Quote Originally Posted by Joven View Post
1. You carry a sword, you don't wear it just like you carry a firearm. Just because it's on your body doesn't mean it's considered clothing. We aren't talking about private businesses when it comes to what the general public wears, that's an entirely different scenario. If someone finds something another person wears as "problematic" and can convence the right people of why they think it is such then something will be done about it. How do you think laws about what can and can't be worn were made? Someone decided they didn't like something. That's what I mean by "until someone finds it "problematic"".
Ok, fair enough. Then define "problematic". I can dress like a smurf if I wanted to. Someone who has a problem with this while I'm out in public is also within their right to express their discontent with it, but there isn't anything anyone can do about it because there are no laws against it. Unless I enter someone else's property. That is why I brought it up. So if we can't dress how we want, please provide a specific example of how we can't, instead of just saying, "you can't". As people of the western civilization, we are bound by laws and regulations, and those are the only prohibitors I can think of when it comes to what we can and cannot wear. For the most part though, we can wear whatever we want; or rather I should say, I don't have to change my attire because someone simply has a problem with it.

2. Devs are bound to public opinion. Sure they can design a character however they want, initially, but if the public doesn't approve then they're forced to change it or not make sales. Similar to #1 if one person has a problem with it and can convince others then things will be changed.
No, they are not. It is in their best interest to appease the majority of their subscribers, but they cannot make everyone happy. In fact, and as most of us know, they have to outright ignore public opinions; otherwise they would never get anything done. Male Viera, a fourth healer, glamour restrictions lifted, more inventory; all examples of public desire and opinion. We the public are not entitled to anything other than what the devs are truly bound by when it comes to the ToS. They have to provide a game for us to play in exchange for our subscription fee. We however are bound to play the game according to the ToS. We can express our opinions and desires, and based on public majority, the devs may listen. That is how we got things like BLU and the Viera. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying public opinion does not matter, but the devs being bound it; nope, not at all.

3. No, they complement each other. You are allowed to be offened by something, but again, your offense doesn't make that something wrong i.e. demand it be changed.
The reason why I say this is contradictory is because it is in agreeance with what I have stated in my number 1 clause. Therefore it contradicts 'problematic', but I might be misunderstanding what it is you're trying to say.

4. I was refering to the backlash towards the fact that they didn't offer male Viera as a way to highlight that they're not allowed to do what they want. If they could do what they wanted then they could simply say something like "you're not getting male Viera, deal with it." , but they can't because of the negative impact it would have on their sales.
They received the negative impact regardless. Their own subscribers calling them sexist, and threatening to unsubscribe. What would you call that? They didn't say things in the words of, "You're not getting male Viera, deal with it" because they have a degree of professionalism that must needs be maintained. Doing and saying what you want are two different things. We are the ones to blame for creating promises they've never made. Male Viera, DNC as a healer; they've made no such confirmations at any point and we just assumed we were getting them based off of... reasons. We chastised them anyway as if they did. Fact remains that FFXIV is their game that we play. What they decide, we accept, or we move on.