#include torgal.

[beardedmrbean]

Naoki Yoshida requests people not make offensive or inappropriate mods for Final Fantasy XVI. Damn, there goes my chance to mod the game to give Torgal realistic wolf testicles.

They can ask all they like, not like they can stop the degenerates from being degenerates or anyone else.

Unless they include some kind of code to cause the game to self destruct if you do that.

I wish the weirdos all the luck in the world though.

[adureus]

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ — 𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐄.   ╱    𝐕𝐈𝐈. ❜

Clive Rosfield is the leader of a band of insurgents : Ex-Shinra employees ( SOLDIERs included ), Planetologists, like-minded mercenaries, civilians, and science oriented individuals. Few people know of their existence or number, and even fewer know where they are permanently stationed. Each member has suffered in some shape or form due to Shinra's activities. Traveling as a mercenary, he cooperates primarily with AVALANCHE's central command, albeit loosely as they have mutual interests ( to an extent ). As such, he doesn't heavily affiliate with them, opting to stay more covert than conspicuous with his undermining of Shinra. That, and he's more concerned with revitalizing devastated lands and people, as well as any relief efforts. A lot of his clientele are a direct conflict of interest. Thus, his influence is purposely nebulous, and few people know him by name.

He has a preference for bounties, as Torgal’s ability to track is unrivalled. Clive doesn’t shy from the idea of assassination should he deem it appropriate. Though, overall, he highly regards the lives of others, and scoffs at plans which run the risk of unnecessary casualties and indiscriminate violence. As of late his proficiency at intel gathering has unintentionally come just below par of his fighting abilities. An unintentional reward for his efforts is the intel shared by distinguished clientele, specifically Ex-Shinra employees with little regard for NDAs. However, he does not exclusively cater to high paying clients. So long as he agrees with the job, he'll take it, but he can be difficult to persuade. In a sense, he operates on morally ambiguous grounds, but they’re naturally in service to the efforts of his allies at his base of operations, dubbed the Hideaway. And while the Gil may be plentiful at times, his ultimate goal rests in giving power back to the underdogs, and much of the bounties he hauls are invested back into the communities decimated by Shinra’s negligence.

⸻ 𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐂 𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐎.

✦⠀⠀⠀Clive guards the Founder’s Grasp dangling at his wrist with diligence, as well as Invictus at his back, passed down through generations to the eldest son or daughter born of Rosfield lineage. The former accessory contains three types of materia, each a heirloom of sorts : set in the centre lies an Elemental ★★★ materia, which mimics and enhances whichever element the wearer chooses ⸻ so long as they have attuned to the element at some point. Its mimicry is long lasting but not indefinite. To its left and right sit Phoenix and Ifrit, respectively. Though, he has a preference for Ifrit and fire.

✦⠀⠀⠀Much of his training was under his late mentor Murdoch’s tutelage, who lost his life on the field during one of many catastrophes rising from Shinra’s negligence. He has since nursed a hatred towards the company.

✦⠀⠀⠀Ambrosia and Torgal are constants at his side. His steed is constantly heckled to participate in Chocobo races ; many have had the gall to try and bribe Clive due to her pedigree.

✦⠀⠀⠀Clive also greatly enjoys learning about the local terrain and the cultures of the region. It’s not unusual for him to spend long stints in specific areas so he can become familiar with his surroundings. Learning skills from the locals is also a priority. He has every intention of becoming a jack-of-all-trades, but that doesn’t mean he’s skilled in every area ( especially when it comes to curatives ).

✦⠀⠀⠀You will rarely hear him addressed by name. He dons the moniker of the selfsame materia at his wrist : Ifrit. Purposely using the deity further confuses and obscures his intentions. To be privy of his actual name is a privilege, indeed.

✦⠀⠀⠀Chadley takes a peculiar interest in the materia he carries whenever they cross paths, which is unnerving considering they meet more often than he'd like.

✦⠀⠀⠀He may or may not frequent a certain shop because of a certain woman in Gongaga by the name of Jill Warrick. But it's just a rumour.

[meteorstricken]

Unsolved Mysteries of the Realm

This post details several matters in FFXVI that remained unsolved or obscure, and therefore could play into DLC that does not simply add details to the past, but carries the story forward. This is *not* meant to serve in any way as a critique of so-called "missed opportunities"--just an exercise in curiosity and anticipation. Feel free to reblog with anything I might have missed, but please keep it positive.

And of course, be mindful of the load of spoilers below the cut if you haven't made it through the story.

>Behold, Leviathan the Lost! Or rather, this seems to be the fandom consensus about what the odd figure off the coast of Sanbreque is supposed to be. The supposed Eikon of Water appears as though frozen in time, and is notably named similarly to Titan Lost--the form Kupka took as a giant tentacled mountain. I think it's important to remember what exactly Eikons are, so I've included the late-game lore entry here. My theory is that, since Ultima is the only one we truly see exercise an extensive amount of space/time magic, they might have been responsible for freezing Leviathan, and that their passing might release it from that hold, making it a problem. That said--this might serve as a last ditch preservation mechanism for Ultima themselves.

>Are we truly done with Mothercrystals? Based on the 8 elements and 8 Mothercrystals known in game, the answer would seem to be yes, but if you speak with Jill when she's seated at the Tub and Crown prior to heading for Origin, she wonders if there could indeed be more. If there are more, then we need to start talking about unaspected magic such as Flare and Ultima (the spell). If they're not a subset of Dark aspected magic, space/ time/ gravity magic is another set that might prove worthy of their own Mothercrystal. Holy is another one, if it's not counted as part of Light aspected magic. Again, it should be noted that if these are magic types used most heavily--or in some cases, exclusively--by Ultima themselves. If there are hidden Mothers out there, he/ they are not likely as finished as advertised, and the existing lore does seem to suggest he's fond of having quite a number of failsafes to fall back on.

>Reverie II, or Ultima's Rosarian Penthouse. It has no formal name, but this towering structure appears to be a conspicuous twin to Reverie in Waloed, and possibly in better external shape besides. Early on in the game, on the way to Phoenix Gate, Clive questions what appears to be the entrance, found in a Blighted area called The Dim. Later on, if you hang out around this door, Torgal becomes agitated and begins to growl. I tested just hanging out in other random places in Storm with Torgal, and it did not produce quite the same effect. Torgal really, really does not like this door. However, as it stands, we never get to take a peek inside--a prime opportunity for a DLC environment. What horrors and wonders might lurk inside?

>"True Freedom? Or something else entirely...? Once Origin has appeared, if you talk to the defected Waloeder Intelligencer referred to simply as a "Suspicious Character", he says what's depicted below. (He's confirmed to be an Intelligencer if you talk to the Gaoler at the right point early in the game, while still working out of Cid's Hideaway.) This guy keeps on top of everything going on, tends to joke or comment rather darkly on it, and admits at one point that old habits die hard--that in essence, he's been continuing to spy on you for his own entertainment. By this late point in the game, it's well understood that Waloed has been under Ultima's clandestine control for many years, so it's rather glaring that this particular character would say something like this. What does he know? What does await after Origin? I personally am of the opinion that Clive made a huge mistake in absorbing Ultima like he would any other Eikon, and that he may in fact turn out to be possessed. That would certainly rank as "something else entirely", and make for quite the compelling trip as far as a DLC plot goes. Clive is always saving everyone else--mayhap it's time he needs someone to save him from 'himself'.

On a related note, I think it's significant that Clive is shown at the end of the game to have developed the Crystal's Curse in spite of supposedly having eradicated Ultima's legacy. This may be a more complicated matter than he expected, as one might even argue that humanity itself is part of Ultima's legacy. Potential future DLC may involve cleaning up/ managing the complications of Clive having used a power he didn't fully comprehend.

