Rewritten MSQ - Garlemald and EW

[Theodric]

I've commented on this issue before:

At the end of the day, it's just a video game. One many of us are varying degrees of passionate about, certainly, though I personally don't care for rivalries to form over something that is entirely fictional. As such, my stance has ever been to agree to disagree where common ground cannot be found. I don't care for endless arguments over morality and I'd like to think I've made it perfectly clear that if anyone has a problem with me, then they're very welcome to come and talk it out in a civil manner.

I like working out and discussing the 'how' and 'why' things happen in the way that they do in any given story or historical event, though my personal preferences drift towards characters and factions that have lofty stakes over those that have everything work out to their benefit most of the time.

One thing I noticed, however, was that some pretty spiteful and nasty accusations were aimed at anyone who ever dared to speak up in favour of the antagonists. This included death threats, homophobic comments and other unpleasant elements. Given that the offending posts were deleted, however, then such will have to be taken with a pinch of salt - though I'd like to think those who are being genuine and who have been around for a while will be aware of what I'm speaking of. Especially since some of the offending comments leaked into Reddit, Twitter and certain Discord servers.
The most fascinating thing I observed was that certain posters would repeatedly launch thinly veiled attacks and sometimes direct personal attacks at fans of the antagonists, implying all manner of horrible things about their person and real world morality. When finally those being assaulted had enough, even a minor quip in response would be treated as some deeply horrific crime and personal attack.

I will say that things have improved somewhat since then. Right around the same time that the game itself revealed that, yes, actually there was more to the Ascians and Garleans all along.

Ultimately any given individual is going to have their personal preferences and interests. I've never suggested that anyone has to like specific characters or factions. I only ask that the same courtesy is extended to others in turn.

In closing, I'd also note that the game attracts players from many different countries, cultures, backgrounds and belief systems. We all have different life experiences, so that is going to influence what we like and we don't like.

I bolded the most relevant portion since that's often the most applicable and it extends to many other issues such as criticism of the story being seen as worthy of personal attacks.

Furthermore, the concept of 'whataboutism' is almost always simply used to deflect from the fact that someone is going around deliberately provoking posters only to proclaim that any pushback in response is the worst thing ever and that any mention of the act leading to the response is somehow suddenly irrelevant even if it took place in the same thread.

[CrownySuccubus]

Furthermore, the concept of 'whataboutism' is almost always simply used to deflect from the fact that someone is going around deliberately provoking posters only to proclaim that any pushback in response is the worst thing ever and that any mention of the act leading to the response is somehow suddenly irrelevant even if it took place in the same thread.

No. "Whataboutism" is a deliberate attempt to compare an apple to a banana to claim that one viewpoint has equal validity to another. As someone else pointed out in a different thread, it's a superficial deontological argument that tries to claim that "if you claim X is a bad thing, then that means it must be bad ALL the time, no matter what". Such as claiming that if killing is wrong, then it's equally wrong for someone to kill an axe-wielding serial killer in self-defense. That is a "whataboutism".

[SentioftheHoukai]

I've commented on this issue before:



I bolded the most relevant portion since that's often the most applicable and it extends to many other issues such as criticism of the story being seen as worthy of personal attacks.

Furthermore, the concept of 'whataboutism' is almost always simply used to deflect from the fact that someone is going around deliberately provoking posters only to proclaim that any pushback in response is the worst thing ever and that any mention of the act leading to the response is somehow suddenly irrelevant even if it took place in the same thread.

Theodric has the right of it here. SO. MANY. TIMES. have those who love Endwalker and Hydaelyn, and hate Emet-Selch and the Ascians Three, anything Ancient, Zodiark etc. not nearly as subtly as they like to think implied that we who like Garlemald or the Ascians for any reason at all are actually supporters of fascism and genocide in real life and I'm so sick of it. It's sickeningly ironic, seeing as how I possess many qualities irl, up to and including my sexuality and gender identity that the real Nazis would stone me to death for if they were granted the power to do so.

Frankly, I can't take anymore of this 'you guys are oh so terrible and we are such innocent widdle angels' shit over someone else's dislike of your favorite video game character. What is so evil about our differing opinions that the Ever Faithful Hounds of Hydaelyn have to dogpile us and rip our flesh to pieces every time we have the gall to post a provisional 'MSQ revision' and hide it under the guise of 'lore correction' or other such tripe?