I know it is not true for every FF game but it seems that there always heroes versus the empire and the empire is always portrayed as evil. Why is the 'Empire' always the bad guy in these types of games? I don't know if we had been conditioned to believe that the Empire is evil and the Resistance is good and I do know that is not or even supposed to be realisitic but why is always the 'Empire' that always the bad guy in the games?
Dualism:The Resistance VS. the Empire
- Thread starter Guernsey
- Start date
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That's quite an interesting question, it would be intriguing to have a game where the empire is good, and the resistance is evil. However, I think the word "Empire" is a very negative word, as in the countries in the Empire would have had to be invaded to become part of it, so the Empire would have only expanded through force, therefore being evil - as it is in FFVI and XII, and IX to a lesser extent.
I think the word "Resistance" also implies that the people are fighting for the greater good, and fighting against injustice.
I think the word "Resistance" also implies that the people are fighting for the greater good, and fighting against injustice.
strifehart
Blue Mage
i'd have to agree. i think it all has to do with the underlying tones of the words "empire" and "resistance". also, a lot of interest comes into play when you control a small force against a large force. all the good stories are ones about the nerd beating up the bully, not the other way around. 
Lunatic Pandora
The Looney Panda
Let's take Rome as an example: it was already huge in times of the Republic, but even since then it was proven to be nearly impossible to totally control the population, due to the extention of Rome's lands, and because the living conditions for the plebe and slaves were horrible, various rebelions irrupted.
I believe it's the ambition of the leader (in this case, the Emperor) and the will to conquer minor lands and absorb small kingdoms to enhance his power what makes him evil through a villager's point of view, let's say. Under the Empire's domination, the villagers would have to pay larger tributes in order to maintain the magnitude of said Empire, and that leads to misery. The sense of injustice rises and rebellions are irrupted. Of course they almost always end in a bloodshed and the weaker side (the Resistance in this case) will lose, but in videogames that's different XD
And let's not forget rule number 133 of The Grand List Of Console Role Playing Game Clichés (Last Rule of Politics): "Kingdoms are good. Empires are evil." XD
I believe it's the ambition of the leader (in this case, the Emperor) and the will to conquer minor lands and absorb small kingdoms to enhance his power what makes him evil through a villager's point of view, let's say. Under the Empire's domination, the villagers would have to pay larger tributes in order to maintain the magnitude of said Empire, and that leads to misery. The sense of injustice rises and rebellions are irrupted. Of course they almost always end in a bloodshed and the weaker side (the Resistance in this case) will lose, but in videogames that's different XD
And let's not forget rule number 133 of The Grand List Of Console Role Playing Game Clichés (Last Rule of Politics): "Kingdoms are good. Empires are evil." XD
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Majin_Clodan
Chocobo Breeder
Well I think the best example and answer, why the empire is always the bad side, is the following:
Just think about the 2nd worldwar. Maybe du watched some videos in your life about the person, which I don't name(no power for google or the search-function
). There was a crazy and not-understoodtable emperor as well. We all know because of the role of the german empire what happened with europe and maybe what can happened, if japan didn't attacked the USA or the USA wasn't part in the war.
A small and weak nation become since 1933 to a big and danger Nation with such a power that they won battle after battle.
Well I can tell you much more about it, but I think you know some facts about the war.
I thing that everyone who create games like this think (indirect) about this time. A big nation began a war and the people must thought, that this is the end of the world because they saw the german empire like pure evil guys and without mercy. Well there are enough examples for this kind of thinking.
The following was a really brutal war and the gamer have a higher imagination because of the facts who he knows about the 2nd worldwar or other wars.
Moreover I think if the war in a game have a big final or so then this is a symbol of the end of the 2nd worldwar: the atomic-bomb.
After the 2nd worldwar I heared something from my teacher in my ex-school, who said:" After the german empire gave up the allys were glad. The soldiers were celebrate like heros." Well I think this is a symbol of: The good won against the bad.
So, I hope I didn't wrote in a crazy way or so, but If I play a game, which era is after the Middle Ages, then I personally think about this time.
Eamples:
Final Fantasy VI
Drakengard 1
Rogue Galaxy
In everything of this games are a crazy leader. Well the leader of the german empire is the symbol of evil and like I said the game creator take him indirect as example and the kind of army, who the leader have, depend on, how is the leader, because I never saw a leader, who has a fearful army, but the leader like it to go in the disco or play with his son or so.^^'
Well this all is my opinion.
Maybe you all think this thinking is stupid but everyone has different opinions.
MFG Majin_Clodan
Just think about the 2nd worldwar. Maybe du watched some videos in your life about the person, which I don't name(no power for google or the search-function
). There was a crazy and not-understoodtable emperor as well. We all know because of the role of the german empire what happened with europe and maybe what can happened, if japan didn't attacked the USA or the USA wasn't part in the war.A small and weak nation become since 1933 to a big and danger Nation with such a power that they won battle after battle.
Well I can tell you much more about it, but I think you know some facts about the war.
I thing that everyone who create games like this think (indirect) about this time. A big nation began a war and the people must thought, that this is the end of the world because they saw the german empire like pure evil guys and without mercy. Well there are enough examples for this kind of thinking.
The following was a really brutal war and the gamer have a higher imagination because of the facts who he knows about the 2nd worldwar or other wars.
Moreover I think if the war in a game have a big final or so then this is a symbol of the end of the 2nd worldwar: the atomic-bomb.
After the 2nd worldwar I heared something from my teacher in my ex-school, who said:" After the german empire gave up the allys were glad. The soldiers were celebrate like heros." Well I think this is a symbol of: The good won against the bad.
So, I hope I didn't wrote in a crazy way or so, but If I play a game, which era is after the Middle Ages, then I personally think about this time.
Eamples:
Final Fantasy VI
Drakengard 1
Rogue Galaxy
In everything of this games are a crazy leader. Well the leader of the german empire is the symbol of evil and like I said the game creator take him indirect as example and the kind of army, who the leader have, depend on, how is the leader, because I never saw a leader, who has a fearful army, but the leader like it to go in the disco or play with his son or so.^^'
Well this all is my opinion.
Maybe you all think this thinking is stupid but everyone has different opinions. MFG Majin_Clodan
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I think it has something to do with the idea of being the little guy who manages to take down the big bad empire. You play as the underdog, the small resistance who (realistically) has little chance of defeating the empire. If it was the other way round (as in, if you played as the empire) I don't think it would really have the same effect.
It's not as satisfying or entertaining when you beat down a boss who is 20 levels below you in comparison to when you barely stand a chance against it. The same principle applies to the Empire vs Resistance thingo.
It's not as satisfying or entertaining when you beat down a boss who is 20 levels below you in comparison to when you barely stand a chance against it. The same principle applies to the Empire vs Resistance thingo.
I think that it only looks like this on the surface, mostly. For those who look that little bit deeper, it can be clearly seen that things are far more complicated than that.
In the case of XII, I don't think that the Empire, nor indeed Vayne, who was running it, was evil and, to some extent, I support their actions.
In the long run, Vayne's intention was to give humans the freedom to choose their own destiny and write their own history. Sure, their methods and actions were not completely the right way to go about things and, indeed, probably caused more suffering than they intended to fix, but I don't think that Vayne was evil at the core. Cid was much the same but far more ambitious and probably saw a sense of omnipotence at the other end. Venat...well, you could argue that he's actually some kind of hero. xD
With IX, it wasn't the empire of Alexandria that was evil, nor was it its ruler - Brahne was being manipulated. Simple answer is simple.
In conclusion, it all depends on how much thought you give it.