Occurians, great plot twist or just Sci-Fi rubbish?

So what were your thoughts on the twist with the Occurians, did you feel they added to the drama or did you feel that they sort of just took away from the political drama?

They WERE the political drama. Heck; there wouldn't be a reason for the story if it wasn't for them. It just wouldn't happen - they were at its core the whole time.

The Occuria underline the most central theme of the game which is how the past controls us. While it is confusing to think "why did they just vanish after the Cryst was destroyed?" that is part of why I like them. if they were your typical gods then they wouldn't be nearly as fascinating. They don't rule through direct force or truly enslave and oppress humans - they are more a caretaker or an invisible leash. Once you break the shackles, you are free. Free from the past.

I don't man, still doesn't explain why they didn't put up more of a fight. Do you feel they were benevolent or tyrannical? Did they control the world because they simply believed only they could guide the lower races to prosperity due to arrogance or was their control more nurturing, waiting for the day the races of Ivalice would evolve enough to free themselves?

Well they haven't done any fighting at all for millennia. Maybe they simply can't anymore or maybe it's a rule. Like Fran said, Giruvegan alone has enough Nethicite to destroy all of Ivalice.

I view them as more benevolent than tyrannical. Fact is, they don't really do much - they only step in at the most extreme circumstances. Multiple non-Occuria sources confirm that back in the day the entire world was in strife and chaos and then the Occuria gave the Nethicite to Raithwall and then there was a golden age of peace and advancement for years and years. The events of the game are similarly a very extreme time for the planet so the Occuria got involved again.

Do they go overboard? Probably. They definitely view themselves as better than other races. On the other hand, they are in fact immortal so they have a legitimate claim to that belief. They know more about the world and the history of its races than anyone else.

First legitimate plot twist I've witnessed in a game for a long time. I did not see that coming. I was staring at the screen with my best WTF face during their whole reveal.