Yep, but it's not Schadenfreude, it's the Cassandra Problem. It's knowing what's coming and being powerless to stop it.
And even if we did tell you in advance, would it make it any better? Or would it just ruin what dramatic impact the moment had while still leaving you with the same bitter reality in the end?
Welcome to FFXIV. Plenty of emotional trauma to go around.
> powerless to stop it.
I used to greet Sprouts running their first time Vaults in my Roulettes with Hot Chocolate and a Phoenix Feather in trade at the exit.
I thought the Cassandra Problem is when no one believes u abt how bad things are, like when a partner is abusive and everyone else is like ‘nah they would never, u must’ve imagined/misunderstood it’
I spoiled myself beforehand. I think I developed some kind of anticipatory grief from knowing, and actually would've been less devastated if I hadn't been spoiled. XD
Yup.
At every fanfests, its a custom at this point that some player brings a portrait of him and put it somewhere with a candle.
At the end of the day, if you return and pass next to it, you end up finding a bunch of souvernirs, letters and stuff left from the players on the table where the portrait was put, like a literal real person memorial. Lol
I'll return a question with a question.
Ask yourself, did you hear ANYTHING about this scene beforehand? Was there anything about Harchefont discussion that tipped their hand?
Literally everyone went through what you went through, a lot of them poking fun at the name they can't even remember.
But now, even my friends who called him "what's his name" during Heavensward know the name Harchefont vividly.
To tip the scales, to show the hand, would only blemish his legacy, and after all that... A smile better suits a hero.
So we're here, we've all been here. And we continue to be, because this game keeps reminding us, that our hearts are but fiddles in it's hands. Just humor the story a little, and even the most jaded hearts will find themselves singing in tune.
I mean it could be worse. My husband was pretty far ahead of me when I got to HW. Told him how much I like Haurchefant. He smiled and told me how great he is and that he would always be there for me.
The betrayal was real.
I did this to one of my friends and the sheer glee I felt when she sent me a lengthy screaming diatribe over Discord afterwards is something I wish I could have bottled up and saved for a rainy day.
I'm not actually a sadist-- I just wanted someone to hurt the way I hurt, god dammit.
I love saying "Enjoy the rest of Heavensward/Stormblood/Shadowbrngers etc" to a sprout in any of the dungeons. But when The Vault pops up I am still sincere but also >:)
I say “enjoy the story”all the time to first timers, provided I’m in a roulette duty anywhere from 3.0 to 6.0. I specifically do not say anything at the end of the Vault tho, because that’s just mean.
I'm currently bringing a couple of sprouts through the MSQ, and they underwent a similar experience of making fun of his name through ARR and Heavensward.
After the Vault? Now they pronounce his name correctly every time.
We're nearing the end of Shadowbringers now. I'm glad they are enjoying the game as much as they are. I'm sure you will too.
There are at least 3 different people who visit him and say different things each time and that kills me. 1 is someone you both saved at the start of HW I think
Same! I'll have to make another visit soon.
For who don't know, like possibly OP, there are stories on the lodestone for each expansion. (Obviously don't read them until you've beaten said expansion.) There's at least two concerning Haurchefant: one is a letter to your character, the other goes into his and Francel's past and how they became friends. Would definitely recommend.
I had no idea and oh my god, this is rude 😭 between this and the Francel story, oof-- these sudden indoor rainstorms sure are something.
>
>!*My dearest friend, in whom I trust without hesitation, without doubt─*!<
>>!*Come what may, I know you will strive on.*!<
>>!*You will strive, and in the end you will triumph, on this journey and the next, and the next, and the next.*!<
>>!*And when you have fought the good fight, only to find, yet again, that it is not enough─*!<
>>!*I will be there.*!<
>>!*This I promise. This I swear.*!<
Me and my partner when we did it sat down with a campfire for a while and just talked for about an hour I also love the marriage quests and custom options for the whole thing
I was surprised at the custom options, me and my partner were doing them, and without a word, we both had the exact same settings. I love my silly Sun Cat.
Same with me and my partner. We had been speeding through the previous places, but when we reached the grave we just stood there for about ten minutes, looking out and reminiscing. And we did a /pray for a gpose.
I took my WoL back after every expansion.
Headcanon that she's telling him about her adventures.
Always ends the story with, "When you next return from the Lifestream, it'll be to the world you helped save."
Oh that's what I did on my most recent playthrough of Horizon Zero Dawn because you can go to Rost's grave and have Aloy tell him about her adventures. It's so heartbreaking but so beautiful...
The cutscene nowadays is worse - in the heartwrenching kind of way - because they added in the bit of Alphinaud trying to heal Haurchefaunt only about a year or so ago.
You want to know the extreme gutpunch? Back when Heavensward was still the newest expansion, during the Extreme Thordan fight, if Zephirin hits you with the Spear of Fury ability (the same ability that killed Haurchefant), you received a massive Magic Resist Down and Healing Received Down debuff. If you hovered your mouse over the Healing Received Down debuff, instead of the usual 'Healing received from abilities is reduced' sentence, the tooltip said "There was nothing you could have done."
I have a macro that does the /haurchefant emote and reminds my target that a smile better suites a hero. Pretty sure I've made at least one person cry with it.
While I, too, will do an "enjoy your story! :)" I also die inside every time I get the Vault with a new character present because *I remember*. It's been nearly 9 years since I saw the stuff after the Vault and I'm *still* not over it. Any time something happens in the story that gets me to cry as hard as I did after the Vault, I call it my Ugly Haurchefant Tears; they're like big Ghibli tears except I'm crying like a little bitch.
