Gender Locks Have Revealed the Worst in Players.

[JunseiKei]

We have one group who is clearly upset over the gender locks and has come to the forums to voice their opinion, and another group who appears complacent and seeks to shut down any dissent aka “white knighting.”

I don't mind it when people voice their opinions. That's partially what forums are for, as well as a plethora of other things.

However, I do take offense for when a group of players hold their opinions and fetishes above what a creator of something, like a game, designs and begins to try and assert that their payment to have access to this product overrides design choices. That their money and choices mean more than the product that was intended to be a certain way. That the integrity of the product is second to the whims of the customer. A select group of customers at that. There is a stark difference between voicing discontent and ranting. It also doesn't look great to call another side a "white knight" for citing illogical missteps that have fed into why some players feel even more upset over the design choices. A white knight defends something mindlessly, even when they are clearly in the wrong. It sounds like a strawman to say anyone who doesn't agree with the sentiment is a white knight.

It is fine if a look of a character simply cannot be overlooked and you cannot enjoy the game for that reason. That is completely reasonable and I cannot fault players for not wanting to continue to play. However, threatening and enacting the withholding of funds to push a desire that is unwanted by the creators - that's a different story. There is a difference between feedback and pushing a desire. Feedback, in particular to this topic, would be asking why did the team think it was necessary for creating two genderlocked races instead of adding both males and females of one new race. Feedback would include citing Miqo'te of the current version of XIV (as opposed to mentioning 1.0) that while males are rarer than females, when you account for NPCs, since you can't control what race and gender players will pick, would it not suffice to allow both male and female Viera or Hrothgar PCs as long as the NPC count remains true to the lore. As players should be counted among "game mechanics" and not "lore."

Instead, no attempt of discussion was made. Only demands and threats.

[LunaP]

I don't mind it when people voice their opinions. That's partially what forums are for, as well as a plethora of other things.

However, I do take offense for when a group of players hold their opinions and fetishes above what a creator of something, like a game, designs and begins to try and assert that their payment to have access to this product overrides design choices. That their money and choices mean more than the product that was intended to be a certain way. That the integrity of the product is second to the whims of the customer. A select group of customers at that. There is a stark difference between voicing discontent and ranting. It also doesn't look great to call another side a "white knight" for citing illogical missteps that have fed into why some players feel even more upset over the design choices. A white knight defends something mindlessly, even when they are clearly in the wrong. It sounds like a strawman to say anyone who doesn't agree with the sentiment is a white knight.

It is fine if a look of a character simply cannot be overlooked and you cannot enjoy the game for that reason. That is completely reasonable and I cannot fault players for not wanting to continue to play. However, threatening and enacting the withholding of funds to push a desire that is unwanted by the creators - that's a different story. There is a difference between feedback and pushing a desire. Feedback, in particular to this topic, would be asking why did the team think it was necessary for creating two genderlocked races instead of adding both males and females of one new race. Feedback would include citing Miqo'te of the current version of XIV (as opposed to mentioning 1.0) that while males are rarer than females, when you account for NPCs, since you can't control what race and gender players will pick, would it not suffice to allow both male and female Viera or Hrothgar PCs as long as the NPC count remains true to the lore. As players should be counted among "game mechanics" and not "lore."

Instead, no attempt of discussion was made. Only demands and threats.

Brings a tear to my eye and a sparkle of hope when I see the capability to discuss like this still possible <3 +1