Idea To Help Ukraine

Closed topic

I feel like while terrible things are happening, I don't particularly want to be reminded of them in a game where people use to temporarily escape such IRL issues.

There are a lot of charities you can donate to if you want to help, and if SE was keen on doing this, they could donate a portion of their overall cash shop proceeds, which would be a much larger chunk of change. We don't need special items. I turn off the tv and turn on the game as a reprieve from seeing the pain these ppl are experiencing so I can keep at least some vestige of hope.

I'd rather not see a precedent set where each time something bad happens in the real world, Square Enix are pressured into weighing in on complex geopolitical issues and creating digital items.

I think that if people want to donate to something that they see as a charitable cause, there's very little stopping them from doing so. They simply need to look for a reputable charity and then donate.

If you really want to help Ukraine, fly to Ukraine and join their militia.

This sort of thing is always suggested during similar happenings and never goes through. If you're sincere in your desire to help though (and not someone's throwaway alt just looking to stir the pot), just donate to a charity and cut out the middleman.

I think SE would rather not take a political stance with their game.

Zepla has been active in promoting various charities and will supposedly be doing some charity streams herself via her Twitch channel. I'm sure she will. Probably hard to get set up currently. If you want to lend a financial hand through the FF XIV community, can't do it much better than doing it through Zepla in some way currently. I will provide the links to both sites below. I can't really help myself, but I will do what I can to spread some awareness!

https://www.twitch.tv/zeplahq

https://twitter.com/Xepla

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Originally Posted by snakedotnet

Hello FFXIV Community Members,

I've had idea for couple of days now which I will be sharing here and hopefully it could get some attention and make it possible to implement. Lets start with the idea:

It would be great to add some sort of cosmetic item into FFXIV store which would represent and show support to Ukraine (It could be something as Ukraine Flag tattoo or else) and the money received from that cosmetic would go towards helping out Ukraine throughout their hard times now.

What does the community think of this idea please let me know.

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Only way to stop Russian is Ukraine to drop the idea of join NATO.
Entire Ukraine is just another Cuba missile crisis, same as US doesn't want USSR missiles at Cuba, Russian doesn't want NATO missiles too close to Moscow.
US will actually invade Cuba if USSR didn't stop.
It is the only way, but can you do that?
Majority of Ukraine want to join NATO, how are you going to address this issue?
Russian certainly won't stop until they force Ukraine to promise not join NATO

Instead of investing toward the potential glam I’d just take whatever money it’d cost and send it to a related charity instead. This plan sounds like donating but with extra steps.

God please stop

Like all #IStandWith_____ empty causes and all the way back to #Kony and beyond... can we stop with the meaningless in game slacktivision please?

If you really want to help, donate to the Red Cross / Red Crescent / whoever, but please for the love of baby kittens, please stop bringing this stuff into the game.

There is enough media saturation and even outright propaganda right now outside it.

I remember back when Japan had that big earthquake in 2011, World of Warcraft had a minion you could buy and 100% of the proceeds went to the Red Cross's Japanese relief efforts. So, this type of thing is not unheard of.

The in-game item or reward doesn't need to have anything to do with Ukraine however; in fact, it's probably better if it doesn't and makes sense to show up in the game's world. It can be anything that players will likely want to purchase anyway, but this way they are further incentivized knowing that their money will go to a good cause.

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Originally Posted by AnimaAnimus

if SE was keen on doing this, they could donate a portion of their overall cash shop proceeds

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I really don't like this idea, because as long as it's only "a portion" and not 100% of the income then Square Enix would basically be profiting off of death and destruction. Alternatively, I would suggest maybe they temporarily highlight a selection of items from the MogStation and say "for this month, all proceeds from these items go to Ukraine relief." Or -- and I don't know if it's possible -- they could do something like "for this month, the next MogStation item you buy, whatever it is, 100% of the cost goes to charity." There are probably other good ways of doing it as well, but just not anything that involves them skimming off the top of the purchases to make it a profit deal.

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Originally Posted by Shibi

Like all #IStandWith_____ empty causes and all the way back to #Kony and beyond... can we stop with the meaningless in game slacktivision please?

If you really want to help, donate to the Red Cross / Red Crescent / whoever, but please for the love of baby kittens, please stop bringing this stuff into the game.

