FFXIV Politics Thread(3.0 Spoilers)

[111]

can we talk about how gridanians are jerks worshiping creatures that don't give a fuck about them now?

 

Yes.

 

Stockholm syndrome.

[Kellach Woods]

It does explain the odd behavior of thanking the elementals for things they had zero hand in.

 

Also, why gridanians claim to mete out justice anywhere that isn't the shroud even if they have no real legal power outside of it.

[Kaniko Niko]

Also, why gridanians claim to mete out justice anywhere that isn't the shroud even if they have no real legal power outside of it.

 

The post-50 Black Mage quests has a high ranking conjurer from Stillglade Fane itself, right in Gridania butting into your affairs. And the FIRST THING he does is try and arrest you. For being a Black Mage.

 

For the record: THIS IS HOW THE FIFTH ASTRAL AND SIXTH UMBRAL ERAS ENDED. CONSECUTIVELY.

 

Not even joking. White and Black Magic both got into such a tizzy that it caused the Fifth Astral Era to end so hard it basically skipped the Sixth Umbral.

[Dravus]

It's a shame that complex morality is lost on a lot of people who insist on treating elements of the story as black or white. Most - if not all - of the nations that we've seen in-game have their perks and drawbacks. Very few are without redeeming qualities.

 

This does, in fact, mirror the real world in many ways throughout our own history. For all the bad things associated with the Roman Empire there was, in fact, a lot of great stuff to come out of it - and if it didn't exist our culture would be exceptionally different in the present day.

[111]

It's a shame that complex morality is lost on a lot of people who insist on treating elements of the story as black or white. Most - if not all - of the nations that we've seen in-game have their perks and drawbacks. Very few are without redeeming qualities.

 

This does, in fact, mirror the real world in many ways throughout our own history. For all the bad things associated with the Roman Empire there was, in fact, a lot of great stuff to come out of it - and if it didn't exist our culture would be exceptionally different in the present day.

 

For example, we'd be lacking a lot of good TV shoes and movies.

[Dravus]

It's a shame that complex morality is lost on a lot of people who insist on treating elements of the story as black or white. Most - if not all - of the nations that we've seen in-game have their perks and drawbacks. Very few are without redeeming qualities.

 

This does, in fact, mirror the real world in many ways throughout our own history. For all the bad things associated with the Roman Empire there was, in fact, a lot of great stuff to come out of it - and if it didn't exist our culture would be exceptionally different in the present day.

 

For example, we'd be lacking a lot of good TV shoes and movies.

 

Yeah. On a side note the popularity of the likes of The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones prove there's quite a lot of interest in intrigue and grey morality. The latter in particular seems to have influenced FFXIV quite a bit in some ways - and it's fairly similar to FFXII and FF Tactics in that there's a lot of political intrigue.

 

The story may not be perfect but overall I enjoy it immensely - and compared to what certain other MMO's are offering at the moment I'm very happy with what FFXIV has on offer.

[Verad]

It's a shame that complex morality is lost on a lot of people who insist on treating elements of the story as black or white. Most - if not all - of the nations that we've seen in-game have their perks and drawbacks. Very few are without redeeming qualities.

 

This does, in fact, mirror the real world in many ways throughout our own history. For all the bad things associated with the Roman Empire there was, in fact, a lot of great stuff to come out of it - and if it didn't exist our culture would be exceptionally different in the present day.

 

I don't see why you have to keep dirtying up a perfectly good black and white morality tale with unnecessary ambiguities.

[111]

It's a shame that complex morality is lost on a lot of people who insist on treating elements of the story as black or white. Most - if not all - of the nations that we've seen in-game have their perks and drawbacks. Very few are without redeeming qualities.

 

This does, in fact, mirror the real world in many ways throughout our own history. For all the bad things associated with the Roman Empire there was, in fact, a lot of great stuff to come out of it - and if it didn't exist our culture would be exceptionally different in the present day.

 

I don't see why you have to keep dirtying up a perfectly good black and white morality tale with unnecessary ambiguities.

 

If I wanted a good tale of blacks and whites, I'd watch an interracial porno.

 

Greys are so much more fun.

[Verad]

 

If I wanted a good tale of blacks and whites, I'd watch an interracial porno.

 

Greys are so much more fun.

 

They tend to be disturbingly identical to the point of boredom. This is true of both the morality and the alien.

[111]

 

If I wanted a good tale of blacks and whites, I'd watch an interracial porno.

 

Greys are so much more fun.

 

They tend to be disturbingly identical to the point of boredom. This is true of both the morality and the alien.

