The 7.3 Armour preview is offensive

[Toutatis]

What a ridiculous thread. I really don’t see the conquistador armour here and it isn’t even about conquest: it’s about old Alexandria. The biggest influence in the non Turali type glams is French (btw 17th century musketeers did not cross the ocean).

It's just bad taste to be getting conquistador-themed apparel in an expansion themed around pre-contact American cultures..

there is no conquistador armour. It’s also not pre-contact: you arrive at a big port on a European style ship in a resort town where jazz is playing and where there is a luxury hotel, the food is international with a bunch of modern dishes, some that have nothing to see with Latam (btw did you know tacos al pastor have 20th century Lebanese roots and were initally called tacos árabes?); there is a multitude of people around from various origins. The cowboys are even already there shooting each other; the locals are looking at setting up tourist infrastructure and activities…

I guess when you are looking hard at ways to feel offended you can always find something (can I be offended by how Mexican and American the “Peruvian” Pelupelu parts are? I won’t because it’s all fictional and it’s not meant to be historical, cultural, architectural or geographical accurate: it’s a fantasy land)…funny how many of the “offended” are one time posters. Most seem American or European as well from the language used in their posts.

[contresixtes]

I really urge people to go read the below post -- I'm bumping and co-signing this, these gearsets need to go.

1:1 replicas aren't necessary to inflict the same wound or draw conclusions, as many people in this thread already have. Replacing chestplates with tabards still has the same connotations. We didn't get gear inspired by the British army while going through Thavnair, the team had the tact to move away from SS/Nazi influence for the Garleans despite parallels in authoritative power. Even Star Wars is more on the nose with its visual inspirations for the empire + aren't afraid to make them wholly antagonistic. Why now?

A previous poster offered a good point with SQEX's design philosophy in Stormblood: "We can't use anything that has real-world religious or cultural connotations. If we want to make something that draws from religious imagery, ethnic clothing, and so on, it needs to be significantly altered."

The quote has become less viable due to clearer parallels FFXIV has drawn from cultures for specific narratives overtime. This can lead to disaster; conflating living people to fantasy or watering down the cultural importance of specific motifs. It implies that you can't have a respectful mix of native elements with OTHER fantasy/historical fashion influence throughout the world. Thus as a result of ignorance, or malice, these faults will trickle to repeated behavior within the community — as seen with the war bonnet, traditional Korean attire, and Sámi clothing. 2 out of 3 whose issues have not been rectified.


PROPOSED SOLUTION

1. Removing the gear entirely.
2. Removing offensive/recognizable parts of the gear (namely tabards, sashes, and the helmet).
3. Offering a dyable reskin of the Yuyeyawata gear.

These solutions have been offered the thread (which are greatly appreciated)! I just thought to condense it all to prevent information being buried further.

Dawntrail has snubbed a lot of my love for this game. At the end of the day, I want to see it get better for my black + native friends who enjoy it. *I* want to enjoy it again. It hurts to see the dev team swears they've learned, wronged their mistakes, and continue to get better — yet things stay the same.

It's been very disappointing to me that I had so much hope for Dawntrail to be culturally respectful and I am so sorry to every person whose heart has been broken by it that I did. I had been hoping that others would be able to see their own cultures joyously and share stories and history. I was at fanfest where it was stated they had cultural consultants. My only assumption now is that they were never hired in the first place. Square, please do better.

[velkettin]

funny how many of the “offended” are one time posters.

shockingly, most players don't want to dwell in this cesspit of a forum.

[Jezikhana]

Bumping due to the very inappropriate gear set coming out in 7.3. So many things were handled well this expansion, to see the end of it getting a set like *this* that is clearly inspired by colonizing cultures is deeply disappointing and tone deaf.

[VyelChuChu]

Please listen to those in your playerbase who have issues with this dungeon set, SE! This has happened before in this game AND it was addressed thanks to concise feedback from players in these very forums.

To anyone who feels differently - you may like the set fine, and not understand where the people who don't are coming from, but they play this game too and deserved to be heard.

[4clubbedace]

Idk, im also Latino with a Yaqui backround, from the Sonoran side of the border.

Im sure pople of more nahuatal descent might feel diffrent.

But i really dont give too much of a shit, i fell there realy is more pressing matters to be caring about than this.

I was at fanfest where it was stated they had cultural consultants.

Oh you absolutely could tell that there was with how absolutely toothless the story of DT was. FFXIV for near 5 of its mais stories has gone on again and again of "imperial xpansion is le bad" and you get to another cultural mindset, whre Galool Jaja clearly xpanded the territory of his city state to emcompass TWO continents , and suddenly everyone is ok with "good" imperiaism? that no blood shed and tthe tribal people stll have beef with eachother and not the super empire Led by a effecivly one tribes messiah god king? evreyone was prfectly ok with panamericanism/ panativism? you can tel there were cultural consultants there and gott too worried about portraying any negatives at all, ignoring pre contact Empire and wars of resources. Hell , so sanded down, that Ketterman, a European styled "Explorer" has literal fuck alll to do besides sitting on his ass and no negative consquences to him appearing yeears ago.

[Warfey]

FFXIV for near 5 of its mais stories has gone on again and again of "imperial xpansion is le bad" and you get to another cultural mindset, whre Galool Jaja clearly xpanded the territory of his city state to emcompass TWO continents , and suddenly everyone is ok with "good" imperiaism?

Comparing the Garlean Empire to Gulool Ja Ja is... definitely a choice.

Anyway, throwing my hat in the ring on this too, in so much as wanting SE to listen to the people rightfully angry at this.
It's been pretty disappointing from my perspective to go from reassurances from the writing team on how they were being careful about representation to multiple instances of gear being thoughtlessly added to the game in the manner it has. Regardless of the reality, it really doesn't inspire confidence that this all seemed to evaporate the moment we got to patch content.

[EliaStormblade]

didn't this thread get locked already for being a very thinly veiled bluesky raid?

[batman]

Hi I'm Batman and this is being blown out of proportion lol, y'all need to stop getting offended on behalf of people you don't understand or represent. Most people will look at it and go "Oh, silly hat" and then never wear it and the rest won't really care, you don't need to go activist over a nothing burger.

Also, Bakool Ja Ja's right helmet already gives conquistador vibes, why weren't you showing up a year ago if you're really that offended by this?

[Fryfor]

shockingly, most players don't want to dwell in this cesspit of a forum.

this is totally and absolutely the case