screenshot Let's Play Final Fantasy Tactics (WOTL): The Nadir of Videogames

[Parrhesia]

Update 32
In Which We Claim Defeat from the Jaws of Victory

Content warning: the aforementioned sexual assault is brought up again, in more detail. It's fucking creepy, and I could see it bringing bad memories back. As before; second spoiler skips it.

Spoiler

 

So what's Alma up to?

Alma is having a fun time.

Five people and also Isilud are dead or dying.

I dunno folks, is he?

Isilud coughs out some blood. A lot of blood.

He was down with the Illuminati right up until demons. Demons were the precise point at which the Illuminati became bad.

But, to his credit, he's now doing everything in his power to resolve his mistakes on his own.

Why didn't Marach, who subdued Isilud, take the stones? Why didn't the Folmarv, knowing he was the last stone-holder, loot Isilud for the stones? The Lucavi are established as being able to unmetamorphose at will, more or less.

Sadly, just when he becomes useful, Isilud loses his plot immortality.

Here comes Folmarv, realising he's forgotten something Kinda Important.

And then Belias' death-roar echoes down the halls.

I have no idea why Belias' death means Alma needs to be abducted (again.) rather than slain.

His stone glows a bit.

So, sure, this Plot can be the reason for spiriting her away instead of killing her. But he changes his mind BEFORE the plot. It's just stupid and careless.

And then there's more violence against unarmed women, because it's all this game knows what to do.

But how's he going to escape? We have him surrou-

lol

But note that Alma managed to drop the stone.

After we're invited to rudely cram four guys into a column, we're placed on a roof.

It's Barrington, the last vestiges of a plot outside the Illuminati. The true final boss of Act 3. He at least has something going for him - in terms of not just being A Satan. He's entirely human! A thoroughly fucking evil human. Someone to enjoy killing.

Ha!

... Oh.

Rapha stalls.

It's not enough for Barrington to just kill Rapha here and now. No, he's going to reminisce about the time he raped her.

Barrington is fucked up. And I'll be honest, he might not be well-written (he isn't.) but I do, at least, really fucking want to see him die.

Welcome to the fucking Have-a-Clue party, you cunt.

I know, like, weeks in advance that people have written to say that Marach's actions are explained by his presumed emotional abuse as a child. And that's true. He has a motive for being a godawful, disgusting human being.

But he is a godawful, disgusting human being. That's the relevant part here.

 

Spoiler

 

And I'm glad that he's dead.

Rapha isn't. I don't blame her. Blood runs thicker than water, and he did, finally, get his priorities straight seconds before running into a bullet and dying.

Why was Rapha on the roof, anyway? She was chasing Marach. Barrington can be explained - he's actively running from the demons.

So... confusingly, I guess Marach did have Isilud's stones? Then what was Isilud carrying?

But hey, we've deployed. We've been in basically this situation before, and we still murdered our man fine. If not now, then we'll kill Barrington later. He's shaping up as final boss material, by this stage - the opportunistic underdog coming from nowhere, surviving the ruin of his house, to come and grab all the rocks and, well... 'win'.

But that would overshadow the men in golden armour.

And we couldn't have that, could we.

No, Barrington is not killed by us. He's not killed by Rapha, which would be narratively just - Rapha does not get closure from this. She just sees Barrington lobbed off a roof by some NPC we've never seen before.

We're just the players. We can't kill anyone. We can't have any effect on the world - that's for the DM's original character, Delita, and for his (it's a he) spooky secret cult.

If you don't recognise the sprite, here's Chekhov's Marquis - Limberry, Argath's liege, finally relevant.

Rapha hides the rocks.

I shit you not - there's a few frames of Limberry's hair and cloak blowing in the wind.

I'm not sure how he knows this. Not all guys with the templars are demons - he seemed to believe Isilud was just a dupe, for instance, and I mean, the Illuminati do have generic dudes. The most of a hint he has I guess is the assassin managing to throw a fat dude off a roof with one hand.

He's entirely right, of course.

The really unconvincing lies are really fashionable in late Act 3.

His priorities are right.

So this is it. The final boss of Act 3 isn't Wiglaf - our rival. It isn't Aries - a demon, like what ended Act 2. It's not Barrington, who was gearing up into an actual threat and who we had every reason in the world to slaughter. It's the guy your rival told you not to worry about.

Three really powerful fighters. We need to focus one down to win, that's it, and while that's stupid, I'll take it. We lose if Rapha dies - Rapha's a weak fighter, as ever, isolated and with a penchant for really unfortunate AI decisions.

Oh Rapha. No.

NO, RAPHA.

We get fortunate - they focus on the PCs.

Mercurio dies and gets revived. Then Portia down. Agrias is on the wrong side of the roof, thanks deployment column. Where's Selkie? Not here, because we get four deployment slots for some reason.

Fight over. We had One Portia Action to sway that differently.

Second attempt - we at least get a solid hit.

