Why So Much Rape in Stormblood

[Vexander]

Theodric isn't wrong to say that we, the Protagonists, the Warrior of Light, were an aggressive, invading force. While we can see ourselves as, 'Liberating,' these regions and ending the brutal tyranny the people within have been suffering since the occupations began (and made no mistake, those conscripts are as guilty of rape, theft, and violence as any Garlean is), the reality is that by that time an entire generation had been born into this, 'Occupation,' and had an entirely new way of life that we disrupted. Ultimately we invaded and conquered areas of the Garlean Empire. Even the Alliance acknowledges that in the beginning of the expansion and attempts to excuse their actions by only liberating Ala Mhigo with the support of the locals. Without local support, the Alliance would've been an invading force, and it knows it. It still was, arguably.

There isn't an excuse for Doma sadly. The people there did NOT want to be liberated. There was barely a resistance there, unlike Ala Mhigo which had multiple resistances.

[Rymm]

There isn't an excuse for Doma sadly. The people there did NOT want to be liberated. There was barely a resistance there, unlike Ala Mhigo which had multiple resistances.

Only because the bulk of the rebels were slaughtered the last time they rose up against the Empire which happened offscreen sometime around the end of ARR storyline. Yugiri was introduced to the story when she led a bunch of the survivors and their families to Eorzea to escape the Empire's retaliation. Don't you remember Hien flat out saying he wouldn't rebel again unless his people wanted it? There was a part of the MSQ revolving around that.

Are you saying it's somehow alright for the Empire to seize control of a formerly independent territory as long as they kill everyone inside it who would even consider opposing them?

[Vexander]

Are you saying it's somehow alright for the Empire to seize control of a formerly independent territory as long as they kill everyone inside it who would even consider opposing them?

I'm saying there is a point where a conquered territory becomes part of the nation which conquered it. When there is no will in the people left to resist, and they instead focus on acclimating to their new government, that would pretty much be the point I'm talking about. Doma hit that point. The refugees who came to Eorzea were among the last of those who resisted Garlemalde to restore Doma, and they didn't come to Eorzea to free it. They came to Eorzea as refugees looking for a new life.

So, we entered Garlean territory and incited a rebellion amongst the local populace, bringing a wanted fugitive of the Empire into the conflict (Hien), as well as foreign forces to support the conquest (the Au Ra Tribes).

If you look at it impartially and without bias, we were an aggressive force this Expansion, certainly for Doma which the Eorzean Alliance didn't even formally support due to their efforts in Liberating Ala Mhigo, as well as logistic issues in sending enough manpower and resources so far, in a safe and timely manner.

[SendohJin]

had an entirely new way of life that we disrupted

Conrad's forces is part of their way of life, we didn't create them by crossing the wall.

and you're completely wrong on Doma like Rymm said.

[SendohJin]

I'm saying there is a point where a conquered territory becomes part of the nation which conquered it. When there is no will in the people left to resist, and they instead focus on acclimating to their new government, that would pretty much be the point I'm talking about. Doma hit that point.

Yugiri and Gosetsu didn't hit that point. And The Confederacy just got pushed into it by Yotsuyu's new policies, who was the aggressor there?

[Vexander]

Conrad's forces is part of their way of life, we didn't create them by crossing the wall.

As I said, Ala Mhigo is a bit more gray. There were lots of resistance groups trying to resist the empire and free Ala Mhigo. However, even the Eorzean Alliance realized that they would basically be invading Garlemalde UNLESS they had the support of the native Ala Mhigans within the territory.

Yugiri and Gosetsu didn't hit that point. And The Confederacy just got pushed into it by Yotsuyu's new policies, who was the aggressor there?

Well, Yugiri wasn't originally Doman and even when Gosetsu came to get her to return to Doma, she was reluctant to abandon her duty to the people in Aldenard. As for Gosetsu, judging by the reactions of the people of Namai, he hadn't actually been in Doma very much since the prior rebellion was crushed.

By all accounts, we invaded Doma and incited the local forces, arguably against their will. We had to constantly twist the arm of the Confederates to get them to join the conflict. The Au Ra of the Azim Steppe didn't want anything to do with it. In the end we ultimately succeeded, and did a lot of good in the process, but objectively speaking, we invaded the Empire and incited a rebellion within their borders.

[Welsper59]

I'm saying there is a point where a conquered territory becomes part of the nation which conquered it. When there is no will in the people left to resist, and they instead focus on acclimating to their new government, that would pretty much be the point I'm talking about. Doma hit that point. The refugees who came to Eorzea were among the last of those who resisted Garlemalde to restore Doma, and they didn't come to Eorzea to free it. They came to Eorzea as refugees looking for a new life.

So, we entered Garlean territory and incited a rebellion amongst the local populace, bringing a wanted fugitive of the Empire into the conflict (Hien), as well as foreign forces to support the conquest (the Au Ra Tribes).