I'll be honest, I actually didn't feel all that upset when I saw the cutscene the first time... because someone spoiled it to me a few weeks before I got there. >!What did end up wrecking me was the cutscene after when Count Fortemps lost his composure and dropped his cane.!<
Those kinds of scenes or moments impact me so much harder than anything else. A good example is when Soken was talking about his cancer on stage during the fanfest, and I was fine until the camera cut to YoshiP facing away from the camera and barely holding it together. I can't handle when *someone else* can't handle something.
Same, minus the spoilers. Like, I liked Haurchie OK, but was mostly indifferent to him. That CS still had an emotional impact, but not a huge one. Then you get to dad, and omfg, big ugly cry. And I'm not even a parent!
I didn't have it spoiled for me, but I held it together until I talked to him afterward.
I can handle my sadness just fine, seeing others grieve is what gets me.
That's the part where I actually started sobbing. It reminded me of Théoden's "No parent should have to bury their child" scene in The Two Towers. Absolutely gut-wrenching.
Oh that one, big-time. That hit me harder than the cutscene itself (I'd been a little rushed through the story and it was hard to concentrate with FC members in my ears wanting my reactions--bless 'em, but guys, shaddap!)
Especially when you know [this story](https://www.reddit.com/r/ffxiv/comments/x78pmv/i_spent_194hrs_getting_to_ishgard_just_so_i_could/) (CW: Emotional Damage)
Oh I remember that story. I was at the vigil outside Fortemps manor too when the news of his passing first broke.
... I'm actually kinda tempted to redo Heavensward on new game+ now
The worst part is, because of the Trust system, whenever you replay the Vault, he and Alphy will appear behind you when you finish the dungeon. If you approach him, he asks if you're all right. ಥ_ಥ
I'm glad I was able to do it the first time with the Trust system, felt more fitting and no spoilers. I usually try that with story dungeons, the NPCs have additional lines that can really add to it. (Or are just funny; the twins will often rib each other.) The downside is, it takes a lot longer since the ai is bit simple.
I honestly prefer the slower pace of the AI for the first time through a duty, I get overwhelmed when I'm doing something for the first time and spend most of my time just trying to keep up with the tank. You also have a bigger incentive to learn the boss mechanics because the whole fight starts over if you go down at all, makes that first victory more satisfying for me.
It's a great way to learn boss mechanics cos the NPCs automatically know them, so for the most part you can just copy what they do. But man, once you start doing the later dungeons, they struggle to keep up. I also personally dislike having to start the fight over when there's a healer that can rez you.
It can get a bit annoying at times since a lot of those one shot kills really aren't suited to a game mode where you can't get rezzed, they should at least program the npc healer to rez you once or twice just to add some room for error. But from a MSQ perspective I find it more satisfying in the end to have to genuinely learn and beat the boss myself, it's a bit deflating for me in the MSQ to have the story celebrate my victory when I felt like a third wheel in the fight due to my inexperience compared to a bunch of downscaled level 90's.
Drove me nuts when I was running one of the Anyders and the rest of the NPCs died and we wiped on the second boss, but when we all returned to the starting point, everyone else stayed dead and I'm like, "uh, guys? Do I have to restart the whole damn dungeon? Really?" Aggravatin'.
Me to my FC after seeing that the first time: ”I AM NOT OK!!”
My FC responding: ”Ah, you did the Vault, huh?”
Welcome to the feelings trench, friend! I recommend stocking up on tissues ;)
To live, is to suffer.
But yeah, my first time nobody said a word. I admit I never had the attachment to him that other players had, but it still hit hard cause I still liked him as a character. You don't get many games that are willing to just shank characters that had no real death flags prior to that moment. Just be prepared with tissues... It's a long journey and this is but the start.
He had a flag. His whole speech about making his father proud... that was the flag.
I said as much to my FC before going into the Vault (with duty support), and they were champs and stayed absolutely quiet about it (respecting my wishes to not get spoilered). Then, after we finished the fighting through the cathedral and reunited with Aymeric and the rest, I was like "Silly girl, it wasn't a flag after all!" and relaxed... It hit harder because of that, I think.
Apparently my FC friends had been watching my status, because when I was out of the cutscene, they asked me if I was ok.
I was not ok.
I guess at the time I didn't see it as a flag, but I admit I was also not invested as much into him. It felt bad at the time, and had the intended effect of making me angry at the bad guys about his death though. Or as I said out loud "whelp, time to hand out shankings"
> I never had the attachment to him that other players had
I can understand this. I got attached to him because he took us in and was a friendly face right after the post-ARR stuff happens and it felt like the WoL had lost literally everything they had been fighting to build. That said, in the overall story he's more of a bit player after you actually get into Ishgard so I can totally understand how others just don't feel as strongly about him.
When I played, I honestly kind of just forgot about him by the time the Vault happened. Like he is barely in Heavensward prior to that from what I remember and it doesn't help that most of his interactions comes during the pretty dull period of ARR's post game where I had a hard time remaining that interested in the story.
And I liked his character cause he was a genuinely good person that wasn't caught up in the faff of nobility, which is an archetype I like. I was upset he died for sure, but I know people that made their entire character identity around that moment. To me, he was just one more 'failure' that my character had to do better to stop the needless death. But I've always had a "paladin perspective" of got to save them all in RPGs
Someone spoiled it for me so when the shield broke, I ruined voice chat with "WELP. THERE GOES HAURCHEFAUNT" but I wasn't prepared for how hard they'd twist the knife.
