Revelations from Patch 2.55 [SPOILERS]

[MilesSaintboroguh]

I don't agree with having a playable unwinnable fight. Square is more than capable of showcasing a character's power in cut scenes when needed and they could have easily showed our character duking it out with Ilbred and losing. There's really no need to waste the player's time and gear durability by throwing them into a playable fight that's impossible to win just to showcase something in the story (kind of like this one guy who suggested a DPS quest that kills the player just to prove the point of how a dead DPS hinders the party). Like someone already said, you do this and people are going to cry foul over how there's a normal looking dude who can kick the WOL's butt and Raubhan's butt, yet WOL was able to stand up to the Empire's finest. We already have people complaining how their character could have easily beaten all the guards, so this idea only exasperates the problem.

[Rannie]

Not just that but what would an unwinnable fight really accomplish beside most likely us being thrown in some sort of prison like Rabauhn was. If we had lost then we would have definitely been out numbered and taken. Remember he fought ilberd to give us the time to escape. Forgive my typing I'm at work and on my cellphone.

[myahele]

I seem to remember a similar incident in FF10.

When it comes to being captured by corrupt government, the trope is that they plan on killing you and rigging the trial

[Cilia]

I seem to remember a similar incident in FF10.

When it comes to being captured by corrupt government, the trope is that they plan on killing you and rigging the trial

Very similar, though not the same. You learned of the church's corruption in X, and so they sentenced you to death pits.

You've become a liability and the government is corrupt. There's no way to prove your innocence. Why wouldn't they imprison you for life / have you executed?

[Wadoka]

Sigh... all this torturous justification why we could not, did not fight back against a minuscule merchant and four Brass Blades...

...out here in this realm, I am just an "ordinary" human... with 16 years of continuous training in traditional Japanese martial arts.

I could easily win a fight against any two of those Brass Blades, them armed and armored, me bare-handed. Without much exertion.

My Warrior of Light? Those Blades wouldn't even know they're dead, until they realize they're standing before Thal.

The only moment of pause would be consideration of what to do with the Lady-in-Waiting.

Then out the door, on a mission...

"If you kill them all and run it'll only confirm your "guilt""

1 - That is very complex reasoning in a very short amount time, for my character. Unlikely I would think about it at all. Or if so, only AFTER the deed was done.

2 - So what? I should care about that perception? Utterly meaningless. I know who I am, I know what I can do - and what I didn't do. Vengeance is mine, prepare to reap the whirlwind!

[Dualblade]

Not just that but what would an unwinnable fight really accomplish beside most likely us being thrown in some sort of prison like Rabauhn was. If we had lost then we would have definitely been out numbered and taken. Remember he fought ilberd to give us the time to escape. Forgive my typing I'm at work and on my cellphone.

Thats why I mentioned the "to 1 hp" part. While, again using Beatrix, in IX it was basically the same as a KO cutscene wise, here it would mean more once we hit that point (either from him getting us there manually or via a very powerful skill, like say the one that sent Raubahn flying back), it would switch to cutscene mode with us being forced to retreat then since we wouldn't be able to take another hit like that. Raubahn would still end up covering our escape and things would still happen as they did, just a way I personally could see would have helped some people like the ending.

[Rannie]

Ok since you keep bringing up Beatrix's fight in 9 might I remind you of the fight in 8 against Edea, yeah granted you could "win" the fight but it still went to the cut scene where your getting a huge chunk of ice thrown in your chest and being thrown into prison with everyone minus Rinoa and Irvine. Every final fantasy has had that no win scenario but it's always closer to the beginning of the game not near the end of it (for this story arc yes it was the end of it.) and your characters relatively in their 20's or so lvl wise. It in all, logically speaking, would have taken too much time for them to do that (both in terms of working out the game play for it as well as the coding it would entail for it). It even then would honestly piss me off still even if it was Rabauhn and me fighting ilberd. Secondly I also get the feeling that when they arrested you they weren't treating you to sunshine, 70 virgins and a bottle of wine when they captured you. I get the feeling they were also roughing you up a bit so you were already most likely winded, upset, angry, half confused, and in a ton of pain.

[RobinRethiel]

Like someone already said, you do this and people are going to cry foul over how there's a normal looking dude who can kick the WOL's butt and Raubhan's butt, yet WOL was able to stand up to the Empire's finest. We already have people complaining how their character could have easily beaten all the guards, so this idea only exasperates the problem.

That would be fine. If Ilberd is indeed some strange mutant, something like possessed by Omega Weapon's ghost or whatever and we HAVE to flee - alright. I mean, that would be a real reason.

We try to, it does not work, because there are obviously some very dangerous powers involved - and then we lost so much time, that the Scions had to sacrifice themselves, to save us.

This would have been 10 times better.

[Rannie]

You know what is really bothering me right now... is the comment that Ilberd said after he throws you to the ground. The whole comment about how your story ending this way... I keep drawing parallel's to Lahabrea's words about the tale of the crystals's demise. Is it me or just a bit too coincidental?

[Cilia]

Sigh... all this torturous justification why we could not, did not fight back against a minuscule merchant and four Brass Blades...

...out here in this realm, I am just an "ordinary" human... with 16 years of continuous training in traditional Japanese martial arts.

I could easily win a fight against any two of those Brass Blades, them armed and armored, me bare-handed. Without much exertion.

My Warrior of Light? Those Blades wouldn't even know they're dead, until they realize they're standing before Thal.

The only moment of pause would be consideration of what to do with the Lady-in-Waiting.

Then out the door, on a mission...

"If you kill them all and run it'll only confirm your "guilt""

1 - That is very complex reasoning in a very short amount time, for my character. Unlikely I would think about it at all. Or if so, only AFTER the deed was done.

2 - So what? I should care about that perception? Utterly meaningless. I know who I am, I know what I can do - and what I didn't do. Vengeance is mine, prepare to reap the whirlwind!

It's easy to say you could take on an armed contingency of trained soldiers completely unarmed. It's another thing to actually do so - and there was way more than four Brass Blades. The entire city was swarming with both Brass Blades and Crystal Braves, both groups hostile, both groups trained and experienced soldiers / mercenaries. Even if you had the martial prowess to take one or two on, their sheer numbers would be enough. It's also worth pointing out that from the moment we went into the Sultana's chambers until (presumably) our escape from the dining hall, we were unarmed. Even PUG / MNK needs a weapon; unarmed, and against a small army of armed, armored, and trained soldiers, there was no way we'd have come out on top.

... and that's all assuming you would be able to keep yourself together well enough to actually fight back after seeing the Sultana choke and die in front of you. Most people would be in a state of shock, and likely too distraught to really fight back against Teledji's goons. Again, it's easy to say that's what you'd do in hindsight while you're divorced and isolated from the situation, but in reality most people would be way too broken up to really do much of anything after seeing a close confidant choke and die right in front of you.