On the FFXIV Community

[NocturniaUzuki]

I'm unbelievably grateful for the FFXIV fandom. Even when arguments break out you guys are infinitely kinder and more respectful than the vast majority of fandoms I've been in or seen.

That said, I've been watching how people handle different situations and noticed a lot of fans tend to bristle if players raise ideas or gameplay values that are different. That seems really weird to me since it's not like any of us have a real say in what devs do.

To me, it seems like fans here feel afraid a lot. Might be fear that crazy people will enter the game and pull a hostile takeover of the community. Might be fear that SE will abuse its power. Might be fear that if certain players get something they want or enjoy things in an alternate way, it will come at the expense of others.

In that place of being worried, some people tend to get hostile whenever they see a person who does or thinks things that are different from them. Not only is that spreading bad vibes unnecessarily, I think it's part of a pattern I've seen get out of control in other fandoms.

Elsewhere, I've seen people lash out in intolerance to the point that it made other fans miserable... and ultimately quit. Activity stagnates, the fandom shrinks, less content of lower quality starts emerging both from fans and canon creators (tied to money or trying to please just one group of fans)... it doesn't work out so well.

You guys aren't at that point or anything. I don't expect this post to magic away all arguments either, since people are gonna be people. But I'd like to invite you guys to keep in mind that while some players might enjoy things that are different from what you enjoy in the game, or might have ideas you don't agree with, they're not in a position of authority here and they're not sharing this stuff in order to screw you. Talking over different positions or concerns doesn't have to be a hostile thing.

I strongly agree with the OP.

While compared to some game communities I've been a part of, the FFXIV community is generally more amiable, that amiability does not extend to people who don't conform. As someone who does not fit in well with the FFXIV community, I can attest to just how intolerant this community is.

This is particularly true on FFXIV community forums. I have posted many suggestion threads, and some arguments for various things that I feel strongly about. I don't post them maliciously. I just want my view heard like everyone else. But the response I get is, well, less than savory. People generally won't outright slander me, but is it really so hard to write thoughtful criticism that doesn't just lambaste? Or in some cases, are simply irrelevant to the topic. To give some anonymous examples:

Dear God, even your responses are walls of text. This is not your personal blog.

If you want meaningless gear upgrades for free, go back to WoW. It's working SO WELL over there.

Seriously, this is garbage. Tomestones already exist to get you to 390, and you can upgrade via 24-man raids. That's how people who can't clear the content get the gear.

Sorry you actually have to put in time in this game and don't get it for free.

This doesn't solve a problem, this exacerbates it.

These are the kinds of responses I get every time I post virtually anything on a topic I care about. Responses that essentially amount to saying "Get lost. You suck. You're an idiot" without outright saying it. Often from people who haven't bothered to read beyond the first line that disagrees with them, or from people who simply don't care. When people say this community is passive aggressive, they're pretty accurate. Though just outright aggressive might be more accurate oftentimes. And hypocritically, some of the same people who have said that have also posted on my threads in a similar manner.

How can we expect to hear well-balanced views from across the playerbase when the vocal majority is collectively lambasting anything that rubs them even slightly the wrong way? So what if you disagree. Be courteous about it. You don't need to go around saying such hateful things.

I think the OP is right when he says people are afraid. In part, maybe that fear is what drives people to post such vehement rejections of ideas they dislike. Perhaps they think Square Enix will implement the suggestion unless they show just how much they hate the idea. But even if they did implement the suggestion, so what? Is it the end of the world? From the non-conformist's perspective, the conformists consistently get the updates they want, and yet can't abide a single update that disagrees with them. Meanwhile, from the conformist's perspective, the non-conformists are trying to "ruin" their perfect game, I guess. I would question whether having the odd update disagree with them is really ruining it though.

I love Final Fantasy XIV, as a game. But I certainly empathize with the "other fans" the OP mentions:

I've seen people lash out in intolerance to the point that it made other fans miserable... and ultimately quit.

It's pretty bloody miserable to feel like the entire community is against you. To the point that I honestly feel like quitting quite often. But the game as it is, without the community, is what keeps me coming back. Beautiful content that has been so painstakingly crafted - to a degree far beyond any other MMO I've seen. Bosses that actually have thematic meaning to them. Music that carries the weight of emotional context. There is no other game I have seen that has a boss with as much thematic depth as Nidhogg, and more besides.

More than anything, I want to be able to enjoy that aspect of the game in all its glory. Many of my suggestions are based on that dream of being able to engage with this beautiful game on a level that isn't just about grinding out the best loot and exclusive items.

And I think it's shameful to lambaste someone just for caring about the game in their own way.