Trans Representation in Final Fantasy XIV: The Importance of Inclusivity in Gaming

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Originally Posted by Hurlstone

Oh no... oh no... having flashbacks to the last time a thread like this popped up... first time I ever had to use the ignore list function… is this the same OP as then? I fear that one was a troll who just used the LGBTQI+ community as a shield to wind people up. Now really I should ignore this thread and move on, but if the fire is already burning then I may as well add to the fire and add my two-cents!

Trans rights are human rights. If Yoshi or any of the writers want to add a trans character/story into the game that would be awesome, especially in a time where trans rights are more under threat then ever. You can say we have already had hints of such things, what with the Dotharl and their believe in reincarnation to different genders and the current event butler saying something like “Women want to be her and men want to be with her, and many the other way round too!” but as usual, we do not want a character that is just one trope. We would want said character to be as fleshed out as any other in the game etc. And yeah, I get that as the game is from Japan and such issues are not be as common/talked about there but that does not mean Japanese LGBTQI+ people do desire reconnection in such stories, they exist in such places too! (Didn't the PM of Japan just fire ones his aids over homophobic comments?)

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But gender is not an issue in Eorzea or anywhere else in the FFXIV-World. Why make it one there, only because it is one over here?
One could argue that by not having any gender stand out, the world's representation of gender is as optimal as it can be, since people stand out for their actions and actions alone. Or am I missing something? Is it not inclusive, if people do not care at all about gender?

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Originally Posted by Xelanar

But gender is not an issue in Eorzea or anywhere else in the FFXIV-World. Why make it one there, only because it is one over here?
One could argue that by not having any gender stand out, the world's representation of gender is as optimal as it can be, since people stand out for their actions and actions alone. Or am I missing something? Is it not inclusive, if people do not care at all about gender?

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True for the most part, its one of the reasons I love the cast actually as it avoids allot of the male/female stereotypes that JRPGs can sometimes be guilty off. Gender does still effect some cultures in the game though. Again I point one of my favourite zones the Azem Stepps, where there is a whole male tribe the Buduga, whose leader will not even talk to your WoL if they are female. Then there are the Viera, who traditionally have a matriarchal society where the men are more nomadic defenders who only return to the villages to mate. That could be an interesting thing to explore, what if a trans Viera wants to go out and be a woodland defender with their brothers but feels they cannot due to being born female? Side quest like that could be neat. Plus we know bigotry still exists in Eorzea, take for example the gay couple who identify with the Tonberry due to the things they have experienced.

Of course no one is really ‘demanding’ such stories. The themes of FFXIV are welcoming enough, and I think its one of the reasons why alot of LGBTQ folk call the game home. I just do not think it would hurt if we get a few more stories and characters with such themes over the next decade or so.

A random question, does anyone know if Fantasia are actually 'canon' in the game?

I'm buying the Harry Potter game. :eek:

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Originally Posted by Jybril

I'm buying the Harry Potter game. :eek:

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Have fun with its crappy magic system which Dragons Dogma a game that released 7 years ago had a much better system for it.


Actually just play Dragons Dogma, its such a fun game honestly.

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Originally Posted by Hurlstone

A random question, does anyone know if Fantasia are actually 'canon' in the game?

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https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...sia-Canonicity

At least a decent discussion on it, but it is considered part of lore. Canon? Maybe not, but not everything has to be canon in a game and frankly irrelevant with meta objects like Fantasia.

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Originally Posted by Hurlstone

A random question, does anyone know if Fantasia are actually 'canon' in the game?

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While glamour prisms have come up in the story before (at least once, in Stormblood), fantasias have never been mentioned.

Then again, part of their description involves reality warping, so even when someone does change, nobody would notice anything unusual anyway.

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Originally Posted by Hurlstone

A random question, does anyone know if Fantasia are actually 'canon' in the game?

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They must be.
Like glamour and aetherites, fantasia is something that exists ingame. It has an item description that implies it must exist somehow:

"Legend states that any who drink this mysterious liquid before lying down for the evening will awaken a new man (or woman).
Grants you a single opportunity to edit your appearance in the character creation screen upon your next login. "

Of course, only the first sentence is relevant for the sake of argument ^_^.
Also you are rewarded a fantasia as quest reward for finishing the ARR quest line, and quest rewards are usually something, your character actually receives.

The roleplaying community might think differently about this, but until now devs have been making sure, ingame items are available lore-wise, so I'd have no reason to believe fantasia to be an exception.
But also from a story perspective, there is no reason why it should not exist. Nothing that specifically contradicts the ingame existence of fantasia.