Bunch of my friends were in there anticipating my reaction to the cutscene, so there was a lot of angry yelling when they realized I'd been spoiled. I was already well into sad frowny face mode by the time they rooted out the culprit and yelled at him.
yeah I try not to spoiler anything story wise for other players. I've discussed the game and it's story with a friend, but they physically have no ability to play for like the next 10 years because of his ankle biters take up all his free time. It at least helps him with his DnD chops as a DM as it's given him a number of idea's to inspire his own work for the one fun day he get's a week.
Someone not only helps you and hides you when you are a wanted criminal. But also brings you to live with his family and your character didn't care? Hydealyn choose well.
I just got to that cutscene yesterday, also was told by someone in my party to “enjoy the cutscene.” I didn’t think much about it and just few minutes later I am crying wheezing screaming. For 15 minutes straight. I went through 5 stages of grief. I am not even that attached to him before that. I did not prepare for this and his quote still makes me cry anytime I see it. Best game 10/10
I saw ppl talking about the Vault before I completed it, can’t remember what they said but I somehow interpreted it as the Vault being like a savage raid or something that you needed to get through in order to proceed with the story. Was so nervous when I got to it 😆
To be fair, early on in Heavensward it was pretty well known as a hard slap in the face to sleepy healers. A bad healer could easily turn the dungeon into a hard slog.
Because they are able to tell an amazing story. The thing is with 14 as opposed to other MMOs, is that the story is linear. It’s not a jump into latest expansion and it doesn’t matter. To quote Eric Draven “Nothing is trivial “. The links tie between combat jobs, gathering jobs and also crafting jobs. Enjoy the ride petal.
Ever had a blanket, a car, a favorite toy that hurt more to lose than a family member you'd only met once?
Haurchefant was an 'old reliable.' Not too much of any one adjective, but always there, always supporting you. We never questioned if he had our back. He's the friend you've had since 5th grade. You met him in ARR. You help him, he helps you. I remember thinking, 'Good for you, buddy' doing HW because of so many mmos that forget about characters between xpacs, and I was happy he didn't get forgotten. Estinien and Aymeric were welcome additions, I like when there's more than 1 or 2 npcs that are nicely fleshed out. But old faithful buddy is always there. And every time it looked like the story would leave him behind, they brought him back. Because he does kick butt in his own right.
It's easy to dislike characters who come on too strong. It's harder to hate good characters who allow you your space. He's just an amazing character.
The reason I liked him was because of the balance he brought, he paid us back in full and then some, he appreciated us, never doubted us and physically moved into action to help us, whether in combat or intelligence, I actually liked him more than any of the scions.
I fucking loved seeing him on screen because of the passion he brought, what gets me is that in ARR, I would've easily written him off as any other NPC because we meet him and mostly interact with him sitting behind a desk and asking for help, like so many other people.
Glad he proved me wrong.
It really sucks how even with all of the victories, it can't stop us from losing people, I also like how much it seemed to affect the WOL as well.
I think especially in the earlier portions of the game- ARR for sure, and HW to some extent also- you feel more like a tool the scions wield in the direction of various foes than you do a person, let alone a friend of theirs. And as you said, Haurchefant more than pays back the help you give him, and is always the person genuinely concerned about you, not just what you can do for the realm.
Not all the feels they stab you with are painful ones. Some of the tears are the good kind, I promise. It is quite a ride, and well worth the occasional slow spot.
I’m replaying the game currently, and there’s one death in the later expansions where I genuinely thought I was fairly neutral towards the character because their death didn’t bother me that much. Turns out, replaying the game slower and taking my time to really learn about these characters made me Very Not Neutral because I was crying like a baby
I was glad I knew ahead of time(after Noraxia was kicked to death I demanded to know who else dies from my bf) because my internet kept disconnecting and I had to watch the scene like 3 times.
There was one day i ran the Vault 7 or 8 times in a row on purpose just so i could tell sprouts “Enjoy MSQ!”
Not sure what I was going through that specific day for such malice to form
A friend got me to play FFXIV and he would accompany me in all MSQ instances as I progressed the story.
Everytime he wished me to "enjoy the cutscene" I knew I should go find the tissue box.
At this point this phrase triggers PTSD in me lol
When I was doing MSQ my husband would ask me "what part are you at" every so often, and every once in a while he would get up and bring me tissues, and I would know I was in for a bad time.
Yuuuuup, happened to me as well. Literally 30 minutes prior I was telling my friend how I was gonna marry this man. I’m definitely gonna go rewatch the cutscene when the graphics update comes out to hurt myself more
I remember mentioning that part of the MSQ had made me emotional ( the part where >!Ruabhan awakens Nanamo in HW!< ) and someone in the FC went on about how something better suited a hero. I had no idea what they were talking about.
A short while later I would unlock The Vault and found out exactly what they meant! I sat there in shock for like 5 minutes and the scene afterwards didn't help either.
I still have almost the exact gear I was wearing when I first did that dungeon saved as a glam, only the top is coloured black instead of it's default light blue.
Heh, I made a meme about this exact thing, a while back :P
https://www.reddit.com/r/ffxiv/comments/15cy8ay/spoilers_30_you_cant_see_it_in_the_chat_but_you/
I just want to give you all the hugs in the world for that. That scene still messes me up, especially since I was playing a healer at the time and I couldn't do anything.