 

I'm curious why you think that? I mean morally grey as in the game itself does not make a statement on the morality of certain actions. I much rather prefer that than one with a morality that is handed down from the devs.

 

For example, I think the central question posed at the end of 3.0 is a very interesting one.

"Is the Hero of Light becoming a greater destabilizing force than the Primals and enemies they slay?"

 

"Are you in fact playing the villain?"

 

I think that's far more enjoyable than "Woo we saved Ishgard." Though of course, it's a matter of opinion.

[Dravus]

It's a shame that complex morality is lost on a lot of people who insist on treating elements of the story as black or white. Most - if not all - of the nations that we've seen in-game have their perks and drawbacks. Very few are without redeeming qualities.

 

This does, in fact, mirror the real world in many ways throughout our own history. For all the bad things associated with the Roman Empire there was, in fact, a lot of great stuff to come out of it - and if it didn't exist our culture would be exceptionally different in the present day.

 

I don't see why you have to keep dirtying up a perfectly good black and white morality tale with unnecessary ambiguities.

 

Each to their own. FFXIV doesn't lack characters that are 100% good or 100% evil - though they are, ironically, the characters that I find less engaging then those with realistic flaws, misguided intentions and tragic backgrounds.

 

I wouldn't consider them to be clones of each other, either. Estinien is very different to Ysayle who is in turn very different from Ilberd.

 

If it's not to your personal tastes, fair enough - but that doesn't mean it's 'bad'. You are, in fact, potentially not the target audience. Just as I am no longer Blizzard's target audience after losing faith in the direction they decided to take WoW in.

[LiadansWhisper]

It's a shame that complex morality is lost on a lot of people who insist on treating elements of the story as black or white. Most - if not all - of the nations that we've seen in-game have their perks and drawbacks. Very few are without redeeming qualities.

 

This does, in fact, mirror the real world in many ways throughout our own history. For all the bad things associated with the Roman Empire there was, in fact, a lot of great stuff to come out of it - and if it didn't exist our culture would be exceptionally different in the present day.

 

I don't see why you have to keep dirtying up a perfectly good black and white morality tale with unnecessary ambiguities.

 

Each to their own. FFXIV doesn't lack characters that are 100% good or 100% evil - though they are, ironically, the characters that I find less engaging then those with realistic flaws, misguided intentions and tragic backgrounds.

 

I wouldn't consider them to be clones of each other, either. Estinien is very different to Ysayle who is in turn very different from Ilberd.

 

If it's not to your personal tastes, fair enough - but that doesn't mean it's 'bad'. You are, in fact, potentially not the target audience. Just as I am no longer Blizzard's target audience after losing faith in the direction they decided to take WoW in.

 

I think Verad was joking.  >.>

[Dravus]

It's a shame that complex morality is lost on a lot of people who insist on treating elements of the story as black or white. Most - if not all - of the nations that we've seen in-game have their perks and drawbacks. Very few are without redeeming qualities.

 

This does, in fact, mirror the real world in many ways throughout our own history. For all the bad things associated with the Roman Empire there was, in fact, a lot of great stuff to come out of it - and if it didn't exist our culture would be exceptionally different in the present day.

 

I don't see why you have to keep dirtying up a perfectly good black and white morality tale with unnecessary ambiguities.

 

Each to their own. FFXIV doesn't lack characters that are 100% good or 100% evil - though they are, ironically, the characters that I find less engaging then those with realistic flaws, misguided intentions and tragic backgrounds.

 

I wouldn't consider them to be clones of each other, either. Estinien is very different to Ysayle who is in turn very different from Ilberd.

 

If it's not to your personal tastes, fair enough - but that doesn't mean it's 'bad'. You are, in fact, potentially not the target audience. Just as I am no longer Blizzard's target audience after losing faith in the direction they decided to take WoW in.

 

I think Verad was joking.  >.>

 

Fair enough! Though, it can be pretty hard to tell as much since I'm not privy to the inner workings of every poster.

[Kellach Woods]

There's very little moral ambiguity presented honestly in the game. They could be doing a whole lot more with it, but because they wrote themselves an enemy that's so fucking powerful no city can stand up to him alone, the Eorzean Alliance won't be eating itself alive anytime soon.

And that would certainly put the moral ambiguity to a high note.

[V'aleera]

I wouldn't consider them to be clones of each other, either. Estinien is very different to Ysayle who is in turn very different from Ilberd.

