Building a better Alphinaud

[Eldtagg]

Question: do you think Urianger's implied romance with Moenbryda is "in our face"?*


Or Cirilla's crush on Hien?*


Or Lamitt's crush on Ardbert?


Or Runar's crush on Y'shtola?


Or, hell, Magnai's constant attempts to find his Naama?*


If the answer to any or all of these is "No", then you can do the same thing with a character that isn't straight.

Runar and Little Sun Magnai?*

Absolutely, very obvious.

My favorite two major characters in GW2 is Marjory and Kasmeer.*

Marjory is the 'brooding gunslinger strong type' and Kasmeer start as the 'blonde cheerleader with a big heart and expressiv emotions', but during our travels they both grow past those traits and we learn who they truly are behind their masks.

Tragedy struck and Marjorys anger/sorrow over her sister Belinda makes her wall off her emotions toward Kasmeer and push her away.*

In they end they both have managed to beat their own demons which culminating *spoilers* into them finally have their wedding which is a huge character development for both of them. They both had grown as individuals.

I really loved everything with those two because their relationship wasn't forced or woke. They weren't the straight males fantasy either, ok maybe outfit-wise, but it was presented very natural and you didn't even had a thought about that they both were women.

Their story showed hardship, to not have the ability to open up to your partner about your anger/sorrow. To not want to be 'pitied' and emotionally close.*

Very human interaction.

ArenaNet did not make Marjory and Kasmeer's sexyality/gender the centerpiece. They made the characters and what happened to them the focus.

[CrownySuccubus]

Runar and Little Sun Magnai?*

Absolutely, very obvious.

I really loved everything with those two because their relationship wasn't forced or woke.

ArenaNet did not make Marjory and Kasmeer's sexyality/gender the centerpiece. They made the characters and what happened to them the focus.

I don't bother with arguments regarding "forcedness" or "wokeness" because there's always going to be somebody that finds ANY level of exposure "forced" or "woke".

The reason I presented a number of different hetero relationships in my last post was to demonstrate how many different "levels" of them there are within FFXIV, with most of them being well-received. Even when it comes to Magnai and Runar, people typically find them entertaining even if it means laughing at Magnai getting rejected or going "Awwww" when Runar tries flirting with Y'shtola. You and other people may find these relationships to be "in your face" and "egregious" (and I actually agree, personally) but the general attitude towards them is positive at best and indifferent at worst.

So, to repeat what I said...you can do all of these exact same things with LGBT characters. I would personally avoid going the Magnai route if that's the ONLY representation (after all, if Magnai was the only heterosexual man in the game, it would appear to be demonizing male sexuality), but if there are a few "alternatives", then sure...even that could be fun.