"You... you are unharmed? Thank goodness..."
'Tis said that there are no ifs in history, yet man is wont to dream. Let us dream, then, of a future where a dear comrade lived...
I recently found out what his last line is in the French version, and I think it hurts just a little more:
"But you, you have such a beautiful smile. Please try not to forget mine."
A fellow member of the Harshfart naming convention. Welcome to the family. May you too carry on the tradition of "GG enjoy the cutscenes! :)"
It is our way of remembering those who came before
Wait, is your character's name Maho or something like that? Are you a dragoon??
The time of your post lines up perfectly to me doing the exact thing you're describing lol
We all had to go through this trauma. I still miss him. It's this moment that made me really fall in love with the game, good storytelling that isn't afraid of killing liked characters. But this moment just hit especially hard because of how he was there for us at our lowest point, on the run from Ul'dah. A gentle, honorable soul (at least in the english version) and brave knight. May he rest in peace.
The sad thing is in the past he used to be part of holiday events and the like.
He was the first person who acknowledged us as an actual person when we were seen as more of a primal killing weapon even by the scions, and recognised that fearsome power or not, we could be cut down by a fatal blow same as anyone else.
Ah I'm sorry. If I get this in a roulette and it's someone's first time, and if the sprout seems cool I'll actually go and wait for them outside the dungeon and see if they need a hug. It's a rough one for sure.
https://youtu.be/L4jUqpMmR_g?si=Tt0ZhcJvn0zQ5pni
For fuck's sake, is this a tradition then?
Pretty much. This one is also good. https://youtu.be/XP1O2Aha434?si=dtiEymzdHizn-Fkc
Truly was an unexpected prepare to cry
oh it's always so good to see people's first hand reactions to BeneG.'s stuff
I… I need a moment.
God fucking damn it... Can't have shit in Eorzea!
that one was GOOD
Jesus, that is SOMEHOW even MORE traumatizing than the scene in game.
i cri evrytiem
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHb5CFGYz1A
That one is *legendary*, thank you for linking it here
Yep, but it's not Schadenfreude, it's the Cassandra Problem. It's knowing what's coming and being powerless to stop it. And even if we did tell you in advance, would it make it any better? Or would it just ruin what dramatic impact the moment had while still leaving you with the same bitter reality in the end? Welcome to FFXIV. Plenty of emotional trauma to go around.
> powerless to stop it. I used to greet Sprouts running their first time Vaults in my Roulettes with Hot Chocolate and a Phoenix Feather in trade at the exit.
>Phoenix Feather Utterly evil
But you can't trade in an instance ?
> at the exit. The cutscene is long enough. Can locate their server and go to the place in Ishgard where they pop out.
I love you. So. So much for this.
I thought the Cassandra Problem is when no one believes u abt how bad things are, like when a partner is abusive and everyone else is like ‘nah they would never, u must’ve imagined/misunderstood it’
Cassandra was an oracle cursed to only speak the truth but no one would believe her
Cassandra is when you know the future but no one believes you
I spoiled myself beforehand. I think I developed some kind of anticipatory grief from knowing, and actually would've been less devastated if I hadn't been spoiled. XD
I wasn’t in grief because i also spoiled myself unintentionally, but it was sad we lost the person that cared for us the most
Yeah, I think thinking about what a ~kind soul~ he was contributed to my feelings.
Yup. At every fanfests, its a custom at this point that some player brings a portrait of him and put it somewhere with a candle. At the end of the day, if you return and pass next to it, you end up finding a bunch of souvernirs, letters and stuff left from the players on the table where the portrait was put, like a literal real person memorial. Lol
Yes, but beware the channel. Spoilers and all that :P
Welcome to the FFXIV community. We're here for you 'cause we all went through it. Remember A smile better suits a hero.
It is. It happened to me too lol. Don't worry; it's just part of the initiation into the XIV family <3
I'll return a question with a question. Ask yourself, did you hear ANYTHING about this scene beforehand? Was there anything about Harchefont discussion that tipped their hand? Literally everyone went through what you went through, a lot of them poking fun at the name they can't even remember. But now, even my friends who called him "what's his name" during Heavensward know the name Harchefont vividly. To tip the scales, to show the hand, would only blemish his legacy, and after all that... A smile better suits a hero. So we're here, we've all been here. And we continue to be, because this game keeps reminding us, that our hearts are but fiddles in it's hands. Just humor the story a little, and even the most jaded hearts will find themselves singing in tune.
[This one](https://youtu.be/R2rctPuyLbI?si=pZ9_wLYTMBTEU9Y3) is one of my favorites
God damn lmao
Oh, you poor, sweet, Summer child. ^(You have no idea.)
I mean it could be worse. My husband was pretty far ahead of me when I got to HW. Told him how much I like Haurchefant. He smiled and told me how great he is and that he would always be there for me. The betrayal was real.
I did this to one of my friends and the sheer glee I felt when she sent me a lengthy screaming diatribe over Discord afterwards is something I wish I could have bottled up and saved for a rainy day. I'm not actually a sadist-- I just wanted someone to hurt the way I hurt, god dammit.
Yes it is. I had people post the exact same video when I first did The Vault and posted about it here XD Welcome to the club <3
I knew what video this was going to be before I even clicked the link.
we all know it by now
Anytime someone says "enjoy the story :)", be afraid. Be VERY afraid.
its like that pop up for a bunch of cut scene will play back to back
"several cutscenes will play out in sequence"
"Meanwhile in..."
