Your character as background decoration <Spoilers>

[Lemuria]

So you think your character could win against a swarm of brass blade and crystal braves because.....? Also do you even know the implications for you to take action?

Because... it's canon? We're supposed to have gone into a Garlean base, defeating Gaius and Ultima Weapon alongside both his lieutenants. We've destroyed countless magiteks and broken the backs of primals. Even the 'company of heroes' struggled against merely fighting Titan, yet we've beaten all of them so far. We've even crossed swords with an Ascian, who by all story intents are basically immortal and incredibly powerful. A few goons with pointy sticks aren't exactly high on the threat-o-meter at this point.

Besides, having fought alongside them at numerous intervals we can honestly say they drop faster than a row of dominoes during a hurricane. Let's also not ignore the fact we'd be potentially fighting alongside every one of the scions. That's a force more powerful than the Brass Blades combined. They have more cause to fear us than we do of them. If anything, they should be the ones running from us.

[Aeyis]

So you think your character could win against a swarm of brass blade and crystal braves because.....? Also do you even know the implications for you to take action?

Do you? I dont know why this stupid argument keeps getting used. If you had fought back from the start then a lot less people would have died. And you wouldnt have Ul'dah being seized and a potential enemy state.

''But the consequences!'' Is an oft used excuse by those afraid to act. Every single action has consequences. And doing nothing is also an action. With consequences, as we've seen in the cutscenes.

[TheRogueX]

So you think your character could win against a swarm of brass blade and crystal braves because.....? Also do you even know the implications for you to take action?

Yes, especially given the fact that all of the scions (well, not poor Thancred) and all three of the Grand Company leaders were in the room with me..?

And yes, I know full-well the 'implications' of me taking action. I don't think you do.. you just have this idea of what might happen.

Besides, my first action would have been to cast freaking ESUNA on

Nanamo.

Ok listen. I've been a professional game developer for a decade, and there were many rational justifications in the storytelling for this. I personally thought it was very well done.

There were "many rational justifications" to completely removing all player agency in these scenes, instead of writing them in ways that could have had the exact same effect but without leaving us feeling frustrated and useless? Please, do enlighten us.

[Gilraen]

The end had a very stereotypical Japanese writing feel to it, the hero being pushed along by the subordinates to keep their hands from being sullied with the blood of innocents. It's a very NOT American way of thinking. In this instance your character fulfills the role of 'Lord' where the others are samurai. It's their duty to sacrifice their lives for you. You see it in anime/manga all the time. If it was ME I'd have said, "Screw it." and as soon as I was able I'd have filled the area with arrows, but being a loyal Gridanian I would have had nothing to lose and everything to gain. But that is a very American way of thinking and it does much to remember who made this game in the first place. It's not bad writing, I enjoyed it alot, it's just not American writing.

[Donarudo]

The end had a very stereotypical Japanese writing feel to it, the hero being pushed along by the subordinates to keep their hands from being sullied with the blood of innocents. It's a very NOT American way of thinking. In this instance your character fulfills the role of 'Lord' where the others are samurai. It's their duty to sacrifice their lives for you. You see it in anime/manga all the time. If it was ME I'd have said, "Screw it." and as soon as I was able I'd have filled the area with arrows, but being a loyal Gridanian I would have had nothing to lose and everything to gain. But that is a very American way of thinking and it does much to remember who made this game in the first place. It's not bad writing, I enjoyed it alot, it's just not American writing.

This was my thought as well.

[Kedrah]

There would be too much to risk in fighting back.

The Blessing of Light is removed so at the moment your character is no stronger than a good adventurer. That was always your saving grace before, that you were special because you were guarded by the Blessing of Light. It's gone now. You're not "invincible" anymore, nor are you especially powerful anymore.

And since no weapons and violence are allowed in the Chamber of Rule, you had nothing to fight with in the first place. Fighting back would also be, in the enemies' eyes, the "proof" they need that you are indeed guilty. "Look how bloodthirsty the Warrior of Light is, I told you they did it!" It's the last thing your friends want, for you to "prove" that you're guilty.

As important as your character is meant to be, there's just too much at risk in them trying to retaliate.

[kehn]

There would be too much to risk in fighting back.

<sigh> the scions, the group everyone knows you're part of, is fighting. they are not guilty are they? did they worry about looking guilty? did the guards leave you alone after you surrendered and let your friends die? wtf are you talking about? the blessing of light is bs, that shit doesn't matter and is never mentioned in coil the hardest content in the game that also has a storyline. the no weapon thing is just plain stupid, you have it by the end of the cut scene and nothing is said about it in it. I for one main mnk. and if the power of my character is solely on the weapon i use that only servers as further insult from the dev team.

[Kedrah]

<sigh> the scions, the group everyone knows you're part of, is fighting. they are not guilty are they? did they worry about looking guilty? did the guards leave you alone after you surrendered and let your friends die? wtf are you talking about? the blessing of light is bs, that shit doesn't matter and is never mentioned in coil the hardest content in the game that also has a storyline. the no weapon thing is just plain stupid, you have it by the end of the cut scene and nothing is said about it in it. I for one main mnk. and if the power of my character is solely on the weapon i use that only servers as further insult from the dev team.

The Scions have less to risk. You're the Warrior of Light, you have more of an importance than them. So, no, they're not worried about seeming guilty (especially since they intended to sacrifice their lives), but they are probably worried about you seeming guilty. You are essentially a representative of the people of Eorzea, and they are not.

It has been said time and time again that the Blessing of Light was where most of your "specialness" came from. Right now you're just really not that powerful.

People are just mad about their character not being a perfect 100% badass that can escape any situation with no consequences. :\ Sometimes bad things have to happen and there's little to nothing to be done about it.

[Mistoltin]

People are just mad about their character not being a perfect 100% badass that can escape any situation with no consequences. :\ Sometimes bad things have to happen and there's little to nothing to be done about it.

Or people are unhappy that their characters cannot even attempt to attest the situation and attempt to fight back? That could have been a conversation option which then followed with you maybe trying to fight but being forced to run by the Scions, then they could drop a line that of any of them, you are the one who MUST survive.

The fact that such a thing is happening in an MMO is a disgrace. If they didn't want to make a game that adapted to people's characters of differing persuasions and personalities, then they shouldn't have bothered making a fucking MMO, where the backbone is the fact that these are OUR CHARACTERS participating in these events. That's what people are mostly upset about, the fact that even though despite everything our efforts wouldn't matter, we don't even get a chance to attempt anything.

[Kedrah]

Or people are unhappy that their characters cannot even attempt to attest the situation and attempt to fight back? That could have been a conversation option which then followed with you maybe trying to fight but being forced to run by the Scions, then they could drop a line that of any of them, you are the one who MUST survive.

The fact that such a thing is happening in an MMO is a disgrace. If they didn't want to make a game that adapted to people's characters of differing persuasions and personalities, then they shouldn't have bothered making a fucking MMO, where the backbone is the fact that these are OUR CHARACTERS participating in these events. That's what people are mostly upset about, the fact that even though despite everything our efforts wouldn't matter, we don't even get a chance to attempt anything.

Having a choice like that would surely have been interesting, but I'm perfectly fine with the way things played out (and so are a lot of other people). They were trying to portray that sometimes your character is going to be completely helpless. Could they have done that in a better way? Certainly, but this maximizes the drama and danger of the situation.