I made a zero-combat character!
I grew up killing monsters in videogames and believe I'm a better person because of playing JRPGs. However, for a lot of people, killing even in a game is not something they wish to do.
I've given peaceful games a try myself, and find that I'm in a much healthier state of mind!
So, I wanted to combine my enjoyment of peaceful games with FFXIV and see if it is possible. I'm happy to report that I'm having a lot of fun, and I highly recommend trying it out!
Since you can't play gathering/crafting without completing the level 10 combat job quest, I used a story & job skip from the online store. (I wish they would change this, so that peaceful players can try out the game without such a large purchase)
Here is some information, in case some one else wants to give it a try or recommend it to a friend:
:) You are probably going to live in either the firmament or the gold saucer, but I highly recommend gathering with the UI turned off and seeing the world with new eyes!
:) Leves in ARR are not possible, but are accessible for all other expansions!
:) Ventures and retainer jobs/glamours are unavailable, because combat is required to unlock this feature. I haven't really missed it to be honest
:) You can unlock the chocobo saddlebag by starting the related quest and stopping before the combat part (it will stay in your journal forever)
:) Tribal quests require combat to unlock, unfortunately
:) You can't access the current expansion facets, scrip items, and master books
:) Most useful crafting recipes utilize items obtained from combat (i.e. treasure map drops, leather), so I found crafting furniture to be a good source of gil
:) You won't be able to get an apartment due to a requirement to complete hunting logs, but you can get housing through the FC system
:) It's harder to level an FC, but still really doable. The fastest method is probably using the ability to instant-HQ items 10 levels below yours and mass crafting HQ items, since you can't use simpler methods like green gear turn-ins
If you are playing from a "do no harm" perspective:
:) There are a surprising number of vegan CUL recipes, even for firmament turn-ins!
:) You won't lose too much by skipping your gatherer/crafter job quests, if they don't align with your lifestyle (i.e. CUL, WVR, MIN, etc.) -- you can just unlock the job at the guild and never go back!
:) Obtaining furnishings with skybuilders scrips is a good alternative if you are agonizing over using fleece from killed sheep and similar mats (I originally justified it by pretending that the wool was obtained without killing the sheep, but then I looked up the wool industry and discovered that male sheep are neutered with rubber bands and some other awful stuff and I got really sad)
I hope this helps someone! I wanted to write it up, since I couldn't find a post like this before trying it out myself. Hope you all have a great holiday if you are celebrating, and a happy and peaceful new year :)