On Extreme Role-playing Within XIV

[Hysorn]

Maybe because it requires you to put yourself into the mindset of being racist, xenophobic and intolerant.

It also does require you to unnaturally feel like you and your character are the same to get offended by it. I mean, I have yet to feel offended when a Garlean calls me "EORZEAN SAVAGE!!!1!" during the story, can't see why it would be any different in Roleplay, especially since you can talk back to players.

Then again, I used to roleplay in WoW and let me tell you, almost every nightborne, blood, void and night elves tended to be prettyyyyyy elvish levels of xenophobic.

[Sauteed]

Greetings, and baiting title aside I would like to begin a discussion over fringe role-playing within the game. No, not the usual degenerate type often debated, but rather what is almost never discussed. That being topics such as role-playing a character who might be racist, xenophobic or intolerant. A Garlean loyalist who believes in the cause, or a Xaela ultra nationalist. A moral compromised character. I've found these types of role-playing within XIV to be almost nonexistent and even treated as taboo. More so than even actual unseemly roleplay of the other type. This is strange to me, as I come from other games that have a much more varied community when it comes to types of characters roleplayed. It makes XIV's scene seem stagnant and boring. Thoughts on why?

Almost all of my FC rp's extremely Sultannate supporting news journalists.

[Hatfright]

The problem with that sort of roleplaying I usually saw in other games is someone just starts spewing insults at others for no reason. And when you confront them about it, it's always "Thats just how my character is, relax, lol". Well, don't be surprised your character gets slapped over and over then, cuz if it wasn't discussed beforehand, it's not other players job to change your characters mind.
Roleplaying supposed to be fun and comfortable for every party involved. Communicating with co-players first, throwing imaginary fists later, if everyone is okay with it.

[heckanism]

The problem with that sort of roleplaying I usually saw in other games is someone just starts spewing insults at others for no reason. And when you confront them about it, it's always "Thats just how my character is, relax, lol". Well, don't be surprised your character gets slapped over and over then, cuz if it wasn't discussed beforehand, it's not other players job to change your characters mind.
Roleplaying supposed to be fun and comfortable for every party involved. Communicating with co-players first, throwing imaginary fists later, if everyone is okay with it.

This. I've been role-playing for *mumbles* years now, and too often people use the "I'm a racist POS character" as a stand-in for their actual beliefs and as a way to harass and abuse other players. I'm honestly glad the community doesn't have too many of these kinds of people.

That being said, the characters I have seen played more zealously (Garlean/Ishgardian nationalist/etc) usually aren't there to make it their whole personality, which makes more more fun and interesting RP with a character like that.

[Tyssyn]

A problem I would see with such extreme role play is inevitably someone would say something racist, xenophobic or intolerant, and someone else would take it seriously and report the person.. The person would claim'I was just role playing' and open up a pandora's box of problems. Most people have had experiences with someone making a hurtful nasty comment then claiming they were just joking. Similar issue here. Where do you draw the line? 'I was just role playing' would be seen by some people as a license to be as hateful, nasty etc as they want, and not have any consequences for it. Say, someone decides they don't like me personally, so they decide they will 'rp someone who is racist against Viera' and use that as a way to verbally attack.

[xxmiamorecadenza]

Say, someone decides they don't like me personally, so they decide they will 'rp someone who is racist against Viera' and use that as a way to verbally attack.

“Return to Watership Down from whence you came, you Redwall-lookin’ lass.”

I mean, that’s how I’d word it. Personally.

[FusiaRain]

“Return to Watership Down from whence you came, you Redwall-lookin’ lass.”

I mean, that’s how I’d word it. Personally.

Ya that would make sense if your an Au'ra yourself

[xxmiamorecadenza]

Ya that would make sense if your an Au'ra yourself

I-I’m a Lalafell. :[

Edit; Oh, you were responding to my other post. Whoops.

[Caurcas]

A problem I would see with such extreme role play is inevitably someone would say something racist, xenophobic or intolerant, and someone else would take it seriously and report the person.. The person would claim'I was just role playing' and open up a pandora's box of problems. Most people have had experiences with someone making a hurtful nasty comment then claiming they were just joking. Similar issue here. Where do you draw the line? 'I was just role playing' would be seen by some people as a license to be as hateful, nasty etc as they want, and not have any consequences for it. Say, someone decides they don't like me personally, so they decide they will 'rp someone who is racist against Viera' and use that as a way to verbally attack.

I mean if it is kept within the realm of fantasy and not bridging the gap to attacking the player behind the character, I'd say it's all fair game.

[Alaray]

If you find people who want to write with a character of that nature, then you can. Most people I run into tend to find it uncomfortable, not all that fun, and pulls at allegorical experiences they may have had IRL before and don't really want to deal with in their own hobby that's often just for... well, fun.

In my experience, most people who choose to write characters as such tend to be pretty mediocre at actually writing a character and just want to make a scene/make other people feel uncomfortable for the sake of doing so and not for any compelling narrative. It almost always comes off as just someone's edgy high school fantasy. Especially since the actual themes at play, the morality of the theming, the compulsion for someone to be as they are, the actual nuance in the behavior and what fuels it along with the motivation are never actually explored (and, even then, isn't really a whole thing you'd tend to get into with randoms wherever due to the heavier material), which is again, just clearly someone who wants to write Shock Value the Character.