Final Fantasy XIV Interview — Stormblood’s Success, Romance, Graphics Upgrades and Mo

[Naunet]

"For example, if it so happens that the player is male, playing a male character, it could easily give that sort of idea that perhaps there is a chance. It’s certainly not strange, and I think perhaps Ishikawa-san is perhaps deliberately writing that into the dialogue.

But at the same time, as another example, if the player is a woman, utilizing a female character, or if he is a man playing a female character, you could easily take the dialogue as strong words of admiration towards a strong woman. I think Ishikawa-san was able to write the lines so well that it can be interpreted in either way."

So, uh, Yoshi - you know that gay and lesbian people exist, right? I'm pretty sure you should, unless the gay and lesbian characters scattered occasionally in little corners of Eorzea were added in as jokes or not to your knowledge. So... why dancing around words here? Why feel the need to specify "if male, then ___" and vice versa?

This answer felt so weird to me.

[Freyt]

So, uh, Yoshi - you know that gay and lesbian people exist, right?

Do you expect everyone across the world in every country to adhere to your standards just as soon as you come up with them?

[Hestzhyen]

So, uh, Yoshi - you know that gay and lesbian people exist, right?

I'm sure he does, but everyone has a different way of thinking about and approaching the topic. The game itself is relatively inclusive and that's what matters most I think. XIV isn't really the place to bring gender politics into play anyway.

Disappointed but not surprised about the graphics. Doing overhauls like that takes a ton of work that's not easy for non-techie people to understand... I hope people give it a rest for a while. Artists don't like seeing their beautiful designs become ugly blobs of pixels or being told to tone down on the ornaments because the engine can't handle them you know? Players aren't the only ones frustrated by limitations. But for right now the costs would far exceed the benefits. Maybe if the game's still around with a substantial base in another five years...? Depends on how far XIV falls from whatever the new standard is, really.

[TinyRedLeaf]

I'm sure he does, but everyone has a different way of thinking about and approaching the topic. The game itself is relatively inclusive and that's what matters most I think.

Exactly.

Everyone's welcome to his or her own politics, but never, ever assume that one has the right to impose one's politics on others. Live and let live. As long as the story is not outright discriminatory and exclusivist, I don't see why someone has to pick a fight over it.

[JunseiKei]

So, uh, Yoshi - you know that gay and lesbian people exist, right? I'm pretty sure you should, unless the gay and lesbian characters scattered occasionally in little corners of Eorzea were added in as jokes or not to your knowledge. So... why dancing around words here? Why feel the need to specify "if male, then ___" and vice versa?

This answer felt so weird to me.

Yoshida's "dancing around with words" is a rather neutral way of putting it. The wording need not be exclusive to same gender romances. Saying a male player playing a male character does not mean the player (or even the character) needs be attracted to other men, but it does imply that the NPC may still have an attraction to them.

Also, the sentence is slightly taken out of context here;

Even I, when I was looking at some of the dialogue involving Lyse and even Alisae, thought “oh, this can be taken a certain way.” I think that comes from a strong admiration these characters feel towards the Warrior of Light. For example, if it so happens that the player is male, playing a male character, it could easily give that sort of idea that perhaps there is a chance. It’s certainly not strange, and I think perhaps Ishikawa-san is perhaps deliberately writing that into the dialogue.

But at the same time, as another example, if the player is a woman, utilizing a female character, or if he is a man playing a female character, you could easily take the dialogue as strong words of admiration towards a strong woman. I think Ishikawa-san was able to write the lines so well that it can be interpreted in either way.

The way the whole paragraph is worded, it's meant to demonstrate strong feelings of kinship with the player-character, despite their genders. Or romance, since the dialogue was written to allow the imagination to grab ahold and run with it.

It's about as neutral as possible. So naturally, people will take issue.

[RiceisNice]

So, uh, Yoshi - you know that gay and lesbian people exist, right? I'm pretty sure you should, unless the gay and lesbian characters scattered occasionally in little corners of Eorzea were added in as jokes or not to your knowledge. So... why dancing around words here? Why feel the need to specify "if male, then ___" and vice versa?

This answer felt so weird to me.

Regardless of what your interpetation is, it doesn't really change their (The developers) image of a NPC's personality. Lyse, among others would have great respect and admiration to the player character regardless of their gender and that the player themselves to interpret it. Then you have those like Haucherfaunt who throw away all subtlety, or Mangai who's specifically looking for a female that meets his standards (to which has a special reply from female characters to my knowledge).

[kuma_aus]

So, uh, Yoshi - you know that gay and lesbian people exist, right?

Maybe it's just that Lyse and Alisae are not lesbian. Just because lesbian people exist, doesn't mean every single fictional character has to be bi.

[Kosmos992k]

So, uh, Yoshi - you know that gay and lesbian people exist, right? I'm pretty sure you should, unless the gay and lesbian characters scattered occasionally in little corners of Eorzea were added in as jokes or not to your knowledge. So... why dancing around words here? Why feel the need to specify "if male, then ___" and vice versa?

This answer felt so weird to me.

Honestly, I think you are looking for, and finding something to be critical of, not because it's there, but because you want it to be there. Everything said, and unsaid is not a criticism or slight against one group or another.

For context, Yoshida preceded that answer saying; "In Final Fantasy XIV the writers cannot determine the character’s age or sex, so I do want there to be room for imagination. Perhaps Lyse does feel something that’s more than friendship? It’s good to leave it to the imagination."

Stop looking for things to be offended by.