GM Responses, Roleplay Advertising, and Party Finder - Megathread

[Arillyn]

The reason why I personally have been pretty vocal on this was because I didn't know free RP was even a thing until I heard how things work on Crystal. I've been in this game for almost a year for perspective and the only venues that I have been exposed to are ones that expect real gil in exchange for things (I have only ever been in Primal and Aether for context). Knowing that it's free elsewhere makes it seem a little like people are profiting off a community/putting RP behind a paywall when RP is literally meant to be something that everyone can participate in. I'm also a seller so knowing that people are also pricing up their items by half or more rubs me the wrong way as it feels a bit like robbing people of their money because they say something is worth more than what it actually is.

At the end of the day, no one has to listen to me or anything that anyone says in this thread or anywhere else. To be honest it doesn't really bother me if people don't even care that venues charge gil for RP services. That doesn't mean I'm not going to voice my opinion on it though. Do I expect a change? No. I'm still gonna speak about it though because I'm not one to sit on my thoughts when something feels off and if something I say can bring awareness to someone else who isn't aware, that's cool too.

I mean people can charge if they want to and if people pay, that's on them. I can understand tipping if you think some event was really outstanding and well done (they take a lot of planning), but even then a lot of people will turn down tips. Venues I've been to serve fake drinks and food (no physical items are exchanged) and people pay in fake gil. Nothing changes hands. Personally I'd be like "why are you trading me an actual item that sits in my inventory?". It doesn't add anything to the RP experience imho. It just seems odd to me to trade real items for RP. The exchange of drinks, food, etc. is all done through dialogue, text, emotes, etc. Having something in my physical inventory does nothing to enhance my RP experience with another character. Again that's just my opinion. Just like my opinion that people requiring gil to go to an RP event just smacks of something... off. Exploitive? Gil hungry? None of those really convey my feeling on it, but it just feels like it's not about the RP at that point - it's just about making gil. And no, that may not be the case for everyone. But there have been some posts in some threads and the amounts they are selling things at... those do sound completely unreasonable and exploitive to me. Again, just my opinion.

[LianaThorne]

I mean people can charge if they want to and if people pay, that's on them. I can understand tipping if you think some event was really outstanding and well done (they take a lot of planning), but even then a lot of people will turn down tips. Venues I've been to serve fake drinks and food (no physical items are exchanged) and people pay in fake gil. Nothing changes hands. Personally I'd be like "why are you trading me an actual item that sits in my inventory?". It doesn't add anything to the RP experience imho. It just seems odd to me to trade real items for RP. The exchange of drinks, food, etc. is all done through dialogue, text, emotes, etc. Having something in my physical inventory does nothing to enhance my RP experience with another character. Again that's just my opinion. Just like my opinion that people requiring gil to go to an RP event just smacks of something... off. Exploitive? Gil hungry? None of those really convey my feeling on it, but it just feels like it's not about the RP at that point - it's just about making gil. And no, that may not be the case for everyone. But there have been some posts in some threads and the amounts they are selling things at... those do sound completely unreasonable and exploitive to me. Again, just my opinion.

The perspective is going to be different depending on how you're involved in it and that's perfectly valid. I respect your view on it. I personally would rather see free RP be the norm here like it is in Crystal because to me it makes more sense than trying to sell RP as a service to people. I agree with what you're saying though, if people want to charge it's on them. If people want to pay it's on them. Like I said, I dont expect any sort of mass change to happen but if more free venues could be made in DCs where they aren't so people could actually see both sides of the spectrum, I think that would be nice.

[Awha]

Any decent company knows to do research on the cultures of other markets. SE should know that the West don't have a strong culture of conforming to very strict social rules similarly to them. We are significantly less formal than they are in almost every setting. Going against the grain in the West is not unusual and is often praised, whereas in Japan it can be a direct ticket to being snubbed. Neither culture is overall better or worse than the other, both have their pros and cons, but it does mean that what we consider to be a social "no" isn't the same.

So what I'm saying is for a Japanese player what SE don't want from players is probably obvious to them because SE is Japanese so they operate by social norms they are familiar with, whereas to those in the West it's not as clear to us because we were not raised in a similar culture. The way GMs handle issues is at odds with what Western players expect from a figure of authority.

I agree but then this becomes a discussion of oughts. I get what you are saying and it is unfortunate but in the eyes of SE their western market has been the red headed step child.

Sure it might be defeatist but I do not think SE is going to change their way of things now.

