The Disabled Gamer Thread

[caponesavage]

Not disabled either but wanted to say I love the post. In a forum where we see many many negative posts its sometimes easy to forget that there are very real people behind these characters we play.

[Texa]

We could post about ways we make the game easier to play with disabilities too.

Like I play on a PC and got a xbox wireless adapter for windows so that I wouldn't have to worry about the cord falling out of my controller when I had to move to bed. It was really easy to setup and it's supposed to work with any of the xbox one accessories like wireless chat headsets as well but I haven't been able to try that yet.

I've also found a lot of use for making macros to warn people if I need to leave suddenly because of a chronic pain flare up. Nothing that I'm dealing with is life threatening but it can incapacitate me without warning and worry my friends so having a quick way to notify them helps.

[Korbash]

I'm also sick and disabled. I was finally diagnosticated with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis at age 4, but I had symptoms of it before and my mother went to see numerous doctors (who told her bull) about them. I have juvenile rheumatoid arthritis everywhere in my body, except for my hips and back. I've been in pain my entire life. When I was a child, my legs and feet were the most affected and I could not even bend my knees. I had an arthritis crisis in my legs when I was a child and they had to put my legs in splits so I would not lose the use of my legs and end up in a wheelchair. It passed and I was okay after. My feet have always been crooked, because JRA affected my toes too, so it makes walking painful, so I can only walk or stand up for 2-3 hours and after I really need to sit, so the Feet doctor (don't know in English) made ortheses for me to place in my shoes to make walking more comfortable. The medications they gave me affcted my growth and I'm quite small. At 42 though I'm having issues with my knees and the doctor said it's probably arthrosis.

My illness was not active anymore in my teens and I was full of hope for the future. I made plans and went to College. But when I started my second year my disease started being active again and I barely managed to finish my second and last year of my program, and get my Diploma. I was devastated.

I had to quit everything and place myself on Social Security for the disabled, since I cannot work. My hands and wrists this time were the most affected by the illness and my hands and wrists are quite crooked now and damaged by the illness. I've lost so much flexibility and strength in my hands, I'm not even capable to zip zippers anymore.

One of my medications gave me an ulcer, one of my medications gave me a very intense allergy reaction, and it damaged my back. And after being sent to a back clinic meetings at the hospital we did some physiotherapy and tips for the back and it helped my back and the back pain. My back pain is mostly gone, but it comes back sometimes. One of my medications recently damaged my sight, not permanently, but the eyes doctor said it will take years for my sight to come back. It was found quickly so I will recover with time, so I'm not blind but I have blind spots in my peripheral vision and have trouble seeing whatever that is not in the center.

I'm not capable of playing and chatting at the same time.

I find that many people are reluctant to accept any errors or delays in content so I only do what I'm confident I can handle. I've been told by many people in game that I'm good enough to need not worry but I find it easier to avoid stress now than actively seek it. It's a shame really.

I agree with you, people have no patience and tolerance in this game, they expect perfection at all times, even with doing regular contents like doing dungeons and trials. I could expect that with Savage raids, but regular stuff, really? I was voted kicked out of regular contents, even after telling them of my problems. I contacted Support about that and apparently I can report them for harassment. FF XI was and is for the hardcore players, and FF XIV for the casuals players, which I'm proudly part of, and yet players behave like everything is Savage contents and kick you for anything. And to me, raids and Savage contents in FF XIV are not the same thing, because I've done raids numerous time, Syrcus Tower, World of Darkness, Void Ark, Weeping City of Mach and now Dun Scaith and I find them fun to do. I've yet to get vote kicked from a raid but it has happened numerous time in dungeons, I actually even got recommendations in raids.

To me a hardcore player is a player that favors the END, to reach max level ASAP and to do raids, end game contents, and to go around and boast to others of their achievements, to the annoyance of everyone else. To me a casual player is a a player that favors the JOURNEY, to savor everything, the locals, the scenics, the food and the drinks, the fun part. And like I said I'm a casual player, I favor the JOURNEY.

It's sad really because the devs make pretty dungeons but you cannot stop to actually see their beauty, because the others are too busy rushying. Back when I was playing Guild Wars when it came out, everyone would just stop playing just to admire the scenics and say "This is so beautiful!", but I've never seen that in FF XIV an entire group stop to say that, just seen one player saying he/she found that dungeon pretty.

I've also found a lot of use for making macros to warn people...

That is a good idea. I find it a bit difficult though because I've never been a whining person from the start, just looking around me and in the world I see people in worse situations than mine, I've always been like that, so I've always found talking about my issues difficult. But putting as a macro could be a good idea that I could start whenever I'm doing something.