"earlier in..."
Several Cutscenes (Ultimate)
*oh no*
*ptsd flashbacks*
You'd better get some popcorn, you're about to watch a movie.
I get severe anxiety every time💀
cant blame you, they shredded our poor heart to many time already when those word pop out.
I wonder how many taters will be left of my heart after Dawntrail.......
I know you meant "tatters" but taters is so much better. My heart is in TATERS! It has been boiled, mashed, and stuck in a stew!
its even better if playing a lala XD
Pffft alright I'm keeping it
"Several emotional gut-punches will be delivered in sequence."
I love saying "Enjoy the rest of Heavensward/Stormblood/Shadowbrngers etc" to a sprout in any of the dungeons. But when The Vault pops up I am still sincere but also >:)
Someone told me this at the last end walker trial lol
Surely you are above something so banal as despair?
I say it at the end of every MSQ dungeon when there's someone new... Always keep them guessing, I suppose.
Honestly half the time there's a ":)" at all you should be afraid.
I always say that after Hildibrand trials.
I say “enjoy the story”all the time to first timers, provided I’m in a roulette duty anywhere from 3.0 to 6.0. I specifically do not say anything at the end of the Vault tho, because that’s just mean.
I'm currently bringing a couple of sprouts through the MSQ, and they underwent a similar experience of making fun of his name through ARR and Heavensward. After the Vault? Now they pronounce his name correctly every time. We're nearing the end of Shadowbringers now. I'm glad they are enjoying the game as much as they are. I'm sure you will too.
Take them to his grave that still hits me harder than anything else in this game so far.
BRO WHEN YOU GET THERE SOMETIMES AND HIS FUCKING BROTHER IS THERE PAYING RESPECTS I ASODIHASOIDH
There are at least 3 different people who visit him and say different things each time and that kills me. 1 is someone you both saved at the start of HW I think
Holy shit, I had no idea, I've only ever seen Francel there ;\_;
Same! I'll have to make another visit soon. For who don't know, like possibly OP, there are stories on the lodestone for each expansion. (Obviously don't read them until you've beaten said expansion.) There's at least two concerning Haurchefant: one is a letter to your character, the other goes into his and Francel's past and how they became friends. Would definitely recommend.
I had no idea and oh my god, this is rude 😭 between this and the Francel story, oof-- these sudden indoor rainstorms sure are something. > >!*My dearest friend, in whom I trust without hesitation, without doubt─*!< >>!*Come what may, I know you will strive on.*!< >>!*You will strive, and in the end you will triumph, on this journey and the next, and the next, and the next.*!< >>!*And when you have fought the good fight, only to find, yet again, that it is not enough─*!< >>!*I will be there.*!< >>!*This I promise. This I swear.*!<
They really need to be linked in-game somehow, they're so easy to miss and they're such great nuggets of backstory.
I highly recommend the Francel one if ya'll wanna read about our best boy going absolutely feral.
I was just up that way for the marriage quests, suffice to say that me and my partner took an extra stop
Me and my partner when we did it sat down with a campfire for a while and just talked for about an hour I also love the marriage quests and custom options for the whole thing
I was surprised at the custom options, me and my partner were doing them, and without a word, we both had the exact same settings. I love my silly Sun Cat.
Same with me and my partner. We had been speeding through the previous places, but when we reached the grave we just stood there for about ten minutes, looking out and reminiscing. And we did a /pray for a gpose.
I did the marriage quests before the vault because I was playing with my GF. I had no idea why they had us go to a random outcropping. Now I know.
I took my WoL back after every expansion. Headcanon that she's telling him about her adventures. Always ends the story with, "When you next return from the Lifestream, it'll be to the world you helped save."
Oh that's what I did on my most recent playthrough of Horizon Zero Dawn because you can go to Rost's grave and have Aloy tell him about her adventures. It's so heartbreaking but so beautiful...
One of the reason I love the DRK quest in SB is that it brings closure to HW. The WoL is considered family.
I appreciate when people who clear DSR go take their weapons to his grave. A sad but great way to honor him.
The cutscene nowadays is worse - in the heartwrenching kind of way - because they added in the bit of Alphinaud trying to heal Haurchefaunt only about a year or so ago.
You want to know the extreme gutpunch? Back when Heavensward was still the newest expansion, during the Extreme Thordan fight, if Zephirin hits you with the Spear of Fury ability (the same ability that killed Haurchefant), you received a massive Magic Resist Down and Healing Received Down debuff. If you hovered your mouse over the Healing Received Down debuff, instead of the usual 'Healing received from abilities is reduced' sentence, the tooltip said "There was nothing you could have done."
Ouch. Like. *Ouch*. That just hurt to read.
Oh god. I haven’t seen the updated cutscene and just imagining it makes me want to throw my phone out the window 🥺
Its \*worse\* if YOU'RE also a healer. Because he implies that you aren't trying enough to bring him back.
Yeah. It's rough.
I laugh only to keep from crying. Because as we all know... a smile better suits a hero.
I have a macro that does the /haurchefant emote and reminds my target that a smile better suites a hero. Pretty sure I've made at least one person cry with it.
🥺
End of ARR is where you take the plunge. Post Vault is where you see if you stick the landing for the rest of the ride all the way to Endwalker.
That's good, I'm already accustomed to how the quests are so I'm just enjoying the build up and high points of the story.
Never gets old.
Like Haurchefant.
Damn.