[Arillyn]

The perspective is going to be different depending on how you're involved in it and that's perfectly valid. I respect your view on it. I personally would rather see free RP be the norm here like it is in Crystal because to me it makes more sense than trying to sell RP as a service to people. I agree with what you're saying though, if people want to charge it's on them. If people want to pay it's on them. Like I said, I dont expect any sort of mass change to happen but if more free venues could be made in DCs where they aren't so people could actually see both sides of the spectrum, I think that would be nice.

We're actually in agreement. I think RP should be free like it is on Crystal. I'm just saying if people charge and people pay for it, I mean more power to them? It just seems odd to me and not something I would do - either charge for it or pay for it.

[Saidosha]

In my RP experience in MU*s, people can be all over the place when it comes to item integration, sticking to an overall theme, and whether or not encounters are cumulative or one-offs with no contunuity. This same experience has also taught me that ERP happens and no amount of being tyrannical against it will stop that. All you can do there is tell folks to keep it in private, but that's a message myself and others have repeatedly tried to emphasize.

Personally, I'm okay with things being implied. Don't need items traded to me or money for some perceived service. When I RP, it's just for the fun. In the off chance combat is involved, dice rolls or just an OOC gentleman's agreement on the outcome can suffice. That said, I'm also not ignorant to the fact some people see RP in MMOs as pointless precisely because there's no mechanical profit to it. Time RPing could be time spent farming something, which means money/progress. Given the relative unpredictability of partner quality, however, it's not a plunge I'd personally take as the aforementioned MU*s tend to have profile-like systems players can figure out that more or less serve as a screening option (Those that don't fill them out tend to be viewed as lazy, or if content is lacking/typo-laden it further reflects a lack of care for their character). The text input limitations for a single entry in XIV are also something I find grossly inadequate for the depth of RP I seek, but this also taps into the reality that some like quick back-and-forth while others more in my sphere are fine with waiting 5-15m for more lengthy replies solely in text.

Not that there's a right way, but people pretty much want different things, sometimes varying within the individual themselves per whimsy.

[Gojin]

ESRB rating argument is irrelevant have people not seen how the bosses are dressed in this game, and a certain mechanic where a character gets naked yet people are like 'teen rating' love how people want to be selective about when the rules are applied over a situation that they can just look away from and ignore.

[Bellsong]

Yes, it is dense. You know exactly what i mean. If we go by your logic I guess I would sit here and play FF7 but talk to myself in an RP way because FF7 is considered an "RPG". Are you going to RP as a dancer in the Honey Bee Inn by yourself? No, you won't but you'll sit here and say you will just to back up what you have to say and merely state "Well FFXIV is an "MMO"-RPG.

I find it funny how you state my anecdotal evidence when you are clearly stating your own anecdotal evidence and rebuttal of "I never saw or heard anything like what you stated so it can't be true". It can go both ways.

I used the son/daughter as a plausible scenario. You seem to wrap your head around the fact that nothing like this would ever happen at all. And just because you don't hear about it on a daily basis and such doesn't mean that it's not in the realm of possibilities. Back when ARR first released borderline RP/ERP wasn't much of a problem because no one really cared. But fast forward to todays society where "I'm offended by everything, etc" It's not really welcome as much today.

And lastly, you have no clue what you are talking about? Extremism? Really? What's next, I'm going to be labeled an RP Racist and Extremist because i think RP/ERP really shouldn't be allowed? Of course a video game where the age is 13+ needs to be heavily moderated. Is this not common sense? Only a person like you would say something like that because it endangers your "RP". Not everyone is a goody two shoes when it comes to RP. You seem to think this.

You know what I mean. Quit being dense.

[Kaedan]

In regards to this, note that not all places are ERP venues that run with the 18+ banner. Investigation is key here and they need to take a stance on this. If they sell ERP? Then yes - certainly get rid of them.

That literally doesn't matter. If you have labeled it 18+, then even if there isn't sexual content involved it still involves something that is 18+ content, which still goes against their 13+ rating.

[Iscah]

ESRB rating argument is irrelevant have people not seen how the bosses are dressed in this game, and a certain mechanic where a character gets naked yet people are like 'teen rating' love how people want to be selective about when the rules are applied over a situation that they can just look away from and ignore.

Those things are, evidently, within the 13+ rating or the game would not have them.

That does not mean that other, more explicit things are also included in the 13+ rating.

Also if Ryne's transformations were worthy of an adult rating, the entire magical girl anime genre would be off-limits.

[Lubu_Mykono]

They could just ban RP, would solve everyone's problems.