>What's Out There? A great deal of factors influencing Valisthea occur outside the Twins' shores. Context clues from early conversations with Harpocrates suggest a land not as steeped in magic, but at the same time, later lore on the Children of Dzemekys reveals that the outer continent plays host to the Circle of Malius. (Ultima's faithful.) During the side quest "Trading Places II", when Eloise is trying to buy and free Bearers from the Silverpeak Consortium, she is outbid by a trader from the outer continent. One of the Consortium members notes that continentals are notorious for treating Bearers very well in comparison to Valisthea. This becomes even more interesting in light of some additional detail shared online from the FFXVI artbook, which suggests that Ultima's intended world order ranks Bearers as superior to normal humans--meaning a Circle of Malius adherent from the outer continent would want them treated considerably better. (Which in turn suggests that the persecution of Bearers is 100% mankind's home-brewed BS, despite how badly it transpires in Waloed.) But if the more distant Circle of Malius adherents have been buying up Bearers, what exactly is their end game? What plots and machinations could there be cooking across the sea, and might DLC delve into them?

[sevi007]

I'm still running around doing sidequests in FF16 (as soonas I finish one, at least one other pops up) and I'm collecting some tidbits I especially liked:

First of, the "More than words" quest with Torgal. Man, that one made me cry. First they tell me the band around Torgal's ankle is from Cid so he would stop gnawing his paw due to heartbreak and now Torgal refuses to take it off because he, too, misses Cid (already ow) no, it also turns out that a) young Clive used to run off to a Island in Rosaria whenever he wanted to be alone / felt like he was not good enough for his mother, no, b) they alsohit me with the fact that Torgal spent eighteen years collecting everything which remotely reminded him of Clive, like Clive's sparring sword. I'm. I'm so emotional for this good boy? Hello?

Second, the "Aiming high" quest with Mid. I just love her so much, and her dynamic with Clive is awesome. Favorites include

Mid: "The Enterprise is my baby, but the godfather can help!"

Clive is now Godfather to the Enterprise. I do not know id that is promotion, or a burden XD

Then:

Clive "Mid. Tell me this is all you need."

Mid: "Weeeelll..."

Clive: "Tell me. This is all. You need"

They got so much sibling energy I swear. Or just. Family energy.

Alos, I adore that Mid is so firm in her decision that she would DESTROY the Enterprise / at least the flight engine after they have seen their use, because she does not want them to be used for war. And her decision to hide the schematics somewhere where they will be found with a riddle is so - it's so Cid. He did the same thing for her, when we had to solve a riddle to find the sketches for the Enterprise.

Then the "Where there is a will" quest. This one is nice, but I feel like it falls a bit short at some points - for example, Elwin's words are given to us only in letter (which I can barely read, small script) with no voice over. Then we get the matching armbands foe Clive and Joshua, but we don't seem them. I couldnt find them in the inventory, or attached to the brothers. I feel like the feels would have hit harder with a bit - more? I can't really explain XD

Then the "Under new management" quest line. Anything else think the Dame Isabelle is awesome, and her and that Philippe guy are cute? Just me?

That's as far as I got now. There's some others but these were my faves. I need to finish like four more, two hunts, and then I will probably download the DLC before I continue the main quest

[septnautical]

Hybrid Creation Logs

SH-003

——————————

Notes from observation of stalker human hybrid SH-003 from Dr. Kendra Danan:  10-21-2228 SH-003 is showing signs of very high intelligence and is already picking up language despite his mental age. The other hybrids did not show this much absorption of knowledge at the same stage. However, he seems to have attached himself to Dr. Peter von Schneeplestein, a visitor from the Teuton Alteran branch, who still have ties to their ancient German roots- keeping that fascinating culture alive, much like the Mongolians from Torgal. Which means- SH-003 has caught a slight jumbled accent and has found a preference for using German sayings. Much like how SE-002 has a slight Irish accent thanks to constant interaction with Dr. Xander. A strange phenomenon to be sure but… fascinating. And adorable…  Oh and he’s quite popular with the other scientists. Mostly because a mutation caused his body to be more white and his underbelly to be more aqua. Peter squealed to everyone that he looked like he was wearing a white coat like us- and now I can’t un-see it!  Also, it’s evident that SH-003 had some sight issues. He seems to be near-sighted and accommodations have been made- including specially goggles for him to wear. You’d think being genetically modified would rectify such an ailment but it must be passed down from Mcloughlin’s genes.  I think he’s nearing the age where we first introduced SE-002 to RR-001. And the results of their integration have been wildly successful. Both boys are more lively than ever before. I am worried about introducing a predator to two pacifists but… SH-003 seems to be on the gentler side as well. Really, he only showed true signs of predator-like aggression during his first two weeks and when he feels threatened. Perhaps, they will all get along?  However, his near twin subject SD-004 is a different story entirely… 

——————-

“CHASEEEE!!” 

The rabbit Ray merman was awoken by Jack practically bouncing on where his stomach met his tail. He groaned and try to hide his face under one of his wings. “What? Can’t I sleep in a little longer?” Chase yawned. 

“Not today!” Jack protested, slapping his hands down on Chase’s side. “The white suits said we’re meeting the new hybrid today!! So you gotta get up!! C’mon!!” 

Chase groaned again and flopped over to hide his face in the sand. “5 more minutes…” 

“Chaseee!!” Jack whined, flopping onto the older hybrid’s back. He curls some of his tails around Chase’s tail and mumbles, “Aren’t you excited to meet a new brother?” 

“Course I am,” Chase muttered back, cheek pressed into the sand. “I just wanna be more awake when we meet him is all-“

“You’ll sleep most of the morning if I don’t wake you!” Jack protests. 

Chase chuckles, “s’not my fault the sand is warm and cozy…” He then flips over quickly and grabs Jack, pinning him in a hug against his stomach. “C’mon…! Don’t you wanna cuddle a bit longer with your big bro, Jack?” 

Jack screeches and squirmed in Chase’s hold, “Nooo! You’re squishing me! Chaseee!!” 

They both suddenly freeze as they hear the sound of a hatch opening and something new entering the water. A cautious voice calls out, “um… h-hallo?” 

Jack squeals in delight and hits multiple of his tails in Chase’s face, making the older boy cry out and rub at it  as the younger brother speeds through the water towards the voice. 

In the open water is a tiny merman with a white and aqua tail. He has light green hair like sea moss and purple stripes along his tail and even on his arms. His tail fin is big and wide and he has several large dorsal fins running up his back. And, he has goggles on, which surround the same blue eyes Chase and Jack had. Those eyes look out shyly as he holds his arms tight to his middle. 

Jack gasps in delight at seeing the new hybrid. “Oh my stars…! A stalker!! You’re so tiny!!” 

The new hybrid startles at the new voice and looks at Jack with wide eyes. “Oh uh- h-hallo and uh… t-thank you, I suppose…?” 

Chase soon swims up beside Jack and laughs. “He’s about the size you were when you first got here, Jack!” 

“Aw really? I guess I must be growing a lot!” Jack giggles. Chase ruffles his hair then smiles at the new hybrid. “Hi there. I’m Chase and this is Jack- what are you called?” 

The stalker hybrid nervously messes with his fingers. “Oh uh… mein name is SH-3…” 

“Why do you talk like that?” Jack suddenly pipes up, tilting his head at SH. 

SH’s mood shifts quickly as he scowls and flicks his tail in agitation, “why do you talk like that?” He counters with a huff. 

Chase holds up his hands with a nervous laugh, “J-Jack didn’t mean anything by it! We just… haven’t heard anyone talk like you much… maybe some of the other doctors… but not much.” 

“We gotta give you a name that matches!” Jack says excitedly. 

“W-What do you mean?” SH stammers, “I already have a name! It is-“ 

“No no! That one doesn’t count!” Jack emphasizes, “You need a name like the white suits! Something that doesn’t make us sound like- like an es… esperimint-“ 

“Experiment, Jack…” Chase provides gently. Jack nods eagerly, “yeah that! We’re more than just that- we should get names that are more than just letters and numbers!!” 

