Mod users in FFXIV are getting out of control

[RiyahArp]

Hyo I was responding to a post that all nude modders were the opposite, but that scene does have a good amount of people who are skeevy and suffering, and i say this from experience. So it's not really fair to safe "why no all modders like that are responsible." There are people who are ok, but in MMOS even in general, you'd be stunned at the people who suffer from illnesses, and many of them do end up in that scene looking for fulfilment.

Except they aren't seeing you naked, they're seeing a fictional character naked. No matter your investment or personal attachment, the avatar you play is not real. It's this distinction some people seem to forget. If I run a dungeon nude, that has no bearing on my actual self.

Look, the reason it doesn't bother you is because nudity doesn't bother you. It really doesn't bother me that much either. But there are things that would bother me that would be done with my character, and I'm sure there are things that would do so for you. If they were to happen, I don't think people would be so sanguine about it.

If the person has less of a tolerance, i don't think we should be dismissive.

I just don't think targeting the mods is the issue here over targeting the people. I honestly can't imagine the people misusing this stuff are a majority within that group of players.

Eh, yeah I'd agree. I just really don't like how people are kind of getting all heated over the mods above all or kind of downplaying a person's reaction because its only pixels.

[HyoMinPark]

Hyo I was responding to a post that all nude modders were the opposite, but that scene does have a good amount of people who are skeevy and suffering, and i say this from experience. So it's not really fair to safe "why no all modders like that are responsible." There are people who are ok, but in MMOS even in general, you'd be stunned at the people who suffer from illnesses, and many of them do end up in that scene looking for fulfilment.

I know that there are skeevy and awful people out there; I also speak from experience. Here’s what I do: I just don’t let it bother me; I don’t concern myself with what people see on their screen. I also am well aware of the fact that my character is not me in real life; there is a difference in lewd tells/screens directed at my character, and lewd comments/photographs of myself in real life. If someone were to contact me with lewd /tells or sent me lewd screenshots of my character, I would just ignore them, report them if I felt like it, and blacklist them. I don’t start a crusade about it; I also don’t just assume that everyone is like that person. I’m well aware not everyone has innocent intentions, but letting a harasser have power over you—or know that they have power over you—is what lets them win. So I shrug it off.

[Tsunenori]

Eh, yeah I'd agree. I just really don't like how people are kind of getting all heated over the mods above all or kind of downplaying a person's reaction because its only pixels.

I agree with most of the points you've made in this thread, for what it's worth. It's just a wide and complex issue, and you're going to have a number of different opinions mixing in here that are going to dance around each other trying to win an argument, and I'm just trying to think about it as best as I can from the business side of it. You brought up people who've been stalked and harassed IRL, and I really feel for those players. The mods don't even have to be part of the equation, it can just be a clingy FC member or a friend who can't take no for an answer. Those things are absolutely going to trigger some horrible feelings, and I wish there was a way to avoid that and I by no means want to dismiss the discomfort those players feel.

I'm just not sure it's worth dedicating time and development resources that already seem to be spread pretty thin to a war on modding that probably won't be won anyway. You can look at other MMOs and see the fruits of that labor. I'm normally in favor of a grander cultural change around these things than targeting the tools people use, which is why I mentioned consent being key here. That takes time though. I don't know, Square-Enix will do whatever they feel is best and if the fervor around the mods is enough that they feel inclined to step in and change things then that's what'll happen.

I don't have a huge opinion on either side, but I do want to ask a question as I do see this alot. What would you guys do if someone came - ingame- and stood behind or infront of your character in a pose that looks like it's humping you? Would you stand there or run off or wouldn't care? Yes it's just pixels but alot of people move cause it's abit off putting to see that. I would move myself and I don't think of the character as me either. But I'm just asking what would you do. I'm not defending op btw, just a question I thought up. As I do see alot of that ingame, hell I've seen people get as mad as to yell at the person coming up close to them.

I've had something like that happen a few times. It doesn't bother me, and usually I'll just teleport back to my house but a couple of times I just hung out to see what they were doing because it was amusing. For what it's worth I've been subject to some strong unwanted advances IRL a handful of times and was definitely super uncomfortable about the real thing so I think I do a decent job at separating my character from my own baggage. I realize not everyone is able to do that though.

[Bourne_Endeavor]

Look, the reason it doesn't bother you is because nudity doesn't bother you. It really doesn't bother me that much either. But there are things that would bother me that would be done with my character, and I'm sure there are things that would do so for you. If they were to happen, I don't think people would be so sanguine about it.

If the person has less of a tolerance, i don't think we should be dismissive.

Of course. I, for example, have no interest in Futanari yet if someone has one installed, it has precisely zero impact on my experience. I wouldn't know one way or another unless the actually interacted with me. And if they sent screenshots, I'll report them.

Having less tolerance does not magically make your character avatar a real person or even a reflection of yourself. That is the important distinction which seems to be lost here. Why does it matter what someone else sees? Once again, these mods are akin to one's own imagination. Should people be offended because someone may imagine them naked? If so... Scarlett Johansson and Ryan Gosling may have concerns.