False Flag Attacks in Suikoden.

I imagine most here, if any, have ever heard of the Suikoden series. They used to be an excellent series of games, but have declined in the years. I have not played #5, and played only a bit of #4, but 1-3 are excellent games.

They also have probably the most riveting of plots of many RPGs. All three of these games also have false-flag attacks. I'll explain them, also kind of SPOILERS if you plan to play em, sorry.

Suikoden 1-Really not that present in the actual game, but more in the backstory. A number of years before the game takes place the Scarlet Moon Empire was at odds with the Jowston City-States in a long-standing war. The Emperor Barbarossa Rugner then wanted to push for a new campaign to push into Jowstone lands, however the long war had destroyed public opinion and he feared a revolt if he did. His strategist Leon Silverburg then suggested a plan. The plan was for Imperial Soldiers under the guise of Jowston soldiers would slaughter and destroy the town of Kalekka leaving no survivors, and then blame it on the Jowston Confederacy in order to push for war. The plan succeeded and the population became fiercely pro-war and lead to a failed campaign on Jowston territory that killed many soldiers on both sides. This also consequently lead to many of those who participated in the events becoming disgusting with the government and leaving or rebelling. This eventually lead to the creation of the Toran Liberation Army which in the game your character joins and free's the lands from the corrupt Scarlet Moon Empire.

Suikoden 2-At the start of the game you play as two young soldiers whom are part of the Highland Kingdom's Youth Brigade(!). You are camping out in the mountains and heading back home the next day, before you go to sleep you talk to many of your fellow soldiers and friends about how glad they are a peace treaty was signed between the Highland Kingdom and the Jowston City-States and to be heading home. You then go to sleep. However you wake up to what appears to be a surprise attack. It appears that Jowston soldiers sprung a surprise attack on the camp. Your commander, Captain Rowd tells you to flee to the forest as fast as you can. Once you reach the forest, your friend Jowy tells you that there is most likely an ambush waiting there as it is the only way out. You then head back to the camp to find everyone dead, except Captain Rowd. Captain Rowd is talking to a bunch of shadowy figures. It turns out that the shadowy figures were Highland Soldiers as well as the Crown Prince Luca Blight. Over the game you find out that Luca Blight, a beast of a man who hates the Jowston City-States from when he was a child and Jowston hired brigands attacked a caravan he was in and raped his mother in front of him, orchestrated the attack in order to start fresh the war against the Jowston City-States. He even states the famous quote "If a lie is never found out, it becomes the truth". This leads to a massive campaign against the Jowston City-States where countless villages are butchered in wholesale slaughter by Prince Luca. Prince Luca then poisons his father to become King and then uses the population of Muse City(capital of Jowston) as a sacrifice to his Beast Rune. It's a really great game and the plot is excellent as you eventually join the Jowston Confederacy and try to fight against the Highland Kingdom, it's a lot more complex and convulted story-wise then the first game.

Both games deal with a liberation army fighting off tyranny and the protagonists of both armies at the end of the game end up leaving their post as commander and the new nations become democratic Toran Republic(Suikoden 1) and Dunan Republic(S2)

Suikoden 3- A bit different. Without getting as indepth as the other two. In Suikoden 3 it goes with the Zexen Confederacy and the Tribes of Grasslands having a peace treaty with each other after skirmishes and border disputes for many years. The game takes place from three perspectives, a tribesman from Grasslands, a knight of Zexen, and a mercenary captain from Harmonia. It seems that the Zexans broke the deal by killing the leader of the Lizard Clan. This then escalates into a full blown war as villages are raided and burned to the ground and armies convene. Interestingly enough it seems that this is all being played by what appears to be a Harmonian agent trying to give a reason for the Holy Harmonia Empire to invade(largest empire in the game world). The Harmonian Agent actually turns out to be Luc(a important character in 1 and 2) and a illusionist runist whom used illusions to start the war. It also turns out that he is using these powers in order to gather as many nations into the war as possible(he is not working for Harmonia) in order to get as many True Rune bearers into the conflict(hard to explain, basically very powerful and rare runes, only 27 of them in the world) as wars tend to do. He then plans to gain these ruins and destroy them(which would imbalance the world as chaos and order are made unbalanced). Eventually all the powers join sides and defeat Luc.

Sorry if these were long. I just thought I'd write up about how a lot of video games really are quite minded for those who love Liberty. Another game I'd suggest is Mother 3, although I won't go indepth, is a very excellent game.