SH seems to contemplate this before he slowly nods. “Mmm… o-okay… I… I think I would like that…” 

“Great!” Jack says excitedly, his tails twirling to show it. Then he hums and looks at SH with a critical eye. The tiny merman squirms a bit under the gaze. Finally, Jack pipes up with, “I’m getting a couple names from you! Guess it’s other white suits you know- like… Fitz! Orrr Nikolai? Or hm… Henrik?”

Chase perks up at this and smiles, “He seems like a Henrik, not gonna lie.” 

SH’s eyes roll and he scoffs, crossing his arms. “Please… those are all ridiculous names! If you’re gonna use the scientists' names you might as well call me… H-Henrik von Schneeplestein or something!” He grumbles, thinking of Dr. Peter. Though, he had to admit… thinking of sharing a name with him almost made SH feel… warm?

Jack and Chase exchange looks before the two of them grin at SH. “We could call you Schneep!” Jack says mischievously. Chase giggles and nods, “Yeah I like that!” 

SH quickly flushes and looks away with raised shoulders, “…please just… stick with Henrik… I suppose I… like that.” 

“Aww but Schneep is fun to say!” Jack giggles and starts to float around the stalker mer, “Schneep! Schneep! Schneep! Schneeep!!” 

Chase laughs and pulls Jack back after a bit, “Alright, little bro- give him some space!” 

Henrik seems to perk up at this, “…bro? What does this mean?”

The rabbit Ray blinks, “Oh! Short for brother! Cuz… that’s what we all are, you know?”

Henrik’s eyebrows knit together in confusion, “…we are? I thought brothers were ah… human. Human family members.” 

Jack snorts and then goes to grab Henrik’s hands in his. “We are brothers though! Cuz- cuz Xander says we all have the same human DNS-“ 

“DNA, Jack-“ Chase snickers. 

“Oh yeah! DNA! And he says that makes us related! Even if our fish parts are different!” Jack beams. “So now! You’re our new little brother, Henrik!” 

The stalker merman’s eyes seem to sparkle as he slowly goes to grip Jack’s hands back. He smiles, “O…okay… brothers. Yes I… I think I would like that…” 

Jack and Chase beam and then bring Schneep in for a hug. Henrik stiffens a bit but soon finds himself laughing and enjoying the contact. They were so warm. 

Jack soon grabs Henrik and leads them all off to go play. Henrik seems to have trouble keeping up with their energy- since he liked to spend a lot of his time in his own tank watching the education videos the white suits gave him. But, he tries his best. 

Soon enough, the lights dim and the boys all start to head towards their sleeping area. Henrik is being led by Jack but seems… nervous. He always felt strange at night. More… angry. But he didn’t know why. 

Chase flops into the little nest Jack and him have made- filled with soft kelp, writhing weeds, violet beaus red wort and spotted dock leaves. All hidden amongst the tall creepvines that surrounded the edge of the tank. There’s a small indent in the sand that is clearly made from how Chase curls up in his spot, yawning loudly. Jack laughs and then rushes at Chase and flops onto his side. Chase seems to anticipate this though as he opens up his arm without opening his eyes as Jack eagerly curls around under Chase’s wing. The older merman squints open an eye, looking at how Jack’s tails hardly fit anymore and chuckles. “You’re almost too big to keep hiding under there, Jackaboy-“ 

Jack sticks his tongue out at Chase and scoots back so his head is lifting up the edge of his wing like a floppy hat. “Too bad! Your wing is too comfy! I’m never leaving!” Chase just laughs and shakes his head. 

Henrik hovers anxiously at the edge of the space, unsure if he should join or not. His nerves feel like they’re on fire. 

Lost in his train of thought, he doesn’t notice Jack lashing out a hand to grab his fin and try to pull him in until he feels the tug. “C’mon Schneep! Join the pile!”

“Do not touch me!” Henrik suddenly hisses, his teeth looking sharper and his pupils turning more slitted. Jack gasps and shudders under Chase’s fin, looking scared. “Ah I… I’m sorry! I…��� 

Henrik’s face falls and he scoots back, all aggression fading. He looks equally as scared as he stammers, “I-I… I will go s-sleep somewhere else… g-goodnight!” And then, in a flurry of bubbles, he spurs quickly away from the other two to the other side of the tank. 

Chase lifts up his head and looks concerned. He quickly turns over to hug Jack to his chest and wrap him up in his wings. 

“I… I didn’t mean to make him mad I…” Jack sniffles. Chase gently shushes him. “It’s okay, Jack… this is all probably a lot for him…” 

Jack rubs at his eyes and looks over to where Henrik swam off. “…I don’t think he meant it either… he looked scared.” 

“He’s probably not used to being around other people… you were a lot for me to get used to when you first got here.” Chase tries to laugh. Jack rests his head on Chase’s chest and hums, thinking. “… maybe he just… misses his old tank? But… isn’t that lonely?”

“Maybe… sometimes people like being alone. I don’t get it but… maybe Henrik is like that.” Chase answers quietly. 

Suddenly, there’s a quiet knock on the glass next to the boys and they both startle up. There’s a man at the window, one they don’t recognize, with goggles like Henrik’s and brighter brown-blond curly hair. He smiles at the boys and then points to the hatch nearby. Chase narrows his eyes but then scoops up Jack to go over to the hatch. The scientist opens it up and hangs in the open air part, fidgeting nervously, “Ah I am- sorry to intrude. I hope I did not wake you two…” 

“You talk just like Henrik!” Jack gasps in delight. The doctor blinks and then laughs with a soft, kind expression. “Oh? Did you give a name to SH then? Ha… that is very fitting.. I do not know why I did not think of it…” 

“The letter names are icky- we don’t like them,” Jack said plainly. The doctor laughs, “I can agree with that. Perhaps I can learn all of yours in time… You all can call me Peter though… Dr. Peter. I ah- watch over SH- …Henrik.” 

“We don’t gotta wait till later! I’m Jack and this is Chase!” Jack said brightly, patting Chase on the chest. Chase smiles shyly. “Hi… Dr. Peter. nice to meet you.” 

Dr. Peter smiles warmly, “it is a pleasure… those names all suit you wonderfully…” 

“What do you want? Did you need to see Schneep?” Jack asks plainly. 

Peter’s eyes widen, “…Schneep?”

“Oh- that’s the other name I wanna call him. He said a long name from another doctor like… schneeple-eplestein… I like how Schneep sounded though so I wanna call him that too! He tries to act like he doesn’t like it but I can tell he does.” Jack answers. 

The white suit looks surprisingly touched and smiles even more warmly at the boys. “I see… well… I did come because of S-Schneep, yes.” He pulls something out from his pocket and places it in the water part of the hatch. It’s a well worn piece of scrap metal, with various teeth marks and scratches on its surface. “…He can get very bitey and snippy at night… but I know having this helps him calm down enough to sleep. I was worried he would be missing it…” 

Chase and Jack’s eyes widen as they look at the scrap then back up at Peter. Chase smiles and gives the doctor a meaningful look. “…you really care about him, huh?” 

Peter’s face flushes and he adjusts his glasses. “I mean… I… I suppose I do but… how could I not? You all are… human too. More human than fish- you are just… children. You all need that care, ja?” He laughs. 

Jack giggles and quickly goes to grab the scrap. “We’ll give it to Henrik right away! Thank you, Dr. Peter. Come visit him a lot, okay?” As he says this- he feels a tight tug in his chest. When was the last time he really got to see Xander…? 

Peter chuckles and nods. “I will… and I will uh- be seeing you boys around then? Ah… be sleeping tight, okay?” He says a bit awkwardly before closing the hatch. He stiffly waves to the boys before hurrying out. 

“…I like him!” Jack grins. Chase laughs and adjusts Jack in his arms. “yeah- I like him too. It’ll be nice to have a new face around.” 

“Yeah like- Dr. Goodall is nice and all but… he’s funny. And I really think he cares.” 

“Hey! Dr. Goodall cares…” Chase tries to protest. 

“Yeah but… he feels different. Dunno why…” Jack says with a shrug. Then he squirms out of Chase’s grip and swims up, holding the scrap. “I’m gonna go find Schneep! Be right back!” 

