Why cant we play Garlean empire?

[Cilia]

The Garlean Empire has consistently shown itself to be a threat to the peace, freedom, and/or well-being of others. By those tokens alone I cannot support their actions. That said, I am not opposed to a narrative from their viewpoint - far from it, I like being given different angles to view things from so that I can think and consider. I've... considered the Imperial merits we've been shown for quite some time, but again, as long as the Empire shows itself to be a threat to the peace, freedom, and/or well-being of others, I cannot agree with its ideology. Even if a campaign is offered from its point of view.

That's my final stance on the issue barring future developments. I'm tired of arguing about it.

Once we got to Gyr Abania and met with more reasonable Resistance leaders, the Ala Mhigans showed themselves very willing to accept Alliance aid. The Ala Mhigans who did not want to rise up against the Empire had been browbeat or physically beat into submission, or otherwise indoctrinated against Ala Mhigan independence. While many were unwilling to rise up against the Empire for perfectly understandable reasons, they still desired independence from the Empire and I saw no reason not to try and grant it to them, violently if need be.

Or, I guess we could do this...

... figuratively speaking, of course. (/sarcasm, kind of.)

[Theodric]

The Garlean Empire has consistently shown itself to be a threat to the peace, freedom, and/or well-being of others.

Yet, thankfully, we know that isn't the case at all as it has been confirmed through multiple sources that whilst some regions suffer under Garlean rule others have prospered or remained virtually unchanged. It is largely inevitable that we will see such areas in the future for ourselves as we explore more of Hydaelyn. We've also seen Garlemald keeping the peace in Kugane.

[Hinoto-no-Ryuji]

Yet, thankfully, we know that isn't the case at all as it has been confirmed through multiple sources that whilst some regions suffer under Garlean rule others have prospered or remained virtually unchanged. It is largely inevitable that we will see such areas in the future for ourselves as we explore more of Hydaelyn. We've also seen Garlemald keeping the peace in Kugane.

In defense of Cilia, though - Garlemald has indeed been shown to be a threat to peace, freedom, and/or well-being of others. Not universally, as you point out, but to deny that that description applies to actions taken under their banner and with the implied approval of their government is to engage in willful ignorance of a solid chunk of the plot, up until now. Garlemald is an expansionist empire that enforces a rigid caste system on its conquered territories through military conquest, and so Cilia's accusations are a natural outcome of that policy; that some have benefited from this doesn't somehow erase the suffering of others.

(Also, and this is semantics, but Garlemald isn't keeping the peace in Kugane - that would require them to be serving as policemen and law keepers, a la the Sekiseigumi. They're just not actively attacking the place, which I'm pretty sure is what you meant, but I figured I'd clarify anyways.)

[Cilia]

Like I said, I'm tired of the long-winded dissertations, so I'm going to keep this short and simple.

Yet, thankfully, we know that isn't the case at all as it has been confirmed through multiple sources that whilst some regions suffer under Garlean rule others have prospered or remained virtually unchanged. It is largely inevitable that we will see such areas in the future for ourselves as we explore more of Hydaelyn. We've also seen Garlemald keeping the peace in Kugane.

Some provinces prospering under Imperial rule doesn't change the fact they aren't free or independent. Furthermore outside of their homeland in northern Ilsabard no known Imperial territory was acquired through peaceful negotiation.

Gilded cages are still cages. If the people in those provinces prefer Imperial rule they should be left to it; if they do not want (and never wanted) it, it should not be forced on them.

Garlemald did not keep the peace in Kugane. It broke the peace by hiring an informant to lead anyone seeing passage to Othard into an ambush. The Imperials in Kugane didn't even know who we were - they just knew someone was looking to get to Othard, therefore they must be a rebel. Outside of Varis himself, no Imperial seems to recognize us. (Even Zenos didn't know who we were when first we met.) They were right in this case, but Kugane has a strict no-violence policy, which the Empire broke first. We defended ourselves and made as peaceful and stealthy an escape as we could.

(And then I brought the Garlean consul bath water from the hot springs after he ordered me killed. I'm so awful. Tell Festus I said hi! /sarcasm.)

