Current Events > It's 2023, do you still think Marche is in the wrong in FFTA? SPOILERS

(+) Yeah! (+)

During the game's prime, many have said Marche is the bad guy or in the wrong for wanting to destroy a made up reality where his friends all thrived positively.

His brother Doned is sickly and handicapped
His friend girl Ritz is mocked for having White hair
His friend Mewt was heavily bullied at school
Mewt's dad is a scrub that gets no respect

In the Fantasy world that Mewt conjures up, all 4 of the people are healthy, strong and respected. Marche himself actually enjoys the fantasy life as well being a guild member, going on adventures and having friends like Montblanc but still realizes he needs to escape the fantasy world and come back to reality.

FFTA is basically just a retelling of Evangelion's themes. And much like before there is a large contingency of people who hate that "stop being delusional, live in the real world" is a message.

Marche was the adult, children hate adult logic. Marche was right.

He is the villain, yes.

I think the game would have done a better job if it showed the consequences of becoming a fantasy. Like hammer home that at some point this will end. Or that it causes a drain on reality. Or that people who had good lives in the real world had godawful ones in Ivalice.

Marche was the adult, children hate adult logic. Marche was right.

That's supposed to be the message. But without any consequence of the fantasy, there's no downside

Let's not get this twisted. Marche was also very much a bitch beta cuck who lacked confidence in the real world and he very much enjoyed the fantasy life just like his friends.

Also once Mewt's dad was exposed to the memory of his real reality, he also took in Marche's side.

Goldice posted...

That's supposed to be the message. But without any consequence of the fantasy, there's no downside

The issue is very self explantory.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/7/1/1/AAAHH2AAErAH.png

VeggetaX posted...

The issue is very self explantory.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/7/1/1/AAAHH2AAErAH.png

It's escapism when it's a virtual world or something you will eventually have to leave. And refusing to leave it causes your real self to diminish as time in the real world moves forward. However, FFTAs world is akin to jumping to a new world or dimension. It's an illusion... but not at the same time.

At the end there isn't any sort of consequence for the world shown. Time has not passed. Their real selves are pretty much the same. They keep telling us that this is unhealthy, but they never do the leg work to show exactly how it could be. Like yeah Newt isn't dealing with the reality of his life. But... if this world continued to exist, wouldn't that just be his reality anyways?

Goldice posted...

At the end there isn't any sort of consequence for the world shown

Marche and his buddies got it good. Everyone else was turned into a zombie or something.

I never believed Marche was wrong. I've always been on his side

Goldice posted...

At the end there isn't any sort of consequence for the world shown. Time has not passed. Their real selves are pretty much the same. They keep telling us that this is unhealthy, but they never do the leg work to show exactly how it could be. Like yeah Newt isn't dealing with the reality of his life. But... if this world continued to exist, wouldn't that just be his reality anyways?

But wasn't that only the case after they restored reality? If they didn't, the rest of St. Ivalice would still be trapped in Mewt's fantasy

Tyranthraxus posted...

Marche and his buddies got it good. Everyone else was turned into a zombie or something.

True I forgot some of the enemies had the names of the snowball fight bullies. That at least was good.

isnt their fantasy world filled with war and death and monsters eating people? Its just that the 4 main characters are doing well for themselves?

radical_rhino posted...

isnt their fantasy world filled with war and death and monsters eating people? Its just that the 4 main characters are doing well for themselves?

Correct. It's just like how little kids will envision themselves in the military doing awesome things while being completely oblivious to the implications of the whole affair when it relates to anyone else.

didnt they have to come out and reveal the fantasy world was just fine in the next game meaning it was indeed a real place with real people

"i think there for i am" these ppl can think do they not deserve to live to

the game could have explored these ideas of 1 worlds survival vs another

but it chose to go for a you can live in fantasy moral

which ehhh what does that even really mean

some ppl would say writing fantasy at all is living in fantasy

ppl have tried to push playing DnD is living in fantasy

that moral is so broad ppl can slap it onto any situation

Goldice posted...

True I forgot some of the enemies had the names of the snowball fight bullies. That at least was good.

