Thavnair verges on white savior tropes and presents a caricature of South Asians

[TitanMenII]

You're free to develop your own game that checks all your boxes.

This is game developed by someone else, that checks THEIR boxes. Please be respectful to them and drop the mindset of emotionally blackmailing developers to make games to your image of justice and "what's righteous and wrong" according to your internal beliefs.

You have right to complain of course. I also invite you to joining us with voicing other game issues and concerns, that are higher on the list of importance, because they affect every single active player, not just group that gets triggered from political messages.

You hold the most powerful tool - you can choose to not play this game, if it's something that conflicts with your values and you're decided to stand for them.

If political message and correct cultural appropriation is what makes you feel safe, included and noticed, I suggest trying world of warcraft. The game went a huge change in the past year. For example half of npcs turned from white to people of color , and many quest lines now have cultural, gender identity and political subtext.

It's not "checking the boxes" to portray minorities in a respectful, non-harmful way. That is simply human rights.

[Kazemon15]

I know plenty of Indian Americans and none of them sound like that. Not all Indians talk like that and making Thavnairians all talk like that is an absolute caricature.

Guess what. I know plenty of Asian Americans who don't have accents because *gasp* they were born here and have American accents. I also know Asians who moved here from their respective countries (including my own father) who...*gasp* have an Asian accent! Imagine that. I'm pretty sure if you went to actual India, 100% of the Indians there who have learned English...would have that accent because English isn't their native language. And guess what? Thavnair is their home country...so of course they would all have the accent.

[Toutatis]

OP sounds like one of those Americans bringing their notion of “race” (“white” and “people of colour”), trying to impose their views and notion of cultural appropriation to the rest of the world and trying to be offended for others when those others are not and may even be happy elements of their culture are shared and displayed.

Thavnair is beautiful, there are different people in Thavnair and it’s fine. It can spark curiosity about other cultures.

[Kazemon15]

This sounds like Americans bringing their notion of “race” (“white” and “people of colour”), trying to impose their views and notion of cultural appropriation to the rest of the world and trying to be offended for for others when those others are not and may even be happy elements of their culture are shared and displayed.

Pretty much this. White Americans getting offended at things that the race they are trying to defend consider a non-issue, even often being the problem they are trying to "fix".

I've seen half-asian representation in media (where the character looks more white) and most white people scream whitewashing and racism, because biracial people *need* to look more like their poc side than white side because that is how they perceive them. Lol not me! Half-asian and look 100% white. I guess I'm "whitewashed" just for being born like that eh?

[Hurlstone]

It's not "checking the boxes" to portray minorities in a respectful, non-harmful way. That is simply human rights.

Agreed. And its a good thing Thavnair does just that.

[SilverObi]

OP sounds like one of those Americans bringing their notion of “race” (“white” and “people of colour”)...

That's the point of all his posts. He throws on a strawman act to try and stir up a rabble. He doesn't believe probably a quarter of the crap he posts from his various sockpuppets he just knows the forums love a good mudpile to roll in and he presents one whenever he gets bored.

[Toutatis]

Pretty much this. White Americans getting offended at things that the race they are trying to defend consider a non-issue, even often being the problem they are trying to "fix".

I've seen half-asian representation in media (where the character looks more white) and most white people scream whitewashing and racism, because biracial people *need* to look more like their poc side than white side because that is how they perceive them. Lol not me! Half-asian and look 100% white. I guess I'm "whitewashed" just for being born like that eh?

Absolutely and it’s insulting (though it’s not all Americans nor all white Americans). To people with OP’s mindset, there is one “white culture” based on the colour of skin. They view everything through the lenses of American history and society while in reality they are oblivious to the diversity of cultures and the realities and complexities of the rest of the world.

I’m a bit in a similar situation as you. Despite my white skin, blonde hair and blue eyes, I was born and raised in a minority culture where people tend to have different physical features. As every other kid, I have learned the traditional and cultural activities and wore the traditional garb. To op and a few other posters, just because of how I look, to see me do those things would be considered “cultural appropriation” even though it is my own culture and part of me.

Op makes similar assumptions about Matsya’s voice actor who he says “does not appear to be Indian” (btw OP must be ignorant, blind or both because the actor has some obvious physical characteristics). Although the actor lives in the UK, his family is from Punjab and has gone through the 1947 partition. If OP was not so ignorant, he would also have recognized the origin of the VA’s name, Saighal, before spewing BS about “a Westerner […] responsible for perpetuating these stereotypes”.

People like the OP only see the colour of skin in their toxic and simplistic approach. The absurd part is that they don’t even know it but they are trying to impose American culture and views all while talking about “postcolonial discourse”.

OP should leave Thavnair alone. It’s not disrespectful and it’s one of the best areas of the game. Nidhana is also one of my favourite NPCs. There's over 1.4 billion people in India. Surely there are FFXIV players in the lot and if there was a problem we would have heard from them. So far the ones I've heard like it.

[hagare]

eh it's fine. South asians like being portrayed like that.
Just look at Apu

[RobynDaBank]

I’m enjoying the Titan kino so I’ll bump the thread.

Also, he is right about the cultural appropriation. It’s not offensive, but it shows a glaring lack of originality. It’s very reductive and basic trope usually left for lesser franchises and children’s cartoons, not the flagship fantasy RPG series. I can’t think of a single Final Fantasy game or JRPG that was this unoriginal with its world setting. Budget issues maybe?

For the love of Hydaelyn, leave the "culture appropriation" to the people from whom stuff is supposedly being appropriated from. As an Indian, I've said this before, I adore Thavnair and the stuff they've taken inspirations from, and I really don't need your pasty white self telling me that actually I should be mad at them.

[TitanMenII]

Guess what. I know plenty of Asian Americans who don't have accents because *gasp* they were born here and have American accents. I also know Asians who moved here from their respective countries (including my own father) who...*gasp* have an Asian accent! Imagine that. I'm pretty sure if you went to actual India, 100% of the Indians there who have learned English...would have that accent because English isn't their native language. And guess what? Thavnair is their home country...so of course they would all have the accent.

OK, but Indian Americans ARE Indians too.