Why So Much Rape in Stormblood

[Okamimaru]

I wonder what exactly would be the acceptable alternatives? They killed "insert npc" parents? They enslaved "insert npc" family/children? They stole "insert npc" land/inheritance? What isn't a trope or cliche? What exactly can they put in the place of the occasional sexual assault of a npc? Vaguely offensive musical numbers?

[PharisHanasaki]

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.

But I don't understand. Where did the OP says this impars her experience of the game? Or that this is a sensitive topic that should be avoided in this game? She said this was cliche. And I agree.

I know Japan experienced(and still does) this a lot. Women are abused everywhere. But Yutsuyu became evil because she was married to a rich man, physically and sexually abused, then sold off to pay his husband debts? She did all she did out of revenge but was not prepared for the consecuences? That moment where she cries to make everyone feel sorry for her... Idk.

[HyoMinPark]

But I don't understand. Where did the OP says this impars her experience of the game? Or that this is a sensitive topic that should be avoided in this game? She said this was cliche. And I agree.

She said in the opening post that it ruins the “escapist fantasy” of FFXIV, implying that it’s impacting her immersion. Like others have said, the fact that rape is present, especially in a country currently at war, only serves to make the game more immersive. Because what war isn’t without terrible war crimes? Certainly not a “real” one.

OP also mentioned that rape should be something discussed with tact and care, and not just “tacked on to a woman’s storyline to make her seem more tragic,” which also somewhat implies it should be avoided being discussed in this game’s writing at all, since the OP also attacked SB’s writing.

[PharisHanasaki]

Well, I can understand it to some extent. If you lost your arm to a chainsaw and saw people getting they extremities cut off by a chainsaw in game you'd feel anxious and/or be constantly reminded of the real event.

Men are also raped irl, but I see nothing like that in here. Kids are raped too if we want to be realistic. Should we depict that too to make it even more immersive?

'This male NPC was abused by his family. Sold into slavery, and raped and abused so he's now an evil commander of the Empire'. Still seems weak to me.

I really, really hope Yutsuyu won't be forgiven for a silly reason. Zenos was a great character. Yutsuyu was simply annoying throughout the road.

[BillyKaplan]

Men are also raped irl, but I see nothing like that in here. Kids are raped too if we want to be realistic. Should we depict that too to make it even more immersive?

I said it before earlier in the thread, but the answer to that is absolutely yes. If they're already going there, they shouldn't keep it as a woman-exclusive trope for that precise reason, that it's a false depiction of reality. And like before, you using that example as though to make us look ridiculous is ridiculous in and of itself. Raubahn would actually be an interesting case if they went there. Show corruption within any of the Grand Companies or the Garlean army that went there. Lord knows Ul'dah's rotten to the core that it'd make sense there.

'This male NPC was abused by his family. Sold into slavery, and raped and abused so he's now an evil commander of the Empire'. Still seems weak to me.

And while it's your right to find faults with the trope itself, I dislike it when people praise or bash a trope based on genders. It's a weak trope to you, fine, it's a different matter. But sadly because it's seen so little, that sort of thing would actually be groundbreaking if they went there and applied it to a man, admitting that men can be victims of such abuse as well. As it stands, if we don't hear about it from the women themselves, we hear about it from a man related to them while they're still the victims, as is the case with Arenvald and his mother.

I really, really hope Yutsuyu won't be forgiven for a silly reason.

I'm guessing she has amnesia going by the end of 4.1 and that will be the groundwork for her redemption as she's effectively a different person, but still has to deal with the evils she did while she had her memories.

[ThunderGodThor]

But sadly because it's seen so little, that sort of thing would actually be groundbreaking if they went there and applied it to a man, admitting that men can be victims of such abuse as well.

I have to agree with you. We often see the disastrous affects that rape has on female victims in the media, but not so with men. FFXIV could really make an impact if it went ahead with portraying such a story with a male victim. Raubahn may make sense for this- he's a traditional masculine male, and male victims often feel very emasculated when they go through that sort of trauma. I don't know, I just think it may help people see and understand what some men have been through, and do go through, rather than just being an edgy prison joke.

[Okamimaru]

Well, I can understand it to some extent. If you lost your arm to a chainsaw and saw people getting they extremities cut off by a chainsaw in game you'd feel anxious and/or be constantly reminded of the real event.

Men are also raped irl, but I see nothing like that in here. Kids are raped too if we want to be realistic. Should we depict that too to make it even more immersive?

let's start with the fact that there are NO depictions of rape in game just characters talking about tragic events... and if you want to bring in male rape and child molestation in an attempt at making it more real then we may already have it in its real form... the sad fact is that most men will never tell anyone if they are sexually assaulted because male victims are treated totally different than females... children often don't open up about it til adulthood unless coaxed to explain certain behavior...

[ThunderGodThor]

let's start with the fact that there are NO depictions of rape in game just characters talking about tragic events... and if you want to bring in male rape and child molestation in an attempt at making it more real then we may already have it in its real form... the sad fact is that most men will never tell anyone if they are sexually assaulted because male victims are treated totally different than females... children often don't open up about it til adulthood unless coaxed to explain certain behavior...

There simply isn't a support system for male victims, they're usually mocked or told they should enjoy it if the abuser was a woman. Sadly, with children, grooming is why they tend not to speak up about it.

[Okamimaru]

There simply isn't a support system for male victims, they're usually mocked or told they should enjoy it if the abuser was a woman. Sadly, with children, grooming is why they tend not to speak up about it.

Exactly... and seeing as how there isn't even a support system for female victims in the ff14 world you could expect nothing for men... the focus when it comes to children in this war is the loss of family... any other trauma would be addressed after finding a home for them..

[Pinkie_Pie]

He didn't even say his mother was raped, he said the soldier went for her, maybe they got together and broke up? maybe they had a fling but in doing so had a child she didnt want with a man of his blood, who knows, the thoughts were put upon the reader to guess without implying which it was. For the OP, it was rape, for me it was love gone wrong. I should we address what happened in Vietnam?