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Mr. Nice! posted:Yojimbo appeared in final fantasies prior to FFX, but he was just a normal enemy. The FFV and FFVI versions don’t look quite as flashy as the summon in FFX, though. They’re just generic samurai type enemies.
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Mar 2, 2024 21:32
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GilliamYaeger posted:Yojimbo roughly translates to "bodyguard" in Japanese. So the difference between those generic mooks and Yojimbo the summon would be the difference between regular bodyguards and a guy called "The Bodyguard." Thanks for the information!
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Mar 2, 2024 21:47
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I love the Manderville Mambo so much. The moonwalk, the jazz hands, the poses, it's the best way to show everyone else waiting on a sprout cutscene to finish that you're the most cultured player in the room.
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Mar 2, 2024 22:08
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The Manderville Mambo is up there with the Yol Dance and Dote for some of my favorite emotes in the game, it's a shame I have a potato computer so I'm usually last to load in and don't get to use it often.
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Mar 2, 2024 22:13
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GilliamYaeger posted:Yojimbo roughly translates to "bodyguard" in Japanese. So the difference between those generic mooks and Yojimbo the summon would be the difference between regular bodyguards and a guy called "The Bodyguard." Coming this summer to Theaters!
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Mar 3, 2024 00:16
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I'm looking forward to hearing Sanguinia's opinion on Stormblood as a whole once everything is said and done, given how maligned the expansion is by many in the community.
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Mar 3, 2024 23:38
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I swear I'm not crazy it's just my fave pet theory, aeon ghosts be damned
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Mar 3, 2024 23:49
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the reason there's no gilgamesh in 10 is that 10 and 7 are in the same universe on different planets, and the latter is the one that gilgamesh landed on in his way through
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Mar 4, 2024 00:19
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when was Gilgamesh in 7
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Mar 4, 2024 00:21
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YggiDee posted:when was Gilgamesh in 7 Hiding in a cursed Fort Condor game board, apparently.
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Mar 4, 2024 01:14
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oh do you mean in the remake? I forgot that came out this week.
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Mar 4, 2024 01:21
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Chapter 83: Antebellum While Kheris was solving mysteries, Alisaie took charge of things at the Rising Stones. She and the rest of the B-Team Scions (who I guess are now the A-Team Scions) have consulted doctors, scientists, and magic experts across Eorzea, hoping to cure our fallen comrades. You can see this yourself by checking in with your various smarty-pants acquaintances.  …  Their efforts have come to naught, leaving our girl to wish she'd been struck down in Urianger or Y'Shtola's place so they could tackle this problem. Luckily, we have one genius left on the bench.  Before Krile gets to work, she asks for the rundown on Alphinaud, having only just heard of his solo trip into Garlean territory. After our report, she seems surprisingly at ease. Alphi has changed a lot from the naïve little boy she mentored at the Sharlayan Studium, thanks in no small part to Kheris' influence. He's more aware and capable than ever, skills he gained without sacrificing the values he espoused so haughtily on his first day in her classroom.  …  There's nothing like a meeting of the Alphinaud Bullying Club to lighten the mood. Krile confirms the Elder Seedseer's diagnosis: the bodies are in perfect physical health, even continuing to breathe, but their souls are gone. This condition indicates that the souls are still linked to their containers somehow, so she suggests we use Matoya's Crystal Eye. If it allowed us to track Thancred's aether once, it might do so again. The first thing the old crone does is deliberately mistake Alisaie for her twin brother and dig at her for being gloomy. Naturally, this gets our Red Mage hot under her collar, but that was Matoya's intent. It's proper, she says, for a young woman to be full of fire in dark times, just like Y'Shtola was at that age. This cute exchange makes it even rougher to explain why we've come.  I often think about that sidequest where we learned that Matoya put her most potent memories of Y'shtola inside a magic broom so they could be her final thoughts on the day she died. I wonder if it says more about their relationship that she would do such a thing or that she still loves Y'Shtola so much, even with most of their history locked away. Krile takes her shot, but we should have known it wouldn't be so easy.  Alisaie is ready to panic, but Matoya is confident their souls haven't dissipated into the lifestream because the bodies aren't decaying. Even when Lakshmi animated the Qalyana Broodmother's daughter, there was a definitive end to life first. The Scions never lost their vital signs. Wherever they are, their essence is whole and unharmed. Still, for all her experience, even the great Archon has never seen anything like this "cutting," of the aetheric trail. We're at a dead end. Before we can feel sorry for ourselves, two things happen. First, Alis receives an important linkpearl call from Lyse. Maxima and the Populares have just crossed the border in Gyr Abania and declared their intent to defect to the Alliance! Second, one of Matoya's brooms falls over for no reason.  The aetheric thinning phenomenon we observed in the last patch is still spreading. We leave the eggheads behind to cook us up a new plan and hustle to Ala Mhigo, where Maxima and his crew are having their wounds treated. I half-expected Alisaie to grow four feet taller through sheer will so she could grab the poor man by the lapels while demanding to know what happened to her brother.  …  He relates the story of the crash, the ambush, and the intervention of Shadowhunter. The mysterious mercenary led them through the Burn without incident, then left to pursue his Ascian-hunting agenda. While Maxima gathered as many Populares as possible and fled for the Eorzean border, Alphi elected to join their rescuer. Shadowhunter wouldn't give details on his objective or where he was going, but the audience already knows he looked into the resurrection of Black Rose. Maxima obliquely reminds the viewer of this plot point by repeating an ominous rumor of a rebel army obliterated by a new Imperial weapon. Stories aren't all Maxima brought with him. The biggest reason the Populares survived their trip was the absence of the provincial garrisons from their regular patrol routes. Some digging revealed they'd been redeployed and are currently moving west. Given the continued unrest in their territories, the only explanation is an attack on Eorzea. Raubahn does not hesitate to start issuing orders. If the Legions are on their way, every second counts. Messengers are dispatched to the Alliance to request reinforcements, and word is sent to the border to speed up the construction of fortifications. It won't be enough.  If only Hildibrand hadn't fallen into a portal. We could use that Manderville Art of Parley about now. Kheris and Alis volunteer to inform Hien. If we're lucky, we might return with backup. Assuming we survive the trip, of course.  …  This rear end in a top hat is getting on my last nerve. ~*~*~ After some long-range teleporting, we discover the Enclave is in the middle of an important conference.  Despite the absence of Sui-no-Sato and Hingashi, there's palpable positive energy in the room. Cirina reports that dozens of Steppe tribes, hungry for glory against a worthy foe, have followed Magnai and Sadu's lead and signed on with this new alliance. Tansui is more enthusiastic than I've ever seen him, smugly declaring that Imperial ships will pay in full for all those years they embarrassed the Confederacy. The Kojin Envoy wishes that the Red would come to their senses and join the cause, but he seems no less resolved to fight. Across the hall, a Dalmascan soldier notes that his nation cannot formally join this group given their lack of a government-in-waiting, but he does not seem dismayed by the challenge of uniting the resistance factions.  We even get to meet our first Nagxian.  I was dead on with my guess that they're meant to be Fantasy Southeast Asia. His tunic is an Ao Dai, a traditional Vietnamese garment, while his hat is a close approximation of a Songkok, worn by Muslim men throughout Thailand, the Malay Peninsula, and the Indonesian archipelago.  Yugiri confirms our report of invasion with intel from her shinobi. Hien is eager to send reinforcements, but first, he must be certain Doma is protected by that Allagan shield we refurbished.  Awww, don't name the shield after Seiryu! He's the worst one! He's not even from Doma! Byakko lives right by your old base. We could call it the Bulwark of Byakko! It's got alliteration and everything! Ironworks technicians (some of whom are wearing GREEN. I bet Jessie is throwing a fit about branding somewhere) claim the rig is ready to be tested. We fly out to observe and get quite a show for our trouble.  …  Our success comes not a moment too soon. A Garlean airship appears on the horizon, making a beeline for the Doman border, and collides with the shield.  …  ...  What was that about a fireball, Hien ol' buddy? Seeing her brother unconscious in the arms of a stranger has Alisaie ready to charge the barrier herself, and Hien has to restrain her until the machines can be shut off. Shadowhunter then informs us that Alphi is alive, but that's the limit of the good news.  Oooh, he's voice-acted now!  That's a more… familiar greeting than I would have expected-  -and she knows him?  Wait! WAIT! IT CAN'T BE!  NO loving WAY! HOLY poo poo!!! …Hold on a second. quote:Mr. Coolguy makes his presence felt by doing those classic X-Slashes and mowing down entire waves of Imperials. YOU WERE ALL LAUGHING AT ME, WEREN'T YOU?! ADMIT IT! Today's Headline: LP Writer in Absolute Shambles. I even noticed in ARR that Gaius' body disappeared, implying that he must have survived, but it's been so long that I forgot that happened! Yeah, others have used the X-Slashes since Praetorium, but how could I have failed to recognize the mask removed from his helmet? How did that idealistic rhetoric about the Empire fail to spark something? I've been played for a fool, just like with Gilgamesh!   As an aside, I wonder if they got back the original actor in the Japanese version. That would explain why none of his lines were voiced until now, even in combat. I kind of want to hear the new guy give that iconic "Do you believe in Eorzea?" monologue; he's got some dulcet tones.  …HEY! Brain! No getting the vapors over the fascist! I don't care how hot he is under that helmet! Kheris gets ready for a fight, but Gaius declares that the Legatus of the XIVth Legion died when she struck down Ultima Weapon. Only an ordinary man without rank or allegiance remains. His sole purpose is to hunt down Ascians and take revenge upon them, not for his own sake but for all the soldiers he led into graves by willingly accepting their strings.  Uh… yeah, that's right! I, the Warrior of Light, definitely defeated Lahabrea, and no one can say otherwise!   While pursuing his vendetta, Gaius has gained critical intelligence about the Ascian hierarchy. We were already aware of the subservient nature of the Black Masks, but it turns out there is a steep delineation of power within the Red. Most of them are beings "set adrift with the shards," while only three (that he knows of) are "still joined to the Source." The most straightforward interpretation of this phrasing is that when Hydaelyn and Zodiark's conflict split our reality, the Red Ascians already existed, but most were exiled to other worlds when their diety lost. This was to their detriment: Gaius points out that Nabriales was one of these Shard Ascians, and his powers were nothing compared to the trio who remained in our world. It's an explanation that raises questions, particularly when Gaius reveals that Lahabrea was one of the Paragons of the Source. He didn't seem any stronger than Nabriales, and he merged himself with Igeyorhm to create a being that he shared control over during battle. Perhaps it's not combat potential we're talking about when we say he had "greater power." For instance, I've noticed that the Black Ascian masks all mimic Lahabrea's design, including those Gaius carries. Maybe he was the only one who could "uplift," others, as the ones I fought outside Gubbal Library mentioned? That being the case, he could have granted the Sahagin Shaman his Echo and/or be the reason Solus is an Ascian. That would certainly be an ability worthy of high rank, even if it didn't make him better at wrasslin' with Warriors of Light. One also wonders how the Chaos Bringers reconnected with each other after they were separated. How did they discover their clubhouse in the Rift Between Worlds? How did they learn to use Crystals of Darkness to travel there, and by extension, between all the Shards and the Source? Come to think of it, they taught the Warriors of Darkness to do the same thing using their Light Crystals, and Lahabrea and Igeyorhm made use of a visually similar trick to ferry their mortal puppets around Eorzea. The ability to teleport at will without Aetherytes is no joke. Anyway, there were three Paragons of the Source:  "Emet-Selch," huh? I suppose we'll learn about that one in due course. Also, hey, the last time we saw that Purple Mother Crystal was during the 2.0 stingers! Is that supposed to be Zodiark? I wouldn't think so since the Ascians have a humanoid statue in their clubhouse that I figured was Zodiark, but what else could it be? Keeping the exposition train rolling, Gaius confirms that Elidibus is the Ascian possessing Zenos. He has embraced militant methods because Kheris' victories have caused Light to become too powerful. A decisive blow for Darkness is necessary to fulfill his mandate to preserve the balance, which means Our Protagonist has to go. To that end, he was directly responsible for reviving the Black Rose bioweapon. Thankfully, Alphi and Gaius successfully located the facility producing it and tore the place apart, eradicating the gas stockpiles and all the equipment needed to make more. They also found something else.  