[VargasVermillion]

It was stated in the lore book that some of the locations close to the garlean homeland were annexed through diplomacy as well. They just didn't give specific names, if i remember correctly they referred to it as a 'carrot on a stick' offering magitek in exchange for joining them.

The kugane incident was definitely dirty and unlawful, overall we've seen the fringes of the empire and until we see all of it and it's people we can't make a completely accurate judgement. Their military might be brutal but it does seem like the citizenry are kept complacent through propaganda and the like I'd be very interested in seeing garlemald as a whole, especially purebloods who aren't apart of the aristocracy or military. Nero for example came from rural garlemald so it'd be nice to hear more about that.

[Cilia]

It was stated in the lore book that some of the locations close to the garlean homeland were annexed through diplomacy as well. They just didn't give specific names, if i remember correctly they referred to it as a 'carrot on a stick' offering magitek in exchange for joining them.

Hey, I learned something! (/no sarcasm.)

Still... neither Doma nor Ala Mhigo got the gentle treatment. Ala Mhigo had its ruler fed paranoia by Imperial spies for a decade before being deposed in response to the brutality born of that paranoia, making it easy pickings for the Empire. Doma seems to have just been steamrolled. Those are the nations pertinent to the discussion at hand, and neither wanted Imperial rule. (The same seems to be true of Dalmasca. Viva la resistance! Viva!)

The kugane incident was definitely dirty and unlawful, overall we've seen the fringes of the empire and until we see all of it and it's people we can't make a completely accurate judgement. Their military might be brutal but it does seem like the citizenry are kept complacent through propaganda and the like I'd be very interested in seeing garlemald as a whole, especially purebloods who aren't apart of the aristocracy or military. Nero for example came from rural garlemald so it'd be nice to hear more about that.

Their military is the only part of the Empire we have dealt with. The Imperial army is what subjugates and oppresses the people of the provinces we've seen.

How exactly Imperial civilians live is something I'm curious about as well. Still, if a majority of Imperial civilians feel being an aan (lowest-ranked member of Imperial society; non-citizen, no better than a slave or chattel) is an honor, well...

[Alleo]

It was stated in the lore book that some of the locations close to the garlean homeland were annexed through diplomacy as well. They just didn't give specific names, if i remember correctly they referred to it as a 'carrot on a stick' offering magitek in exchange for joining them.

Yes on page 177 they write that "..one town named itself the center, and the others were brought into the fold through negotiation and force." So they are capable of diplomacy but even in their starting points they also used force to unite. But at least at that point it was about survival. After getting those small towns they started to send in spies "to incite conflict betwixt the surrounding nations".

Later on Galvus used warmachina to "avenge every wrong ever done to them", and "Garleans invaded the countries of northern Ilsabard and annexed their lands. To expand its small army, Garlemald recruited the subjugated people, promising to better their lives with magitek technology in exchange for service. This cunning carrot-and-stick strategy made the republic greater and more powerful with every victory.."

"Having unified the continent through force for the first time in history, Galvus proclaimed himself Emperor, and thus created the Garlean Empire." After that the lorebook states that one continent was not enough for him and he look towards Othard. So yes they used some diplomacy with some of the smaller towns next to them but the rest of the continent was conquered with force and the carrot on the stick was still only gifted to those that were forcefully integrated into the soon-to-be empire. Its written like they conquered it first because of vengeance but after that, it was not enough for the Emperor so he started his world conquering. There is also no mentioning of another reason, other than wanting more land.

Just wanted to post all the important quotes because this makes it easier to know the whole story.

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I also agree that calling someone a troll is not very nice, but I wish both sides would stop with their verbal insults. Also there is nothing wrong with trying to look at it from a different perspective but they should still be within the games own facts. It is just wrong to say that the Garlean soldiers were not the aggressors in Kugane and that they are peaceful there, even though the game has shown or told us about at least two happenings where they set up a trap to kill people. Gosetsu might be known but they did not know who we are and there is a strict rule about attacking anyone in the city. Also like always most of us dont always just see it just in black or white, which lots of our posts already showed.