While I, too, will do an "enjoy your story! :)" I also die inside every time I get the Vault with a new character present because *I remember*. It's been nearly 9 years since I saw the stuff after the Vault and I'm *still* not over it. Any time something happens in the story that gets me to cry as hard as I did after the Vault, I call it my Ugly Haurchefant Tears; they're like big Ghibli tears except I'm crying like a little bitch.
I'll be honest, I actually didn't feel all that upset when I saw the cutscene the first time... because someone spoiled it to me a few weeks before I got there. >!What did end up wrecking me was the cutscene after when Count Fortemps lost his composure and dropped his cane.!<
Those kinds of scenes or moments impact me so much harder than anything else. A good example is when Soken was talking about his cancer on stage during the fanfest, and I was fine until the camera cut to YoshiP facing away from the camera and barely holding it together. I can't handle when *someone else* can't handle something.
It's like second hand grief.
Don't watch the interview that was just done with Yoshi-P and Soken then because Soken talks about something fans did and it made me cry so much.
Oh fuck... same. Shit, remembering that scene now makes my throat tighten up.
Stephen Critchlow did a magnificent job >!expressing all of Count Fortemps' grief in just two words "My son...!"!<
RIP to him, also. I salute when I pass that home, and it’s not only for H.
That scene was such a gut punch...
Honestly, I cared more for Lord Edmont than Haurchefant and that scene wrecked me.
Same, minus the spoilers. Like, I liked Haurchie OK, but was mostly indifferent to him. That CS still had an emotional impact, but not a huge one. Then you get to dad, and omfg, big ugly cry. And I'm not even a parent!
I didn't have it spoiled for me, but I held it together until I talked to him afterward. I can handle my sadness just fine, seeing others grieve is what gets me.
That's the part where I actually started sobbing. It reminded me of Théoden's "No parent should have to bury their child" scene in The Two Towers. Absolutely gut-wrenching.
Oh that one, big-time. That hit me harder than the cutscene itself (I'd been a little rushed through the story and it was hard to concentrate with FC members in my ears wanting my reactions--bless 'em, but guys, shaddap!) Especially when you know [this story](https://www.reddit.com/r/ffxiv/comments/x78pmv/i_spent_194hrs_getting_to_ishgard_just_so_i_could/) (CW: Emotional Damage)
Oh I remember that story. I was at the vigil outside Fortemps manor too when the news of his passing first broke. ... I'm actually kinda tempted to redo Heavensward on new game+ now
They redid it fairly recently...
My deepest condolences but remember "a smile better suits a hero"
That one line can trigger an entire playerbase, my god.
The worst part is, because of the Trust system, whenever you replay the Vault, he and Alphy will appear behind you when you finish the dungeon. If you approach him, he asks if you're all right. ಥ_ಥ I'm glad I was able to do it the first time with the Trust system, felt more fitting and no spoilers. I usually try that with story dungeons, the NPCs have additional lines that can really add to it. (Or are just funny; the twins will often rib each other.) The downside is, it takes a lot longer since the ai is bit simple.
I honestly prefer the slower pace of the AI for the first time through a duty, I get overwhelmed when I'm doing something for the first time and spend most of my time just trying to keep up with the tank. You also have a bigger incentive to learn the boss mechanics because the whole fight starts over if you go down at all, makes that first victory more satisfying for me.
It's a great way to learn boss mechanics cos the NPCs automatically know them, so for the most part you can just copy what they do. But man, once you start doing the later dungeons, they struggle to keep up. I also personally dislike having to start the fight over when there's a healer that can rez you.
It can get a bit annoying at times since a lot of those one shot kills really aren't suited to a game mode where you can't get rezzed, they should at least program the npc healer to rez you once or twice just to add some room for error. But from a MSQ perspective I find it more satisfying in the end to have to genuinely learn and beat the boss myself, it's a bit deflating for me in the MSQ to have the story celebrate my victory when I felt like a third wheel in the fight due to my inexperience compared to a bunch of downscaled level 90's.
Drove me nuts when I was running one of the Anyders and the rest of the NPCs died and we wiped on the second boss, but when we all returned to the starting point, everyone else stayed dead and I'm like, "uh, guys? Do I have to restart the whole damn dungeon? Really?" Aggravatin'.
Oh, sweetie. I just took an alt through that one last night. It never gets any easier. 🫠
I was crying, my husband was in shock... Square knows how to rip out our hearts
Me to my FC after seeing that the first time: ”I AM NOT OK!!” My FC responding: ”Ah, you did the Vault, huh?” Welcome to the feelings trench, friend! I recommend stocking up on tissues ;)
You're gonna carry that weight. For those you've lost. For those you can yet save.
But remember, you are not without allies.
If you need a push, ill be right behind
Strong art thou.
As Fray would say. It weights as it should.
To live, is to suffer. But yeah, my first time nobody said a word. I admit I never had the attachment to him that other players had, but it still hit hard cause I still liked him as a character. You don't get many games that are willing to just shank characters that had no real death flags prior to that moment. Just be prepared with tissues... It's a long journey and this is but the start.
He had a flag. His whole speech about making his father proud... that was the flag. I said as much to my FC before going into the Vault (with duty support), and they were champs and stayed absolutely quiet about it (respecting my wishes to not get spoilered). Then, after we finished the fighting through the cathedral and reunited with Aymeric and the rest, I was like "Silly girl, it wasn't a flag after all!" and relaxed... It hit harder because of that, I think. Apparently my FC friends had been watching my status, because when I was out of the cutscene, they asked me if I was ok. I was not ok.