And that's the fight! That's the climactic final battle of Act 3. 'Pray you can deal 300 damage in an RNG-dependent space of time'. Either assassin could have finished Rapha off easily.

You know how we at least... you know, I'm not gonna say 'victory' for the ends of Acts 1 and 2 but at least we killed some guys, right?

Good.

But don't worry. There's still time for something
really
fucking
stupid.

At least Rapha is safe now.

Marach? Marach ain't never gonna be safe again. He's in Hell lmaooooo-

-oooo...

... ooo?

SHE IS RIGHT THERE.

these are synonyms

oh shit. Maybe this is the end - a fourth map, faced off against Rapha. That would be actually legitimately sad. I would care about something in this game. If the stones do the only reaction to grief that they ever do and grant the only power that they know and-

... and you know it isn't going to work out like that, do you?

Friends, SFsmen, followers, lend me your ears;
I come to bury the plot, not to praise it.
The evil that men write lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their drafts;
So let it be with the plot. The noble Tactics
Hath told you the plot was ambitious:
If it were so, it was a grievous fault,
And grievously hath Lions answer'd it.

Here, under leave of Tactics and the rest--
For FFT is a well-written game;
So are they all, all honourable games--
Come I to speak in the plot's funeral.
It was my friend, the last thing I cared for:
But Tactics says it was ambitious;
And FFT is a well-written game.

It hath brought something almost like 'story',
Which made one not swiftly quit in disgust:
Did this in the plot seem ambitious?
When that the poor have cried, the plot hath wept:
Stories should be made of sterner stuff:
Yet Tactics says it was ambitious;
And FFT is a well-written game.

You all did see that on the title
It marketed itself with Civil War,
Which the product did refuse: was this ambition?
Yet Tactics says it was ambitious;
And, sure, it is a well-written game.
I speak not to disprove what Tactics claims,
But here I am to speak what I do know.

You all did love it once, not without cause:
Even if Father Time has been unkind
O judgment! thou art fled to nostalgia,
And this game lost all dignity. Bear with me;
My heart is in the coffin there with the plot,
And I must pause till it come back to me.

I'm shook.

KILL COUNTER RECAP

In Act 1, we fought primarily knights, archers and black magi.

In Act 2, we fought primarily knights, archers and black magi.

In Act 3, we fought primarily knights, archers and black magi.

 

 

[Augestein]

38 minutes ago, Parrhesia said:

I genuinely think the game intends Marach to be sympathetic. It's that tonedeaf.

I honestly thought it was trying as hard as it could to make a parallel between Ramza / Alma and Marach / Rapha. With Rapha being the "Ramza" in the relationship, and Marach being the one that needed saving like Alma, but Marach didn't want saving. It's botched, and the whole part is stupid, so I really don't know, but that's the only guess I can hazard and that he's supposed to be relentlessly unbelieving of Rapha to be the opposite of what Ramza and Alma do. 

[Dandragon]

but y tho

 

EDIT: I HAVE SOMETHING TO SHARE WITH YOU ALL. SOMETHING IMPORTANT. SOMETHING THAT MAKES THE DUKE FAR FAR WORSE, AND THIS GAME FAR MORE EDGIER THAN IT NEEDS TO BE.

 

W H A T

Edited April 23, 2017 by Dandragon

[Parrhesia]

i did not know the above fact.

fuck final fantasy tactics.

[Mage Knight 404]

This fight can suck the hugest schlong in the slaying in this known universe. Absolutely heretical.

[Integrity]

6 minutes ago, Dandragon said:

but y tho

 

EDIT: I HAVE SOMETHING TO SHARE WITH YOU ALL. SOMETHING IMPORTANT. SOMETHING THAT MAKES THE DUKE FAR FAR WORSE, AND THIS GAME FAR MORE EDGIER THAN IT NEEDS TO BE.

 

W H A T

are you shitting me

[Mage Knight 404]

Oh fuck me.

There is no escape from sin.

[Integrity]

fuck fft, cosmically, in every possible way

[maybe]

are you supposed to feel bad for marach? and if so, why?

that's a genuine question, i actually can't tell. 

[Augestein]

To be fair, her age might not actually be 13 by the time you reach her, as walking on the world map passes time. She's set to be 3 years younger than Ramza, and IIRC she ages up 1 year because of Chapter 1. So it's not *entirely* accurate to say she's 13. Because she literally cannot be 13 by the time you reach her unless you cheated. 

[Integrity]

oh so she's 14 or 15, that makes everything awesome that her dad raped her in the past no worries mate haha

[Augestein]

2 minutes ago, Integrity said:

oh so she's 14 or 15, that makes everything awesome that her dad raped her in the past no worries mate haha

No. It means that she's literally any age but 13. She could be like 30 by the time you reach that part. It doesn't make it any better. Calm down. 