Solus' image wasn't some reflection of the true self that came out regardless of the body he possessed, as with the Sahagin Shaman. He slips into an Allagan clone of himself every time his current meat suit dies! The question of whether that guy was an Ascian or Mortal first is becoming very chicken-and-eggy. Gaius declares that his next move is to make for the Imperial capital. Elidibus was already his next target with Lahabrea gone, and he needs to know if these clones are the product of an Ascian scheme or some secret design of the Empire's leaders. That's what we call dramatic irony, kids.  …  What will the man who most believed in Garlemald do when he learns that his nation was created to be a tool for the people who ruined this life? ~*~*~ With "Seiryu's Wall," (  ) functional, Hien is ready to commit to the Ala Mhigan front. The problem is that it'll take time to reach Eorzea. The Confederacy's ships are not suited for transcontinental voyages and only carry small crews, meaning Hien must procure blue-water vessels large enough to ferry an army and designed to do so at speed. The East Aldenard Trading Company is his best bet for such a purchase, so he decides to come home with Kheris. Yugiri is left with orders to round up every fighter capable of long-range teleportation and organize them to serve as a vanguard force. Oooh, canonical reference to teleporting! Neat. He even arranges for Alphinaud to be shipped to the Rising Stones so the Scions can keep him with the others.  Well, this should prove interesting. A scientist reports that a second Black Rose factory is nearing completion, and they should be able to manufacture enough gas for use in the attack on Ala Mhigo. Hearing this, Solus lavishes approval on his grandson. The employment of an indiscriminate and genocidal chemical weapon is a decision worthy of the Galvus bloodline and the position of the Garlean Emperor. Whether he's mocking these institutions or being ghoulishly sincere is unclear. Varis seems to think it's the latter, and…  ...that's a fair read. For his part, His Radiance views the weapon pragmatically, seeing only another product of Magitek that evens the odds between Garlemald and those who would oppress them with sorcery. Killing the enemy this way will save the lives of his soldiers, and that's more than enough justification. While he's ranting about how war crimes are a good thing, Solus does what any good actor would and indulges in a soliloquy.  Well, that's ominous. It also seems like yet another example of the Ascians backstabbing each other. Elidibus was willing to throw the others under the bus in his quest to achieve balance. Now, Solus wants to leverage the imbalance somehow, even as Elidibus is trying to strike the blow that will correct it. Bringers of Chaos, indeed. Speaking of which, Solus wishes Varis luck in his war. He'd love to stay and watch the carnage, but he has an Ardor to set off, meaning they might not see each other again. If the idea of a Calamity bothers Varis, he doesn't show it. Still, there is something that's nagging at him, so he takes their parting as an opportunity to air his chief grievance:   …  …  …  The fact that Solus timed his 'death' with the explicit intent that it would cause an Imperial Civil War is wild. I can't imagine what he had to gain by doing that, but it makes me think hard about how the Mystery Voice's very first message was that triggering a second Civil War would bring sorrow. Anyway, there's something even more interesting about that revelation: Varis was ready to explode after hearing it, but once Solus finishes monologuing, he calms down. How could the man possibly be OK with this level of being jerked around, with the idea that his erstwhile allies would happily discard the civilization he rules and seems to believe in earnestly? What is the nature of their hold over him? Their last exchange, in which Solus thanks his grandson for the clone bodies, offers the beginning of an answer.   Oh, he can make anyone look like himself. I was right the first time.  Unlike the earlier jabs, I think that might have been legitimate praise. I could be wrong, but it seems like Varis also thinks so. Whatever Grandpa's real goal is, Varis wants to be part of it, to the point that he's willing to check both his pride and any misgivings regarding the collateral damage that will arise from their cooperation, even if it also falls on Garlemald. We need to uncover their real agenda. ~*~*~ When we arrive in Ala Mhigo, we're escorted to a rudimentary fort on the Ilsabard border. It's not very impressive, all wooden palisades and tents, but we'll soon see that engineering efforts were focused elsewhere. If nothing else, the place bristles with artillery. Most are familiar designs, but I catch sight of a new one inspired by early-modern flak guns. The better to hit airships with, my dear.  The area is filled with Alliance soldiers representing every Grand Company, and Raubahn and Lyse are already on the scene. They've even taken the liberty of erecting a banner for Doma.  We brief the commanders on everything we've learned. Raubahn is understandably conflicted after hearing Gaius is alive but approves of his new 'Kill All Ascians' policy. Lyse is far more concerned about Alphinaud's condition and the Black Rose. The only good part of that mess is that we now know about the Empire's ace in the hole, and our fallen friend bought us time to prepare countermeasures. On the topic of buying time, Raubahn's idea to request a parley as a delaying tactic was unexpectedly accepted by the Empire. In fact, it may have worked too well.  Hien is understandably skeptical that Varis is making a good-faith effort, given what happened with Asahi, but the Alliance leadership feels they have to take this chance. Every hour we buy allows more troops to bolster our lines. Oddly enough, the Emperor's consent came with a pre-condition. He wants a representative of the Scions AND the Warrior of Light present at the negotiating table. This set me on edge. If he brought some small sample of Black Rose with him, or even something as crude as a bomb, he could deliver a decapitating strike. Every Eorzean head of state, the Lord of Doma, the Supreme Commander of the combined militaries, his second-in-command, one of the Scion leaders, and the greatest warrior on the continent who has been responsible for ruining the Empire's plans on several occasions, all in one confined space. It has to be tempting. Raubahn has also considered that possibility and positioned the bulk of his army within striking distance of the negotiation site. He's instructed his commanders to ensure any treachery is repaid with an instant counterattack. If nothing else, they should be able to ensure Varis won't escape the area alive. Knowing that our assassin will probably get what's coming to him, who could say no to imminent danger? Of course, if I'm going to a diplomatic negotiation in my formal capacity as Champion of Eorzea, I'll need to dress for the role. I've got just the thing!  