Then, he rockets off before Chase can protest or try to follow. He would but… Jack was better at finding things then he was. And he’s so sleepy. He yawns and slowly floats back down into their nest. 

Jack swims around to look for Henrik- finally hearing or… feeling him inside another collection of creepvines on the opposite side of the tank. He pushes aside the leaves and shouts out excitedly, “Henrik! Look wh-!” 

He then pauses as he sees and smells blood in the water. Jack gasps as he looks down to see Henrik curled up into a ball, digging sharp looking claws into his arms and drawing out orange blood. 

“H-Hey! Henrik, stop that!” Jack shouts as he spurs down and tries to pull Henrik’s hands away from his arms. Henrik growls and lashes out, striking claws across Jack’s cheek. “I said do not touch me!” Henrik screeches, then balks as he sees the orange curling off of Jack’s cheek into the water. Jack touches the cuts thoughtfully and looks at his hand. “…that hurt… huh- haven’t really gotten hurt before…” 

“I-I-! I am so sorry I…!” Henrik stammers, tears in his eyes as his little body shakes. He hugs his arms close to his chest. “I-I did not mean to… I- y-you scared me and…!” 

Jack quickly swims down and holds out his hands. “Hey hey it’s okay! I can tell you didn’t want to… your head is all jumbled up right now…” 

Henrik stares at Jack with wide eyes. “I… y-yes I… how did you know…?”

Jack shrugs, “I hear lots of things from people without really knowing why or how. Maybe it’s something I’ll understand when I’m older. Point is though, I can tell you don’t wanna hurt people.” 

Henrik slowly nods and curls up more. “…I do not want to… but at night I just… f-feel so angry and I… I do not know why…!”

“Well… if it helps… Dr. Peter came by to give you something…” Jack says gently, going to pass the scrap over to Henrik. The stalker’s eyes light up and he quickly takes the scrap and goes to hold it tightly, claws digging in and tail wrapped around it protectively. Jack laughs, “you really like that thing, huh?”

The tinier merman looks away, cheeks flushing slightly. “…I do not hurt my doctors if I have this at night… and it… it makes me feel safe…” 

“That’s good!” Jack says brightly. “We don’t want our new brother to sleep all alone though! Come on- you can hold that and sleep on your own but at least stay by the nest, okay?” 

Jack offers his hand to Henrik and the stalker mer stares at it for a second before he slowly goes to take it, letting Jack pull him back up in the water. “I… I’m… o-okay…” 

The two of them swim back to the nest where Chase is peacefully dozing. He blinks open his eyes and smiles dazedly at them, “Hey guys-“ then quickly sits up, his eyes going wide. “Stars-! Is that blood?!” 

“Oh yeah but uh- we’re okay!” Jack tries to say calmly as Henrik huddles behind him, his tail trembling a bit. 

Chase swims up and brings them over to sit down on the sand then surges up to grab a couple creepvines leaves. He hurries down and hands one to Jack. “Press that against your cheek.” He says gently. 

Jack blinks and does so. 

Then, Chase goes to take Henrik’s arm but the little merman flinches back and looks scared. Chase smiles softly. “It’s okay… I won’t hurt you.” 

“I… I am afraid of hurting you-“ Henrik whispers. 

Chase laughs and shakes his head. “If you do it’s okay… this is kinda scary. But us brothers gotta stick together, right?” 

Henrik’s eyes widen and then he smiles a bit. He shyly offers his arm to Chase. “..r-right…” Chase beams and takes his arm, going to wrap up the puncture wounds with the leaves and tying them off. 

“Where did ya learn to do this, Chase?” Jack asks. 

“Oh- an informational video about how to survive on the planet from someone who lived here a long time ago.” Chase says casually. “Dr. Goodall says one day we might get to actually go out into the ocean so… figured it’s good to know.” 

Henrik’s eyes sparkle. “oh… I would like to watch that! I… I want to learn to help too! Not.. not to hurt…” 

Chase smiles and ruffles Henrik’s hair. “Sure! I’ll see if we can watch it in the morning! For now though? I’m bushed!” He floats back over to the nest and flops into it, sighing contently. 

Jack checks to make sure his cheek isn’t bleeding anymore then speeds back over and bounces on Chase’s stomach beside settling into place. Chase oofs and glares a bit at Jack before snorting and rolling over. Jack giggles. 

Henrik hesitates, holding his scrap close to his chest. Then, he slowly floats over and then inches his tail to slowly bump up against Chase’s and curl against him. Oh… that contact feels… really nice actually. Henrik seems to get very comfortable very fast, his eyes struggling to stay open. Jack is already breathing softly curled up against Chase’s side, clutching into his wing. 

Chase watches with a smile. “Night, lil bros.”

[demifiendrsa]

FINAL FANTASY XVI Free Update Showcase Video

Special video message from Final Fantasy XVI producer Naoki Yoshida

Voices From Valisthea | FINAL FANTASY XVI PAX West 2023 Panel

Square Enix has released a free update for Final Fantasy XVI, which adds a weapon-skin feature, Onion Sword weapon, and new outfits for Clive, Jill, Torgal, and other characters, as well as announced that both a PC version and two paid downloadable contents are currently in development, with more information to come before the end of 2023.

Message from Producer Naoki Yoshida:

Hello, everyone. This is Naoki Yoshida, producer for Final Fantasy XVI.

It’s been just over two months since the game’s release, and we’ve received an enormous amount of feedback from players around the world. The development team and I have also been watching your streams and videos, paying special attention to what everyone thinks of Final Fantasy XVI. We put our all into creating this game, so it’s a real joy to see so many different reactions.

And so as an expression of our sincerest gratitude, we are releasing a free update available for download… today! There are two main parts to this update.

Firstly, we’re adding a weapon skin feature. This will allow you to change the appearance of Clive’s weapon to that of any other blade in your possession, while keeping the stats of the currently equipped weapon.

The second part of the update will introduce an alternate outfit for not only Clive, but also for Jill, Torgal, Ambrosia, and Joshua. You will be able to toggle between the default and additional option at any time, playing with whichever you prefer.

This free update will be available to download a few hours after this panel finishes, gradually going live around the world. Once you apply the update, you’ll be able to use these new features immediately.

I hope you’ll make use of these two new skin-change features as you continue to explore and enjoy every last corner of Valisthea.

Additionally, for those who’ll be playing Final Fantasy XVI for the first time, we’ve taken this opportunity to add in some other minor changes based on user feedback such as new controller layouts and more. So if you’ve yet to experience Final Fantasy XVI, I really encourage you to pick it up once you get your hands on a PlayStation 5.

As I mentioned earlier, we’ve seen so many opinions and reactions from our community of Final Fantasy XVI players. But one thing that came through particularly strongly was how people wanted to see more of Valisthea’s story and spend more time with her inhabitants. To accommodate, the development team has started work on two installments of paid downloadable content.

Finally, while Final Fantasy XVI was released as a PlayStation 5 exclusive, we are aware that many of you have been asking for a PC version. So, allow me to take this opportunity to officially announced that development on a PC version is curently underway. I hope to be able to give you more information on both the upcoming downloadable content and the PC version before the end of the year, so please stay tuned.

This has been Naoki Yoshida, producer for Final Fantasy XVI. Thank you so much for joining us today for this panel with Koji and our wonderful voice cast. We’ll continue doing what we can to maintain the excitement and momentum for Final Fantasy XVI, and we hope you’ll stick with us along the ride.

Goodbye for now!

 Patch notes for the version 1.10 update:

We announce the release of update 1.10, which makes a number of improvements to the game.

This update adds a feature that allows you to change certain characters’ appearances, as well as making several adjustments to game balance, including an update to how scores are calculated in Arcade Mode.

It also fixes some issues and adds new functionality based on player feedback. We recommend that you install this update before playing Final Fantasy XVI.

This update:

Adds an Appearance feature to the Arete Stone in the hideaway.

