What I have a problem is people changing the theme of the story in order to justify accusing Joel of being selfish. When I answer the question, I answer in line with the narrative and the narrative is that Joel is a Father and made a Father's choice. To suggest he should have considered saving humanity over saving his daughter is both irrelevant and insane. If that WAS the narrative it would have been cliqued, something a young person would write because they think they've cornered the market in virtue. They think it's 'deeper' to think in those terms but it's much 'shallower' than to consider the complexities of humans and how relationships change over the course of our lives. These things take 'experience', the other takes just five minutes of listening to the contestants in a beauty pageant. 

I'm not sure if it was adressed already, however, but I wanna clear a misconception that I read a few pages earlier. There's no recording whatsoever of other infected people like Ellie being present, or to the Fireflies' knowledge. The recordings you people allude to are referring to Ellie herself.

It gets confusing because Naughty Dog butchered a bit the time between Joel gets knocked out (in real life, such a knock out would make you wake up in a matter of minutes, but Joel spends approximatedly hours unconscious) and when he wakes up. Marlene's notes, and the surgeon's, are referring to Ellie alone.

That does not change my choice, however.

Glad to see there is still a tiny little bit of good sense still remaining. Killing a child as in sacrificing him/her is wrong always and no matter what.

I know this is only just some thread on some website on something that is not fundamental: Video games, no big deal here, no definitive commitment and all that stuff, but I think this is symptomatic of some deeper issue inherent to human nature. Civilization is but a veneer, a way to fool ourselves into thinking we are such a great species, sentient, evolved, kind... But take away this veneer and we are wild, violent, corrupted, ready to kill anyone (including children as this thread so eloquently demonstrates) should it fit our agenda and on top of that we will bullshit ourselves into BELIEVING we are doing the right thing and if someone calls that out like I did, well, we all saw what happened to me these past couple of days. It seems that calling people out on their bullshit is the same as insulting them. Of course implying that I am insane by using my nickname against me, that's not an insult or a personal attack, of course not. Just to be clear I don't care much for that nickname thing being used against me, I replied to that in a previous post. It's just the twisted logic here of a certain idiot with too much powers on his hands, though to be honest I should thank that idiot cause I know now what to do...

So I guess that's it, just wanted to add a conclusion to this debate. Now if you'll excuse me, I have this one way ticket to oblivion and I sure as hell don't plan on missing it.

Cheers everyone

CG2017

User was banned for this post. - Pemalite

Gosh, I find your attitude incredibly sanctimonious and annoying:

"I'm answering according to the narrative thus my opinion is better than yours".

Give me a freaking break. I can't even believe we agree that Ellie was the better choice. I don't really care about what the narrative for the game is. The OP asked a question and I answered it and gave my justification for it. Did you see any part of my original comment talking about what the narrative of the game was?, no? then why the hell are you replying to me with such nonsense?.  In answering the question, I don't care about the original narrative or what you think a young person would write (weird tangent btw). I choose to save Ellie because they had 0% chance of making a vaccine considering the context of the situation. That's it.

Look, I haven't been following this thread for a few days now and if I've taken your comment out of context, I apologise. I just get a bit sick and tired of people (not just on here) forgetting the context for Joel's actions. The whole narrative built to the question of a lie and the ambiguity of 'OK'. That was the big revelation here, not whether Joel should have 'saved humanity'. 

I believe you were banned because you demonized people. You stepped way over the line by inviting me to go rape and murder a hot girl, why I called you crazy, not because of your views. Happy back to back ban to you.

Yes. Maybe guilt but no regret.

My child literally means the world to me, so if the world is the price to save my child, so be it.

Yes it is selfish, I don't care, it's my child.

I could accept sacrificing myself, but my child?

Awesome, awesome game. It made me shed real tears when I sacrificed Chloe but it was definitely the right choice. Never really realized how similar the ending of that game was to the ending of this one. The decision of losing one person whom you loved to save others. I think Chloe had some say in that ending but I still think the same logic applies here.

Joel should have done his job. There was no decision for him to make. He grew too attached over the course of their year and made it personal. Worst delivery boy, ever. 

Thank you for that. I understand becoming frustrated in a forum argument. It has happened to me more times than I care to admit. I think I understand what your views are. It's just that I interpreted the OP's question as to having you use your own views, disregarding Joel's journey/narrative and putting yourself and your views in that moment.

Ok,

1) She was not his daughter.  

And 2) You are forgetting that, in order to save her, he had to murder a bunch of people in cold blood.  A bunch of people that were there risking their lives trying to prevent others from enduring the same pain that HE endured. Trying to prevent other parents from having their daughters to die in their hands like happened to him.  And he murdered them all.

Is that your definition of "nice people"?