It's time to speak softly and carry a big stick. The parley is held in an impressive tent, a marvel of Garlean technology equipped with a portable air conditioning system (as evidenced by the piping near the floor) and electric lights. Even in No-Man's Land, Varis plays politics astutely, presenting an image of out-of-place grandeur and attempting to subconsciously intimidate his opponents with his wealth and scientific achievements. The predominant color is grey, giving everything an industrial feel, and the area where the negotiation table has been placed could easily accommodate a lot more furniture, leaving the Alliance delegation to feel uncomfortably isolated by the empty space until Varis arrives.  I wonder if this was a deliberate visual allusion to Armistice Station from the Battlestar Galactica remake's opening scene. It wouldn't be the first time the creative team showed an affinity for post-millennium Western TV Dramas.  Hopefully, this negotiation will come to a less apocalyptic conclusion. When our host finally arrives, he offers us proper courtesy, and Nanamo responds in kind, speaking for the group. Surely a calculated move, given that she spares the breath to mention the 17 generations her family has ruled from the throne of Ul'dah. No doubt they all agreed that an authoritarian like Varis would lend more credence to the words of someone with that level of tradition at their back than leaders elected by popular will or anointed to their position by spirits. Then again, Hien's dynasty lasted even longer, and that hasn't helped him much. Her opening statement focuses on the idea that, practically speaking, the Empire's methods for maintaining control of conquered peoples are not working. Provincial rebellions and the Alliance's resistance prove that military force can't compel obedience. Even if the Empire wins, Eorzea will one day rise up, even if it should take generations. Therefore, it is in Garlemald's best interests to accept peaceful coexistence with its neighbors rather than attempt further subjugation. Varis scoffs at this argument. The Alliance may be formidable, but it is also fragmented, and its resources are a fraction of those the Empire can bring to bear. They can't even keep the peace within their own borders, locked as they are in constant brushfire war trying to contain the Beast Tribes. The Empire does not offer subjugation, as she claims, but a better way forward.  It's the same argument Gaius made back in ARR, but now that we've lived through the events of Stormblood and seen Imperial rule firsthand, we know what an empty promise he's making. Lyse and Hien both show remarkable restraint in explaining this, noting that the lives of their people under Garlemald's authority were filled with fear, death, and destitution. Varis pauses a bit after this reply, giving them both the eye, crossing his arms, and shifting a bit in his seat. It's possible he feels insulted that they would characterize his nation in this way, but when he broke eye contact with the group and glanced downward, a part of me wondered if he was internally acknowledging that they were right. After all, he knows that Solus' intent in creating the Empire was chaos and strife. But if he knows the methods of imperialism are counter-productive to Garlemald's stated aims, why does he continue to use them? Regardless of what he's thinking, the next thing he says is that the pain they're talking about is their fault. If they had accepted the Empire's control instead of resisting, things would have been different, and everyone would be better off today. This is too much for Raubahn, who speaks with notably less composure than his fellow ex-subjects  …  drat, that's remarkably blunt. Very few oppressors in history had the gall to look those they oppressed square in the eye and say, "Yes, you're suffering, but you should be smart enough to understand that it's worth the rewards." Even American slavers who put forth similar arguments about their 'peculiar institution' being a necessary evil for the betterment of an inferior race were smart enough to say that it was God's idea, not theirs. Here we have a guy who's not only going on about how sacrifices are necessary for his Greater Good but openly stating that his victims should be grateful for the opportunity to make those sacrifices. Raubahn has to close his eyes and take a deep breath, presumably to resist the urge to vault the table and do a Teledji. Aymeric sees this as an opening. Rather than question the Garlean Imperial Project and its supposed benefits to all, he compares it to Ishgard's 1000 years of sacrifice chasing victory in the Dragonsong War. Sometimes, a leader's vision for a better future can be so dazzling that it becomes blinding, and they miss the obvious fact that their efforts have become self-destructive.   …  Aymeric's jaw literally drops for a split-second at this response, and he wasn't the only one. In our boy's case, it's probably because the idea that Archbishop Thordan was a better leader is his biggest insecurity. If only there were time for a mid-conference hug. In my case, I was amazed because they'd just turned one of my biggest criticisms of Heavensward's plot into a strength. When we first got the reveal about Nidhogg's history, and it became apparent that there could be no peaceful solution, I was troubled. Seeing Ysayle shatter while Estinien's close-mindedness and lust for revenge was rewarded wasn't a fun moment. The point was to give our main characters every reason to continue being the worst versions of themselves that the war created, only to have them CHOOSE to take the high road, and that worked out really well in the end. Still, killing the leader of the victim's side as a necessary step to peace left a little knot of bother in the back of my mind. Years later, they've taken that subtextual friction and made it part of the text. Varis was offered a legitimate point that he's being dangerously rigid by refusing to consider that his dream might not be worth the cost, and he's managed to flip that into a claim that his opponent's ideals are rooted in a false premise. Conversely, what he's doing is clearly based on reality and, therefore, rational. That's some incredible character writing. Varis isn't done, either. He continues by discussing how Garlemald's empire began not with conquest, but reconquest. Powerful magic-wielding nations forced their ancestors into the frozen northern wastes (this is all OG Ramza's fault!). While Ceruleum fuel and the Magitek that came with it leveled the playing field, it was the strength of their leader's convictions that allowed them to take back what was rightfully theirs. The implication is clear: to abandon his belief in the rightness of the Empire's mission would be a betrayal.  …Oh no. Mel, please shut up. For the love of all that is holy, don-  Sigh.  Lady, you know that you're involved in the same kind of expansionism that Varis is justifying. You said that to Y'Shtola's face and told her you had no choice! Now, granted, the situation on Vylbrand is a little more complex than that. There's evidence of peaceful-ish relations between Mankind and the Kobolds in the past, according to BSM and ARM. It (probably) wasn't always about stealing Kobold land. It sure has been in recent history, though! Also, granted, she's telling at least a half-truth when she says that Limsa Lominsa doesn't take their rival's freedom away like Garlemald does. For all the conflict with the Kobolds (and the Sahagin, for that matter), Merlwyb clearly doesn't want them exterminated or enslaved. She's a populist who leveraged every bit of her power to radically restructure her nation during a time of crisis. She had to centralize power and establish a strong national identity to keep people from rejecting her reforms, resettle and retrain a huge percentage of her citizenry away from the only profession most of them had ever known, keep her population from starving to death, rebuild enough to prevent the collapse of the entire continent's economy due to the lack of ocean-going trade, and maintain military control of the sea lanes against a technologically superior enemy. She needed land and materials to accomplish all that. If she hadn't succeeded, her nation would have fallen, or reactionaries would have taken control. From our encounters with those folks in places like the Rogue questline, we know they would have done far worse to both the Beast Tribes and the rest of the Alliance. None of that EXCUSES her by any means, but it does make her situation distinct from the Garlean's. Of course, it's not in Varis' interest to frame her statement as anything but naked hypocrisy, and I can barely blame him.   We've had our share of chances to use this meme, but this has to be the pinnacle.  I legitimately expected Varis to turn to Senna and say something like, "Oh, you'd be happy to embrace the Ixal as equals? How are things going over in Racism City right now? Throw any Duskwights in prison for Driving While Black today?" Instead, he tells her that she has no right to judge anything because her nation was where Loiusoix worked to invoke The Twelve against Meteor, an act of Summoning so large in scale that it could have wiped out all life on the planet trying to save one continent. If nothing else, a world under the Empire is a world without Eikons. Not quite as ruthless as his other backhands, but at least it's ideologically consistent with his claim that the Empire is worth the sacrifices he demands for its dominance. Having successfully shoved a cork in the mouth of everyone at the table, Varis is prepared to walk out. He claims that despite what they may think, he came here with a legitimate willingness to find common ground, but we're only interested in convincing him how evil he is. Violence is the only way to settle our differences.  Everyone in the room, including Varis, seems to freeze at this desperate plea. Nanamo pounces on the moment and calls for a recess so we can compose ourselves. To my great surprise, the Emperor agrees to a second round… which begs the question of why he did this in the first place. Several of the leaders, including Alisaie, ponder this question during the break. Others are too preoccupied with fretting over their missteps.  …  Say what you will about Merlwyb; she's dead right that Varis is engaging in whataboutism. But why? He didn't need to get us together in a room to explain why the failures of democracy, theocracy, plutocracy, and monarchy to address society's problems justify the methods of fascism. He could have forgone this entire exercise if he was so disinterested in altering his course. What does he hope to gain? Having witnessed Alisaie's success when she dropped political gamesmanship in favor of the direct approach, Kheris suggests the rest of the team follow that example.  When we gavel back into session, Nanamo apologizes for our unwillingness to be more open-minded. Raubahn, in what I can only assume was a herculean effort of will, speaks empathetically about the Garlean history of mistreatment by their neighbors. If their goal were only to reclaim the lands taken by external aggression, he would have no problem with that. He only wishes to understand why the Empire is so insistent upon expansion into the lands of others. Before Varis gets the chance to answer, Hien jumps in. As the son of a vassal king, he enjoyed a proper Imperial education and knows the standard answer. Emperor Solus looked upon The Burn in Othard, recognized the threat to all life presented by Primals, and swore to unite the world under Garlean rule in order to extinguish the art of Summoning and the religions that fuel it. Varis himself alluded to this justification at the end of the first session, and it makes perfect sense… until you look at the evidence with a critical eye. Hien negotiated with the Populares, so he knows that Varis knows how much Summoning has propagated in Imperial territories. Even lands that never practiced Summoning, like Doma, have now seen multiple Eikons as a direct result of Imperial intervention. More importantly, thanks to the Scion's investigation of the Burn, he knows something only the Imperial Family knows: it was not created by Eikons. The Founder's crusade was built on a lie. With our groundwork in place, Lyse is the one to finally ask the question: if the Greater Good that the conquered peoples of the Empire must sacrifice themselves to build isn't the end of Primals, what is it?  Black butterflies? If that's not symbolism, I don't know what is.  …  OOOOOH BOY, HERE WE GO!  