[Jwrigh7784]

Not sure if this thread is made to get attention by exposing his problems
or a real thread to meet people

I assure you, this is a legit thread to meet fellow disabled gamers. I honestly don't care about trying to get attention. The only reason I posted my disabilities is to try and help people feel comfortable so they can be open to discuss their situation. Being a gamer and being disabled can be tough on some people and I thought it might be beneficial to have an place where people can share what it's like to be them and trying to be a gamer as well. I'm sure you meant no disrespect and I can certainly see how some might come to the same conclusions.

[Ashinros]

Really happy to see a thread like this. I suffer from chronic migraines, (last year was my first year without one in 14 years; I cried). I have Spina Biffida Occulta which causes chronic nerve pain, and I have General Anxiety/Social Anxiety, Bi-Polar II, and I'm agoraphobic.

OP is here to make a place for those of us who have chronic illness; it's nice to have someone who understands and doesn't automatically go to a place of assumption.

[Korbash]

I'd like that to make a macro to place a text in chat, but I don't know how. Could anyone share? Thanks!!!

[Jwrigh7784]

It's nice to meet everyone who posted here with their situation. I am glad to know I'm not the only disabled person playing. I was hesitant to even start this thread because, well, there is a lot of negativity in the forums. I'm honestly just trying to meet new people who also have conditions that make their lives harder. Being disabled, frankly, sucks but that is who I am. I have done everything I can in my life to overcome my disabilities, even ignoring them, but some things just can't be changed. I embrace who I am today. I'm a good person with good morals and I am proud of that. I am the type of person who would give the shirt off my back for a stranger so if anyone out there needs someone to talk to let me know AND if anyone ever finds themselves on behemoth look me up. I'm always happy to make new friends and lend a hand in game. I usually don't log in until my daughter goes down for her nap so I'm usually online between 2-4 pm pacific time. The only time you won't see me on is if I'm having a particularly bad OCD day. Unfortunately my OCD gets so bad sometimes that I simply can't log in, it's rare but it does happen. I'm not sure if I am allowed to post personal websites on here but for those who would like to chat feel free to message me on facebook (I apologize if posting this isn't allowed) https://www.facebook.com/Jason7784 (please feel free to ignore my political posts, I am passionate about my political opinions and politics is a huge argument starter. I'm here to make friends not offend anyone.)

[matteoxyz]

I have mental health challenges and chronic pain. XIV has helped some with social isolation. I have concentration and memory problems that make learning the harder fights pretty tough and at times I play badly because I'm having a bad brain day but overall I find the challenge rewarding.

[Serilda]

I'd like that to make a macro to place a text in chat, but I don't know how. Could anyone share? Thanks!!!

If you go to your System> User Macros screen, and click on a blank space, you can give the macro a name/icon and then in the big space below just type /p then your message, exactly as you would if you were talking in the chat box. That way if you join a party you don't even have to select the right chat channel.

You can either bind it to something or just right-click (Square) select it in the User Macros screen at any time and hit Execute. Saves a lot of time typing out a long explanation.

(Sorry about the very simple level of the instructions, I figure you might know most of this but some lurkers might not!)

I think most people who are jerks or impatient are coming from a position of ignorance. When someone stops moving without warning or doesn't respond to the chat log, they think that they're griefing them and get mad instead of understanding that the person on the other end is suffering from acute pain or some other real life issue at that moment. If was in a party and someone said right away that they had some difficulties but were clearly doing their best, it would really help me understand and be patient. And if anyone else in the party started being a jerk about it, they'd find it was them getting kicked, not the person who asked for some extra understanding.

I said I wasn't disabled earlier but I do have some issues using the standard UI, and one tip I have is that I made Party Chat (and a few other select channels) play a noise when someone types (Character Configuration> Log Window Settings> Notification Sounds). I set my Party channel up to play sound 'Type 16' there, it's not disruptive to me because it's a gentle sound but it alerts me when someone is trying to get my attention so I don't need to keep watching the chat channels visually which makes me a lot less stressed in battle. No idea whether that helps anyone else but it certainly makes things easier for me.

[Jwrigh7784]

This is one of the best ideas for a thread in ages, I don't think there's any need to question the motivations of the original poster.

Texa, I really like your idea of using a macro to alert people so they know that you're there and watching. It's a really good communication workaround that keeps everyone informed.

I don't suffer from any severe disabilities at this time (for which I'm very grateful) but maybe another good idea that can come out of this thread is people talking about which interface options help or hinder them - with as much or as little detail about the reasons as people feel comfortable with? I think that would be really helpful for the dev team as a reference, since recent UI improvements have shown they're serious about trying to help more people enjoy the game fully.

The interface option discussion is a fantastic idea. My interface is pretty plain and not too far off from default but I do have several macros I use to inform duty finder players that I'm either new to the dungeon or let them know I just came back from a 2 year hiatus and might be a bit rusty with the dungeons I've run in the past. People have been pretty decent about showing me the ropes in the new dungeons and reminding me of mechanics in the ones I've previously run.