History YMMV / BluePlanet

** Also, ''Delenda Est'' to an extent, mainly because a leading amount of factors [[http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=80146.0 still being investigated]] made it UnwinnableByMistake, [[spoiler: even though it's supposed to be [[UnWinnableByDesign failed in]] [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption the first place]].]]

*** It doesn't help that you most often notice this during or shortly after an incredibly frustrating sequence where [[spoiler: you have to destroy all 4 main beams of two Deimos corvettes (which have the second-best antifighter defences of any FS2 capital ship), both of which are parked next to a number of Aeolus cruisers (which have the best antifighter defences of any FS2 capital ship). To make matters worse, the beams are small, hard to see, can only be fired at from a few positions and they are only 4 of the 8 beam cannons on the ship (destroying the other 4 doesn't really help, and there's no way to tell which is which other than placement).]]
*** Two missions in Act 3, first is ''Everything is Permitted'' which is a StealthMission where there is seemingly many possible ways to complete the mission and the game don't directly tell you how. The other is ''Her Finest Hour'', in which there are so many secondary objectives that can get players overwhelmed, and so many buttons to press. In both cases however, these are more [[GuideDangIt confusing]] than NintendoHard.

!!FanFic/BluePlanet

* SceneryPorn: Go play any of the Earth Missions in ''War in Heaven''. The view of Earth is beautiful. That is of course, after you may have been a bit weary if you saw the consequences of failing ''Good Luck'' in ''FreeSpace 1'' during ''Age of Aquarius''...

!!{{Blue Planet}}

** The final mission of ''War in Heaven'' Act III, called "Universal Truth". '''''All of it!'''''
--->"Run. Do not turn around. Run toward the light. If you turn around you will never see anything again. JUST ''RUN!''"
** [[spoiler:EVERYTHING IN UNIVERSAL TRUTH]]

* AlasPoorVillain: You may feel this way hearing the intercepted LastWords of some enemies.

*** It doesn't help that you most often notice this during or shortly after an incredibly frustrating sequence where [[spoiler: you have to destroy all 4 main beams of two Deimos corvettes (which have the second-best antifighter defences of any FS2 capital ship), both of which are parked next to a number of Aeolus cruisers (which have the best antifighter defences of any FS2 capital ship). To make matters worse, the beams are small, hard to see, can only be fired at from a few positions and they are only 4 of the 8 beam cannons on the ship (destroying the other 4 doesn't really help, and there's no way to tell which is which other than placement).]]

* HighOctaneNightmareFuel: [[spoiler:EVERYTHING IN UNIVERSAL TRUTH]]

* NightmareFuel: ''War in Heaven'' does not sugarcoat [[WarIsHell war in the slightest]], and some of the mid-battle dialogue can get downright horrifying, particularly when it references the fates of unlucky civilians who happened to be in the area.
-->"WARNING! INTERNAL TEMPERATURE AT 27,000 DEGREES! DEPLOYING DISASTER BEACON!"
-->-- Automated transmission from a ship gutted by a GTVA beam cannon

-->"Run. Do not turn around. Run toward the light. If you turn around you will never see anything again. JUST ''RUN!''"

* MagnificentBastard: Admiral Chiwetel Steele. Full. Stop.

** Also, ''Delenda Est'' to an extent, mainly because a leading amount of factors [[http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=80146.0 still being investigated]] made it UnwinnableByMistake, even though it's supposed to be [[spoiler: [[UnWinnableByDesign failed in]] [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption the first place]].]]

* PlayerPunch: ''And how!'' Most notably [[spoiler:the 14th battlegroup seeing the ruined alternate universe Earth for the first time]], [[spoiler: seeing again how Samuel Bei lost his wife and his mother]], [[spoiler:the murder of Elder Taudigani]], and [[spoiler:Admiral Steele executing his XanatosGambit against the player's task force]] and finally [[spoiler: the last minute HeroicSacrifice of the Yangtze]].

** Subverted in that many players consider it to be one of the best missions ever made.

** This was, incidentally, absolutely intended by the writers, who wanted to portray a war in which there is no obvious "good" or "bad" side.

* IdiotPlot: The end of ''Age of Aquarius'', and subsequently ''War in Heaven''. Mainly, the fact that the GTVA decided it would be a great idea to launch a full-out invasion of Sol and conquer it by force. Why this is at all necessary is beyond any and all common sense (given the Second Great War, Sol and the UEF would be an extremely valuable ally to have, and the UEF would have major incentive to integrate into the GTVA peacefully); it's ''likely'' that the UEF would willingly integrate into the GTVA peacefully. Even if it refused to do so, the UEF could just be close allies with the GTVA, which could work just fine, and might even lead to peaceful integration eventually anyway. Regardless, there's no way the vast majority of the 14th Battlegroup would hear about this ''standing order'' and actually follow it. The absurdity and insanity of such an order would be readily apparent to them all, and it would certainly be even ''more'' anathema of an idea to the 14th after all they went through, seeing Earth and Sol wiped out entirely by the Shivans. Such an order might even be seen as ''unlawful'' according to the BETAC, and any war would certainly be completely counterproductive to the GTVA's top priority of being prepared for any Shivan incursion and eventually being capable of defeating them outright. When Admiral Bei reports the status of the 14th Battlegroup, ''and'' says that he cannot in good conscious obey that standing order--asking Command to reconsider the order--it makes no sense for Command to reiterate the order; a quick and decisive victory is no longer possible, and may not even be necessary (and GTVA forces might seriously protest against such an invasion). Thus, the war no longer becomes ambiguous, as the only ambiguous part is the fact that most of the GTVA forces seem to be good people. Which, of course, makes the lack of mass resignation/defection all the more bizarre--as well as the lack of any consistent and true attempts at a ceasefire or negotiations from either side.
** It also contradicts the characterization of the GTVA established in FS2; the "standing order", as well as its reiteration after Admiral Bei's report and request, completely contradicts the GTVA's generally benevolent nature--even if it does some pretty shady things when deemed necessary or worth the potential massive gain, invading Sol/the UEF without any attempt at negotiation or even communication is ''beyond absurd''. It goes beyond "highly immoral" and goes deeply into "completely impractical" and even "extremely stupid and irrational". The UEF was not at all hostile, was likely very open to the idea of peaceful integration, was ''definitely'' willing to do cooperation, and had not committed any harm or negative acts upon the GTVA, and had a powerful military force. ''Why weren't they viewed as valuable allies against the Shivans instead of target for immediate invasion?''

* CrowningMomentOfFunny: "MEDITATION WIDGET! YOUR BIOMETRICS SHOW INCREASED HEARTRATE, NOEMI. WOULD YOU LIKE A [[EverythingsCuterWithKittens KITTEN PICTURE]]?"