There are no official details about this as far as I know, though.

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Originally Posted by Atelier-Bagur

Have fun with its crappy magic system which Dragons Dogma a game that released 7 years ago had a much better system for it.


Actually just play Dragons Dogma, its such a fun game honestly.

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Idk based off the hands on preview each seem to be in agreement that the combat is one of the best parts of the game. So might be pretty solid.

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Originally Posted by Jybril

I'm buying the Harry Potter game. :eek:

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Lol knew it would come up. Let's sling spells in joy.

Why does a Videogame need to make Trans People feel Accepted and Validated?

Beefy Demolisher......ok, yeah. GG
Welcome back Titanman. We needed a Break from a Certain other user here.

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Originally Posted by SweetestLily

They are and they did.

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You are objectively wrong. They look similar but there are several differences. Dismissed

OP, if you're gonna troll at least try a little harder and not copy/paste the same response to everyone lmao.

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Originally Posted by DamianFatale

This comment was completely unnecessary, and comes off as transphobic.

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Here we go. Here we go. Offended yet? Stop being a weirdo over three words.

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Originally Posted by FireMage

You are objectively wrong. They look similar but there are several differences. Dismissed

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How could you, I can't live another day without the glorious approval of Firemage Li. Im devastated.

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Originally Posted by Hurlstone

A random question, does anyone know if Fantasia are actually 'canon' in the game?

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The only 'canon' we can know in-game is that which shows up in The Unending Journey. It is there that the actual Warrior of Light appears. If one uses a Fantasia, the Warrior of Light becomes that new person, from the initial cutscene in-game to the last cutscene recorded.

Oh lord here we go again. Can we just stop with this nonsense and people wanting to shove their opinions in our face

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Originally Posted by Zanarkand-Ronso

Why does a Videogame need to make Trans People feel Accepted and Validated?

Beefy Demolisher......ok, yeah. GG
Welcome back Titanman. We needed a Break from a Certain other user here.

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Why does a video game need to make _______ feel accepted and validated? It's a video game, if a piece of media doesn't cater to your niche then why crusade against it? You know, you call them ____, but does that make it okay to ruin their established norm and treat them as the "bad guys"?

Feel free to fill in the blanks. What a thread, lmao.

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Originally Posted by FireMage

You are objectively wrong. They look similar but there are several differences. Dismissed

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For shits and giggles cause I don't see care to point out the several differences minus clothing, voice, and role.

Idk I feel like what's more important is that a character is good. Don't matter if they're black, white, straight, gay or trans. None of the story care about any of those later aspects. You ever see anyone refer to Raubahn as black in the story? Kan E Senna as white maybe? Any couple in the game as gay (and can't say oh if they're with the opposite sex they're straight, bi people exist and many could be n we'd never know).

This isn't the Sims. XIV is already (imo) the most diverse game out there. Asking for even more just to feel validated is a bit much. They're already unlocking gendered gear (something evidence would show they don't like doing but do it to sate a certain group). Representation has really taken a turn over the years with how people are so adamant about it.

Don't feel too proud about getting the community to implode on itself and fighting each other...we are already triggered about literally anything.

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Originally Posted by Renalt

Don't feel too proud about getting the community to implode on itself and fighting each other...we are already triggered about literally anything.

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*pulls trigger*
I like skub.

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Originally Posted by Raoabolic

*pulls trigger*
I like skub.

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Et tu Raoabolic?

*dies*

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Originally Posted by Renalt

Et tu Raoabolic?

*dies*

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*places the single can of used skub on the corpse*
https://i.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/...1/320/skub.GIF

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Originally Posted by Demolisher

it is important to remember that forums are a platform for open discussion and exchange of ideas

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It is important for you to understand that the "General Discussion" subforum is largely unmoderated and infested with trolls. You won't ever have any kind of worthwile dicussion in here. At least not beyong the first 2 or 3 pages.

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Originally Posted by Renalt

Don't feel too proud about getting the community to implode on itself and fighting each other...we are already triggered about literally anything.

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Getting the forums to implode is as simple as mentioning the ancients, depression bird, or Zenos in nearly any context imaginable. People here seem to be allergic to others disagreeing with them. Kinda makes the amount of effort the OP put into this one seem wasted, if you think about it.

The above aside, I think we should all take a moment to appreciate how ChatGPT has made the OP appear rather articulate even when delivering magnitude 10 asinine commentary.

To TC -

I just don't see how it would work. Trans just doesn't seem to be a thing in the FF14 world.

