Why So Much Rape in Stormblood

[Theodric]

We have nothing against Cid or Lucia, when you use the term arbitrarily it starts to become meaningless. have we even killed a single Garlean civilian?

war =/= genocide.

Technically the Warrior of Light has abused his power for the sake of political gain and bias. Most of those slain are conscripts forced to fight in Garlemald's name...and then there's the additional complication of Garlemald rising to power because it's own people were persecuted and forced to live in a wasteland which only served to harden them. Cid and Lucia are also traitors who have defected and sold information that serves to get their former people killed. People who have friends and loved ones themselves. It's a cycle that needs to be broken and the protagonists are perpetuating it with their narrow, selfish viewpoints.

[Tillie]

Im also tired of the victimhood complex of a few others, last i checked those who survive rape are survivors who should stand proud they survived something so horrible, instead of crying as a victim.

YIKES
/10char

[Vexander]

It's a cycle that needs to be broken and the protagonists are perpetuating it with their narrow, selfish viewpoints.

Call me crazy, but isn't ending the cycle something the Warrior of Light is actively doing? Pretty sure we just ended one. Thousand years of war... Dragons... Ishgard...

[Theodric]

Call me crazy, but isn't ending the cycle something the Warrior of Light is actively doing? Pretty sure we just ended one. Thousand years of war... Dragons... Ishgard...

Sort of - though it's in a very biased manner that priortises Eorzea and shows little regard for the nuances involved. In Garlemald's case the protagonists have shown a very troubling habit of relishing in slaughtering Garleans, even knowing many are conscripts or are simply following orders that they cannot refuse...then get outraged when their own allies end up being killed. Then again, the MSQ's like to ignore the existence of honourable Imperial Garleans such as Regula and Baut, instead hiding them away in side quests that many players likely will not see at all.

Hopefully we'll see more inspiration taken from FFXII moving forward. That handled the whole 'Empire' trope incredibly well in terms of nuances and didn't embrace plot armour/plot convenience to make the antagonists seem incompetent either...but that's a subject for another thread.

[BillyKaplan]

In Garlemald's case the protagonists have shown a very troubling habit of relishing in slaughtering Garleans, even knowing many are conscripts or are simply following orders that they cannot refuse...

What are you talking about? We had an actual scene, in the game, where your character shows hesitation because they could be fighting conscripted soldiers who want to have nothing to do with this war. The NPCs have to be talk you into fighting regardless because despite being conscripted they'll take you down if they can. There is no joy or relishing it, it's the cold reality of war. I have no idea where you got the impression anyone's enjoying themselves here.

[Theodric]

What are you talking about? We had an actual scene, in the game, where your character shows hesitation because they could be fighting conscripted soldiers who want to have nothing to do with this war. The NPCs have to be talk you into fighting regardless because despite being conscripted they'll take you down if they can. There is no joy or relishing it, it's the cold reality of war. I have no idea where you got the impression anyone's enjoying themselves here.

I'm talking about the countless other times when that has not happened. People can brush it off as the cold reality of war all they want, though the protagonists are the aggressors as of Stormblood. Seeking to reclaim territory that has not been theirs for twenty five years. Zenos even openly denounced Garlemald towards the end of 4.0 and was clearly not serving the nation's interests but the protagonists continue to act like he was. As for 'enjoyment', the Warrior of Light and many of the protagonists frequently smile and nod enthusiastically when they're about to go slaughter Garleans, conscripts or otherwise.

[SendohJin]

Technically the Warrior of Light has abused his power for the sake of political gain and bias. Most of those slain are conscripts forced to fight in Garlemald's name...

It's a cycle that needs to be broken and the protagonists are perpetuating it with their narrow, selfish viewpoints.

used =/= abused.

the problem is with those doing the conscripting, it'll break as soon as the are removed from power.

though the protagonists are the aggressors as of Stormblood.

so Zenos and Fordola didn't go to Rhalgar's Reach and kill Meffrid? Yotsuyu didn't go to Isari and kill a random villager? Get out of here.

[Theodric]

so Zenos and Fordola didn't go to Rhalgar's Reach and kill Meffrid? Yotsuyu didn't go to Isari and kill a random villager? Get out of here.

You're being deliberately deceptive, given that Baelsar's Wall was breached by the time Zenos and Fordola slew Meffrid. As for Yotsuyu, her actions in Isari were inexcusable, certainly, though the protagonists still slipped into the Far East with the intention of starting a rebellion, thus they are aggressors. Though it's clear by your tone that you're not really interested in a debate - and certainly not one involving the nuances of war. It's also distracting from the core topic itself, so we may as well agree to disagree. Or take it to the lore forum.

[BillyKaplan]

Seeking to reclaim territory that has not been theirs for twenty five years.

you'd have a case with that if the people in the occupied territories were treated properly. But they weren't. They were abused and twisted and used as fodder for the Empire. Also, we never, ever acted on our own. We were brought into Ala Mhigo and its war by Ala Mhigan people. And that's before we remember that Ala Mhigo was occupied territory through which the Empire continued to threaten the rest of Eorzea. In Doma, we were brought in by Gosetsu and Yugiri and the Doman resistance. We helped Hien take back the country, we didn't do it for ourselves. For Ala Mhigo and Doma, like Eorzea, we ever were only weapons, we never decided to wage war for the sake of it.

Zenos even openly denounced Garlemald towards the end of 4.0 and was clearly not serving the nation's interests but the protagonists continue to act like he was.

We were rejecting Zenos as the madman in power hellbent on continuing a war he was fighting for no better reason but the violence in it. He doesn't have to have sided with the Empire to be a threat. Or did you miss the part where he took control of Shinryu and we had to stop him?

As for 'enjoyment', the Warrior of Light and many of the protagonists frequently smile and nod enthusiastically when they're about to go slaughter Garleans, conscripts or otherwise.

No, they are encouraging those who send them off to battle and try to reassure them. In 4.1 alone it's established that everything we go through is pain and suffering and we are asked outright why we continue to do it. We don't enjoy what we do. But what do you want us to say? "Golly, Lyse, I sure will bleed and possibly die for your Ala Mhigo. There will be much bloodshed and destruction. Ok, I'm off. See you later. Maybe." ????????

[SendohJin]

the protagonists didn't instigate breaching Baelsar's Wall.

and you don't get to oppress the populace and complain about other people being the aggressors.