Why so much in-game racism?

[PirateRyanG]

deleted this.

[Raoabolic]

deleted this.

I agree, stop bullying the Garlieans!!!

[Zebraoracle]

Joking with friends about lalas I'm fine with. The players doing the roegadyn meme wall that followed lalas around to harass them I'm not okay with.

[Midareyukki]

lol potato? Meme.
Being anal about Lalafell (or any other race) existing? Yeah nah.

There is quite a fair bit of racism in-game. And while it's reporteable, I'm seeing people cross that line way too often.

Which is a bit of a shame, given how the game's message is all about how despite our differences we can come together for the greater good and how those who engage in ostracising other races are wrong for doing so. And how it leads to resentments and group us-vs-them mindsets.

[Zebraoracle]

lol potato? Meme.
Being anal about Lalafell (or any other race) existing? Yeah nah.

There is quite a fair bit of racism in-game. And while it's reporteable, I'm seeing people cross that line way too often.

Which is a bit of a shame, given how the game's message is all about how despite our differences we can come together for the greater good and how those who engage in ostracising other races are wrong for doing so. And how it leads to resentments and group us-vs-them mindsets.

Yeah I'll never understand the "I don't want this race to exist" mentality. It's freaking wild. I personally don't like lalas, but I know a lot of people do and I'm not about to be like "lalas should be deleted and all these people shouldn't have attachment to their character", considering I had zero attachment to my character at all as a miqo'te or au ra.

[Midareyukki]

Yeah I'll never understand the "I don't want this race to exist" mentality. It's freaking wild. I personally don't like lalas, but I know a lot of people do and I'm not about to be like "lalas should be deleted and all these people shouldn't have attachment to their character", considering I had zero attachment to my character at all as a miqo'te or au ra.

I'm fine with pretty much every race in this game. If anything because I think they're cool in their own way, and even the ones I think are less cool have people who clearly enjoy them.

I know I joked about Hyurs before, but that was me trolling, and that happened because I was just tired of stupid racist comments primarily from Midlander players. Otherwise I really couldn't care less, I've certainly met more Midlander players who were kind and willing to help than otherwise. And the Highlander experience is... yes pls <3

Now, what I don't understand is the community's insistence on sweeping experiences under the rug.

I had attachment to my Roegadyn, and I didn't like it that it was the race used for people trolling and memeing. The attention I got from that was pretty off-putting, and I did get comments once that riled me up. But it didn't make me change races. The comments I've gotten on Hrothgar, though? They definitely have. And I feel far more attachment to Hrothgar than anything else. Yet woe betide me if I point out that there's A LOT of really harsh crap told toward Hrothgar than almost any other race. Because then I'm pretending to be a victim or something. I'm not pretending. That trash does happen. I still remember that stupid thread where some broad came in and compared me being called a Zoophile and being told that the reason SE doesn't do work on Hrothgar is bc they think cats should be skinned alive to Miqo'te and Au Ra being called "same-y". Those two "insults" do not compare in terms of intensity. The only other race my personal experience shows garners just as much potential for stuff like this is Femroe.

There were comments before, I won't deny that. But they were rare, and it felt like the community was a bit more uniform in its acceptance of others before. Even if people didn't like a race, they weren't this terrible. But it feels like the community took a nosedive in Shadowbringers, because that's when I started seeing behaviours escalate. I might be biased because that's been my experience, but... still.

The community should do better and act as it preaches. Because if it's going to keep advertising itself as inclusive and welcoming, it definitely should be more vocal against this sort of behaviour. Rather than telling people that it doesn't exist and they're exaggerating.

[PirateRyanG]

I'm fine with pretty much every race in this game. If anything because I think they're cool in their own way, and even the ones I think are less cool have people who clearly enjoy them.

I know I joked about Hyurs before, but that was me trolling, and that happened because I was just tired of stupid racist comments primarily from Midlander players. Otherwise I really couldn't care less, I've certainly met more Midlander players who were kind and willing to help than otherwise. And the Highlander experience is... yes pls <3

Now, what I don't understand is the community's insistence on sweeping experiences under the rug.

