Final Fantasy Tactics: No War But Class War - Miscellany

Technically, the last video in the FFT: No War But Class War series, an assortment of different pieces which weren’t able to be effectively integrated into the previous videos, but were still worth discussing.
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Sources:
Final Fantasy Sale Data: vgsales.fandom.com/wiki/Final...
Kinsella, Thomas. Ed. The Táin: From the Irish Epic Táin Bó Cuailnge. New York, Oxford, 2002.
Mackillop, James. Dictionary of Celtic Mythology. Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1998.
r/finalfantasy poll: / the_most_political_fin...
r/JRPG poll: / the_most_political_fin...
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Photos
"Cuchulain in Battle", illustration by J. C. Leyendecker in T. W. Rolleston's Myths & Legends of the Celtic Race, 1911
Cúchulainn’s battle rage, visualized by Irish illustrator Stephen Thompson.
Smite Wiki - Cuchulain
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[@Flargenyargen]

Awesome stuff. Thanks for all the analysis!

[@StudyofSwords]

Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed them.

[@mikhailagray7519]

I want to thank you for making these videos. I missed Tactics, and I think playing it now while being able to look at it through this lens really makes the background richer than just the surface of the story that I would have just seen. I honestly think everything IS political, including things that we don't call 'political'. Everything makes a statement, especially when it says what everyone thinks. That said, "I'm Captain Basch Von Ronsenburg of 'DalMAScaugh'! Don't Listen to Ondore's Lies!"

[@StudyofSwords]

Hey it's been my pleasure, as I said at the outset, Tactics has been a formative media property and that I've been able to make some videos taking about them, and that people actually watched, is very gratifying. Cheers!

[@Miraihi]

About the definition of "Political": I'm sure that some people aren't going to call a piece of art "Political" if it has nothing to do with present-day politics (From their subjective point of view). Probably that's what you also meant though :D I remember myself struggling with the definition of "Politics" even during my years in university.

[@StudyofSwords]

It's a naïve/coy/deliberate obfuscation of "Keep (the worldview which criticizes/challenges mine)politics out of [media type]), but this absolutely does tie into the way people understand politics and this is usually predicated on their understanding of contemporary federal/state politics in their own country.

[@keith3051]

Dude great job on this series well done keep it up

[@StudyofSwords]

Hey thanks for the kind words! This will be the last video game focused content for the foreseeable future, but I hope you enjoy what's to come.

[@ParagonSLC]

I had always felt that Ramza respected Milleuda, especially as a warrior. Maybe gross or low, but Ramza’s criticism/critique of Weigraf’s methods and vision were appropriate, especially in contrast to Milleuda.

[@StudyofSwords]

Well that's it - once Ramza realized he was the bad guy, that the Corpse Brigade were right to fight against the nobility - watching Wiegraf become corrupted by the same system he (and his sister) fought to overthrow, then he could at least justify his disappointment in Wiegraf to himself.

[@ParagonSLC]

@@StudyofSwords I don’t see that exchange as self-justification but probably the only real way to possibly appeal to him effectively. I suppose the difference in our perception is how virtuous we believe Ramza to be. It feels as if Ramza got way more out of his choices than he anticipated. I think the problem is trying to parce out his sentiment.

[@kofvscapcom]

It is kinda sad they changed the tone of the tactics series so much afterwards. And Ogre Battle is dead too, but hey, Triangle Strategy looks promising.

[@StudyofSwords]

Yeah, as much as TA and TA2 did add some interesting mechanical elements to the franchise, on the whole the were disappointing as a follow-up to Tactics proper.

[@Kuudere-Kun]

I love Final Fantasy XII, it's like Star Wars but good. On the Political Video Games subject, have you seen Sorting Algorithims video on Bioshock Infinite?

[@StudyofSwords]

Yeah I won't disparage people who enjoyed XII, just didn't do anything for me. I have not, no. Never played the game either though.

[@Kuudere-Kun]

@@StudyofSwords Well it's a good video that you don't need to have played the Games to get, I hadn't.

[@PCJBGaming]

Put these on Spotify daddy

[@StudyofSwords]

I'd be lying if the thought hadn't come up before, or if you were the first person to mention it. I guess the idea of producing content centered on visual media sort of necessitates being able to reproduce the visuals? Still, it is something worth considering! Cheers.

[@PCJBGaming]

@@StudyofSwords That's what I was thinking when I was typing that. Your videos are pretty damn good references to go along.

[@puddle7136]

Why do you consider FF12 to be your least favorite in the franchise?

[@StudyofSwords]

Good question. Fundamentally I think it is a combination of the characters not being especially memorable, a charming sky pirate and Vierra notwithstanding and finding the over all narrative forgettable. It may have also had some extrinsic factors; that I loved Tactics as much as I did while getting this as the mainline version of Ivalice. And that l started playing the game when I was approaching my nadir of enthusiasm for gaming as a hobby. I mean, with that said, I can understand why people do genuinely enjoy it.