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I mean, it's not "slacktivism" if it actually results in donating money to a real charity. The idea behind in-game rewards being tied to a charitable donation is it incentivizes more people to give, where perhaps they might not have. I'm sure there are a ton of players who would see a cool glam or a cute minion, and say "OMG I WANT IT" and buy the thing, even if they don't care enough about Ukraine to donate otherwise. Or there's probably people who are thinking "Hmm, maybe I could donate some money to help, maybe I'll do it later, not sure how much, or how to do it... meh, I'll figure it out later," and then never do. But you show them a fancy minion that tells them directly "Here, this is the way. Pay for this thing, we will donate the money for you and you get a fun prize as well as pat yourself on the back for doing the thing. Easy peasy." Call it cynical, call it selfish, I don't care. It works.

Won’t help all that much, not until governments get some backbone and stop offering “strong words” and actually do something. There is no point to being in NATO, it’s proven they’re all inept.

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Originally Posted by AlyaNimfa

Won’t help all that much, not until governments get some backbone and stop offering “strong words” and actually do something. There is no point to being in NATO, it’s proven they’re all inept.

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A tiny problem with that Rambo.

http://www.todayifoundout.com/wp-con...sar-bomba1.jpg

Anyway, this is another virtue signaling thread that needs deleted.

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Originally Posted by Conundrum

A tiny problem with that Rambo.

http://www.todayifoundout.com/wp-con...sar-bomba1.jpg

Anyway, this is another virtue signaling thread that needs deleted.

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Yeah, but it's fine for countries to invade though. Also, wtf is a rambo?

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Originally Posted by AlyaNimfa

Also, wtf is a rambo?

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https://media.giphy.com/media/TBOvwBGkQShnq/giphy.gif

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Originally Posted by Shibi

If you really want to help, donate to the Red Cross / Red Crescent.

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I just made a donation to Red Cross:D

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Originally Posted by Fyrebrand

I remember back when Japan had that big earthquake in 2011, World of Warcraft had a minion you could buy and 100% of the proceeds went to the Red Cross's Japanese relief efforts. So, this type of thing is not unheard of.

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Natural disasters are very different to complex regional conflicts, however. Especially if a business chooses to weigh in on some and not others.

S/E is not going to be involve with politics, especially when Japan still having dispute with all of its neighbors, including Russia.

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Originally Posted by Fellgon

I just made a donation to Red Cross:D

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Does it mean as much if you have to announce it? I mean, are you trying to help people in crisis or get a pat in the back?

Also, it’s like people forget this is the general discussion of a video game forum. Not off-topic snd definitely not your social media account

How about Square Enix doesnt pick political sides and we can just keep playing the game without being reminded every 5 seconds about the horrible things going on in the world?

I play this game to get away from it all not to bombard myself in terrible world events.

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Originally Posted by Fyrebrand

I mean, it's not "slacktivism" if it actually results in donating money to a real charity. The idea behind in-game rewards being tied to a charitable donation is it incentivizes more people to give, where perhaps they might not have. [...] Call it cynical, call it selfish, I don't care. It works.

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I think it's a difficult thing because it sets a precedent. Create a minion to support one worthy cause or disaster and the next time one happens, they either have to do it again or look like they don't care about it as much as the other thing.

There's already a similar kind of issue going on with the housing timers spending more time paused than active as yet another regional disaster prompts them to halt the system again – but for them that's just a matter of hitting a switch and frustrating a few players looking for houses, not something they actively have to put work into.

If they were on the same kind of expectation with charity minions then that would be adding more unscheduled work for them every time something happens, and we'd get a pile-up of permanent minions for temporary disasters.

The best option if they ever did want to do a minion might be a single "all proceeds to Red Cross" minion that never stops directing funds to some aspect of the organisation's work, even if the specific cause ceases to require funds. But that still raises the question of how many charities are deserving of such representation, and which ones.

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Originally Posted by Theodric

Natural disasters are very different to complex regional conflicts, however. Especially if a business chooses to weigh in on some and not others.

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Exactly.
Floods, droughts, tsunamis, earthquakes, tornados... these are things that occur naturally and while civilization in general does affect some things in part, it's not something where you have an aggressor. There are no sides to take, there are no underlying complicatd geopolitical issues. They're natural disasters that occur from time to time.
Supporting charities that take care of the victims is simply helping innocents that were caught up in something nobody was responsible for.
Taking a side now means they will eventually get pressured into taking a side on similiar issues and they are never black and white. What if it's a case where it's extremely difficult to know which side to support? SE will get pressured into chosing one regardless. Being for one side means being against another and I completely understand if a gaming company, that primarily aims to entertain and offer people a place to escape reality for a bit, wants to remain neutral.
FFXIV has players from all across the world and while civilians are not their country nor responsible for the decisions of their leaders, it's also understandable if they're uncomfortable if SE is openly against "their" country. SE is still a business and that means trying to avoid stepping on too many toes by bringing geopolitics into their game.

