Certain problem for a small group of players.

Ok, about to kick a hornets nest and open myself up to massive amounts of flaming. I understand ff has a lot to do with gods etc and so forth but Ive played up to 37 and so far really enjoy this game. The magic and casting hasn't been an issue for me there's plenty of non magic classes. But there's sections of this game where your forced to offer a prayer or perform a certain ritual in this game to a god. While i understand this is a video game and not real for those of us with hard religious restrictions it makes parts of the game people can normally over look hard to play. i'm not saying remove these from the game but perhaps give us a do "Do Nothing" option for these types of events to let us bypass these sorts of things and have a better conscious in our actual lives and still be able to enjoy the game like everyone else.

I agree, as a Christian those times made me cringe as well, a do nothing option would be nice, I wished I had an option to choose no deity in the create a character section as well.

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Not to dive into spoiler territory, but I'm sorry to say this, you either get used to it or stop playing now. The entire lore of the game is rooted in spirituality of some form or another.

it's a FANTASY game. if you can't separate FANTASY from REALITY, then that's your problem imo.

While FFXIV does a great job of being inclusive of all cultures and beliefs through its events, gear, and communities - it is still based on a central mythos and is set in a reality different than our own. Inclusiveness can go to the extreme; however, and it is a line any type of fantasy entertainment needs to tread carefully. For instance, you cannot progress very far within the game as a pacifist or animal right's activist. Should we also demand the ability for someone to progress through ARR, HW, SB, ShB simply by leveling up a crafter/gatherer without any Main Story Quest whatsoever? The role of The Twelve, the Primals, and rituals play a central role in the lore of the game.

I guess it is understandable if one goes into a game with the proposition that the character they are playing is themselves; however, they are playing themselves within the reality created by the game. Within this reality, the mythology, flora, and fauna are different - as is the concept of magic and other fantasy-based components. Is it not fair to at least surmise that when one chooses to play a game, they must at least be willing to accept the substitution of their given mythology with that of the game's mythology? That of course is different from the moral/ethical beliefs and values inherent in one's being and actions. I mean, when it comes down to it, drinking a vial of liquid provides you with the opportunity to change every physical and metaphysical component within you - and that certainly does not seem based in any reality outside of fantasy.