But then you have characters like doned that now have the ability to walk, and people like babus were given life when they were originally inanimate objects. And people like Montblanc and his brother didn't exactly lead terrible lives so it's still hard to see that Marche is entirely correct. Because there are people that seemingly didn't exist in the other world that now do, and he's willing to destroy that without consideration of them.

It's a typical false utopia plot so of course Marche is correct.

AceMos posted...

didnt they have to come out and reveal the fantasy world was just fine in the next game meaning it was indeed a real place with real people

"i think there for i am" these ppl can think do they not deserve to live to

the game could have explored these ideas of 1 worlds survival vs another

but it chose to go for a you can live in fantasy moral

which ehhh what does that even really mean

some ppl would say writing fantasy at all is living in fantasy

ppl have tried to push playing DnD is living in fantasy

that moral is so broad ppl can slap it onto any situation

With almost everything, there's gotta be a balance and moderation in it.

Zikten posted...

I never believed Marche was wrong. I've always been on his side

I dunno buddy you didn't seem to have a strong positive opinion on him before

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/560436-final-fantasy-tactics-advance/48388199

Arguing that Marche was the real villain was always silly.

Its funny though, people often criticize FFTA for having a childish plot, yet the game focuses on some pretty deep themes.

Tanthalas posted...

Its funny though, people often criticize FFTA for having a childish plot, yet the game focuses on some pretty deep themes.

TBF, some who said this was just really comparing it to FFT. FFT's lore and plot was so fucking deep that even FFTA's plot came off childish but yes you are right, FFTA has some pretty deep themes.

VeggetaX posted...

With almost everything, there's gotta be a balance and moderation in it.

you side stepped everything i brought up

hell the game also wants to push you have to confront your problems

but that rarely acomplishes real problems

take ritz her problem is she is bullied for her hair and being good at school

this is a very complicated issue and the game really does not address how to solve her problem

see the confront your problems narrative often ignores something most problems in peoples lives come from things out side their control

The game isn't about to show you how to solve your life problems. The game is about saying running away from your problems and using an unhealthy level of escapism IS a huge problem in itself.

Ya gotta remember these are fucking kids and they have their whole life ahead of them. Shits gonna get tuff but we gotta pull through and the good times will show themselves. The ending positively showing the characters finding self affirmation and confidence back in the real world.

Right, but the problem is that the story really misses the notion of scope. The world actually changed. If it was a video game, I think Marche would have had more of a point, but it's a real world now. Sure, breaking the world at the seams gave them their old memories back, but imagine if Marche was wrong, and all he did was destroy reality?

That would be horrifying. And what I don't understand, are why your clan units are willing to do this to themselves. Who are they? What do they fight for?

ArtiRock posted...

But then you have characters like doned that now have the ability to walk, and people like babus were given life when they were originally inanimate objects. And people like Montblanc and his brother didn't exactly lead terrible lives so it's still hard to see that Marche is entirely correct. Because there are people that seemingly didn't exist in the other world that now do, and he's willing to destroy that without consideration of them.

I'm not 100% sure but I keep seeing people say this dream ivalice existed before and after Marche and friends.

VeggetaX posted...

The game isn't about to show you how to solve your life problems. The game is about saying running away from your problems and using an unhealthy level of escapism IS a huge problem in itself.

Ya gotta remember these are fucking kids and they have their whole life ahead of them. Shits gonna get tuff but we gotta pull through and the good times will show themselves. The ending positively showing the characters finding self affirmation and confidence back in the real world.

but they are not in escapism its more like saying they moved to another place and things are better for them in this other place

and yea see just tell ppl to face their problems with out offering a sollution is a problem in of its self

its easy to say just say things wlil get better you just have to face your problems

but you need actual solutions

why should ritz give up a life where she is happy and accepted to go back to a life she is miserable and bullied in

she is not in some VR world refusing to leave she is legit in another world with real people who accept her

For Ritz, she is already confident in herself against anyone. Her problem isn't the bullies, it's her own insecurities(with her hair). Self-acceptance is also one of the big themes in the game. There isn't a structured path for that, it's something you gotta learn for yourself.

Funny thing is, the message of the story is pretty severely undermined by the postgame, in which Marche and Ritz - arguably the two who had the most going for them in the real world - get to keep farting around in Ivalice indefinitely, while Mewt and Doned get to eat shit.