#a singular person tell me that i wasnt a burden

[cicadaknight]

"if you’re gonna call seyka a mary sue, a flawless, overly positively portrayed character, don’t you kind of have to do that to almost all the sympathetic characters?" seyka has no flaws, she is totally right on what she is doing and why even if she is breaking the law and the executive is mean with and wrong on everything he does, thats very mary sue-ish not matter what anyone says, its exactly the same as aloy in the first game

i’m assuming this second anon is you as well so i’ll add it here:

"aloy is never in a true position of authority or power with seyka, and that’s in large part because of seyka’s personality and self-assurance." it wouldn't be as jarring if she wasnt truly the only one in the whole damn game who calls Aloy out for what she does or what she doesn't tell, but instead of doing this with the companions we know from the first game; the players are forced to endure a random character (that we dont have to care about) to have that attitude. or even with new characters, zo, kotallo or alva had a thousand better introductions, better developed friendships with aloy than her supposed first romantic choice

agree to disagree, anon.

i’m not sure who you mean by “mean with and wrong with everything he does.” Rheng or Londra? But regardless, I simply don’t agree that a character needs to be DEEPLY flawed to be compelling. Nor do I think they have to be a foil to the protagonist to be compatible? Which seems like some of the argument here. You’re gonna look me in the eyes and tell me that what makes you love Varl, Zo, Kotallo, Alva, Talanah, Erend, Petra, is that they’re wrong about shit or abrasive? You’re not drawn to their compassion, strength, or persistence in the face of unbeatable odds? Or that over time they question what they believe in and commit to believing in themselves and Aloy?

I DO find Seyka to be flawed. She’s not a self-insert Mary Sue lmao. She’s flawed in much the same way Varl or Kotallo are. She’s a soldier who will prioritize her duty to her tribe over common sense and safety. She believes she’s the only one who has what it takes to get shit done, she’s arrogant and cocky, loses her patience easily. I think she’s battling with insecurities about her sister, who’s an elevated and invaluable member of their expedition, by trying desperately to prove herself by saving her.

I think you are holding Seyka to an impossible standard. I’m not gonna change your mind if you just really don’t vibe with her. But like you said, it was jarring for you to see that chemistry and dynamic between a new character and Aloy. And that seems to be the crux of it. I’d be curious if you play it again with some time to digest everything, if you still feel as strongly?

To the second anon message about Seyka being the only one to push Aloy (in this case about what she does or doesn’t know) and that you have to “endure” that from a new character. Again, agree to disagree. I don’t think the other characters had inherently better relationships with Aloy.

I 100% think all of the companions challenge Aloy and push back on her. Aloy just rolls her eyes and ignores them unless she has no other choice. Zo refuses to let her go to the sacred cave and is resistant to Aloy plowing through their way of life. Kotallo basically calls her a flaming idiot all the way from Stone’s Crest up until they get the canon. Varl CONSTANTLY calls Aloy out for shutting people out of her life. Erend very bluntly tells her she hurt his feelings and disregards people who can help her. It’s just that in this case with Seyka, Aloy’s had all of those experiences with the others which has resulted in her ability to trust and be vulnerable. She’s had an inordinate amount of character growth by the end of Singularity. She knows Seyka is worthy of sharing the burden, or at least she’s willing to take that leap of faith. And personally, I love that Seyka’s in a position where she doesn’t have to just let Aloy do whatever she’s gonna do. Seyka uniquely knows the lay of the land, and she’s confident she can make progress herself. That’s a really refreshing dynamic to explore in these games.

Again, is it really that Seyka is just an annoying, perfect, unreasonably beautiful and talented woman who you can’t stand, or are you mostly pissed Aloy has a first crush on her instead of companions we know and love?