Honestly since it’s FTUE hating hours, every time I introduce wiz to my friends I have to stand there like “this is not the intro that captured my heart as a kid. This isn’t how it went.”
So like. If we could have it back so I don’t look like a freak for caring—
IT IS SO HARD HAVING TO BE LIKE “Okay so they ruined this bit please don’t judge it all based on this I promise it was really endearing and genuine—“
Sorry I wanted to reblog with your tags. I think the thing is, I don't have many true like, dealbreakers or things that will turn me away from a story. I really don't make a distinction of "good writing choice" vs "bad writing choice", nearly any choice taken can serve a purpose and my critiques come from my personal opinion on if those choices serve the narrative or not, if I think the way the story is going is thematically consistent, all of that. So the one thing I cannot stand, the ONE choice a story could make that upsets me, is when it betrays its own themes, undercuts itself, and worse, MOCKS ME FOR CARING. And that's the thing about the FTUE storyline. It mocks me for caring! It feels like a parody of the original story, both trying to bait me with nostalgia and in the same breath making fun of me for ever thinking it was that serious. And that's the thing, I feel like the FTUE was trying to be funny because they felt like they couldn't onboard new players with 2008 sincerity. Times had "changed" and they needed to prove they were "in on the joke" about how silly their setting was. The people who would feel welcomed by the irony aren't players who will stay for the long run, because a story inevitably asks you to care. Trying to be "in on the joke" so people don't get bored won't help you.
You hit the nail on the head!! The first time I encountered FTUE, it felt so... idk, shallow? The conflicts aren't portrayed with the same weight as they used to. But the story is what got me invested to begin with, and now it feels like everything has to have a punch line.
It's not like pre-ftue didn't have its own sense of humor, either. That was part of what I liked about it when I was younger. I'd have a little ~sensible chuckle~ about quest names or whatever and then keep enjoying myself. But the joke isn't the joke anymore; the joke is that anyone who would take this silly little plot seriously is cringe! Isn't that so funny? (<- heavy heavy heavy on the sarcasm)
It's just so weird to introduce your game in a tone that expects and encourages players to not actually care about it, but also... expect that to somehow make them want to care about it enough to keep playing? It's giving "netflix wants to make movies for people who aren't actually watching the movies." Why is a business trying to cater to people who don't actually like their product? Like yeah, ok, let's make wizard game, except the intro has to be for people who don't like wizard game. That's a totally good and financially lucrative decision. Stonks.
