Why So Much Rape in Stormblood

[Theodric]

The game warns people in advance that is contains mature themes and that is something everybody accepts upon purchasing the product and accepting the terms and conditions. Part of the game's charm for many people is that it doesn't shy away from darker themes - it doesn't hide the horrors that would realistically exist in a world as bleak as Hydaelyn.

[CorbinDallas]

There are topics and issues in this game that draw from things I have experienced personally, too. But that doesn't make me think that Square is doing it for laughs, or clichés, or that I suddenly choose to be offended by the writing team. It makes the characters relatable, and it makes me empathise with them, it makes the character's development way more interesting and gets me way more invested in the story. Yes, the writers have missed the mark now and again, nobody is perfect. But it seems the issue is with you, not them.

[LittleSparrow]

We as the WoL are genocidal maniacs who solve every problem with murdering but sure let's focus on that.

[AlthusRitoto]

The OP thinks a million dollar company with millions of fans to have the balls to make rape jokes or to laugh at victims by writing it into the story, then she needs to think again.

Or play Club Penguin.

[Felis]

There's also the youth in Little Ala Mhigo when you go through there for MSQ early on. Very minor character, not sure she was even named, but the presentation left an impression on me, personally.

But that was already during ARR (around lv 25 MSQ), and not just now in SB

[JunseiKei]

It's interesting this was upvoted so much because clearly, the point was not understood. I too found this very cliche. The pretty and dumb girl gets sold and abused so she seeks revenge, and now she's evil and ruthless. I wouldn't be surprised if everyone forgives her because 'Oh, she had a sad past. And she's cute'.

She didn't say she had a problem with it, was merely discussing the character's background and motives.

They can talk about rape all they want in this game (it won't help the cause though, because people irl won't do shit about it, less someone sitting on a chair playing some videogames), but this particular character for me is super cliche.

Had their argument been, "This is a trope," then most people arguing against it would probably respond with a, "Yeah, so is most stuff in fiction and in this game." However, that wasn't strictly what their complaint was. They posted conveying their sensitivities, asking for people with similiar sensitivities to concur with them and a lot of people disagreed. When the end result is that the story is written how it's going to be written, the only sense one could make from complaining about it in this nature is that it should be different. Telling someone creating something, be it fiction or art or video games, what content they should exclude is stifling. A lot of people like FFXIV because it has a lot of variety of subject matters. When someone focuses on such a minor aspect of the story, to the point that it affects their enjoyment of the game, then it's not the story's fault.

[Niqote]

There are plenty of tragedies in this game, focusing on only one violent theme while the other violent themes are so much more abundant seems like you are the one choosing to focus on it.

Personally, I like having shocking events here and there in XIV. It evokes emotion and a break from what can be monotonous character development.

[Aquaslash]

Uhm...wait, who all was raped? Yotsuyu underwent sexual abuse afaik, but nobody else springs to mind.

I lost count of all the NPCs who have been implied to have been raped in this game. Aside from Yotsuyu being sold to a whore house, there was a npc very early in the MSQ who implied she was gang raped by Garleans, Arenvald is the product of such an encounter, there's an NPC in the SAM quests who was gonna be sold as a sex slave, and NPCs all around imply that the Garleans seem to favor killing Highlander men and raping Highlander women.

That's just the tip of the iceberg, there's lots of it in the main game proper as well

[MaloraYuki]

Personally I like the story as is. I understand maybe the story has sensitive topics for people based on different events but I don’t think violence against women is the only thing. Like I alway say if you don’t like the game don’t play. The game is not targeting you because of being a woman the game is not saying anything bad towards you and if you think it is you have a problem. That’s like saying GTA inforces the behaviors shown in that game. Get over it or don’t play.

[hellmach]

Because Eorzea is a shitty world and they're letting you know just how shitty it is. See GoT for another example. There's also a lot of death, poverty, hunger, racism, corruption, greed... the list goes on.