Why cant we play Garlean empire?

[VargasVermillion]

Personally I'd like the idea of the empire becoming a neutral force that we might have a truce with but aren't actually allied with. Could create some interesting scenarios later down the line after the initial war-path is ended.

[Naria]

One thing to point out as far as the elementals and Gridanian go -- it hasn't really been touched on in ARR that I've seen but the elementals are a very real, very deadly, very much in control in the Shroud. In 1.0, people who pissed off the elementals tended to get eaten by the forest, like dissolving into green light while screaming. Or worse, as I haven't seen any examples of 1.0's "wildlings" people taken by the the forest but still alive. The empire did not have much luck in the Shroud even with their tech in 1.0, mostly they were eaten. Gridania only exists because of the treaty between it and the elementals, otherwise a settlement of the size would never be able to exist in an area where the environment itself was quite literally out to kill it. And yes for the Gridanian's the treaty seems to mostly be "do as I say and anticipate my every whim" towards the elementals --their entire government and culture is based on this.

Not to say that Gridania does not make more than its share of morally dubious choices (you could argue that excepting the elmentals terms is one as children are fair game to them if they piss the elementals off) but if they want to have a city in the forest there is no other option than to obey the elementals whims.

[Enkidoh]

Because they're the antagonists? This is a FF game where you usually play as the 'underdog'/repressed country or people, not the aggressors. Besides, the Garlean Empire itself is evil - the game makes great pains to show this (after all, in 1.0 Gaius slaughtered the entire Ala Mhigan resistance single-handedly, shot the player's Path Companion at point blank range (without a second thought) and went to do the same to the player, then willing fought the Archons (and ended the battle with overkill by calling a cannon blast from his airship to take them all out!).

And don't get me started on Nael - how much more evil can you get than dropping a literal moon on a country?

Having said that though, not all it's troops are the same - after all during ARR

you find a hermit in Eastern La Noscea named Drest who turns out was a Garlean pilot who was shot down while on a reconnaissance mission for the Empire by the Maelstrom - presumably he was the pilot of the wrecked Juggernaut rusting nearby - and has been hiding out in the wilderness ever since - he mentions he doesn't even believe in their propaganda and was forcibly drafted into the Garlean army and just wants to return home to his homeland to reunite with his wife and family.

Of course this is in contrast to how many Garlean soldiers are depicted as sneering, arrogant warmongers, but it did make the player think that just because someone is wearing a uniform, they may not follow the dogma that goes with it.

[Niota]

Also, in 1.xx, it is shown that the Garlean Empire actually brainwashed children of lands they concurred. On top of that, it is made mention in several places, that when the Empire takes over a land, they uses these new "citizens" as front line troops, often forcibly.

I also have to argue against appeasing the Elementals as the only way to live in the Black Shroud. The Moon Keeper families of miqo'tes have been living in the forest and been at odds with Gridania for years. The so called "poachers" could just be families living off the resources of the forest, but because they work outside the Elemental's will are branded as law breakers.

[shinros]

Also, in 1.xx, it is shown that the Garlean Empire actually brainwashed children of lands they concurred. On top of that, it is made mention in several places, that when the Empire takes over a land, they uses these new "citizens" as front line troops, often forcibly.

I also have to argue against appeasing the Elementals as the only way to live in the Black Shroud. The Moon Keeper families of miqo'tes have been living in the forest and been at odds with Gridania for years. The so called "poachers" could just be families living off the resources of the forest, but because they work outside the Elemental's will are branded as law breakers.

Yeah there is a sidequest with a "poacher" saying that she was just trying to feed her little brother and you let her go the quest giver was quite upset. Considering they helped you in the main quest I don't think all of them are bad in my opinion.

Plus not healing a dying man because of the "wood" made me angry to an insane degree considering they are fighting for their homeland. Personally I would not want to live in a place like that, I bet the only reason why they are revising these rules about outsiders etc because bahamut owned the elementals and weakened them.

Plus the uldhans standing by while a refugee was going to be sold into sexual slavery the whole of raubhan speech was about stop being greedy bastards and asshats.

[Naria]

I also have to argue against appeasing the Elementals as the only way to live in the Black Shroud. The Moon Keeper families of miqo'tes have been living in the forest and been at odds with Gridania for years.

