Dances and other emotes in 2.0/ARR

[LuxLux]

Please no.

Vana'diel, the world of FFXI (for the 3 people in here who may not know that lol), felt like a unique and believable world because for the most part, "real life" was kept out of it. SE took the world seriously and did everything they could to make "visiting" there feel like stepping foot into a truly unique alien world.

The pop culture references already in FFXIV 1.0 seem out of place and kind of forced (to me). The reason they seem to work in other MMOs (WoW most notably) is that Blizzard (and other devs) gave up any illusion of that game world being internally consistent or immersive. The game basically became one big "nod and wink" to pop culture and, hence, lost any sense of having its own unique identity.

I would much rather see SE create dances for FFXIV's races that reflect the culture and history of each race, giving them more depth and identity.

Using real-world dances instead would not only strip the races of any such identity, it would cheapen the "alternate reality" feeling of Eorzea.

Let the cutesy "games" like WoW and others drown themselves in pop culture references. Let Eorzea and the overall world of FFXIV maintain the integrity of being its own reality with its own cultures and references.

I totally agree. My answer to this thread is NO. And It will never happen. This is a final fantasy game, not a random mmo. The franchise has a long history of very creative and unique worlds. Could you imagine Lightening dancing the Macarena? or maybe Vanille? or some random/unknown character in any final fantasy game (even if it's an online one)? SE will not do it.

[KiriA500]

No. We just prefer to use our imaginations to have fun, and don't require real life references to do so.

No, you just hate popular things.

You should use your imagination to post on your main character, and not a forum mule.

[KiriA500]

I totally agree. My answer to this thread is NO. And It will never happen. This is a final fantasy game, not a random mmo. The franchise has a long history of very creative and unique worlds. Could you imagine Lightening dancing the Macarena? or maybe Vanille? or some random/unknown character in any final fantasy game (even if it's an online one)? SE will not do it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_kIAN3ZoZo

It's not a dance, but it incorporates a real world thing that has nothing to do with the franchise. The series has character names from Star Wars since the first game for crying out loud (http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Biggs_and_Wedge). Stop pretending Final Fantasy is more than it really is.

[Preypacer]

No, you just hate popular things.

Yes, I hate popular things. That's why I play popular video games, listen to popular music, watch popular TV shows, eat popular foods at popular restaurants....

-eye roll-

I made my case very clear. I prefer to see a fantasy world with its own unique culture and internally consistent references. Keep real world in the real world.

Try again.

On second thought, don't.

You should use your imagination to post on your main character, and not a forum mule.

I'm using an alt, for now, for personal reasons. Imagination has nothing to do with it.

[LuxLux]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_kIAN3ZoZo

It's not a dance, but it incorporates a real world thing that has nothing to do with the franchise. The series has character names from Star Wars since the first game for crying out loud (http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Biggs_and_Wedge). Stop pretending Final Fantasy is more than it really is.

so you are telling me coca cola was in-game in ffIX? so you tell me those names are original from movies, tv series and pop singers/culture only? /laugh and /goodbye

[Preypacer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_kIAN3ZoZo

It's not a dance, but it incorporates a real world thing that has nothing to do with the franchise. The series has character names from Star Wars since the first game for crying out loud (http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Biggs_and_Wedge). Stop pretending Final Fantasy is more than it really is.

Using a couple names from two relatively obscure support characters in a movie that came out 35 years ago for two equally relatively obscure characters in a video game isn't even in the same ballpark as using modern and quite obvious pop-culture references as the basis for character emotes.

[Viritess]

Using a couple names from two relatively obscure support characters in a movie that came out 35 years ago for two equally relatively obscure characters in a video game isn't even in the same ballpark as using modern and quite obvious pop-culture references as the basis for character emotes.

Personally i prefer game world and backstory flavored emotes including dances. Much like Prey does i'd expect. Pop culture "viral" references are fun. but their life span as "in" is hardly even close to the life span we all hope any MMO we play to have.

But Kiri i don't understand your arguement. Its like saying Lord of the rings is no fun because Tolkien didnt put "The Charlston" dance in the story. It was probably really popular at that time. Almost "Pop" culture for the time it was danced.

Alot of folks love Lord of the RIngs beacuse it has a deep backstory with a very consistant flushed out setting and world. I don't mind seeing the same care and work in my MMOs. I'd just rather not be stuck with "X" current pop reference as one of the few or only Emotes i have.

But i've posted before I also prefer emotes to be vague in general, so they can be used in more situations.

But

[Urthdigger]

The only dance they should add is the best dance ever to grace Termina

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3QYSoBx1ts

[Lirion]

Just take these dance moves.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMH0bHeiRNg


Especially the Will and Carlton dance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCFRJEjM3fc

[Enfid]

I've seen pop culture references in League of Legends and World of Warcraft, mainly. Not to mention Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and Borderlands.

I think its appropriateness depends largely on what kind of universe it is. A serious universe with its consistant lore where people really want to become immerse in the universe should not have any, or if there is it should be extremely subtle, or more of a homage.

Borderlands, LoL, and Scott Pilgrim for example are generally universe that you don't take seriously. The pop culture references add to the general silliness of these universes, so it's fine.

World of Warcraft, on the other hand, built itself on a long series of lore, and some fans can recite the history and stories that happened like they are reciting the cause and effect of points in human history, citing significant figures and events along the way. The more blatant additions of pop culture references especially in the MMO, some fans found, has been quite jarring and distracting to a lore they really like. In the end, many fans of classic works appreciate the completeness and "originality" of the lore and the universe.
In personal reflection, I want these serious fantasy universe to be real in my mind, and pop culture references, I think, yank me back to the real world.

And as some has said, would pop culture references make Lord of the Rings or Song of Ice and Fire better, or worse?

InB4: I suspect some will say that literature are serious art but videogames are silly distraction, in which case I point to the Mass Effect franchise or Spec Ops: the Line among other games which either have an expansive universe and respectable lore, or deal with a very serious issue on par with some classic movies or novels.