I had attachment to my Roegadyn, and I didn't like it that it was the race used for people trolling and memeing. The attention I got from that was pretty off-putting, and I did get comments once that riled me up. But it didn't make me change races. The comments I've gotten on Hrothgar, though? They definitely have. And I feel far more attachment to Hrothgar than anything else. Yet woe betide me if I point out that there's A LOT of really harsh crap told toward Hrothgar than almost any other race. Because then I'm pretending to be a victim or something. I'm not pretending. That trash does happen. I still remember that stupid thread where some broad came in and compared me being called a Zoophile and being told that the reason SE doesn't do work on Hrothgar is bc they think cats should be skinned alive to Miqo'te and Au Ra being called "same-y". Those two "insults" do not compare in terms of intensity. The only other race my personal experience shows garners just as much potential for stuff like this is Femroe.

There were comments before, I won't deny that. But they were rare, and it felt like the community was a bit more uniform in its acceptance of others before. Even if people didn't like a race, they weren't this terrible. But it feels like the community took a nosedive in Shadowbringers, because that's when I started seeing behaviours escalate. I might be biased because that's been my experience, but... still.

The community should do better and act as it preaches. Because if it's going to keep advertising itself as inclusive and welcoming, it definitely should be more vocal against this sort of behaviour. Rather than telling people that it doesn't exist and they're exaggerating.

It does seem to be an issue with the FF14 community. i guess the fact that communication is easier than ever before has contributed to it.

FFXI had the same races, but I can't remember ever seeing any jokes because I played a Tarutaru.

[Midareyukki]

It does seem to be an issue with the FF14 community. i guess the fact that communication is easier than ever before has contributed to it.

FFXI had the same races, but I can't remember ever seeing any jokes because I played a Tarutaru.

Really? o,o I'd expect Galkas to be the target of some certain comments due to their bulk or Mithra due to being an all-female race. That's surprisingly refreshing.

idk why the FF14 community "changed". Maybe it was always like this and I just happened to notice it more after SHB launched, or it just changed over time. But back then it definitely wouldn't stand for crap like this. Oh people did do some stupid comments, and the "cooked lalafell" jokes were rampant. But they weren't malicious, and I remember on Reddit that the moment anyone was malicious they'd be shut down on the spot. Now it feels like there are acceptable targets. And that the line between a joke and an insult has been blurred. There's been a lot of hate toward the races, both because of stereotypes around the players or because of the races themselves. And idk, it feels like people just grew "eh" about it? When I felt that people wouldn't get away with making stupid comments before.

[PirateRyanG]

Really? o,o I'd expect Galkas to be the target of some certain comments due to their bulk or Mithra due to being an all-female race. That's surprisingly refreshing.

idk why the FF14 community "changed". Maybe it was always like this and I just happened to notice it more after SHB launched, or it just changed over time. But back then it definitely wouldn't stand for crap like this. Oh people did do some stupid comments, and the "cooked lalafell" jokes were rampant. But they weren't malicious, and I remember on Reddit that the moment anyone was malicious they'd be shut down on the spot. Now it feels like there are acceptable targets. And that the line between a joke and an insult has been blurred. There's been a lot of hate toward the races, both because of stereotypes around the players or because of the races themselves. And idk, it feels like people just grew "eh" about it? When I felt that people wouldn't get away with making stupid comments before.

I think because early FFXI required you to act as a community, people tended to act much nicer. If you weren't nice, you were essentially locked out of the levelling process as nobody would party with you. If you become known as an offensive DPs (for instance) then you stood no chance of getting into one of the three to four levelling parties at your level in the Dunes.

FF14 doesn't require you to act as a community. If you are a dick, you probably won't ever see that person again.

[Enkidoh]

It does seem to be an issue with the FF14 community. i guess the fact that communication is easier than ever before has contributed to it.

FFXI had the same races, but I can't remember ever seeing any jokes because I played a Tarutaru.

You never heard of 'tarupunting'/'taruball' jokes? Or eating taru? People used to shout those out all the time in Jeuno (Although I remember one taru player in Lower Jeuno at the receiving end of one such 'eating taru' joke got their revenge by shouting back "Don't eat more taru, eat more GALKA!". I can't remember how the other person responded to that)...

And then there was the tail pulling taru inevitably did to mithra like me.... (yes I experienced that, out in the middle of nowhere too I might add, some taru player came up, did "pulls Enkidoh's tail and then runs away, laughing." in emote and then disappeared). But it was all in good fun and wasn't deliberately nasty or mean spirited - it was just part of the fun of playing the game.

So such things have naturally continued into FFXI's spirtual successor here in FFXIV. There's no real nastiness associated with it, it's just light-hearted silliness.