That's not to say a gaming company isn't able to donate to charities like Red Cross to help victims that got injured, lost their homes etc. but announcing they're taking a side like that isn't something I can see them do. Everyone is still free to donate to reputable charities if they want to offer some support, with or without SE.

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Originally Posted by Fyrebrand

"Hmm, maybe I could donate some money to help, maybe I'll do it later, not sure how much, or how to do it... meh, I'll figure it out later," and then never do. But you show them a fancy minion that tells them directly "Here, this is the way. Pay for this thing, we will donate the money for you and you get a fun prize as well as pat yourself on the back for doing the thing. Easy peasy." Call it cynical, call it selfish, I don't care. It works.

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so you want SE to basically make a minion that not only trivializes the tragedy going on but also enable people to keep turning a blind eye to it for a virtual item? sounds great!

btw it doesn't work, if anything it just makes people only donate if there's something in it for them -- you know an idea against the notion of charity

yelling at a game company to make an item so you have a "reason" to donate is just about as effective as slapping the flag colors on your character in the name of support. just donate to a charity directly, or even if you don't want to send yourself to the front lines I'm sure there's local organizations you can spend your time in to volunteer - such as packaging first aid ect.

Why do these real world issues always seep into the forums? Is it because people think it's easy upvotes and attention? There are so many ways you can genuinely help and I know on most of these post the op has not donated to a single charity for the tradegy they are using for clout.

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Originally Posted by Fyrebrand

I remember back when Japan had that big earthquake in 2011, World of Warcraft had a minion you could buy and 100% of the proceeds went to the Red Cross's Japanese relief efforts. So, this type of thing is not unheard of.

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That was an awesome thing for them to do, no doubt. The decision to do something like this is a lot easier when it's in response to an event not related to governmental actions such as we're seeing in Ukraine. If I were SE, as much as I may want to help, getting involved in something that's so closely tied to sensitive politics is touchy.

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Originally Posted by Divinemights

S/E is not going to be involve with politics, especially when Japan still having dispute with all of its neighbors, including Russia.

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Nor do I want to see it do that. It's bad enough that there has already been some in prior instances - the less of it, the better.

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Originally Posted by Rilifane

Exactly.
Floods, droughts, tsunamis, earthquakes, tornados... these are things that occur naturally and while civilization in general does affect some things in part, it's not something where you have an aggressor. There are no sides to take, there are no underlying complicatd geopolitical issues. They're natural disasters that occur from time to time.
Supporting charities that take care of the victims is simply helping innocents that were caught up in something nobody was responsible for.
Taking a side now means they will eventually get pressured into taking a side on similiar issues and they are never black and white. What if it's a case where it's extremely difficult to know which side to support? SE will get pressured into chosing one regardless. Being for one side means being against another and I completely understand if a gaming company, that primarily aims to entertain and offer people a place to escape reality for a bit, wants to remain neutral.
FFXIV has players from all across the world and while civilians are not their country nor responsible for the decisions of their leaders, it's also understandable if they're uncomfortable if SE is openly against "their" country. SE is still a business and that means trying to avoid stepping on too many toes by bringing geopolitics into their game.

That's not to say a gaming company isn't able to donate to charities like Red Cross to help victims that got injured, lost their homes etc. but announcing they're taking a side like that isn't something I can see them do. Everyone is still free to donate to reputable charities if they want to offer some support, with or without SE.

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It hasn't always stopped them in the past, but at the same time these issues are complex, not all their customers will agree on them and in some cases they may just be acting on very surface level understandings of the topic that turn out later on to be much murkier. It's why generally speaking I wish they'd just stick to what I pay them for and not feel the need to inform me about their "official" position on every conceivable thing.

A cosmetic in the shop isn't going to help Ukraine. If you really want to help them, urge the politicians in your country to lend their support, and send angry letters to media outlets that spread anti-Ukranian propaganda. We don't need Ukraine in Eorzea any more than Ukraine needs Russia in their country.

A company like SE would have absolutely no business "taking a side" in that kind of conflict.

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Originally Posted by Theodric

Natural disasters are very different to complex regional conflicts, however. Especially if a business chooses to weigh in on some and not others.

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This isn't just some "regional conflict".

For almost everyone else except Putin and his "entourage" this won't feel much different than a natural disaster, as soon as it concerns your life: It is a catastrophe (caused by one maniac) that unleashes upon peoples heads without their consent and will. No decent human being can approve with what is happening there.

