[SPOILERS] Stormblood Ending

[Kallera]

It feels like dismantling Garlemeld, especially under the auspieces of "freedom" and "liberty" would start to cause more problems than it would solve. Consider the ease of summoning Lakshmi, or that not everyone would see primal summoning as the same threat Eorzea does. What about countries that were just fine under the empire? The proliferation of magitek weaponry? Or those with considerable problems after the war ends from the fighting, or the people that find out their loved ones died at the Warrior of Light's hands...I realize those problems exist even now, but the notion of Eorzea being the world's sole superpower...that Hydaelyn exists and she's Eorzean... is scary.

[Vejjiegirl]

or the people that find out their loved ones died at the Warrior of Light's hands...I realize those problems exist even now, but the notion of Eorzea being the world's sole superpower...that Hydaelyn exists and she's Eorzean... is scary.

Yep, I was thinking about this the other day, near the start of stormblood you are given a choice of two quests to go on. One of them you run around killing Conscripts. Actually most of the empire's frontline or low ranking troops are probably conscripts from conquered nations that have little choice but to serve 20 years military service to become citizens. These people are posted away from their families in strange lands only to be killed by the Warrior of Light chasing the dream of freedom for themselves and their families.

[Revanslave]

I'm just glad Y'shtola lived. She is my favorite.

[EdwinLi]

----

You are looking at Hien the wrong way as he has been establish to be not a King but a inexperience Prince that was just thrown the responsibility of a King without any knowledge about What it means to be a King.

If Hien's father had lived instead he most likely would have that "Return of the King" Scenario you were expecting.

Hien's story is more about the Inexperience Prince that is trying to fill in the place of his Father who was far better and more experience than he is. He grew up during the Garlean occupation constantly on the run with only stories about what Old Doma was like. He had no education nor actual experience leading the people. It was his father who did all that as he grew up and for Hien he did not know what to do with that responsibility since it was suddenly placed on him when his father died.

His lack of involvement outside of the Au Ra tribe recuiting was, as mentioned in the story, a action of one who was not ready for the responsibility of a King.

In a way being disappointed with Hien not meeting the expectations of a "return of the King" scenario is exactly how you should feel about him story wise.

The 4.1 to 4.4 MSQ are most likely going to expand more on this later and have him learn what it means to be a King since he has no actual experience what it is like being King while also exploring more of what old Doma was like and how young and idealist Hien's view of Old Doma was when in reality it was still a corrupt place long before Garlean rule.

[Cilia]

The deal with Garlemald "not being threatening enough" likely stems from the fact each Legion seems to operate independently, though they do all answer to Varis - and Zenos' XIIth wasn't interested in actually winning, just fighting. It took the combined might of all Othard and razing Doma Castle to drive them out, and the only reason we gained ground so quickly in Gyr Abania is because Zenos kept ordering retreats to set up bigger battles (culminating in open warfare on the streets of Ala Mhigo).

There's no real reason they couldn't win - they chose not to thanks to Zenos' arrogance and battle lust. The Resistance was all but destroyed in the attack on Rhalgr's Reach, Zenos proved himself an opponent beyond our current abilities, and it only got worse from there - they started deploying magitek cyborgs, we started fighting the products of their Shinra-esque experiments (Inferno, Resonant Echo users), and Zenos got Ame-no-Habakiri and then reverse Incarnate Summoned himself into Shinryu. Once again it took the combined might of an entire subcontinent and a divinely empowered hero to drive out one Legion, and we only succeeded because Zenos did not care about actually winning. Why other Legions did not come to their aid is unknown, but I'd wager they're busy or Zenos refused the help.

Zenos only wanted to fight, or arrogantly believed that no matter how much ground he gave the XIIth would triumph in the end. That's why we won, not because the Empire isn't what it's cracked up to be.

[ErikMynhier]

Grynewaht was so goofy I felt like one of my main enemies was nothing but a Bizarro Hildabrand.

[A-Rook]

Ahhh, I have so many thoughts on SB and the ending- as well as thoughts that have been inspired by all the talk in this thread. I'm going to have to wait until I have more time to write them up and solidify them though. In the meanwhile, am I the only one who for seemingly no reason whatsoever went..."Is it Louisoix?!?!?" when Elidibus pulled off his mask? No idea why, but there's that. =P

[EdwinLi]

---

From what was said the Garlean Empire was too busy trying to reinforce other territories because of what happened to Doma. At the Battle of Ala Mhigo they were too distracted of possible uprising to send aid to Ala Mhigo.

[Khalithar]

I'm actually really annoyed that gosetsu and yotsuyu survived the doma castle part. I actually thought it was a fitting death for both of them.

Gosetsu fulfills his final duty as a loyal samurai and gives his life for his lord, inspiring Hien to be an honorable and loyal king, maybe even name his first son Gosetsu.

Meanwhile yotusyu gets a terrifying and painful death as she crushed and drowned, a just punishment for everything she'd done up to that point. Bad life or not, she still made the choice to do what she did.

Them surviving ruined it in my opinion.

[Grayve]

I think Hinoto-no-Ryuji summed up my problem with Lyse. Why did Conrad make her leader, I asked? I get she was supposed to develop and grow under Hien, and she did to some extent. But there wasn't enough of 'Lyse' before that point to make it pay off... There was just three years of airhead, comic relief Yda. And, unlike HW, there seemed to be no overarching threat... the archbishop was being manipulated by the Ascians made him a threat to the world, something that only the WoL could stop. While SB, on the other hand... I get the Empire is an occupying force, but if felt like a distraction from the threat of a rejoining, to me. I get the trope reason of why we do stuff. But it wasn't as personal as HW was. Also, why is the XII legion in both Doma and Ala Mhigo? Surely with nations an ocean apart, it makes sense to have separate legions? And yes, I know there is a landbridge between them... but still.

Still loved large parts of it. But it wasn't as immersive for me as Heavensward or ARR was.