**This allows you to change the costumes of several characters, including Clive. **It also allows you to change the appearance of the weapon Clive wields to that of any weapon previously obtained. **This feature is unlocked after progressing to a certain point in the story, and is not available at the start of a New Game+ playthrough until the same point is reached. **Please note that this feature is disabled in some scenes in order to maintain loading speed.

Awards each player an onion sword, which can be claimed by accessing Redeemable Items from the System menu.

**This allows Clive to wield the favored blade of the Warriors of Light, heroes of Final Fantasy III. **The Redeemable Items feature is unlocked after progressing to a certain point in the story. **The onion sword has the same attributes as the other downloadable weapons, Braveheart and the blood sword.

Reduces the time after a successful parry at which Eikonic abilities can be activated.

Increases the time small enemies remain vulnerable to follow-up attacks after being lifted into the air by the player, allowing for easier aerial combos.

Adds ability cooldown times to the relevant Details pages in the Abilities menu, including information on how these are affected by currently equipped accessories.

Makes the following changes to the training options menu in the Arete Stone’s Hall of Virtue:

**Adds several options regarding Torgal’s behavior. **Adds an option to restart the simulation from the original settings. Fixes some text issues.

Makes the following changes to Arcade Mode:

Adds a time limit to each stage.

**This change is intended to correct an issue wherein certain abilities could be used to continually amass points over time, allowing for scores greater than envisioned. **You can continue to play as normal after the time limit is exceeded, but any further actions will not add to your score.

Reduces the scores awarded by the abilities Rime and Gouge.

**Please note that in this and future updates, we plan to adjust the scoring system in order to reward the creative chaining of multiple abilities. We will continue to assess how scores in Arcade Mode are calculated in order to maintain its challenge.

Introduces a new leaderboard for players who have this update installed. Players who do not install the update can continue to view and record their high scores to the old leaderboard.

**After installing this update, you will no longer be able to view or record high scores to the old leaderboard. However, scores recorded to the previous leaderboard will not be deleted. We plan to make previous leaderboards visible to all players in a future update.

Makes the following changes to the System menu:

**Adds an Adaptive Triggers option to the Game Settings menu, which allows you to turn the wireless controller’s trigger effect function on or off. **Adds a Target Cycle option to the Game Settings menu, which allows you to choose one of four different methods of changing targets while locked on to an enemy. **Adjusts the functionality of the Player Follow (Attack) option in the Camera Settings menu, in order to correct an issue wherein the camera position would reset after some attacks even when this option was turned off. **Adds a Controller Volume option to the Sound Settings menu, which allows you to adjust the volume of sound effects played through the wireless controller’s speaker. **Adjusts the functionality of the Visual Alerts option in the Sound Settings menu, so that a preview of the alerts is displayed when the setting is turned on, and a confirmation dialog appears when the setting is changed. **Fixes some text issues.

Fixes the following issues:

**An issue wherein enemies’ actions did not trigger correctly in boss encounters under certain conditions. **An issue wherein the collision detection threshold could be crossed in boss encounters under certain conditions. **An issue wherein certain characters’ actions did not trigger correctly. **An issue wherein notorious marks did not appear under certain conditions. **An issue wherein notorious marks appeared in different locations to that indicated on the hunt board. – An issue wherein holding down the touch pad button would display the local map when the Wireless Controller Layout option was set to Type F. **An issue wherein certain weapons could not be crafted in Final Fantasy mode, as the materials required to craft them were not available in that mode. **A multi-language issue wherein certain entries in The Thousand Tomes could not be found using the Search by Name function. **An issue wherein game progress was not correctly carried over when transferring save data from the demo version to the full version. Several minor text issues.

[rydiathesummoner]

I love Byron. He's exactly what a grim and serious game like this needs. He's fun, lighthearted, and he clearly loves his family more than anything. Dudes like Byron aren't too cool for hugs. He just goes right in for the love!

I'm so glad they included a scene that reunites him and Joshua too! I was a bit worried that would get glossed over like the Clive/Torgal reunion.

[fostersffff]

Me: Hey wait a minute, if just being exposed to a aetherflood turns anything that isn't a bearer or a dominant akashic, including non-human flora and fauna, why is Torgal ok?

Torgal:

[roshield]

PERMANENT PLOTTER / RELATIONSHIP CALL

happy almost year to this game and this blog so i figured it's time to finally put up a permanent plotter up.

liking this post means you're a-okay with me sending memes on meme day or just hopping in your inbox for something random ( and vice versa! ). you're also cool with me jumping into dms to discuss plots and all, and also just throwing out random starters your way. you're also cool with me liking starter calls and replying to your minis without feeling like i'm being bothersome!

just a warning is most relationships discussed will prob be pre-established stuff if we haven't interacted before, mainly because i'm just a lil tired of writing new meetings!

below is kind of a list of relationship types i'm interested in!! not rly anything final ( fantasy ) but just kinda a general idea of what i might vibe with.

friends: pretty classic stuff, despite clive's overall demeanor he's a pretty friendly guy. he gets along with a lot of people with different backgrounds. he's not exactly the most fun person, but he's... trying? sort of? he just kind of doesn't know how to be a normal person after being dehumanized for so long. nevertheless he does make a good friend and being friends means he's willing to put his life on the line for you!! this can also include being sparring buddies with him bc he's usually training a lot to keep his skills sharp. but really he just needs people to hang out with and maybe they can teach him how to loosen up a little

enemies: he's learned to be mostly patient buuut he's got a short-fuse and can be hot-tempered at times. he just doesn't have a lot of time for bullshit and has no tolerance for it. anyone looking to harm innocent people tend to go on his shit list pretty fast, and anyone who wants to hurt his loved ones will have the worst time with him. he's ruthless :)

not really enemies but you've annoyed him: again, short-fuse sometimes and has little tolerance for bullshit. he won't have the want to kill you but expect sarcasm and the negative sims emote.

animal lovers: clive spent most of his time with his dog or his chocobo as a kid and has a better connection with them. he's the only one who can speak to moogles in his world. he's basically a disney princess. if u like animals then he'll get along with u and if u like torgal then he'll rly get along with u! please show him ur pets too he will pet every single dog ever.

knights / other duty bound folks: clive has an odd relationship with his status as first shield, mainly because he really only took the role on to protect his brother. still, he takes pride in it and puts his duty before a lot of things. it would be interesting for him to see what people see when they look at him, but also find some kinship with people like him!

religious themes: clive was unfortunately fated to be some corrupt god's vessel and he really hates it! he's not exactly a religious person at all and has an odd history and feelings with religion because of that. he's tolerant of course but it's easy to understand why he's not exactly a faithful man, so it would be interesting for him to bounce off of characters opposite of him!

big brother / father figure: clive's got big bro instincts so he's pretty protective over younger characters. he can be slightly awkward with them because a lot of the times they're very playful and he's just, not really, but he's definitely got that cool big bro / wisely father kind of vibe! he's got years of experience and could give sound advice. really he just wants to look after people.

wife guys: anyone else miss their wives / spouse. he misses his all the time even tho she's on speed dial.

other: something else??? just let me know :3

[aotopmha]

Back to FFXVI after a little bit of a break:

I finally saw all of the extra side quests preceeding the finale and I adore the Jill, Torgal, Gav and Dion ones (w Tomes).

Blackthorne's and Mid's were okay.

The town-related closures and especially the Rosfields' wierd cult side quest were weaker.

I think the ship-building remains the weakest section of the story next to the cult side quest because the slavery and Blackthorne quests at least span most of the story and are thematically relevant, however unnuanced and awkward they might occasionally be.

You could also cut out a bunch of the running around at the Hideaway.

You can skip the side quests, it's the more minor stuff placed within the main story that grows to be droning and didn't need to be as long as it is sometimes that I think is the issue.

As said, for example, the ship-building before Odin and some of the roadblocks to Titan and Bahamut.

To put it simply, I think some of these side quests should've been the connective tissue between the big story quests (or of similar nature) because they are much more relevant to the main cast than almost any of the actual downtime quests they chose to include as connective tissue. More actual character material with the characters you love as opposed to new characters you just met.