The Ixal, who have been regected by the elementals also live in the shroud. My opinion is not that being at odds with the elementals does not make living in the shroud impossible, but that living at odds with the elementals would make a city of the size of Gridania impossible, with erozea's current capabilities.

Having said that though, the stories of the forest being an angry aggressor who doesn't tolerate insolence lightly is mostly either Gridanian propaganda or grossly exaggerated - even the Garleans were able to storm Moonspore Grove and slaughter the sylphs with little effort, and, by the time of ARR, erect a stronghold right on Gridania's doorstep.

Again I might be missing something but I've never really gotten the impression that the elementals care about the sentients living in the forest, as they care more about them not messing with the forest. So I don't really see the elementals ever expending much of an effort defending any group living in the Shroud (bedsides the occasional warning, perhaps from individual elementals) so much as the Shroud itself. If I recall correctly there was a quest in 1.0's GC where the elementals did actually attack some of the Garleans (the one where you had to fight the Magitek). I'd say that the Garleans have learned from their experiences in 1.0. I wonder how many resources it takes to keep the casturm in the Shroud functional, though.

[SPOILER] As for the elementals being the trees themselves I'm going to have to disagree with you. Rather I think that particular elemental lives in that tree. In the 1.0 WHM/CNJ/Gridania quest lines the elementals are shown to be sort of environmental sprites that can live in natural objects, although I suppose that could have been retconned [/SPOILER]

Although I suppose we're getting off topic. Just because the Garleans are capable of logic, and that the city states aren't perfect doesn't necessarily mean that they are the "good guys". The information we get in the storyline is fairly limited right now, but I suppose only time will tell.

[Enkidoh]

Gridania is an odd case, as although the elementals are definitely ruthless, dangerous and unpredictable, you also have to remember they preceded any of the five races appearing in Eorzea. They regarded the Black Shroud as theirs because the forest always been theirs and theirs alone - everyone else are just interlopers.

Having said that though, the stories of the forest being an angry aggressor who doesn't tolerate insolence lightly is mostly either Gridanian propaganda or grossly exaggerated - even the Garleans were able to storm Moonspore Grove and slaughter the sylphs with little effort, and, by the time of ARR, erect a stronghold right on Gridania's doorstep. Either way, although it might not be an easy thing to accept, there definitely is reason to the madness of having a nation's every move and decision dictated by the unpredictable whims of an immortal race of aetheric fairies.

[Renvalt]

Pure-blooded Garleans all have third-eyes. It's that little white "zit" looking thing on their foreheads. Cid and Nero are the only people who have theirs shown, and the helms of some of the Garlean Soldiers have little fixtures that could allow for a third-eye kind of vision on them.

In the case of Cid, he keeps his third eye concealed under his goggles - you only learn about it once he takes them off. Not to mention, Cid even states it's a not-very-well-known fact about Garleans.

Which of course, makes Rhitatyn the only non-Garlean member of the Tribunes (he's a Galka).

[Niota]

I don't want to spoil White Mage quest line here so read at your own risk.
[Sorry if the hidden text isn't hidden. Never used that code before. =^_^=]

In the WHM quest line in ARR, it is revealed that the Elementals are the trees themselves. When they feel threatened, they summon creatures to defend themselves. It is the job of a Pajal to slay these creatures and soothe the tree. Otherwise the trees just call forth more and more creatures that actually start attacking the tree itself.

[Spoiler End]

So it is kind of easy to see how the Garleans could force their way into the Shroud and also how people could live without catering to their every whim. Centuries of tradition is hard to break though.

[shinros]

I don't want to spoil White Mage quest line here so read at your own risk.
[Sorry if the hidden text isn't hidden. Never used that code before. =^_^=]

In the WHM quest line in ARR, it is revealed that the Elementals are the trees themselves. When they feel threatened, they summon creatures to defend themselves. It is the job of a Pajal to slay these creatures and soothe the tree. Otherwise the trees just call forth more and more creatures that actually start attacking the tree itself.

[Spoiler End]

So it is kind of easy to see how the Garleans could force their way into the Shroud and also how people could live without catering to their every whim. Centuries of tradition is hard to break though.

*Reads spoiler* Bloody hell I simply don't like the country even more now.