TheMarbleNest

I suppose for myself, I have a hope for it to break both from the actions and words the Watcher can offer regarding the disparity in the castes - as well as people like Tekehu. Those forward thinkers who, while dedicated to the Huana people, can still see potential for change. And more so, are willing to strive towards that despite the likelihood of it being a difficult road. In the end, should the Huana grow beyond their traditionalist caste system, I believe they would be far better off for the struggle than they might be under the thumb of the VTC or RDC. It may not be change that is quite so... immediate, as the other two might offer/force upon them. But it may pay off far better for the whole of the Huana people, over the long term. Of course, I may simply be just as naive as my first Watcher! But it's the hope for a better future, free of conquerors, that would push me towards supporting the Huana efforts over the rest... while none-too-subtly badgering them about the problems their caste system presents.

Those were all unfortunately the reasons I could not side with the other factions, either. At least not without compromising both my, and my first Watcher's, morality. While the RDC may come off as wanting the "best" for the most people, @thelee hit it well in that: In the end, I believe all the factions truly are only looking out for themselves and their interests - what sets them apart is how much potential there can be for growth, and the betterment of the entire Deadfire as a result of that growth. I feel the Huana may have the most potential for this growth, with the Principi a close second. VTC cares too much about money, though it is unfortunate the sciences and research of animancy are tied up so intimately with them (my Watcher supported animancy in PoE1, despite the multitude of problems it had). The RDC does not offer much opportunity for change and betterment, at least not outside the scope of Rauataians > everyone. Though all of this is from the viewpoint of someone who did not push many of the faction quests, and who in the end chose no one. Perhaps my opinions of them may be a bit different, had I grown more familiar with the companies through their various tasks and stories. As it was, I think I only pushed the Huana story above any others. All I know is I really did not like the utter chaos that descends on the Deadfire if you choose no one to help. Huana are no more perfect than the others, but I suppose in the end - it comes down to how much potential one sees in a faction, and which faction most closely aligns or garners the empathy of a particular Watcher.

I'm thankful for the discussion in this thread, as I am planning to do a much fuller (and less rushed) replay of PoE1 and 2 - and I was curious what faction to actually support once I hit Deadfire again. I did not support any faction on my initial playthrough... and thus the ending where the Deadfire slowly descends into chaos left a bad taste in my mouth. I was more concerned with finishing the game and seeing the endings for my companions, than allying with any one faction. All of them had major flaws I couldn't reasonably condone, but I also did not do many quests for the factions to begin with. I am trying to keep Deadfire and its decision options in mind as I plan my next playthrough. It may help me to not make a Watcher who is so benevolent and uncertain that she allows chaos to reign just because she doesn't feel able to make a decision for so many people. The Huana caste system was one of the major things about them that bothered me, and was what prevented me from fully supporting them. The political assassinations of the RDC, however, shocked and appalled me. Vailians seemed too concerned with coin above all, and pirates are... well. Pirates. All of the factions are severely flawed, but after reading through this thread, I feel I have a better grasp of the pros and cons of each than I did on my initial run through.