Each of those character-specific side quests give the trio leaving for Origin either "reasons" to come back or "reasons" to die, contributing to variance in how to interpret the ending of the story.

Jill and Clive have a super sweet moment where her prayer to Metia is basically reiterated. This quest is probably brought up the most when discussing Clive's survival.

"Dawn will always come..."

One element I don't see people mention about the quest from Tomes at all is that it is actually a Dion quest.

Tomes gives Clive a quill at the end of it to write a story once it is all over, but what I don't see mentioned almost at all is how the quest also explains more about the flower that you see used as a symbol in relation to Dion and his family.

It actually gives Dion a "reason" to return too, to accept the flower as his redemption from his former teacher and recontextualises it as a symbol of basically putting someone in their place because the crystal Dion protects ends up looking like it and the flower is actually poison.

It's actually another symbol of oppression put in place by Ultima. One of the neatest ones in the story, I think.

I think the Torgal quest is actually just a super, super sweet note to end off on with him. All that time Clive was gone, Torgal kept looking for him. Best boy.

Finally, the last of the notable ones to me is the one where you just get a little bit of time to hang out with Gav.

This one is another one with a death flag for Clive because during the quest Clive leaves the title of Cid with Gav were he to not return from the battle. I thought it was another super sweet point to leave off with a character.

If the story intends to play all of this for tragedy, I feel like it would have different framing.

I feel like Dion should return to Tomes and accept that flower after what he did during the final battle.

I feel like Clive should return to Jill and write that book.

I even feel like Gav should end up as Cid.

And even that the little treasure hunt Mid set up should also somehow come true.

And then there's also that Leviathan crystal in the background.

It's all suspicious plot threads left hanging with the potential to be elaborated on.

If that Leviathan crystal is still there, magic might not actually be "completely" gone.

I'm very, very sus.

Obviously they said DLC will come if there is demand and there clearly seems to be, but I really feel like these final quests actually are set-up for the potential opportunity to make more of the story.

They stay as they are if the game doesn't do as well as expected and they can be elaborated on if it does do well.

I think DLC might come with epilogue material that might add that Leviathan battle and particularly playable Dion and Jill, which in turn might also come with new endings tied to these side quests.

It's perfect fanservice because the base game can stay as it is and read as it is, but those truly invested can have their playable faves (and perhaps those happy endings so many seem to want for these characters).

Or maybe not.

But for now it's super interesting how you can read the ending so differently based on the side quests you did or didn't do because games usually have their good endings and bad endings and true endings.

It's an interesting narrative element to this game and another element of the game among others that gives some food for thought, I think and I love these kinds of narratives that give food for thought after they're done.

[lightning-struck-thrice]

Current FF16 Fics

Posted/finished:

A Place to Call Home- Joshua has a nightmare, Jote sets him at ease in their new home, the Hideaway.

Posted/unfinished:

Hide, Hideaway- Joshua gets drunk with Mid then you can Choose how he spends the rest of the night: with Jote, with Dion, or 'solo'

Caer Norvent- Takes place in the events of the game at Caer Norvent

Night of the Undying- Joshua's first time resurrecting Jote. Exploration of their relationship when they're young. (Yes, first time)

Unfinished include:

Flotsam- Joshua, Gav, and Mid on the Enterprise while Clive and Jill are missing.

Flight of the Phoenix- Joshua tries to cheer Mid up after she scraps her plans for an airship

From The Ashes- Jote's POV the night that Joshua "wakes up" 

The Remembrance Ceremony- My most ‘out there’ one, but I do not care, Young Joshua and Dion are kidnapped the night of the ceremony and brought to a fallen ruin by Circle of Malius fanatics to open a door to a temple. They must work together to get out alive.

Sunrise- A scene from the morning after they escape the crystalline dominion. Joshua tries to heal Dion, reunites with Clive, Jill and Torgal and meets Goetz! 

Black Shields- Jote and Joshua work together to escape Black Shields in Rosaria- might become the final chapter to Night of the Undying. 

Fight With Odin (unnamed)- Scene that I imagined if Joshua was taken by Banabus rather than Jill in the late game.

Dion (Unnamed)- Dion rescues Joshua from Barnabus’ dungeons, ‘sadly’ he doesn’t know how to pick locks so he’s on his own defending them both. 

The most Powerful Weapon- Looking for a copy of Moss in Dalmekia, Joshua is captured and falsely identified as a bearer, he is freed by none other than Cidolfus Telemon. Recognizing he’s a dominant, Cid pitches joining forces, he just doesn’t realize which Dominant he’s talking to. (possibly add to Hide Hideaway. 

Peaceful Sleep (Unnamed)- Joshua wakes up in the Hideaway infirmary. Unsure of where he is and hazy on the details of what happened, he panics, but Clive is sitting by his bedside to calm him.

Torgal and Jote/Jote and the Hideaway (Unnamed)- as a new member of the hideaway, Jote waits for word about Joshua after they head to Kanver. Clive returns to the Hideaway reporting that he was beaten by Odin and Jill is missing. Knowing the dangers of what they face, Jote struggles to remain at the Hideaway, but a support system rises up around her. Eventually it ends with Joshua returning from his spat with Odin. While on bedrest Jote isn’t Joshua’s only Companion, Torgal insists on sleeping by his feet and Jote copes with her fear of dogs. 

[soaring-minuet]

I come presenting a quick Ais x Hancock drabble. It was written on a whim after running a few Mount Rokkon routes. Enjoy. Word count is 527. It starts under the cut.

“I hope you know that you are absolutely infuriating.”

Hancock merely let out a chuckle in response, causing Aisling’s ears to flatten in irritation.

“Ah, but you see, young Alphinaud went on at great lengths about your healing skills. I merely wanted to see them for myself.”

It took a moment for his words to sink in, but then Aisling scowled at him.

“Do not tell me that you tossed yourself in that mononoke’s path on purpose. Because if you do, Nald’thal have mercy, I am leaving your sorry ass on this mountain to rot.”

Hancock only chuckled again. “Why, of course not, my dear Aisling. It was a rather unfortunate accident.”

“Stop calling me that.”

“Calling you what, pray tell?”

Aisling released a frustrated sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose, causing Torgal to look between her and Hancock in confusion. She wished to be in the Carbuncle’s place at that moment, if only to stop dealing with Hancock. She was beginning to regret agreeing to accompany him on this expedition, because his obvious infatuation with her was getting under her skin. They had one drunken night together and now, it seemed, she was paying the price.

She finally folded her arms against her chest. “Don’t play stupid. You know full well what I mean.”

“Mm, very well, then.”

Aisling was confused at first when he didn’t put up more of an argument, but then realized with dismay that he was staring at her chest. She had forgotten that her current healing attire included a fair bit of cleavage. She cleared her throat to get his attention, her tail puffing out the slightest bit.

“My eyes are up here, idiot.”

“My, how ever could you tell?”

“Because I happen to know you and the fact that you’re not exactly subtle,” Aisling told him dryly. “Those ridiculous shades don’t hide as much as you think they do.”

Hancock’s lips curled into a smirk. “Ah, then allow me to remove them.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, he slid the glasses off and placed them under his kimono. Aisling’s eyes grew wide and her cheeks flushed as she found herself staring directly into a set of amethyst eyes. Oh. She wasn’t sure what she expected Hancock would look like, but this was certainly not it. His smirk widened at her reaction and he wrapped a hand around her wrist, pulling her closer to him.

“So, you were saying?”

Aisling mumbled something in response, causing Hancock to chuckle. He reached up with his free hand to lightly trace his knuckles against one of her cheek stripes.

“The feisty cat’s lost her tongue, I see.”

Regaining her composure, Aisling hissed slightly and batted his hand away. “Don’t push it.”

“Very well. Though I do believe there is the matter of my injuries that you were to tend to?”

“Unfortunately, yes. As long as you put the glasses back on.”

“Ah, so I take it, my glasses were hiding more than you thought.”

“Shut your damned trap,” Aisling grumbled.