Varis's claim is as straightforward as it is crazy: before the Source was sundered into the 13 Shards, it was inhabited by a single, perfect mortal race. Breaking reality also broke that species, dividing it into the myriad peoples that exist today, each of which is imperfect. It's not entirely clear if he's lumping in the Beast Tribes into that claim or only talking about the PC races, but he's definitely including the Garleans. Their inability to use magic despite their obvious genetic superiority is a product of this breaking. More importantly, all conflict between tribes and nations is rooted in their unnatural differences. Before the Source was split, there was no war, no hatred, for all were one. This description took me back to my conversation with Ramuh. He claimed the world was once a paradise, and conflict only came into existence when Mankind appeared for the first time. Of course, we now know that Ramuh was a false deity, and his beliefs were influenced by the wishes of the Sylphs that summoned him... but then again, we still don't have a complete answer on what Primals actually are. Maybe the being the Summoning ritual called to put on the mantle of Ramuh knows something about the past that we don't, or perhaps the Sylphs have preserved some lost truth about the origins of mortals due to their unique nature as plants and their connection to the spirits of the Twelveswood. Whether these similar stories are a coincidence or something more profound, Varis has taken a less-than-ideal lesson from the secret history. Peace through negotiation and mutual understanding is a fantasy in his mind. Our divisions are too fundamental, so as long as we're flawed, we will always return to war. Only one permanent solution is possible:  Everyone immediately picks up on his phrasing and realizes this is the confirmation we've been waiting for. Varis has admitted he's working toward the same goal as the Ascians. Aymeric barely has the chance to draw the obvious parallel to Thordan. Varis knew we'd bring that up, but to him, the situations are nothing alike.  When Solus first appeared, I felt that the only reason he and Elidibus would manipulate Varis so intensely was because the man must have been capable of ruining their plans by choosing not to play along with them. It seems he agrees, but in a grand irony, he has determined that ruining their plans would only serve as a band-aid on the real issue.  Nice cinematography.   ...  Varis is the flip side of Thordan's coin. Rather than repurposing Ascian tools for his own ends, using Summoning to become a God, his goal is to help the Ascians accomplish their objectives so that Mankind can rise above the Gods. He's also an inversion of Gaius. He believes Man must own the world, but he doesn't believe conflict can achieve that. On the contrary, he thinks conflict is why we can never beat the real enemy. A house divided against itself cannot stand. Only by eliminating the source of conflict, our differences, can we hope to win the battle that matters. Ergo, we must help our enemy achieve their goals, empowering us to bring about their downfall. The fact that Varis' offer is not to become part of the Empire but to forge a new nation that will end the Ascians is revelatory. This is why he was willing to suffer Solus harming Garlemald to advance Rejoining. He says he cannot be called a pawn and is burdened by the duty of choice because he recognizes that Garlemald is a false messiah that can't deliver the peace he wants. He believes in the IDEA of Garlemald, a nation where Man can surpass Myth. He also believes in the racial supremacism that Garlemald is built on, he just doesn't believe that the Garleans are the Master Race. We are ALL the Master Race, but that status was lost because of the eldritch forces of the cosmos. In the long run, our only hope is to pay whatever price it takes to become them once again. In a way, the whole exchange is tragic. For all his cruelty and heartlessness, for all the horror he's perpetuated, Varis zos Galvus has turned out to be an idealist, desperately chasing what he believes is the only hope for a better world. He wants the same things we do: unity, freedom, an end to violence, an end to the malevolent forces that toy with our world. But within Varis, those dreams have been hopelessly warped by the poisonous influence of a society those same malevolent forces built. He thinks he's operating on a higher plane of understanding, that he's peered through the prison bars, but it's not true. For all we know, this vaunted Progenitor Race never existed, and the Ascians made it up to influence his choices. His fascist indoctrination has narrowed his vision. He can only see what they want him to see.  ...  ...  ...  He's not happy about any of this. We saw him musing earlier about how to prevent the deaths of Garlean soldiers in the fighting to come. He even visibly frowns when we mention all the deaths this plan will cause. If you asked him, he'd probably say that he plans to preserve every life he can along the way. He simply believes everyone he can't save is expendable. The inherent virtue of violence, the right of the superior to dictate the fates of others, and the idea that there should be no limitations on sacrifices to achieve the leader's will (especially if a lower form of humanity is the sacrifice) are all bedrock principles of fascism. They've dug themselves marrow-deep into the Garlean Emperor. It falls to Nanamo to explain how wrong his mission is.    Varis would condemn billions, including his own people, in pursuit of the idea that humanity can be made "better," and our problems erased once enough blood has been spilled. That is a path we will never walk.  He looks so sad. This moment is why he wanted the Scions and Warrior of Light to be here. He hoped that we, enlightened by our struggle against the Paragons and not bound by loyalty to any nation or people, would see the bigger picture and agree that he was right. It's funny. Many of the things Varis discussed would resonate with Kheris. Frustration when people are unwilling to sacrifice comfort for a moral good. The intractability of race- and nationality-based conflict, even when one side is clearly in the wrong. The willingness to embrace radical solutions when the people perpetuating a destructive cycle refuse to change. The uncertainty when you feel some higher power is manipulating your life, and the desire to shatter that control and know that your future is in your own hands. However, if there's one code she's lived by in all her adventurers, it's never to take the easy way out. Making a "hard choice," and calling on the innocent to pay the price rather than seeking a better way forward is the act of a cynic, a coward, or both. Kheris, Alphinaud, and Alisaie agreed long ago: no needless sacrifices. We fight until we find a better way. We're not going to stop now.  (I wish there had been 5-6 different options here, like when I picked what she said about joining the fight in Ala Mhigo. Just refusing to condone his methods didn't feel strong enough, and only talking about beating the Ascians felt a little too narrow a rebuke. It was a slightly weak climax to an otherwise incredible scene.)  ...  ...  ~*~*~ So, after three games of mounting tension, we come to the moment of truth. We are at full-scale war with the Garlean Empire. We also finally know the true stakes of that conflict. If we lose, Emperor Varis will not just take our lands and resources, nor even merely put us all into bondage. We're fighting for the world's future and all life as we know it. The Grand Company Commanders all appear so they can take the field with their leaders, including Pippin, who has been promoted to Flame General. Nanamo is glum that she's no good in a fight, but everyone else is oddly energized. Merlwyb probably sums up the unexpected positivity best:  Even when you're the underdog, there's something liberating about knowing who your enemy is and that there's nothing left to do about them but slug things out. Only Raubahn shows hesitancy. He is Eorzea's greatest military mind, and he understands how bad our chances are. We've been told since nearly the start of the game that the full strength of the Garlean Legions is far greater than the Grand Companies, and even with the addition of the Temple Knights, the Ala Mhigan Resistance, and the elite warriors of the Far East, we may prove unable to accomplish anything when we're thrust into the maw of the Imperial war machine. Luckily, Hien is an expert in doing impossible things.  ...  That's the Bull of Ala Mhigo we all know and love! Kheris is asked to accompany the Domans as an irregular unit, so we might move about the lines and get stuck in wherever the fighting grows hottest. Hien loves this plan, as does Alisaie. The Warrior of Light's smirk says everything her friends need to know.  ...  As the others bustle about to make their final preparations, Kheris finds herself in a quiet moment alone with Alisaie. She cracks a joke about how hard we'll have to work because if Alphi wakes up and finds out we lost the war, she'll never hear the end of his complaining. Then, she decides there's something Kheris needs to hear.   ...  Throughout this quest series, my Number One Primal Slaying Assistant has been making constant comments about the other Scions, wishing they were here and wondering what they would do. Even when she single-handedly saved the negotiations and ensured we'd learn what we needed to learn, she put it down to doing what her brother would have done, even though that passionate, cut-the-bullshit plea for sanity was quintessentially Alisaie. While Kheris was stopping Ultima and Eureka, the burden of Scion leadership and the fates of ourr friends fell onto Alis' shoulders. She's had to be stronger than ever, and she's drawn that strength from the memories of those she's lost. It's a feeling Kheris knows all too well. Now, the last person she has is by her side again.  ...  Alisaie, you don't need me. I wish you would believe in yourself. But until you do... you can depend on me. Whatever comes next, we'll face it together. I'm with you. 
Sanguinia fucked around with this message at 22:17 on Mar 9, 2024 |
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Mar 9, 2024 13:54
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Sanguinia posted:] Much  ing was done, it is true.
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Mar 9, 2024 14:19
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quote:YOU WERE ALL LAUGHING AT ME, WEREN'T YOU?! ADMIT IT! Today's Headline: LP Writer in Absolute Shambles. It's tradition, we gotta be fair. TBH, I blame Gaius' original design more than anything because half the people who looked at Gaius probably thought the mask came wholesale with the helmet.
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Mar 9, 2024 14:38
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What a great update.
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Mar 9, 2024 14:44
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This set of story beats is so loving good
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Mar 9, 2024 14:44
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NachtSieger posted:What a great update. 
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Mar 9, 2024 14:45
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Gaius does indeed have the same voice actor in Japanese between ARR and Stormblood! It's Akio Ohtsuka. You know. Solid Snake, Big Boss in MGS3... I'm sure there are other roles but that one makes me smile the most. In English he's now Roose Bolton from Game of Thrones. They made him hot and I'm so mad about it. When I was going through ARR and got to Livia's little "YOU CANNOT HAVE HIM" meltdown I was like "man lady it's not like I wanna gently caress him." And then they show him with the drat helmet off and god drat it, I get it. I get it, Livia. Anyway the parley is a really great scene. Varis is a great villain with really neat stuff going on, but I also really appreciate how Nanamo is the one who remains the most solid throughout the whole thing. It's kind of understated in comparison to everything else, but it really feels like a great way of showing off her character development and how she's come into her own as a head of state.
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Mar 9, 2024 14:51
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Yeah, Gaius's mask isn't super obvious as specifically his when separated from his very stupid hat, I think only the most eagle-eyed would have made the connection and especially so given the time between when you are last forced to see Gaius and when he walks in as Shadowhunter. I have some quibbles with the negotiation scene (mostly that yes, the WoL rebuttals felt inadequate) but in general I like it a lot.
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Mar 9, 2024 14:51
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it's easy to forget that once 4.5 gets going, it really gets going! So much good stuff in so short a time.
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Mar 9, 2024 15:10
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Sanguinia posted:YOU WERE ALL LAUGHING AT ME, WEREN'T YOU?! ADMIT IT! Today's Headline: LP Writer in Absolute Shambles. No, no, of course not. well, maybe a little chuckle I loved the negotiation scene. The sense of escalation with regards to the Garlean invasion alone was fantastic, the sort of raising of the stakes that felt natural and really added to the lived-in feeling of the world. Yes, you may be the WoL but there's an army on your doorstep now. Things are happening around you, despite you, and yet your significance is still recognised with a seat at the table. Throwing Varis at you like that? It was great writing - I went into it with little regard for him as a character, really only seeing him as a puppet. When I came out the other side, I was utterly conflicted. He's not just another evil emperor - there's a depth to him that I wasn't expecting. I think describing him as an idealist is absolutely correct - he believes so strongly in his vision and he wants so badly to convince you and the alliance leaders of it. But if you won't fall in line? Well, he'll just have to do it alone. It's fantastic writing. And man, that scene of Shadowhunter stepping out with Alphinaud in his arms ... each fallen Scion hits harder than the last.
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Mar 9, 2024 15:11
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At the time, with a 3 month break between introduction and reveal, most people who called it did so because he’s using the same gunblade.
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Mar 9, 2024 15:25
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Sanguinia posted:
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Mar 9, 2024 15:26
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There's so very much in Patch 4.5. Look at all of this; Krile, Matoya, hot older gentleman Gaius, Solus, Varis, Alisaie. Absolutely wild stuff. And next time we get to one of my favourite dungeons, from lore to music to setpieces. 4.0 has its downsides, but 4.x is so worth it.
