This was originally commented under TEC’s video on the matter, but apparently my comment got deleted and I got blocked by the channel. I haven’t written on the forum since the forum platform switch, so it has been a very long time and I’m kinda unfamiliar with the rules, if this isn’t something for this forum I would like to apologise in advance.
Since this is a controversial topic, I want to clarify that my goal is simply to articulate and share sentiments from part of the WT community that are often left unheard due to language barriers (With that said what I’m about to say still only represents my own thoughts and interpretations).
Ultimately I hope this can build some degree of understanding and facilitate some positive interactions between different parts of the community. This is fundamentally discussing the future of the game, I’m not trying to start or engage in political debates. All opinions are very much welcome, just make sure you’re respectful :)
Disclaimer: I am NOT trying to start and will NOT engage in drama or political debates, NOT trying to promote any actions which involve griefing or toxicity, NOT trying to justify the actions of others in the community, NOT trying to spread hate towards your average modern Japanese citizen.
Chinese player here, have been playing the game since 2016-17ish. Haven’t been following the controversy all too closely myself as I’ve been on a hiatus for quite a while, but I’d thought perhaps I’d share my two cents on the matter.
My interpretation is that a good portion of the Chinese community are unhappy not because Chinese exports are being added to another techtree, but specifically to the Japanese tech tree, given both the history of atrocities and how the modern Japanese government often chooses to address them.
To illustrate why this bothers a lot of Chinese people, it would be like if modern Germany constantly attempts to downplay or outright deny their atrocities during WW2, paint themselves as the victims, and continue to honor Nazi figures as national heroes and martyrs (Look no further than the Yasukuni Shrine and the prime minister’s annual tributes). In that context, it would likely leave a bad taste to see vehicles of nations which were victims of Germany during WW2 placed under the German tree. Even as exports, the association could still bother people given the historical baggage.
But of course, it again comes down to the question of how much of the real world/politics should we bring into a game. On one hand it is just a video game and shouldn’t be taken all too seriously, but on the other War Thunder’s genre as a game inherently invites these kinds of discussions and associations.
At the end of the day, I don’t think there’s a single “right” answer nor is there a perfect solution. Everyone will draw their own line between enjoying a game for what it is and feeling uneasy about how history and representation are handled within it. Hence all I can and will do is to engage in conversations in a respectful and constructive manner.
If you made it this far, I appreciate you for taking the time to read what I have to say, thank you o7