Funny how that works, né? Or, if something changes and you don’t want it anymore, sell it on. However, recognize that you have options, whether or not you like them is your lookout.
A long time ago I just stopped caring about the fluff completely and just play it as a cool game with awesome models.
I mostly came to the conclusion that while CB created a really good world to play in, they're just not good at telling their own stories within it. I hope we get more installments of Outrage, or at least more graphic novels written by people outside of CB.
So first lets get some facts rolling: The state empire didnt do these things, crane agents working for the ISS did bad things. There is no mention of genocide, they even specifically state that there still are Japanese living within the empire. Admittedly there life is even worse but they arnt being executed. Now some contemporary politics to frame how all of this doesn't mean that the entire empire are Evil: Torture is morally wrong, and illegal under international law. In 2003 the CIA was instructed to set up black sites in foreign countries with the sole mission of detaining and torturing combatants captured in Afghanistan. Im not going to debate any of the politics surrounding this, Im using it to make the point that just because the government, had some government employees commit torture, doesn't reflect on the rest of society or the other government agents who do not engage in such activities. In this way the state empire is a very grey entity, and not the pure evil that some people have decided to read into the fluff presented.
Now imagine 2 or 3 years where 95% of what you hear about America is the CIA and torture. No cheeseburgers, no coca cola, no Hollywood movies, no the Alamo, no rodeos, no Bed Bath and Beyond, no Disney World, no Starbucks, just the CIA and torture. It's all so tiresome.
To win against a rebellion like this, you need to win hearts and minds. The statement that the Crane agent quoted made is incredibly counterproductive towards that. Either the writer is incompetent and thought that's how you win against a rebellion, or the writer is competent and intended for Yu Jing to be incompetent. Pick one. Handwaving it away via meaningless "not what I see in it" platitudes is excusing bad writing.
Depending on your situation, culture, political climate, military prowess and many other factors, establishing absolute military dominance might be a good way to "win" hearts and minds. It might also be a good way to legitimize one's right to rule. In any case, there is no one and only way to quell a rebellion.
"Absolute military dominance" generally does not involve massacring civilians unless your goal is extermination of the populace in question. The description given of Yu Jing in the article that Interruptor posted is one of incompetence and powerlessness - hardly appropriate for a faction that's supposed to be a contender for #1 power of the sphere.
If they crush the rebellion by force it will serve as an example for future uprisings and strengthen peoples trust in the military/emperor. It's not like those filthy Japanese were worth anything to begin with, right?
Yeah, sure. Groupthink mentallity. Totally out of the question enough is enough and you could consider to stop beating the dead horse already. *looks at the page count* Page 100 should have done it in that regard, no? Heck I feel embarrased to call myself a YJ Player after sifting through all this whiny bullshit. News flash, CB is in fact the highest authority on Infinity. Who'd have thought? It is however entirely correct in portraying the usual ISS Operative's thinking. The state apparatus doesn't discern in between citizen and military secret police. A generous dose of intimidation and brainwashing is applied to everyone to see what sticks. It's only natural the ISS's perception of morality gets diluted when execution on the spot or turning people into Kuang Shi is daily buissness. You can't properly comprehend the mentality of someone who's daily work is state sanctioned killing from your position as an armchair general able to take a break from Infinity whenever he wants. Maybe YJ High Command deemed it neccessary to project strength as a means to uphold stability. To protect the nation might have been a much higher priority than to preserve separatist lives in the millions to uphold humanist appearances. Maybe they do not care at all to appear evil as they have more urgent things to do. Maybe things look entirely different from a YJ internal point of view. Maybe this is just a tabletop game and you didn't take things serious enough to properly think this through. Who knows? Still no book so far.
That is not necessarily true, the "hearts and minds" is probably the best and longest lasting way to beat a rebellion. the other method is to do exactly what it looks like the ISS is doing, the brutal suppression of all rebels and sympathizers even alleged ones with the idea that they will lose support out of 1) fear that support will bring death/ruin/imprisonment upon you and your family, and 2) attrition, the dead and imprisoned can offer no aid. given Yu-Jings governing philosophy is one based on Confucian principles with the government as a stern paternal figure its not wholly surprising that they opt for the heavy handed approach. I will grant that some of this is open to interpretation but after rereading the agents comments specifically "...Show them the cities leveled into tombstones for the insurgents" he is calling out the JSA the "insurgents" as the target of his ire; granted he may have a very broad view of what that means but we have no indication that he is talking about the entirety of the Japanese ethnic group in Yu-Jing territory only those in open rebellion against the state.
Mate, that’s your headcanon. Never mind that it conflicts with, ya know, the actual published background. Used to have much respect for you but you’re apparently just trolling now.
Funny that folks might think that the company that created and designed the game are the highest authority on it... or that the game designer (both rules and story) might have the final say... truly mind boggling...
What do the Imperial Service and Party see as winning? They already despised the Japanese populace and used them as cannon fodder at best. Why should they care about winning hearts and minds when all they want is to pacify the area?
I think you are overlaying a bit much 40k on here, even in an empire of millions, killings and unpersonings literally every day all across its jurisdiction wouldnt be feasible. A lot of the ISS duties will be literal police work and investigation, hence units like Kanren. They wont be sending kuang shi and combat cats into crack houses then executing the survivors in the alley out back. That shit will be saved for literal subversive foreign agents so and domestic terrorists. The forces we play with in the game arnt the everyday shit. If I remember correctly most of the higher tier agents went to law school in order to even be an agent and I dont think yu jing is some crime ridden dystopia like megacity 1 where on street executions are the norm in order to save time and money. Its a dystopia like all the other factions in their own way but you dont get to be number 2 by being asian space brazil with that butchers its citizens on a whim.
Maybe mixed lists are being removed for a reason. Have you not been paying attention? The list that individual provided points to just playing JSA and embracing their limitations
Their objective would be order both in the short and long term, which works out better when the people dont see you as someone who's old holdup is where the mass grave is going to be and how much infrastructure can be sacrificed and not affect production in a meaningful way.
No, he's roleplaying as a Speculo impersonating a Kempei impersonating a Crane Agent. Or the Crane Agent is actually a saboteur deliberately acting to present Yu Jing/ISS as incompetent and evil.