Heck, until modern society in the last few decades the technology to transition wasn't viable.

I don't see how this could fit into the FF14 lore since if a person uses magic then it's not the same as trans. They're literally just changing with a flip of a switch and that may be seen as offensive to try and attribute that to trans who have a far harder time transitioning and can't just fully transition over without great issue/effort. Even then it doesn't change the advantages/disadvantages they gained from their biological gender.

You know, if you think about it, representation is already insanely high. How many people have a Fantasia addiction, and how many of those Fantasia addicts are constantly swapping their characters' genders back and forth?

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Originally Posted by Atelier-Bagur

Have fun with its crappy magic system which Dragons Dogma a game that released 7 years ago had a much better system for it.


Actually just play Dragons Dogma, its such a fun game honestly.

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only if you knew about the mmo for dd but hey we are finally getting a 2

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Originally Posted by Absimiliard

Getting the forums to implode is as simple as mentioning the ancients, depression bird, or Zenos in nearly any context imaginable. People here seem to be allergic to others disagreeing with them. Kinda makes the amount of effort the OP put into this one seem wasted, if you think about it.

The above aside, I think we should all take a moment to appreciate how ChatGPT has made the OP appear rather articulate even when delivering magnitude 10 asinine commentary.

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Zenos did nothing wrong. Fight me.

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Originally Posted by Greyhawk

https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...sia-Canonicity

At least a decent discussion on it, but it is considered part of lore. Canon? Maybe not, but not everything has to be canon in a game and frankly irrelevant with meta objects like Fantasia.

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Cheers for the thread link, and all the replies! Interesting. I suppose it is best to think of it as a more non-canon thing, but who knows if it will stay that way.

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Originally Posted by Tanis_Ebonhart

To TC -

I just don't see how it would work. Trans just doesn't seem to be a thing in the FF14 world.

Heck, until modern society in the last few decades the technology to transition wasn't viable.

I don't see how this could fit into the FF14 lore since if a person uses magic then it's not the same as trans. They're literally just changing with a flip of a switch and that may be seen as offensive to try and attribute that to trans who have a far harder time transitioning and can't just fully transition over without great issue/effort. Even then it doesn't change the advantages/disadvantages they gained from their biological gender.

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I do not think it would be a far stretch to think that tarns people could exist in Eorzea. Plus it depends on if you class a trans person as someone who medically transitioned or not. Trans people, and those of none-conforming genders, have existed throughout history without said medical assistance. As a cis(?) guy I am not really in a place to say if the ‘magic to transition’ trope really counts/helps, however both Guild Wars II and Elder Scrolls Online have had characters seemingly transitioned using magic, and it counting as an actually gender change. The latter in particular worked very well with the character of Alchemy, and her quest was one of the highlights of the Summerset expansion.

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Originally Posted by Antharaes

If done correctly, crunchy, but not much meat on them.

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I’ve heard they taste like shrimp. Cicadas also taste like shrimp.

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Originally Posted by Naraku_Diabolos

I’ve heard they taste like shrimp. Cicadas also taste like shrimp.

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*comes back to life because of 3rd party haxs and wakes up with a tub of skub on his chest*

What the hell is this? Eh...anyway...

I'm not brave enough to test out of bugs taste like shrimp.

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Originally Posted by Renalt

*comes back to life because of 3rd party haxs and wakes up with a tub of skub on his chest*

What the hell is this? Eh...anyway...

I'm not brave enough to test out of bugs taste like shrimp.

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Id try it!
But, Id have to not know what it is ahead of time, and it needs to be presented in a cool way.....you just show me the bug, Im out.

I had a lollipop with a scorpion embedded in it once. It was smokey. Can't really say much about flavor since it was buried in the rest of the pop.

Meh. If you've ever ate a hotdog. You've eaten bugs before :P

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Originally Posted by RitsukoSonoda

Meh. If you've ever ate a hotdog. You've eaten bugs before :P

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Please don't do this to me...

Never research how processed meat products are made unless you're absolutely sure you really want to know.

Is it too late to call this thread troll bait?

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Originally Posted by Naraku_Diabolos

I’ve heard they taste like shrimp. Cicadas also taste like shrimp.

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Cicadas are my friends and roaches creep me out too much to find out if this is true.

I can't even try those lollipops with the bugs inside of them.

I would like people to keep their political, social, sexual and racial issues out of video games.

Is that really too much to ask for?

We are here to have fun, in an alternate world that DOES NOT NEED real life issues being dragged into it.