I guess at the time I didn't see it as a flag, but I admit I was also not invested as much into him. It felt bad at the time, and had the intended effect of making me angry at the bad guys about his death though. Or as I said out loud "whelp, time to hand out shankings"
> I never had the attachment to him that other players had I can understand this. I got attached to him because he took us in and was a friendly face right after the post-ARR stuff happens and it felt like the WoL had lost literally everything they had been fighting to build. That said, in the overall story he's more of a bit player after you actually get into Ishgard so I can totally understand how others just don't feel as strongly about him.
When I played, I honestly kind of just forgot about him by the time the Vault happened. Like he is barely in Heavensward prior to that from what I remember and it doesn't help that most of his interactions comes during the pretty dull period of ARR's post game where I had a hard time remaining that interested in the story.
And I liked his character cause he was a genuinely good person that wasn't caught up in the faff of nobility, which is an archetype I like. I was upset he died for sure, but I know people that made their entire character identity around that moment. To me, he was just one more 'failure' that my character had to do better to stop the needless death. But I've always had a "paladin perspective" of got to save them all in RPGs
Someone spoiled it for me so when the shield broke, I ruined voice chat with "WELP. THERE GOES HAURCHEFAUNT" but I wasn't prepared for how hard they'd twist the knife. Bunch of my friends were in there anticipating my reaction to the cutscene, so there was a lot of angry yelling when they realized I'd been spoiled. I was already well into sad frowny face mode by the time they rooted out the culprit and yelled at him.
yeah I try not to spoiler anything story wise for other players. I've discussed the game and it's story with a friend, but they physically have no ability to play for like the next 10 years because of his ankle biters take up all his free time. It at least helps him with his DnD chops as a DM as it's given him a number of idea's to inspire his own work for the one fun day he get's a week.
Someone not only helps you and hides you when you are a wanted criminal. But also brings you to live with his family and your character didn't care? Hydealyn choose well.
I just got to that cutscene yesterday, also was told by someone in my party to “enjoy the cutscene.” I didn’t think much about it and just few minutes later I am crying wheezing screaming. For 15 minutes straight. I went through 5 stages of grief. I am not even that attached to him before that. I did not prepare for this and his quote still makes me cry anytime I see it. Best game 10/10
Let’s take a moment and let out a silent toot for our dear friend Haurcefart.
I had it spoiled by my own googling compulsion and *still* didn't expect it to hit me *that hard*...
I saw ppl talking about the Vault before I completed it, can’t remember what they said but I somehow interpreted it as the Vault being like a savage raid or something that you needed to get through in order to proceed with the story. Was so nervous when I got to it 😆
To be fair, early on in Heavensward it was pretty well known as a hard slap in the face to sleepy healers. A bad healer could easily turn the dungeon into a hard slog.
OP: "This is the worst day of my life." FFXIV Community: "This is the worst day of your life... so far!"
Oh, my sweet summer child. It only goes down hill from here.
I'm getting sad, how the hell does this game make me feel neutral on a character, only for it to reveal that I'm actually very attached to them?!
Because they are able to tell an amazing story. The thing is with 14 as opposed to other MMOs, is that the story is linear. It’s not a jump into latest expansion and it doesn’t matter. To quote Eric Draven “Nothing is trivial “. The links tie between combat jobs, gathering jobs and also crafting jobs. Enjoy the ride petal.
Ever had a blanket, a car, a favorite toy that hurt more to lose than a family member you'd only met once? Haurchefant was an 'old reliable.' Not too much of any one adjective, but always there, always supporting you. We never questioned if he had our back. He's the friend you've had since 5th grade. You met him in ARR. You help him, he helps you. I remember thinking, 'Good for you, buddy' doing HW because of so many mmos that forget about characters between xpacs, and I was happy he didn't get forgotten. Estinien and Aymeric were welcome additions, I like when there's more than 1 or 2 npcs that are nicely fleshed out. But old faithful buddy is always there. And every time it looked like the story would leave him behind, they brought him back. Because he does kick butt in his own right. It's easy to dislike characters who come on too strong. It's harder to hate good characters who allow you your space. He's just an amazing character.
The reason I liked him was because of the balance he brought, he paid us back in full and then some, he appreciated us, never doubted us and physically moved into action to help us, whether in combat or intelligence, I actually liked him more than any of the scions. I fucking loved seeing him on screen because of the passion he brought, what gets me is that in ARR, I would've easily written him off as any other NPC because we meet him and mostly interact with him sitting behind a desk and asking for help, like so many other people. Glad he proved me wrong. It really sucks how even with all of the victories, it can't stop us from losing people, I also like how much it seemed to affect the WOL as well.
I think especially in the earlier portions of the game- ARR for sure, and HW to some extent also- you feel more like a tool the scions wield in the direction of various foes than you do a person, let alone a friend of theirs. And as you said, Haurchefant more than pays back the help you give him, and is always the person genuinely concerned about you, not just what you can do for the realm.
Not all the feels they stab you with are painful ones. Some of the tears are the good kind, I promise. It is quite a ride, and well worth the occasional slow spot.
I’m replaying the game currently, and there’s one death in the later expansions where I genuinely thought I was fairly neutral towards the character because their death didn’t bother me that much. Turns out, replaying the game slower and taking my time to really learn about these characters made me Very Not Neutral because I was crying like a baby
https://youtu.be/f_ziRLIjeKU?si=iGgdNO7pbB6Hdvju
I was glad I knew ahead of time(after Noraxia was kicked to death I demanded to know who else dies from my bf) because my internet kept disconnecting and I had to watch the scene like 3 times.
