A game for 4 year olds

[Kozh]

The idea that anyone is actually better off as colonial subjects has some pretty troubling real life implications

You mean real life implications that sometimes, the colonized nations were worse than the colonizer? Because that happened. And frankly, rather than plain "oh all the provinces rebelling", I prefer if there are some provinces who want to stay under the empire for all those reasons you listed. They don't have to be unambiguously good even, let them have conditions (for example regarding the second class citizens thing).

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Eorzean's crime is definitely the same as garlean's crime. Their number is lower than garlemalds? Perhaps. But killing 100 people or 1000 people, the sin is still the same.

Your example Eorzea's second chance only happened because of WoL, and even then it was very recent. In arr we still have limsa in war with the sahagin because they broke the treaty.

If you don't remember, their crimes don't/didn't stop there either. Gridania still haven't addressed their racism against duskwight (and moon at iirc?), their wood wailers are r*ping poachers. Limsa used to be a pirate nation that attacks everyone. Ul'dah still corrupt as hell, and let's not forget the whole sildih business too. Not to mention when they ask us to stop the giants from seeking revenge after being slaves and buried alive. Then there's ishgard who was on war with the dragons for a thousand year. They make peace with dragons? Cool. Doesn't change the fact that they still kill loads of dragons and they're the one who started it in the first place. Ala mhigo had their famous autumn war.

What I want to say is, they're not perfect right? The same as garlemald as of now. But if the game can gave them second chance, why not doing the same for garlean empire?

"In what world would it then make sense for the Garleans after everything they’ve done to suddenly make everything OK and keep their empire just because they have a new leader?"
Because they don't need permission from anybody to rebuild their empire? As alphinaud said, the alliance won't force them to abandon their way of life.

I'm not asking for everything to be perfect. Heck even asking garlemald to be empire again can be good for potential conflict in ilsabard. People won't trust them easily? that's okay too. I just want them to have their dignity, rebuild their empire, and not to have all that happened off-screen.

Hypothetical question; if in the future the game actually gave us garlemald expansion where they're to rebuild their empire and for some provinces agree to still be under them (let's say for example, because of their technological advantage and economic reason), in a well written and logical story, will you still against it?