Edited April 23, 2017 by Augestein

[Integrity]

the story is divorced from the gameplay "time" mechanic dude

 

there is literally zero attention paid to the fact that mercurio is 20 or 30 or 50 years old when you get to any part of the plot

 

and even if any of that is true, rapha's dad rape is in the past, it happened at the ""same time"" regardless of how long you've spent fucking around on the world map between missions

 

she is thirteen years old, officially, this is the only statistic that matters unless you want to argue really hard that she's fourteen.

 

convince me otherwise, dude, go ahead. this is the worst form of writing.

[Dandragon]

yeah, no matter what, the facts are that A: the minimum age of her is 13, younger than a legal adult, and B: she is specifically mentioned to be raped in the past

you cannot defend this

[Parrhesia]

In any case Rapha will remain safe in our entourage for the rest of the game.

In other news, I've changed the title of the thread.

[Augestein]

1 minute ago, Integrity said:

the story is divorced from the gameplay "time" mechanic dude

 

there is literally zero attention paid to the fact that mercurio is 20 or 30 or 50 years old when you get to any part of the plot

 

and even if any of that is true, rapha's dad rape is in the past, it happened at the ""same time"" regardless of how long you've spent fucking around on the world map between missions

 

she is thirteen years old, officially, this is the only statistic that matters unless you want to argue really hard that she's fourteen.

 

convince me otherwise, dude, go ahead. this is the worst form of writing.

No it isn't. The game has moments where it forces the characters to actually age. Ramza cannot be 16 in Chapter 2 for instance. He's forced 17. And certain moments in the game pass time regardless of what you do. 

That's because time isn't the main bulk of the story. It's still there from walking around. I'm actually curious the lowest every age could be at this point. 

We don't know that. All we know is that it happened sometime in the past. One would hope she wasn't a complete child when it happened, but it still doesn't make the rape fine. 

No. She's base 13 age. She'd be 14 at this point. Because the game forces an age up for everyone. 

[maybe]

3 minutes ago, Integrity said:

there is literally zero attention paid to the fact that mercurio is 20 or 30 or 50 years old when you get to any part of the plot

mercurio should've had a birthday party the game would've been better

 

Just now, Parrhesia said:

In other news, I've changed the title of the thread.

thanks for acknowledging my suggestion, the new title is good

[Augestein]

2 minutes ago, Dandragon said:

yeah, no matter what, the facts are that A: the minimum age of her is 13, younger than a legal adult, and B: she is specifically mentioned to be raped in the past

you cannot defend this

Holy shit. Are you people thinking I'm actually defending rape? Like... I'm done with this topic. That's nuts. 

[Parrhesia]

Just now, Augestein said:

Holy shit. Are you people thinking I'm actually defending rape? Like... I'm done with this topic. That's nuts. 

I don't think anyone's saying that.

In any case IMO we're on the same side of the issue here and we should all take a deep breath and appreciate that Act 3 is, finally, done.

Updates will resume tomorrow on the normal schedule.

[Augestein]

Just now, Parrhesia said:

I don't think anyone's saying that.

In any case IMO we're on the same side of the issue here and we should all take a deep breath and appreciate that Act 3 is, finally, done.

Updates will resume tomorrow on the normal schedule.

Even still, it says a lot about people trying to act like I am, and that really doesn't sit well with me. All I was trying to do was stop more fuel being thrown on that fire and people just don't see to get that. 

[Parrhesia]

1 minute ago, unique said:

mercurio should've had a birthday party the game would've been better

Fun fact, Ogre Battle 64 actually has this mechanic! You get a party and everyone toasts to you and you get a present and after a certain point in the game they will give you an effigy of yourself which is the best weapon in the game.

Agrias gets a birthday party in WotL but due to Circumstances (it needs a ton of cash) I may not be able to showcase it.

[maybe]

1 minute ago, Parrhesia said:

Fun fact, Ogre Battle 64 actually has this mechanic! You get a party and everyone toasts to you and you get a present and after a certain point in the game they will give you an effigy of yourself which is the best weapon in the game.

this is a good game

[Augestein]

Just now, unique said:

this is a good game

It is. I recommend you play it if you haven't. I'd honestly say it's probably the best one in the series tbh. 

[Integrity]

5 minutes ago, Augestein said:

Holy shit. Are you people thinking I'm actually defending rape? Like... I'm done with this topic. That's nuts. 

i'm not saying you're defending rape directly, but please take a step back and look at this from a distance mate

 

ike: "she's not only raped in the past but she is thirteen"

augestein: "actually she was older than thirteen"

 

please process how this order of events sounds to me. please take a minute to read those words, in that order, and understand how utterly fucked up it sounds.

[Augestein]

Just now, Integrity said:

i'm not saying you're defending rape directly, but please take a step back and look at this from a distance mate

 

ike: "she's not only raped in the past but she is thirteen"

augestein: "actually she was older than thirteen"

 

please process how this order of events sounds to me. please take a minute to read those words, in that order, and understand how utterly fucked up it sounds.

It's fucked up that people would want to insist that's she younger. Think about that.