Hancock laughed as he slid his glasses back on, flashing her another smirk.

“Well, come. My injuries will not heal themselves, you know.”

[flamesofrebirths]

❤/❀ //let's-a-go! :D

Dear older me,

Father suggested me to write this letter to you. I don't know if you will read it, but if you do, I hope you are feeling better than I am doing now. I don't want to be the Phoenix. I just want to play with Clive, Jill and Torgal.

I hope you're doing great as the Phoenix, but I also hope you find a way to be... more than that ? Because it's what I'm scared of. I don't want to be only the Phoenix. I hope you're strong like Clive, and I hope you're protecting each other. It's unfair if he's always the one protecting you. You better tell him if he's trying!

I think Clive and Jill are in love. What about you ? I hope you are in love with someone. And if you are, I know she's pretty and funny, always smiling, like that girl Mother didn't want me to play with because her parents were Bearers.

I wish you the best! I wish I could know what's to come. To get prepared, you know ?

Be kind to everyone, including to yourself,

Joshua, your younger self

SEND A "❤" FOR A MIDNIGHT TEXT FROM MY MUSE. SEND "❀" FOR IT TO BE WHILE THEY'RE DRUNK | ACCEPTING

[risingshards]

I beat Final Fantasy XVI yesterday and am still processing it. My thoughts on the ending if you're curious are past the break! (ENDING SPOILERS FR FR)

That ending was such a fucking gut punch. But also was kinda weirdly Mass Effect 3-y (though I'm sure there are lots of endings where you go to an otherworldly place to defeat the evil and fire beams and leave your protag in an ambiguous space) and I was confused at how I felt as the credits rolled and the because of that. That starlight song HUUURRRTSSS OH MY GOD. I can't remember the last anything that like churned me inside like this with its ending.

Then I was reading interpretations and like I do with a lot of ambiguous endings I tend to lean to the happier interpretations. There are too many clues for me pointing to Clive's survival, and with him casting Raise on Joshua I'm ready to headcanon the full sappy "they all made it" ending including Dion cuz if we didn't see a body fully turn to stone or get super murderized, something they had no issue showing prior, then they can all make it (copium yes I know but it's a headcanon!). I'm a sucker for soft endings in stories and softness in general and I feel like after all the suffering and healing they went through, ending with more suffering doesn't sit right with me.

But at the very least I think Clive made it. The side quest with Harpocrates hoping Clive writes the story of this all one day, Clive narrating the intro and outro (the intro narration makes little sense otherwise to me), the book in the epilogue point to him having written the thing. Though Joshua as the author throws a wrench into things, maybe Clive dictated it to him so Joshua could lend his brother a hand eh?

Also everything with Jill's last quest and the symbolism of the ending.

ALSO IT'D BE DUMB AS FUCK FOR EVERYONE TO TELL CLIVE HE HAS TO LIVE AND SAVE HIMSELF AND STOP SELF SACRIFICING ONLY TO IMMEDIATELY DIE. The Clive dies interpretations feel just dull to me, not just from me favoring happy and bittersweet endings, it just feels at odds with everything if it's all just "and then they die." I know there's more to it than that but that's the vibe I get thinking about the ending that way.

"Before we broke camp, the morning after the storm, do you know what I did? I slipped away from my governess to climb the tor. And from there I saw a sea of petals, all reaching for the sun. And I realized that no matter how terrible the night…dawn would always come. That you…that you would always come for me. And you have. Again and again."

Dawn comes at the end of the game after a terrible night, symbolic of Clive coming home and fulfilling his promise. Jill praying to Metia the whole game and her prayer is finally answered at the end is a lot more beautiful to me than just. "The star Jill was praying to the whole game was really pointless oops star go out." Her relief feels less like "The big struggles are over and the sky is clear again" but tying back to the side quest from an hour or so earlier.

The idea that not engaging with the side quests prevents you from building the community as well is really interesting, almost doing two endings that way, a bitter one and a bittersweet but maybe hopeful one. I can't imagine how beat down I'd feel if I skipped all the big side quests before getting to that ending. It's also interesting how ambiguous they left it, I don't know if it makes the ending better but it hits me harder in a different way if that makes sense. The things the other way are the state Clive's in at the end, Gav crying (I'm so glad characters like Gav and Byron didn't die but oh my god it hurt so bad seeing Gav cry there), Jill feeling it and crying, Torgal howling...

I really like this interpretation of the ending:

https://filmcolossus.com/final-fantasy-16-clive-alive

BUT! I read wolves whimper and cry when they lose someone, like Torgal did when Cid died, but they howl when they're trying to bring members of their pack home. I just feel like there's more to hopeful if you look into the text around the ambiguity than not, like a reverse Sopranos ending.

Maybe TMI too but this was my like "dive deep into this during a depressive episode" game and I was kinda going iwth the interpretation like. All the characters telling Clive to stop sacrificing himself and save himself. That hit really hard with the depression for me. So for it to end like "well then he dies immediately after" feels so against that in a way that hurts. But fighting on and defying fate could be a really beautiful thing about facing ones own struggles, at least that's how I'm feeling. I pictured my depression/anxiety cycle as Kupka and me going against it like Clive in that scene like "I will show you no pity. No pity and no mercy. Now DIE!" like that was motivational for me for my current struggles. and the ending kinda muddies that and I don't know how to feel really.

All in all its up there with my favorite FF's, with the highlights being the huge battles like Titan and Bahamut, along with the smaller character moments like Clive and Uncle Byron's reunion. Also oh my god Ben Starr was amazing, one of my favorite performances in a game ever. My big downsides were I really would've been fine with a simpler happy ending after how much everyone suffered in this game, and that the women really got shafted in this one, it felt like a Shonen Jump manga in that regard lol. Jill getting benched to wife waiting for husband to come home as one of the big offenders. She didn't get shafted as bad as Luna did in FFXV at least, yeesh. I hope the next FF has lots more ladies!

[entropic-prince]

ffxvi thoughts and things

gonna do my best to avoid spoilers or discussion about anything specific to plot and mostly just talk about the vibe and feel of the game and my thoughts on it so far, but i did include an out-of-context early screenshot of the game bc it's just such a fucking cool screenshot moment

so i wanna start out by saying i definitely don't like final fantasy games by default. so when it comes to judging final fantasy games, keep my opinion with a grain of salt.

the thing i like most about this game is it's more or less an interactive movie. you do some combat and running around, a few quests, but the gameplay is relatively linear (at least up to where i'm at so far) and mostly you're being shuttled along the msq and being told the story with interactive moments. my impression is that this isn't a 200-hour game where you have to grind and suffer just to get through everything - i've actually almost been a little disappointed at how easy the first major boss and associated eikon were.

big fights against things such as eikons or proper mini-bosses have what are called cinematic action scenes, which are these really fucking cool action-packed scenes that you wouldn't be able to do in combat otherwise. it's probably the only time i've run into a quick time event and haven't had a heart attack or just wanted to bite someone. the actions are very well telegraphed and the actual quick time event is very forgiving, and the reward is this fucking sick as hell combat cut scene that is 200% something you'd see in a movie.

the combat in this game feels very, very good, and yoshi-p took a page from the yoko taro book and there are items in the game to help with accessibility. you don't want to control torgal (the dog) in combat? there's an accessory to automate that for you so that you don't have to worry about it. you're like me and grinding is the ultimate death knell for you in a game? there's an exp booster item you can equip.

even without the accessibility, though, combat itself just feels very good. it's dynamic, there's enough buttons to push i am entertained, you flip between two different styles of combat (so far anyway) and can use them to play off of each other and seamlessly combo into each other. it's very responsive, the hit boxes and snapshots are honest (unlike another yoshi-p game we all know of).

so far i'm generally liking the story. it's pretty dark, but it's not the darkest thing i've seen come out of sqex. i'm a little irritated by the way the writing is kicking at the whole racism piece of this nonstop, but i also understand the significance to the story and i appreciate them going all the way with it to really drive the point home because as i was getting annoyed i realized: this is the reality for some people. this is their life. they don't get to turn off their ps5 and walk away from it and chill.

all in all this game 100% feels like a movie that we get to play parts of, and i am fucking here for it. it's a lot more interactive than games such as heavy rain, but it has that same sort of limited scope of gameplay (so far) and so you don't really stray down a rabbit hole for 30 hours (so far) or have to spend the next 3 days grinding just so you can have a chance at a boss (so far).

i really just wanna share this screenshot i got because it's just so fucking cool and it's what i mean when i say this game is incredibly cinematic:

image is completely unedited, just a screenshot i took in that moment. it was just so fucking cool ok i still love it

[demifiendrsa]

FINAL FANTASY XVI - REVENGE Trailer

Japanese version

Final Fantasy XVI will launch for PlayStation 5 on June 22, 2023.