And you can't expect any actions or statements from SE. But no one will stop us, the players, from showing support for Ukraine.

Suggestion: Let's do some "blue & yellow glam days"!
I'm already wearing an outfit in these colours; I think it's Othard Blue dye and Honey Yellow dye. These dyes aren't expensive. For Honey Yellow you need Yellow Pigment (Miner) from Lower La Noscea/Cedarwood or (as a Botanist) from North Shroud/Peacegarden (suitable name). For Othard Blue it's Blue Pigment from either Western Thanalan/Nophica's Wells (MIN) or Eastern La Noscea/Bloodshore (BTN). And any lvl30 crafter can craft that.

I'm ready to gather and craft more of these and hand out the dyes for free, but I will not spam in-game messages like "get blue and yellow dyes for free" (I still hate spamming).

I'd love to see many players in blue and yellow for a while.

Regards
Qujah

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Originally Posted by Qujah

This isn't just some "regional conflict".

For almost everyone else except Putin and his "entourage" this won't feel much different than a natural disaster, as soon as it concerns your life: It is a catastrophe (caused by one maniac) that unleashes upon peoples heads without their consent and will. No decent human being can approve with what is happening there.

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Yep. This is everyone's problem, whether they realize it or not. Doesn't matter if they live a few miles from Kyiv or up in the Yukon area of Canada. The ramifications are huge, and that is why there is so much outpouring of support for Ukraine right now. They are a democracy under attack by a dictatorship. That is not okay.

I'm sure many of the people here are well aware of the consequences of war, especially since Europe in particular has been forced to endure the long term ripple effects that arose from previous conflicts that - quite honestly - should never have happened in the first place.

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Originally Posted by snakedotnet

It would be great to add some sort of cosmetic item into FFXIV store

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You should not be given memorabilia when people are living in crisis.

This is so insufferably insensitive.

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Originally Posted by Qujah

This isn't just some "regional conflict".

For almost everyone else except Putin and his "entourage" this won't feel much different than a natural disaster, as soon as it concerns your life: It is a catastrophe (caused by one maniac) that unleashes upon peoples heads without their consent and will. No decent human being can approve with what is happening there.

And you can't expect any actions or statements from SE. But no one will stop us, the players, from showing support for Ukraine.

Suggestion: Let's do some "blue & yellow glam days"!
I'm already wearing an outfit in these colours; I think it's Othard Blue dye and Honey Yellow dye. These dyes aren't expensive. For Honey Yellow you need Yellow Pigment (Miner) from Lower La Noscea/Cedarwood or (as a Botanist) from North Shroud/Peacegarden (suitable name). For Othard Blue it's Blue Pigment from either Western Thanalan/Nophica's Wells (MIN) or Eastern La Noscea/Bloodshore (BTN). And any lvl30 crafter can craft that.

I'm ready to gather and craft more of these and hand out the dyes for free, but I will not spam in-game messages like "get blue and yellow dyes for free" (I still hate spamming).

I'd love to see many players in blue and yellow for a while.

Regards
Qujah

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no one is stopping you from wearing Ukraine flag colors in game lol just don't act as if this is making a some sort of impactful difference.

also Theodric never said it was "just" a regional conflict lol don't put words in his mouth. Come on now you know his point is very well that giving aid to natural disasters vs political conflicts are two very different ball games

I saw someone ingame wearing the flag colors and my immediate thought was "damn they repping Snow White". Slacktivism at it's finest!

While I understand wishing to support Ukraine ingame, you must understand this very important thing: imploring for cosmetic memorabilia to support Ukraine does not look good. It's entirely bad optics. The people who wish to support Ukraine are doing so already, and the people who don't care enough about it would simply buy it as yet another glamour item to add to their glamour dressers.

If you wish to support Ukraine with funds, donate to charities. If you wish to support Ukraine with actions, they've suspended Visa requirements for those wishing to enter Ukraine and assist in the conflict. Join up with organizations such as Red Cross, help with getting supplies to them. If you're in Europe and have the capability, open up your home or business to refugees fleeing the crisis. That is how you can help.

Edit to add: those are not the only options, before anyone acts like I'm saying these are the only options. But I'd like to say something: wearing blue and yellow reminds me of those who put up black pictures on their instagram during BLM protests. It was tone deaf and the people at protests weren't "emboldened by the support." It's something you do when you want to act like you're making a bigger impact than you are. The people of Ukraine deserve more than your avatar standing around wearing blue and yellow. Do better. Use your voice. Use your actions. Be proactive, make sure you know what is going on. Reach out to Ukrainians personally, send over money and aid to families.