Where is FFXIV headed in terms of sexism?

[Kibo]

I actually think the fact that they will allow you to choose breast size is something that empowers me, as a woman. For once, I am not forced to stare at unrealistically huge breasts if I don't want to.

Tell me about it, bro! I rarely ever play male in video games because I just can't relate to a big hunk of meat with wide body builder shoulders, which is like 95% of playable male characters ever. Only male I'd play as in this game is Lalafell.

[Laiferr]

Mmyeah I get what you are saying. My stance is as long as it fits the theme of the game, then anything goes.

...

As for the developers making sexist jokes and hinting on ulterior moves, I just write it off as guys being guys. It's just such an easy joke to fall back on and pretend you are awkward about it for laughs. ┐(￣ー￣)┌

I think that's the gist of it; if this is the theme they're going with then fair enough. I wonder what that 'theme' is specifically, though, and whether it's going to be taken further. I don't know if it's just me feeling it's been getting headier.

Personally, I really dislike the 'guys being guys' way of looking at it. They're a professional team and I would like to look up to them and respect them. If they want to have those inclinations in their own time, that's fine by me. It just strikes me the wrong way when they're so nonchalant about it. As I said I only brought this up because of the whole wedding issue. I had never thought real-life issues related much to their decisions, but as it does, I'm disappointed.

[CrystalWeapon]

I don't think this will be an issue in 2.0. They've brought up the fact that they are making vanity slots twice now.

We know how much you guys want vanity slots in A Realm Reborn and so does Yoshida! He let us know that while it won't be available at the start of ARR, they are planning on implementing it!

Hmm... now what to wear?

From Reinheart's translation of the live letter:

F: Will there be a higher level version of the race specific gear?
Y: At the timing of ARR launch we won’t have such but if there are lots of requests we can do it.
Y: We also have something like a vanity slot planned where players who like the AF look but wear darklight because of stats, and by using vanity slot it will resolve this.

I've always avoided skimpy gear / subligars regardless of the stats, but with it like this it makes it so that even if the gear has great stats you won't have to have it show on your character.

It's not my personal preference to wear skimpy gear, and I can understand the female perspective on it. On the other hand, I know that not everyone feels the same way. Some people, both male and female, want to wear this type of gear, and I love the fact that SE is trying to satisfy both sides.

The vanity slots will make it so that you will never be forced to objectify yourself for the sake of better stats. Likewise it will make it so that if you want to look sexy, you also have that option without sacrificing your stats.

[Laiferr]

The vanity slots will make it so that you will never be forced to objectify yourself for the sake of better stats. Likewise it will make it so that if you want to look sexy, you also have that option without sacrificing your stats.

Wow, thanks for posting about this! I must admit I didn't know what 'vanity slots' meant but that sounds like a really cool addition

[Laiferr]

At the end of the day, I honestly want to say F this thread so bad because there is already too much politicization in real life, and I don't want it creeping up into my entertainment.

Thank you for taking the time to reply properly even if you don't agree. I can appreciate it's not an issue for everyone and it's a bit too 'real life' for some. From my perspective, it's the opposite. Being objectified and treated differently because of my looks/gender is something I need to put up with in real life that I would rather not see in-game. On a personal level, I'm someone trying to make a career in a male-dominated industry, and recently it's been hitting home how some people are treating me differently. I know to some, a little joke about a woman's looks isn't much, but for me, I want to be taken seriously. I feel the same in-game.

I would also like to note I wasn't really talking about how the females look, and dismissing that the males look like an unrealistic beauty, too. It's more the differences between male and female treatment and the general demeanour the team have towards seeing female avatars as sexualised. I don't have much of an issue with the unrealistic beauty of all the avatars.

[Kibo]

Personally, I really dislike the 'guys being guys' way of looking at it. They're a professional team and I would like to look up to them and respect them. If they want to have those inclinations in their own time, that's fine by me. It just strikes me the wrong way when they're so nonchalant about it. As I said I only brought this up because of the whole wedding issue. I had never thought real-life issues related much to their decisions, but as it does, I'm disappointed.

Yeah it's not a very professional approach to take light of the matter and it's nothing we should by any means dismiss if it becomes rampant. But I still think so far it's nothing but jokes and doesn't necessarily reflect the mentality of the team and the direction of the game. The lead guys are pretty young and this is their way of reaching out to their audience breaking the ice showing their vulnerability blabla etcetc and I just don't think we should read too much into it.

[Ryuko]

Tell me about it, bro! I rarely ever play male in video games because I just can't relate to a big hunk of meat with wide body builder shoulders, which is like 95% of playable male characters ever. Only male I'd play as in this game is Lalafell.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think I saw the option to change muscle definition in the preview for character creation. Your overall body shape would likely stay the same, but at least every male running around won't be a pile of muscles.

[Abriael]

I think that, as usual, some get WAY bent out of shape about this.

Final Fantasy XIV willl never, ever be as bad as Tera (or 90% of korean MMORPG), and the funniest thing is that Tera is probably the MMO with the largest percentage of actually female players I've seen in a long while.

I'm not concerned at all, as the show of male and female skin is pretty much even (so the term "sexism" is absolutely inappropriate here). Don't want to be "objectified" (love how this term gets abused)? All you have to do is not to wear that gear. The game has and looks like will have a very wide variety of looks.

The game needs to appease a variety of audiences to be successful, and sex sells. Note that I used the term "sex", and not "sexism", because that's what it really is. Sexism is something way different than that.

Some like skimpy, and there's no reason at all why they shouldn't be given the option.

[Laiferr]

I think that, as usual, some get WAY bent out of shape about this.

Final Fantasy XIV willl never, ever be as bad as Tera (or 90% of korean MMORPG), and the funniest thing is that Tera is probably the MMO with the largest percentage of actually female players I've seen in a long while.

I'm not concerned at all, as the show of male and female skin is pretty much even. Don't want to be "objectified" (love how this term gets abused)? All you have to do is not to wear that gear. The game has and looks like we'll have a very wide variety of looks.

Some like skimpy, and there's no reason at all why they shouldn't be given the option.

Again this isn't a discussion just about gear and wearing or not wearing gear, it's about the entire attitude. Also, as stated, I have no problem with having the option. By the sounds of it, vanity slots should alleviate most of this issue

[faris]

Female here.

- Are you concerned about female objectification? In FFXIV? No. In real life? Yes.
- Are you concerned with how far the FFXIV team will go with sexism? They haven't actually been sexist, so y'know. I'm not concerned, because they haven't actually done anything that undermines female players/avatars. Female characters don't have lesser stats than males. Males don't have job classes females don't have.
- Does it in any way effect your enjoyment of the game? Since it doesn't exist, no.
- Has it ever effected how you have been treated as a female avatar? Nope. On FFXI pre-75 cap I had comments made routinely about "sideboob harness" (scorpion) and "dat ass" (DRG AF pants on hume female) but haven't ever been catcalled on FFXIV.