As it's Valentione's Day, I ask do we even need in-game marriage; period!

[stephenjd3]

I can say the same thing though, let heterosexual couple marry in game only, its a god damn game, if people don't want to play it for that reason forget them.

you misunderstand, there's no argument over whether heterosexual couples can marry, there not a group that will be forgotten, by letting heterosexuals only marry, the LGBT community is neglected, but by catering to both, no one is neglected. So the best approach in my opinion giving all groups equal opportunity.

I personally will play the game either way, but it be nice to see Homosexual couples be able to marry each other. Its a big step for SE to take, but more people will respect them for it.

[Tahldon]

Well, why not change the specifics of the entire system so that it includes people of both genders without the controversial meaning of "Marriage" being thrown into it. As I stated earlier... why not just re-instate and re-invent the "Path Companion" system?

The Path Companions of 1.0 used to be aides that assisted our Adventurers on their missions, but they've since been taken out. They were, in a sense, adventurers in their own right and had goals and ambitions the same as the player.

They could just put this system back in and gear it towards the Bonding of two Adventurers to become "path companions". It doesn't matter what gender you are or what race your character is, anyone can walk the Path of the Twelve with the companion of their choosing. An accessory could be swapped between the two for whichever buffs they plan on implementing in any case. The bonding ceremony could be held at the Sanctum of the Twelve and there could be lots of lore wrapped around it. Naturally, it'd be a formal ceremony, similar to a wedding so they could give players the reason to dress in formal wear.

Hopefully Hvinire or Camate will dig deep enough to find the suggestion. I think in this aspect, nothing can be argued from any side.

[Kyoskai]

We shall call it the "Best Friend Rings" and it will be glorious.

[Duelle]

Well, why not change the specifics of the entire system so that it includes people of both genders without the controversial meaning of "Marriage" being thrown into it. As I stated earlier... why not just re-instate and re-invent the "Path Companion" system?

They could just put this system back in and gear it towards the Bonding of two Adventurers to become "path companions". It doesn't matter what gender you are or what race your character is, anyone can walk the Path of the Twelve with the companion of their choosing. An accessory could be swapped between the two for whichever buffs they plan on implementing in any case. The bonding ceremony could be held at the Sanctum of the Twelve and there could be lots of lore wrapped around it.

I've joked in the past that 1.0's path companions felt like an arranged marriage, so what you're suggesting is not only funny, but makes perfect sense.

[mmcsky]

Well, why not change the specifics of the entire system so that it includes people of both genders without the controversial meaning of "Marriage" being thrown into it. As I stated earlier... why not just re-instate and re-invent the "Path Companion" system?

The Path Companions of 1.0 used to be aides that assisted our Adventurers on their missions, but they've since been taken out. They were, in a sense, adventurers in their own right and had goals and ambitions the same as the player.

This ^ BRILLIANT! Make it so!

[Trypich]

The rating may say "online interaction not rated by ESRB" but the game content is fairly low (T), but you know there will be a huge problem if they do allow same-sex marriages on either end of the globe because ARR is currently the hot topic of MMORPGs and out west, 'equality' is the hot topic politically..so you can see how there would be some kind of storm brewed.

So this is about ESRB ratings and politically correct fun? About not brewing storms?

You do realize that Final Fantasy XIV: ARR includes the following already: rape, war, poverty, class strife, vulgarity, violence, homicide, murder, sexual content, alcohol consumption, banditry, paganism, private military companies, magic, occultism, references to the six major world religions (all out of their original context), firearms, bladed weapons, and probably lots of other things I'm forgetting.

And you do realize that other forms of media on the market have been banned for much, much, much less? Remember Harry Potter? This is from an external website: "Ever since becoming popular, the Harry Potter series has been among the most frequently challenged books, as measured by the American Library Association. While the series has been welcomed by many parents and teachers for getting children interested in reading, not to mention being a good story, others feel that the series presents dangerous ideas and attitudes that are bad for readers. In some parts of the United States and United Kingdom, the Potter books have been banned from being read in school, taken out of libraries, and even burned in public." (Source here at Infoplease.)

You have a very hollow argument. Final Fantasy XIV is already an extremely mature game. Many of the scenarios it contains have gotten other books, games, movies, and television shows in a lot hotter water.

which is perfectly fine and no one cared about even a few years ago in terms of MMORPGs.

Because things are changing and people won't sit around anymore.

'equality'

Why the shock quotes?

start having to adhere to real world politics

Uh, no. Games have been changed, altered, edited, banned, censored, or re-packaged for a variety of reasons since their early days forty years ago. See Final Fantasy 4 and the re-edited sprites as an example.

I'm all for 'equality' but pushing it in video games..starts to take the enjoyment out of it because then developers have to be extremely cautious on what they do and who they support when they could just do whatever even a couple years ago with no issue.

Working towards equality means working. It isn't supposed to be easy. But sitting around and not doing anything because you're afraid send a stronger message to the people of various groups. It says: "You aren't worth working for."

I'll close with something David Gaider said, speaking on behalf of same-sex romances in the series Dragon Age, developed by Bioware:

The “rights” of anyone with regards to a game are murky at best, but anyone who takes that stance must apply it equally to both the minority as well as the majority. The majority has no inherent “right” to get more options than anyone else.