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Mar 9, 2024 15:26
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Sanguinia posted:
I assumed when he started talking that his whole Master Race story was pieced together from Ascian grandpa, with this line pretty much confirming it. Solus mentioned how their goals are the same, and now Varis shows that yes, he's on team rejoining. I think his framing of "Ascians" vs. "we" (tiny, momentary specks) here, is actually him unconsciously telling everyone about his own relationship with Solus. Solus was the founding father of Garlemald in that he was a genius military leader, but he was also a genius inventor, and presumably had a huge cult of personality since he was a multi-decade long dictator that didn't even have competition from things like established religions. For Varis to find out that this larger than life grandpa was also an immortal wizard, not only lacking the one weakness Garleans were supposed to have, but absolutely surpassing mortals in every way, must have been incredibly discouraging. He had no chance of Algid fucked around with this message at 16:06 on Mar 9, 2024 |
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Mar 9, 2024 16:03
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Sanguinia posted:YOU WERE ALL LAUGHING AT ME, WEREN'T YOU?! ADMIT IT! No, no, a thousand times no... but actually, yes.
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Mar 9, 2024 16:22
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 Mister Olympus posted:At the time, with a 3 month break between introduction and reveal, most people who called it did so because he’s using the same gunblade. Despite its fancy name of "Heirsbane", its pretty much a standard Garlean Gunblade though. The same kind Centurions and up are issued. I can't remember if there are even any visual differences.   
Galaga Galaxian fucked around with this message at 17:00 on Mar 9, 2024 |
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Mar 9, 2024 16:52
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Somehow in the back of my mind I'd thought you put the clues together and realized who Shadowhunter was. Turns out I was wrong! The parley with Varis was a really great set piece. I had no idea what to expect going into it, but I definitely wasn't expecting him to Well Akshually his way through every Alliance leader one after the other. Clearly he was well educated in the art of being an rear end in a top hat rhetorically. But then it turned out the entire thing was a setup. He knew every one of their arguments before they even arrived, and wasn't interested in anything they had to say other than how to efficiently dismiss them. His goal the whole time was to prompt them to ask the question he wanted them to ask. All so he could answer it and prove to them what a strong and noble genius he was. And hoo boy. It's bad enough that his entire plan for achieving peace centers around Return to Master Race (and that's already really fuckin' bad). But his path for achieving that is... helping the sinister, immortal ghost wizards achieve everything they want! Surely once they win they'll sit on their laurels and let a newly merged race of genetic supermen (with Varis at their head, of course) simply defeat them and usher in an era of Eternal Peace. The dude 100% believes in this idea he came up with, too. Emperor Varis, everyone!
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Mar 9, 2024 17:13
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God, this part of the game is so good. I am waiting with bated breath to see your reactions to what comes next.
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Mar 9, 2024 17:32
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These scenes are all good, as the Garlean Empire's 3 most charismatic people get 3 very good scenes. And I, for one, assumed you figured out who Shadowhunter was by the white mask, and all the other stuff was just pretending not to know.
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Mar 9, 2024 17:39
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Welp it turns out Varis is an idiot true believer accelerationist!
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Mar 9, 2024 17:42
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The ongoing reveal of exactly how much of an idiot failure Varis is, is one of the best lowkey things in this part of the story. Like important to note, he's been on the throne for a nebulous span of time between a couple of months and a year and the empire has shrunk for the first time in like seventy years and by like 40%. *channeling Kung Pow* Solus: this is Varis, I raised him wrong. As a joke.
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Mar 9, 2024 17:48
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Thundarr posted:Somehow in the back of my mind I'd thought you put the clues together and realized who Shadowhunter was. Turns out I was wrong! Yeah, there's a reason I refer to this as "the scene where Varis goes full-on Underpants Gnomes." Varis's Master Plan to Defeat the Ascians: Step 1: Do exactly what the Ascians want us to do. Step 2: ???? Step 3: The Ascians are cast down and Man is the master of his own destiny once more.
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Mar 9, 2024 17:56
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Lmao was wondering if someone would post it
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Mar 9, 2024 18:23
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I definitely read it as defeatist/desperation. Varis doesn't see a way out and is going "I'm not owned, it's all part of how we win."
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Mar 9, 2024 18:24
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Also I agree it's nice to see Nanamo take point. In a scene where everyone's having their kingdoms' worst parts thrown at them, well, she lived hers.
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Mar 9, 2024 18:32
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The delivery on that, "...It was by design!?" line is one of my favorite in the whole game. There's other more popular memed lines, but that one's up there for me.
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Mar 9, 2024 18:43
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Onean posted:The delivery on that, "...It was by design!?" line is one of my favorite in the whole game. There's other more popular memed lines, but that one's up there for me. He's just so caught out by the realization. He never ONCE considered it, never once considered Solus saw the Empire as just a tool and cared naught for it.
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Mar 9, 2024 18:52
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If, at this point, you have any delusions about the ability to hand it to any one iota of the Garelean Empire then you are beyond saving. Also, and it was missed here, there's nice touch on him immediately reaching for the slurs- calling the room Savages- when the WoL tells him exactly where he can gently caress off to. Nothing more satisfying than a smug prick thinking he's the gods answer to life the universe and everything masking off the second some doesn't kiss his arse. ConanThe3rd fucked around with this message at 19:14 on Mar 9, 2024 |
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Mar 9, 2024 19:03
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The Varis scene is so fun. The pomp and showmanship of it, him in his gigantic chair in his fancy tent, holding down one side of that long-rear end table. You really feel the loss of Alphinaud at Debate Club. Sanguinea posted:This rear end in a top hat is getting on my last nerve.
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Mar 9, 2024 19:13
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