Random wish for SeekersFollow

Based on 1:40 in the trailer, I'd guess SE has already decided...


...or even the preview screen, apparently.

Edited, Jan 14th 2013 2:00pm by xypin

You only just noticed this?

I noticed it, but I never thought about it that much. I have always found the side characters more interesting anyway (I <3 Ulmia.)

How are they love interests? I play a female character but I know that has no effect on the storyline and the interaction with its NPCs.
If XI was an offline RPG it would be at least slightly more original compared to other titles in having all female protagonists for each of its chapters.

eh, almost every game/movie/book I read almost ever features men over women so I am not perturbed by XI breaking that trend. Nevermind that there are -plenty- of male characters throughout the storylines anyway.

Ahh ok, I am unfortunately(Or fortunately depending on how you look at it) under nourished in playing MMOs. My only other MMO(And some would scoff at calling it that) was the phantasy star series of MMOs.

In the original PSO episode one. Red Ring RIco was your spiritual co-protagonist, you were charged in trying to find her so she never was by your side but she leave message pods all over the field giving your information about herself, the field you were on, the enemy, and the state of Poineer 1. So it felt like she was always there with more lore and support then any other character, of which mainly exclusively showed up in the side quests.

Episode 2 used the same concept except it was a guy. However they spiced things up by giving you a handler who was also female and was packed with personality(Especially since she fell in love with a super computer AI who was also in love with her. Which was pretty hilarious at the time especially when she dropped hints about that ball of weirdness.) She spoked to you the whole time and when you finally did find messages from Flowen she played them for you and commented. Making her your co-protagonist. 4 I don't remember well but I don't think you had a main co-protagonist.(Episode 3 was a completely different game onto itself and was also a card game. Ironicly having the strongest story and characters out of all 4)

Universe Episode one was offline only and forced you to play as one of the male story characters. Your sidekicks rotated but the female lead and love interest was definitely the secondary main character. Episode 2 your co-protagonist and almost exclusively your partner(She was almost always there with rotation being on your third partner) was Laia and in episode 3 the main character's, from episode 1, sister becomes your student and is your co-protagonist. With old protagonists taking the back line in a more solo double agent style and Leader role respectively.

In PSO2 episode 1 your co-protagonists is actually a couple. So you can see how it doesn't seem so odd or original to me.

Also I kind of feel like these Females are kind of there to flatter your ego... A lot. On top of which Lion, to no fault of her own since Zilart is a really short story, and Prishe with zero character arcs made them one dimensional and Nashmeira(Yeah I finally looked up her name) character arc being the default princess one. To me really made that feeling more noticeable. Invoking a feeling non-existant to me as a gay male. Also, to cut off disagreement with that sentiment at the pass look at how they look and act. Lion tom boyish look coupled with her revealing outfit. Prishe essentially being a loli. In looks and background only granted but her personality being out of place is canceled for me by the fact she almost always striking a pose. Nashmeira is more practically dressed unsurprisingly so, since she was doubling as an empress and puppetmaster however, her princess personality more then makes up for it. Then, finally, Lilisette... to which I don't think I have to explain. Re-in forced that feeling, incidentally which is why I accidentally slipped and called them "love interests" but didn't edit that slip out of my post becuase I was trying to make this point without explaining it in this much detail.

Bringing this all around to my final point, which is that dispite the rarity of female leads in MMOs the role of ego flattery these days to the main character is almost always left to female in games in general. Even with female leads. Which is why I agree and would like to see a male one this time around. However if this is also the norm in most mmos(Male being the ego flatterers), call me out and I will tip my hat on this point and step out of the discussion.

Edited, Jan 15th 2013 6:21pm by Laxedrane

I have to agree with your FFX assessment Eeri but to a point. Prishe and lillisette can get by on that analysis but it's a tough sell for me for Lion and Nashmeira. Lion was pure support in my opinion and an almost impossible sell to me. Nashmeira, she comes closer to prishe on that point then you have to think about everything else going on in that story. Besides providing a constant damsel in distress she did very little to help in the over-all plot. Only significant in the pirate having a change of heart and I guess mildly in the end when she makes alexander.... Weaker? I don't know what the hell pushing those buttons did... Really making the story more about the pirate and her brother then anything else. Even Naja would of made a better partner(and to some degree she was).

Anyways. an ego flatter doesn't necessarily have to be a love interest. Jeane, in Bayonetta, was the games ego flatterer. Always showing off, always shown as being stronger until the end but always fought Bayonetta on her skill level and purposely lost despite being stronger for most of the game. Remember, it's our ego they are flattering, not the game character. SpoilerEven the gods "sacrifice" themselves so she reawaken as the eye for the main bad guy to sacrifice.

Anyways, it's a really point that's in the eye of the holder I guess so there's no use banging on about it. I too loved Lilisette and the wotg storyline(Even more so since that whole story was backed to the brim with charismatic characters and good arcs in the main ones.) Just a little tired of essentially the same concept over and over again.

Eh. If FF12 couldn't break away from tried-and-true cast formulas before FF14's unexpected failure, what chance do you think SoA has to abandon the "mission girl" now? Let's just hope we get one less gratuitous than Vaan and Penelo.

I'm hoping that FFXIV ends up having some iconic characters like Prishe.

Edited, Jan 15th 2013 9:27pm by Dizmo

Shantotto doesn't count?

How about a spunky female... Quadav? Or maybe an Orc with gumption? Or a Mithra that acts like a Galka?

I hated every interaction with Naja. She never had a redeeming moment for all the abuse and bullsh*t.

Like her 2nd in command Abquhbah? You know they totally have an awesome dom/sub thing going on. At one point he does something that pisses her off, and says "Okay I'll go put myself in the stocks." I'm sure many spankings ensued.

I guess Naja was supposed to be the abusive tsundere type, but they didn't do nearly enough to show that she had a soft side and make her sympathetic. She does come to back us up at one point and she cries when we're about to leave, but it's just not enough and it's not very convincing.