[Tupsi]

See Final Fantasy 4 and the re-edited sprites as an example.

You mean how back when games targeted towards younger audiences (you know, back in the day when Nintendo consoles were considered the 'family system'?) would edit nudity out or have hidden little tibits that slipped past because they aren't apparent (i.e the naked lady in a Seiken Densetsu book enemy page?) That was to adhere to censorship laws if they wanted business within America (and sometimes Europe), have any video games that had to throw in 'equality' in order to be sold in a country? Since the example you used is basically trying to state that many years ago companies had to target everyone with their video games of all walks of life..when we all know that isn't true.

Because things are changing and people won't sit around anymore.

So basically, you reconfirm what I stated: We can't have nice things anymore because if the developer isn't careful, there will be people raising up a storm in order to get the "issue" corrected? This topic is exactly why SE said they won't even think of adding a marriage system unless there's solid feedback requesting it.

Working towards equality means working. It isn't supposed to be easy. But sitting around and not doing anything because you're afraid send a stronger message to the people of various groups

Highly doubt it has anything to do with fear - All it does is make a developer second guess if they should even bother if every time they do something a group of people will continue to turn it into an issue when one doesn't exist. Like I said, look at this cute little valentine's event and how certain topics (that got deleted) sprouted up about SE treating the lgbt community unfairly by making them "pay" when "straight people don't get taxed"...so yeah, as said, I'm all for equality but is a video game really the place to push this political issue?

Also, you used Bioware and their games as an example, now - if we break it down, we'll know that those games are designed to basically be "realistic" in terms of not only dialog but character develop.

Final Fantasy XIV and vast majority of MMORPGs aren't designed to mimic the real world. In Mass Effect, you could be gay or straight, now if we recall what universe that is...there's aliens who don't follow the "standard" human protocol for relationships, e.g Asari, Rachni or Vorcha for example. The funny thing is, whenever someone mentions to bring in some realism or real worldness into GAMEPLAY, people go CRAZY and tell you to go away because it's a "fantasy game" and "not the real world"...

Why of all things should this be the 'acceptable' request? I get what his statement means...which was more toward explaining why they did what they did in their games since Fox news was all over them, much like any GTA release. (remember that controversy on every single release even though the games are amazingly fun?)

[IfritReborn]

Why is it that so many in this horrible community are against choice? Options?

This isn't the only topic where people will vehemently slam against having an option or a choice or a toggle. It's their way or nothing and quite frankly it's disgusting and appalling and I feel sorry for the children they raise.

I pay $15/month. If I want to have a same-sex marriage I should be able to, because I'm paying the same $15/month as the ones having the hetero wedding. It doesn't affect anyone, people aren't automatically going to get an invite in their mail to a ceremony, a notice isn't going to pop up on people's screen that I'm having a same-sex wedding, people won't even know. And if it does somehow end up getting your attention, IT DOESN'T CONCERN YOU! MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS!

[stephenjd3]

what people do not unerstand about equal opratunity is mind blowing

its EQUAL, all the LGBT community is asking is to be treated as equals, forget the politics forget it all. Look at yourself as a person, and ask yourself why you can't give the LGBT community the equal right to choices in game just as anyone else?

[Duelle]

what people do not unerstand about equal opratunity is mind blowing

What is mind-blowing is that some of you can't see beyond your own noses. SE is a Japanese company, and the Japanese seem to have a certain stance on that topic. Forcing the issue (which is what you and your ilk are doing) is not doing you any favors, and instead moves the topic of weddings and marriage systems in MMORPGs into the "oh look this stupid topic again" category.

I happen to live in the US and was glad to hear gay marriage become legal in the states it has, continue to hope it does in the rest of the country, and still joke that divorce lawyers are the biggest winners in that entire movement. That said, that argument and the struggle for equality belongs on planet Earth, not in Hydaelin. If you want to fight for equality in context that actually matters (AKA the real world), then go lobby for legalization of same sex marriages and all the stuff that comes with it and stop souring the already toxic atmosphere of an MMORPG discussion forum. Much like with politics, that stuff simply does not belong here.

Not that you'll care but I'm going to ignore this thread moving forward, before the inevitable delete/close comes in.

Well, why not change the specifics of the entire system so that it includes people of both genders without the controversial meaning of "Marriage" being thrown into it. As I stated earlier... why not just re-instate and re-invent the "Path Companion" system?

The Path Companions of 1.0 used to be aides that assisted our Adventurers on their missions, but they've since been taken out. They were, in a sense, adventurers in their own right and had goals and ambitions the same as the player.

They could just put this system back in and gear it towards the Bonding of two Adventurers to become "path companions". It doesn't matter what gender you are or what race your character is, anyone can walk the Path of the Twelve with the companion of their choosing. An accessory could be swapped between the two for whichever buffs they plan on implementing in any case. The bonding ceremony could be held at the Sanctum of the Twelve and there could be lots of lore wrapped around it. Naturally, it'd be a formal ceremony, similar to a wedding so they could give players the reason to dress in formal wear.

Hopefully Hvinire or Camate will dig deep enough to find the suggestion. I think in this aspect, nothing can be argued from any side.

Do us all a favor and develop this idea in detail, even present it as a suggestion thread to the devs. Twelve know we need good suggestions like this one.