Tales from the Dawn #4: "A Question of Death" (Jullus)

[Theodric]

The Garlean Empire was designed by the makers of the game to be bad guys.

Insofar as their stance regarding the game's antagonists is concerned, they've had the likes of this to say on the subject:

"The current state of global affairs is incredibly complex and simple two-dimensional theories of good/bad from ancient times can no longer quantify this world we live in. As such, a large factor [that contributed to the selection of these themes] is that I thought I could cultivate new values and a new sense of realisation within myself by changing perspective and carefully considering the other party’s arguments in regard to a given event. Half of the time these things are born from one’s intuition and flashes of inspiration. I guessed as much but it really is hard to explain."

Source: https://www.impulsegamer.com/naoki-y...vs-lore-story/

Furthermore, this is a game that serves a global audience. Many players are from many different cultures, backgrounds, belief systems and have varied life experiences. With that in mind, different elements of the setting are going to resonate more with some players over others. The development team are well aware of that and I don't doubt that if push came to shove, they'd encourage players to come to their own conclusions on issues as complex as some of the events that take place in this game's story.