Game editions

Physical Standard Edition

Full Game – Base game package, including reversible cover art.

Physical Deluxe Edition

Full Game – Base game package, including reversible cover art

Special Clive Rosfield Steelbook Case – A SteelBook case featuring artwork of Clive Rosfield, the protagonist.

Cloth Map of Valisthea – A cloth map of Valisthea where the story unfolds.

Collector’s Edition (Square Enix Store-exclusive, pre-orders open December 12, 2022)

Full Game – Base game package, including reversible cover art.

Collector’s Box – A beautiful metallic-sheen box featuring impressive artwork by legendary Final Fantasy series illustrator, Yoshitaka Amano.

Premium Statue: Phoenix vs. Ifrit – A premium statue depicting a battle between two eikons, Phoenix and Ifrit.

Metal Eikon Pin Collection – A premium metal pin collection featuring eight Eikons.

Special Clive Rosfield Steelbook Case – A SteelBook case featuring artwork of Clive Rosfield, the protagonist.

Cloth Map of Valisthea – A cloth map of Valisthea where the story unfolds.

In-Game Weapon “Blood Sword” – The fabled scarlet steel of Firion, hero of Final Fantasy II.

Digital Mini Art Book

Digital Mini Soundtrack

Digital Standard Edition

Full Game

Digital Deluxe Edition

Full Game

Digital Mini Art Book

Digital Mini Soundtrack

Pre-Order bonuses include:

Weapon “Braveheart”

Accessory “Cait Sith Charm” – Increases the amount of gill you can get when equipped

Accessory “Scholar’s Spectacles” (not included with physical Standard or Deluxe editions) – Increases the amount of experience points you can gain when equipped.

Additionally, the following bonuses will also be available at the listed retailers:

Square Enix Store – The Realms of Valisthea Wall Banners (six-inches height printed cloth banners)

GameStop – The Realms of Valisthea Patches (2.5-inches height printed cloth patches)

Best Buy – Final Fantasy XVI Pre-Order SteelBook

Cast

Clive Rosfield (child) (voiced by Benn Starr in English, Yuma Uchida in Japanese)

Clive Rosfield (young adult) (voiced by Benn Starr in English, Yuuya Uchida in Japanese)

Joshua Rosfield (voiced by Logan Hannan in English, Natsumi Fujiwara in Japanese)

Jill Warrick (child) (voiced by Charlotte McBurney in English, Megumi Han in Japanese)

Jill Warrick (young adult) (voiced by Susannah Fielding in English, Megumi Han in Japanese)

Torgal

Cidolfus Telamon (voiced by Ralph Ineson in English, Hiroshi Shirokuma in Japanese)

Benedikta Harman (voiced by Nina Yndis in English, Akari Higuchi in Japanese)

Hugo Kupka (voiced by Alex Lanipekun in English, Yasuhiro Mamiya in Japanese)

Dion Lesage (voiced by Stewart Clarke in English, Yuichi Nakamura in Japanese)

Barnabas Tharmr (voiced by David Menkin in English, Gotaro Tsunashima in Japanese)

Key visual

Screenshots

Overview

Final Fantasy XVI introduces gamers to an all-new standalone story in the Final Fantasy universe, an epic dark fantasy world that takes place in the realm of Valisthea—a land blessed in the light of the Mothercrystals, and where peace falters as the spread of the Blight threatens to destroy their dominions. The fate of the land is decided by the Eikons, powerful and deadly creatures, and their Dominants, men and women who have been blessed with the ability to call upon and wield them. This is the tale of Clive Rosfield, a warrior granted the title “First Shield of Rosaria” and sworn to protect his younger brother Joshua, the Dominant of the Phoenix, Eikon of Fire. Before long, Clive will be caught up in a great tragedy and swear revenge on the Dark Eikon Ifrit, a mysterious entity that brings calamity in its wake.

Latest details via The PlayStation Blog

Final Fantasy XVI is an epic dark fantasy world that takes place in the realm of Valisthea—a land blessed in the light of the Mothercrystals, and where peace falters as the spread of the Blight threatens to destroy their dominions. The fate of the land is decided by the Eikons, mighty summoned beasts, and their Dominants, men and women who have been blessed with the ability to call upon and wield them.

This is the tale of Clive Rosfield, a warrior granted the title “First Shield of Rosaria” and sworn to protect his younger brother Joshua, the Dominant of the Phoenix, Eikon of Fire. Before long, Clive will be caught up in a great tragedy and swear revenge on the Dark Eikon Ifrit, a mysterious entity that brings calamity in its wake.

Jump into Action-Packed Battles with Impressive Eikonic Powers

As the first full-fledged action RPG in the Final Fantasy series, designed for the PlayStation 5, Final Fantasy XVI features unique battle systems where you can fight, not only utilizing Eikonic powers woven into your swordplay, but also controlling Eikons yourself! Switch between Clive’s Eikon skills one after another in speedy real-time action battles and participate in dynamic battles taking on the role of an Eikon as they clash against each other. You’ll spot some of the new systems we’re introducing in the game in the trailer above. You can learn more about them below and discover how they’ll help you fight fire with fire (among other elements)!

Titanic Clashes

When rival Dominants come head to head, epic battles between their Eikons ensue!

Eikonic Action

Clive utilizes the powers of multiple Eikons in breakneck battle!

Play Your Way

Myriad accessibility options allow anyone to experience Clive’s adventure—from seasoned action gamers to those who just want to enjoy the story.

We’re introducing a Story-focused mode, recommended for those players who are less comfortable with action games and wish to focus more on the game’s story elements. In this mode, Clive will automatically evade some attacks, and epic Eikonic combos can be triggered with simple button presses. Action-focused mode, where Clive’s every action is controlled by the player, is available for those who are confident in their skill—or want to test it!

A Hero’s Best Friend

Trusty Torgal takes to the field.

Another outcast from the Northern Territories taken in by House Rosfield, Torgal was found alone in a snowfield during one of Archduke Elwin’s expeditions to the freezing north, and gifted to his sons upon his return. After somehow surviving the disaster that nearly ended the Rosfield line, he was reunited with Clive over a decade later, and now serves his master with the same fierce loyalty he did when he was but a pup.

In battle, Clive’s faithful hound Torgal is never far from his side—and when enemies approach, he does not quail. Not only can Torgal attack enemies, but he can also mend Clive’s wounds—and if Clive times his orders right, the two can prove a devastating duo.

The Nore the Merrier

Because sometimes, fighting fate is more than a one-man job.

At certain points in his adventure, Clive will be joined by certain stalwart allies who will fight alongside him—the composition of his party changing as the story develops. Unlike Torgal, these party members do not take orders directly from the player, but fight as they see fit.

One of these party members, Cidolfus Telamon, known to his friends as “Cid,” is a soldier turned outlaw that strives to build a place where persecuted magick casters—Bearers, and exploited Dominants can die on their own terms. A man of science, he also conducts research into how one might live in the deadlands—as he and his band of fellow heretics must. Cid is also a Dominant—the power of the Eikon Ramuh having awoken within him shortly after he landed on Valisthean shores. No doubt it was this power that saw him rise through the ranks of the Royal Waloeder Army—where it would seem he crossed paths with a certain Benedikta Harman…