If you look at it impartially and without bias, we were an aggressive force this Expansion, certainly for Doma which the Eorzean Alliance didn't even formally support due to their efforts in Liberating Ala Mhigo, as well as logistic issues in sending enough manpower and resources so far, in a safe and timely manner.

I think you're looking at the situation too passively. You're ignoring the fact that the Garleans are active conquerors, in that they have been trying to take over everywhere (and clearly, being under their rule isn't pleasant). You and the alliance stand in defiance to their invasion and continuous rise in power. The overall goal is to stop them, and given the development of the MSQ, of course we're an invading force. I think that much was set in stone. It has to happen to achieve that goal... or do you think negotiations work to such massive degrees in this fictional world?

In the end, you're not wrong, but the way you paint the picture is extremely biased, despite you claiming otherwise. Just as how laws work in the real world, there is always a factor based on intent. It's supposed peace and freedom vs dictatorship and slavery. Both sides will see the other as an invading force... so what then? Garlemald will not stop their attempts to kill you and take over your lands. The MSQ oozes the concept of fighting for survival and ultimately peace when it comes to taking the fight to them (i.e. invasion).

[Vexander]

I think you're looking at the situation too passively. You're ignoring the fact that the Garleans are active conquerors, in that they have been trying to take over everywhere (and clearly, being under their rule isn't pleasant). You and the alliance stand in defiance to their invasion and continuous rise in power. The overall goal is to stop them, and given the development of the MSQ, of course we're an invading force. I think that much was set in stone. It has to happen to achieve that goal... or do you think negotiations work to such massive degrees in this fictional world?

In the end, you're not wrong, but the way you paint the picture is extremely biased, despite you claiming otherwise. Just as how laws work in the real world, there is always a factor based on intent. It's supposed peace and freedom vs dictatorship and slavery. Both sides will see the other as an invading force... so what then? Garlemald will not stop their attempts to kill you and take over your lands. The MSQ oozes the concept of fighting for survival and ultimately peace when it comes to taking the fight to them (i.e. invasion).

I'm not ignoring the fact that the Garleans are active Conquerors at all. However, the active goal in the MSQ is not stopping the Garleans. The very purpose of the Eorzean Alliance is as a defensive coalition of nations that protect themselves and one another from being invaded and conquered. The Alliance itself explicitly states it will not engage in Conquest. With that, it is impossible for the Alliance to ever truly dismantle Garlemald. The most it can do is to liberate conquered territories when approached by the resisting locals for support. Theoretically, we could continuously dismantle the Empire, one territory at a time, until all that is left is the original land the Garlean Republic was built upon. At that point, what do we do? No doubt Square will give us sympathetic Garleans besides just Cid, whom we will then support to, 'Reclaim,' the Republic or such, even that, however, will be breaching an entirely different beast, because the Garleans willingly became an Empire. At that point we're supporting a rebellion rather than a resistance.

At the end of the day is that what we do is right from a moral and ethical perspective. Our methods may not be perfect all the time (coercing the Confederates and dragging the Azim Steppes into a war), but we do more good than ill. My point is that Invasion was the proper course of action, but it is still an invasion. People will shun from the word because of negative connotations associated with it, but that doesn't change the fact it is what it is.

[SendohJin]

By all accounts, we invaded Doma and incited the local forces, arguably against their will. We had to constantly twist the arm of the Confederates to get them to join the conflict.

Who is "we"? The Eorzean Alliance did not invade Doma. it's 4 people that engaged in espionage (the WoL, Lyse and the twins), only one of which has part time status in the Grand Companies.

the forces that led to the fall of Doma
- Hien's Au Ra mercenaries
- the Blue Kojin
- the Confederacy
- the native Domans

you can say we were like the CIA and incited a 2nd rebellion that otherwise never would have occurred but there was no invasion. you can't invade a country with 4 people, that's called infiltration.

and not a single one of the 4 people stayed to remain as leaders of an occupying force. the only invaders here were the Garleans.

Well, Yugiri wasn't originally Doman

I'm saying there is a point where a conquered territory becomes part of the nation which conquered it.

Shouldn't there be a point where someone is originally from doesn't matter as much as where they actually spill their blood for?

[BillyKaplan]

At that point we're supporting a rebellion rather than a resistance.

Of a nation all the sympathetic characters belonging to are opposing. Lucia defected. Cid defected. If you played through the new raid's quest you'll see two things: 1. there are voices within the Empire calling for a different direction, 2. those voices are being oppressed and silenced by the current ruler.
When you take such things into consideration, coupled with the fact that most likely, yes, we will be given factions within the Empire to take over once we're done breaking it, does it really matter what you call it, compared to the end result? The Empire is evil, portrayed as nothing but, not only to the people it occupies, but also its own citizenry. Why not start a rebellion?