point the knowledge that he was being used as the MOST IMPORTANT PIECE in what wa essentially a campaign in multiple places along with the growing irritation and inkling that he was being used would come to their breaking point, and he would surprise switch sides.

 

I imagine that the Garleans probably wouldnt be too happy about this however seeing has he has already massacred like....hundreds of them by this point, so after being the main reason operation Archon FAILS he would veer off and basically be on the run, looking into ways to gain more strength to protect himself and understand the nature of the primals more intimately.

 

Ultimately he wouldnt really be able to find much, as his source of information(The many npcs associated with the Scions and the GCs) was effectively cut off with his betrayal, leaving him to either Ally with one of the primals knowing they could not temper him, or fighting a war of survival by his lonesome until he was finally hunted down, outmaneuvered, and then most likely murdered.

[Blue]

Imagine a Garlean with the Echo and Hydaelyn's Blessing.

 

A Garlean that might still be loyal to the Empire.

 

>_>; .... That's Clive Stark, one of the alts I RP the MSQ with.

[Jean L]

"jade go do this big thing" says anyone ever

 

"i don't really want to bye" and then all of eorzea burned while jade robbed houses and made chairs.

 

All joking aside I do have plans for how I'm going to roleplay on my Au Ra character.

 

When I get to the 2.55 end on Nekhii (who i plan on doing more RPing as the WoL than I did on Jade since he's not the hero type) he just kinda breaks from guilt after having to do so much fighting for so long and he winds up giving up fighting to learn healing instead which is a long journey for him. More than enough to derail things for quite a while as he learns the arts of the astrologian.

[Sigil.9054]

Not from the MSQ, but something I noticed recently:

 

Seldi would have grabbed Edda before she could fall off the ledge. Poor girl went off the deep end, sure, but that doesn't mean she's not worth saving.

[Jana]

Jana would have grabbed Gaius herself, assuming she ever made it that far. ICly, I've placed her as having been with the Immortal Flames during Operation Archon, but not with Derplander in the Praetorium.

[Telluride]

Spoiler for Heavensward MSQ!

 

 

 

 

Come on, now, folks, this is 99 of you in 100: Haurchefaunt ain't dead, because we didn't just leave the freakin' Heaven's Ward bastards to recover in peace and quiet. The sloooooooooooooow motion blast got dodged, and we teamed up with Estinien ("Hey, remember that Jump thing Azure Dragoons do?") to bring down that escaping airship before Thorland could simply just fly away and steal the key from us as we got it from Bismarck's belly by hiring Syndrome from The Incredibles to use his Zero Point energy on us.

 

 

 

[Chris Ganale]

Spoiler for Heavensward MSQ!

 

 

 

 

Come on, now, folks, this is 99 of you in 100: Haurchefaunt ain't dead, because we didn't just leave the freakin' Heaven's Ward bastards to recover in peace and quiet. The sloooooooooooooow motion blast got dodged, and we teamed up with Estinien ("Hey, remember that Jump thing Azure Dragoons do?") to bring down that escaping airship before Thorland could simply just fly away and steal the key from us as we got it from Bismarck's belly by hiring Syndrome from The Incredibles to use his Zero Point energy on us.

 

 

 

 

 

I went through it as a dragoon. Haurchefaunt had no need to shield me because the second I saw it coming, I was diving back at the bastard and feeding him the sharp end of Gae Bolg.

 

Hell, let's face it, not one of those knights would have made it past their boss rooms. "Durr, hurr, let's retreat to the---" Oh sorry, did I just break your concentration by sticking a seven-foot legendary spear through your back?

 

[Sylentmana]

 

Sees Nanamo reacting violently from something she drank: casts Esuna. All better.

Haurchefaunt lying on the ground dying: casts Benediction. All better.

 

[Lekka Meyren]

 

For Lekka I think the most glaring points at which she would act differently is every time the city states are reluctant to help with something she was asking them for.

Prime example is probably the Monetarists and how they're all "Well why should we help x..."

 

 

I feel like that'd be a good point for Lekka to go "You know those literal manifestations of gods you keep needing me to kill? How about I stop killing those for you. Better yet, what if I were to ever use those powers against you?"

 

 

 

Lekka is fundamentally kind, but to me a few of those scenes were just so fucking bullshit. There's "nice" and then there's "Willing to be exploited by bastards"

 

[Oli!]

Oliwat would have Nope'd right out of there and gone home.

 

Screw being a hero, yo.