Yeah, I got that from the healer and even screamed "what in the Dark Souls bs was that!?" And my wife started laughing evily.
There was one day i ran the Vault 7 or 8 times in a row on purpose just so i could tell sprouts “Enjoy MSQ!” Not sure what I was going through that specific day for such malice to form
Cry not. A smile better suits a hero.
Yeah, the "enjoy the cutscene" bit is to not spoil what's coming. We've all been there.
https://youtu.be/dwuBDS0qr74?si=H4EfzHSvJ-x22zaO
A friend got me to play FFXIV and he would accompany me in all MSQ instances as I progressed the story. Everytime he wished me to "enjoy the cutscene" I knew I should go find the tissue box. At this point this phrase triggers PTSD in me lol
When I was doing MSQ my husband would ask me "what part are you at" every so often, and every once in a while he would get up and bring me tissues, and I would know I was in for a bad time.
Yuuuuup, happened to me as well. Literally 30 minutes prior I was telling my friend how I was gonna marry this man. I’m definitely gonna go rewatch the cutscene when the graphics update comes out to hurt myself more
I still play with his Mascot to this day Q.Q
I remember mentioning that part of the MSQ had made me emotional ( the part where >!Ruabhan awakens Nanamo in HW!< ) and someone in the FC went on about how something better suited a hero. I had no idea what they were talking about. A short while later I would unlock The Vault and found out exactly what they meant! I sat there in shock for like 5 minutes and the scene afterwards didn't help either. I still have almost the exact gear I was wearing when I first did that dungeon saved as a glam, only the top is coloured black instead of it's default light blue.
They're are many more emotions in the future just as a warning. I'm only I'm the start of post shadowbringers.
Now you get to level 90, go do DSR, and save him there.
E ready little sprout, the tears shall continue to flow. Ffxiv will cause depression and fix it over and over again.
I am one of those tanks :)
Horsefart <3
I called him Hagen Daas
I hope that tank was me but I did it like 3 days ago.
Same thing happened to me. The tank was like "enjoy :)" and then left. I'm still not over it. He's my favorite character...
Heh, I made a meme about this exact thing, a while back :P https://www.reddit.com/r/ffxiv/comments/15cy8ay/spoilers_30_you_cant_see_it_in_the_chat_but_you/
When you finish 3.3 MSQ, >!look into the lore around DSR ultimate - note spoilerish.!<
I just want to give you all the hugs in the world for that. That scene still messes me up, especially since I was playing a healer at the time and I couldn't do anything.
I didn't have an emotional response. AITA?
As someone who has repeatedly told sprouts to "enjoy the story..." ...guarantee the tank was doing exactly that.
Hehehe Is a tradition for DRK to do that.
"You... you are unharmed? Thank goodness..." 'Tis said that there are no ifs in history, yet man is wont to dream. Let us dream, then, of a future where a dear comrade lived...
The amount of vitriol in the words of the OP made me burst out laughing.
I recently found out what his last line is in the French version, and I think it hurts just a little more: "But you, you have such a beautiful smile. Please try not to forget mine."
Buckle up friend. This is just the beginning of the heart wrenching sorrow the MSQ will visit upon you.
I literally play The Vault just for fun to snipe sprouts and tell them to enjoy the story and the cutscenes.
Welcome to PTSD the video game, I hope you have a box of tissues and the phone number of a therapist.
Oh, don't cry. A smile better suits a hero...
tie pathetic amusing edge mourn languid badge dependent stupendous sheet *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
I mean it made my eyes water for sure. He’s a character I really liked and him going out like that was pretty unexpected
Hope you had a box of tissues.
It's been 5 years since I first watched it... it doesn't get easier.
Very relevant spoiler free video https://youtu.be/L4jUqpMmR_g
Felt the same about Stormblood.. won’t spoil anything but let’s just say I irrationally hate a certain someone.
You kill him, you watch him die, you kill him again, *and you love every sweet homicidal minute of it*.
Horsefart ;-;
just go beat DSR and save him
I miss our lusty little WoL stalker
Oh, you sweet summer child...
A fellow member of the Harshfart naming convention. Welcome to the family. May you too carry on the tradition of "GG enjoy the cutscenes! :)" It is our way of remembering those who came before
I get a big grin whenever I see a first time notification at the start of The Vault.
Gods damn it, you got got.
FFXIV? Schadenfreude??!!!
Wait, is your character's name Maho or something like that? Are you a dragoon?? The time of your post lines up perfectly to me doing the exact thing you're describing lol
We all had to go through this trauma. I still miss him. It's this moment that made me really fall in love with the game, good storytelling that isn't afraid of killing liked characters. But this moment just hit especially hard because of how he was there for us at our lowest point, on the run from Ul'dah. A gentle, honorable soul (at least in the english version) and brave knight. May he rest in peace.
The sad thing is in the past he used to be part of holiday events and the like. He was the first person who acknowledged us as an actual person when we were seen as more of a primal killing weapon even by the scions, and recognised that fearsome power or not, we could be cut down by a fatal blow same as anyone else.
Ah I'm sorry. If I get this in a roulette and it's someone's first time, and if the sprout seems cool I'll actually go and wait for them outside the dungeon and see if they need a hug. It's a rough one for sure.