The New Sage Icon, Thoughts?

[LaughingBanana]

When it comes to acts of kindness I am more inclined to respect those that have few or no witnesses compared to those which are released as a news item and screened by a public relations department.

It's fascinating to me that there's so many players in what is supposed to be a 'pleasant community' outright attacking and insulting the character of any and all who dare to raise an eyebrow at this move, though. Incidentally, the same individuals doing this are also claiming that the move isn't a big deal.

If it isn't a big deal, why the heated emotions, insults and crude language? It's all rather baffling to me.

Because it's bloody annoying that people make a mountain out of a hill for such a small, kind gesture by Yoshi-p's team, that people argue that it's going to be a slippery slope (I mean really?), and because people found it unlikeable that the dev team do this due to reasons they invent in their heads. It's tiresome to see people are so eager to complain about something so inoffensive.

[Kolsykol]

It's tiresome to see people are so eager to complain about something so inoffensive.

Tbh, I just think that this is something people have been conditioned into in the English speaking online climate.
Everything is so hyper politicized and revolves so much around ragebait and getting likes/ retweets.
And taking more extreme positions generally tends to get more and instil more of a reaction.
Even big publishers and movie studios unironically rely on it and cause division on purpose to try and get people to go and see movies or play games '' to spite the others ''.
As if playing a game or watching a movie has to be a statement.

The thing is too that there is some truth and logic to that argument about a slippery slope, it doesn't mean that it's always the case tho.
But I mean I think people have more and more begun to notice certain trends in English ( mostly US ) entertainment and media and it puts people on edge about everything.

[TeraRamis]

Because it's bloody annoying that people make a mountain out of a hill for such a small, kind gesture by Yoshi-p's team, that people argue that it's going to be a slippery slope (I mean really?), and because people found it unlikeable that the dev team do this due to reasons they invent in their heads. It's tiresome to see people are so eager to complain about something so inoffensive.

How do you know it's a gesture at all? My money's on them randomly changing it, then utilizing the move to farm what they believed would be a little free PR from bleeding hearts. There's absolutely no reason to disregard the cynical perspective, here.

[LaughingBanana]

How do you know it's a gesture at all? My money's on them randomly changing it, then utilizing the move to farm what they believed would be a little free PR from bleeding hearts. There's absolutely no reason to disregard the cynical perspective, here.

I usually tend to default viewing the positive side when something like this happening because I don't want to become more miserable than I already am.

[Theodric]

I usually tend to default viewing the positive side when something like this happening because I don't want to become more miserable than I already am.

That's fair, but I think it's also important to remember that other people do not necessarily feel miserable just because they offer their take on something. Indeed, some people just enjoy discussing things in general be it something major or minor. To say nothing of the fact that the game has people from all over the world from many different backgrounds, cultures and countries.

That also goes for experiences as well. People who have seen first hand how public relations departments operate are going to have a more cynical take than those who have not.

If others wish to praise the decisions, major or minor, then they're free to do so. I simply think it's healthy not to expect every single person to go along with that. The FFXIV community isn't a hive mind, after all.

[Brandedblade]

The slippery slope fallacies here are putting an ice skating rink to shame. Here's the thing for all the people talking about "Oh they should remove blades from this game because of people with phobias for sharp objects." This is a fantasy game, that alone would serve as a reasonable enough trigger warning to people with phobias like that. Of course a fantasy game is going to have certain things like that present. And despite what some people here might think, most people are reasonable enough to not go out of their way to trigger their own phobias.

Why change the Sage icon if it's meaningless? Simple, it's something quick and easy to edit that they can use to go "Hey, look how thoughtful we are towards y'all." the FFXIV dev team is always going to be looking for small and easy things like that give them positive PR.

[wereotter]

Why change the Sage icon if it's meaningless? Simple, it's something quick and easy to edit that they can use to go "Hey, look how thoughtful we are towards y'all." the FFXIV dev team is always going to be looking for small and easy things like that give them positive PR.

Gotta come out and say this seems to be spoken by someone unaware of how this kind of thing works in the real world. They didn't simply fill in the holes and call it a day, they actually reworked the existing icon.

That's a big deal. Changing the angles and sizes of items within the icon means the research into if this might violate another company's trademark has to happen all over again as well as could have to go through at least the later steps of logo design approval and redesign as the original icon did. Making this change to the icon is a much larger undertaking than you might think. (I speak as someone who works in design and has experience with this kind of work)

So for them to go to that much effort wouldn't be for nothing. I don't know if the aversion to the holes is the reason they changed it, or if they got approached by another company who said they were going to sue them over the design unless they change it, and they're using the aversion as an excuse... but in the end, who cares why? This is the new icon. As they tell us in all the preview stuff, it's subject to change.

[KizuyaKatogami]

Well they specifically said it was due to the phobia that they changed it. So if thats untrue they basically just lied to their entire playerbase and used a phobia as a scapegoat.

[wereotter]

Well they specifically said it was due to the phobia that they changed it. So if thats untrue they basically just lied to their entire playerbase and used a phobia as a scapegoat.

I'm aware what the announcement said, but do you think they would come out and say "we're changing this because we were about to get sued" or do you think they'd spin it and say "actually this new design is better for you because phobia"

They're under no obligation to inform us if legal action was pending if it even was.

[KizuyaKatogami]

The slippery slope fallacies here are putting an ice skating rink to shame. Here's the thing for all the people talking about "Oh they should remove blades from this game because of people with phobias for sharp objects." This is a fantasy game, that alone would serve as a reasonable enough trigger warning to people with phobias like that. Of course a fantasy game is going to have certain things like that present. And despite what some people here might think, most people are reasonable enough to not go out of their way to trigger their own phobias.

Why change the Sage icon if it's meaningless? Simple, it's something quick and easy to edit that they can use to go "Hey, look how thoughtful we are towards y'all." the FFXIV dev team is always going to be looking for small and easy things like that give them positive PR.

Again though, Leatherworker. People seem to keep avoiding that. Leatherworker has been in the game and no one complained. But sage the shiny new job suddenly has a lot of attention and this happens.