I'm curious as to why you would qualify Ilberd as morally grey. Morally grey typically involves some form of redeeming factor (large or small) and I'm not really sure what his is. He's just a spiteful, angry man lashing out at the people he projects all of his problems onto, with no apparent greater purpose than to hurt people he doesn't like.

[Asmodean]

I wouldn't consider them to be clones of each other, either. Estinien is very different to Ysayle who is in turn very different from Ilberd.

I'm curious as to why you would qualify Ilberd as morally grey. Morally grey typically involves some form of redeeming factor (large or small) and I'm not really sure what his is. He's just a spiteful, angry man lashing out at the people he projects all of his problems onto, with no apparent greater purpose than to hurt people he doesn't like.

 

He falls on the far more darker side of the gray scale in my mind. He wants his homeland free. Who wouldn't? But the world has broken him. He lashs out seeing anything not aiding in freeing his home is in the way and has to be removed.

 

He means well but has become a villain because he see no other way. Like Dr. Doom from marvel. He seems every but the reasons that have made him become who he is makes him a far deeper character then a standard villain.

[Griffith!]

Okay, super off topic, but Doom is pretty much the opposite of a morally grey villain. He's a card-carrying evil big bad. I mean, his motivation is literally showing up Reed Richards and ripping his own mother's soul out of hell - using incredibly evil and misguided means to a very selfish end. You know how many souls he's damned to hell with black magic in the attempt to rescue his mom? Wa~ay more than strictly necessary.

 

But I digress.

 

 

I don't see a lot of ambiguity in the game. Most of the time, it's pretty clear that the moral scale is supposed to fall on "Main character and allies = good and righteous" and "everyone opposed to them = evil". That doesn't mean all of them are likable or unlikable, sympathetic or unsympathetic, or even measurably good or bad. I'm just saying we're a long way from playing protagonist villains no matter what allusions the game makes.

 

But I also haven't really touched the 3.0 content yet, so there's that.

[Kellach Woods]

Other than flights of fancy the 3.0 content doesn't really throw shade on the main character's group.

[V'aleera]

He wants his homeland free. Who wouldn't?

 

He means well but has become a villain because he see no other way. Like Dr. Doom from marvel.

Here's my issue though: sure he wants his homeland free, but he's done literally nothing to work toward that goal. As a matter of fact, by betraying the Crystal Braves he's worked explicitly against a unifying force of Eorzea which is the only thing that will ever get Ala Mhigo back.

 

It's just my opinion that if all it takes to be morally grey is to have feelings the term kind of loses all meaning.

[111]

He wants his homeland free. Who wouldn't?

 

He means well but has become a villain because he see no other way. Like Dr. Doom from marvel.

Here's my issue though: sure he wants his homeland free, but he's done literally nothing to work toward that goal. As a matter of fact, by betraying the Crystal Braves he's worked explicitly against a unifying force of Eorzea which is the only thing that will ever get Ala Mhigo back.

 

It's just my opinion that if all it takes to be morally grey is to have feelings the term kind of loses all meaning.

 

We don't know who Ilberd is actually working for, and what they have promised him. In fact FFXIV does a good job about keeping the player in the dark about many things.

 

On the surface though, yeah, he's shooting himself in the foot. Though logically, even a united Eorzea would stand little chance against the full might of Garlemald.

[Kellach Woods]

 

Ilberd was working for Lolorito, but upon seeing how much of a liability he was, he cut him off - which is why he has zero backup when you confront him in Halatali.

 

Lolorito even says as such when you question the Sultana's former maid.

 

Whether he has another sponsor is unknown at this point in time.

 

[111]

 

Ilberd was working for Lolorito, but upon seeing how much of a liability he was, he cut him off - which is why he has zero backup when you confront him in Halatali.

 

Lolorito even says as such when you question the Sultana's former maid.

 

Whether he has another sponsor is unknown at this point in time.

 

 

Considering the Crystal Blades are still at large, someone else is bankrolling them.

 

Who exactly, is another question.

[V'aleera]

Are they though? It's literally just Ilberd and his cronies now; the majority of the Crystal Braves seem to have scattered to the wind or come back to rejoin the Scions under Alphinaud.

[Kellach Woods]

Could be that Ilberd tried to fuck over Lolorito and kept the profits from the weapons sale.

 

Would explain why he's ballin'.

[Telluride]

Could be that Ilberd tried to fuck over Lolorito and kept the profits from the weapons sale.

 

Would explain why he's ballin'.

 

If you believe Lolorito, Dewlala, and Ilberd, that is. I do not.

 

Frankly, I expect another curveball from all of them.