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+--- Thread: Racial RP: How do YOU do it? (/showthread.php?tid=9827)
RE: Racial RP: How do YOU do it? - Kurt S. - 01-29-2015
(01-28-2015, 03:05 PM)Dogberry Wrote: M'aiq Tia knows many things.
SOMEONE MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
In any case I'll just put my two gil here, because I'm generous but poor enough as it is T_T
Whenever I roleplay Keil(formerly _'Keil Tia), I usually don't stick in any of the tail/ear/nose movements except when certain conditions are met or I need them to do something specific that the idle animations can't portray. Say for example Tricky and Atoli approach him at the QS and interact with him. Before I even put his spoken response to them I already try to get the outward actions and movements out of the way.Â
Echoing (heh, echo) the other sentiments here about tail stuff and all that being redundant, I have to agree with those points. The thing is your character is already physical present and it's just plain to see that yes he/she has a tail and cat ears and those two things are doing whatever because I think it's about as unconscious to them as breathing or making one's heart beat.Â
These are just his mannerisms and how I portray that. Because I'm sure people are going to shake their heads at his umm optimistic back story which I'll stick in a wiki soon.
Oh wait....the topic changed?
#Internetexplorerstyle
RE: Racial RP: How do YOU do it? - Cato - 01-29-2015
(01-29-2015, 12:23 AM)Flashhelix Wrote: If you're going to roleplay in a game with established lore only to take huge liberties with the lore, why roleplay in a game with established lore anyway? There are other avenues that allow far greater conceptual freedom if amending a character's concept and/or story is too great a feat.
I just wish more people outright admitted that they had no interest in sticking to the lore instead of pulling out the card of 'I can do what I want, FREEDOM AND LIBERTY' that is becoming alarming common in debates such as this.
I mean, yeah - nobody is saying anybody can't do whatever they want. They're saying that if someone deliberately ignores the established setting then they're opening themselves to valid criticism.
If my character happened to be played as a relative of a major lore character then I'd fully expect people to offer constructive criticism, raise their eyebrows and even avoid me altogether. Nobody has an obligated to interact with role-players that don't align with their style, however nobody has the right to claim that they can never, ever be criticised.
RE: Racial RP: How do YOU do it? - Kinono - 01-29-2015
(01-29-2015, 03:45 AM)Graeham Ridgefield Wrote: I just wish more people outright admitted that they had no interest in sticking to the lore instead of pulling out the card of 'I can do what I want, FREEDOM AND LIBERTY' that is becoming alarming common in debates such as this.
This whole post is actually kinda my view on it. Yeah "do what you want and eff the haters" sounds really great and empowering, but... Unless you are keeping your RP within a really tight circle, everything has a ripple effect. You have to take SOME responsibility for your character and their actions and their repercussions and what you do or suggest within the provided setting. What you do and how you act is going to have an effect on other characters, and whatever characters they interact with. I know what I'm capable of believing but Kino is sort of a blank slate in a lot of different areas of knowledge.Â
The biggest frustrations for me, is trying to wrap my head around in-characterly handling completely conflicting information. I'm not that type of person that likes to disregard people, characters or encounters at all, even if they go entirely against what I know to be true. One person Kino trusts is changing their form all the time because "fantasia flows like water thanks to the alchemist's guild," while another character Kino trusts staunchly tells her that such a thing is beyond our current ken. Okay. One friend gets pregnant through [MAGIC MEANS] while modern biology (and I assume the common opinion of characters in-game) tells us this isn't possible. How does Kino, or any other character, react to the fact that there is conflicting information on THINGS THAT WOULD BE COMMON KNOWLEDGE.Â
Imagine, if you will, a real-life scenario where your best friend or significant other suddenly came forth and told you they just didn't believe in cats. Like, flat-out didn't believe they existed. You'd probably say "look at these videos" or "but I own a cat" or "but we own a cat." But they just shook their head and emphasized that cats don't exist. You'd think they were crazy. And I would hate, hate, hate having to treat every other godsdamned person I meet like they're a lunatic because they choose to "eff the haters" rather than read some dialouge.
Okay, sorry about that. Rant over. I swear I'm like, the least lore-nazi person ever, but sometimes I hate having to compile this stuff.
RE: Racial RP: How do YOU do it? - Tiergan - 01-29-2015
(01-29-2015, 03:45 AM)Graeham Ridgefield Wrote:(01-29-2015, 12:23 AM)Flashhelix Wrote: If you're going to roleplay in a game with established lore only to take huge liberties with the lore, why roleplay in a game with established lore anyway? There are other avenues that allow far greater conceptual freedom if amending a character's concept and/or story is too great a feat.
I just wish more people outright admitted that they had no interest in sticking to the lore instead of pulling out the card of 'I can do what I want, FREEDOM AND LIBERTY' that is becoming alarming common in debates such as this.
I mean, yeah - nobody is saying anybody can't do whatever they want. They're saying that if someone deliberately ignores the established setting then they're opening themselves to valid criticism.
If my character happened to be played as a relative of a major lore character then I'd fully expect people to offer constructive criticism, raise their eyebrows and even avoid me altogether. Nobody has an obligated to interact with role-players that don't align with their style, however nobody has the right to claim that they can never, ever be criticised.
I am in the "Why RP in an MMO with an established lore if you're not going to RP with the established lore?" camp. It's why I don't get why people would want to RP that they're Naruto from the Hidden Leaf village in FFXIV when they could go join some actual Naruto RP group or something and RP all of that over there.
My miqo'te characters obviously don't have conventional miqo'te names (I honestly couldn't stand the naming conventions even though I really wanted to play a miqo'te) - but other than that, I try to adhere to the lore as closely as I can without introducing elements I feel would directly contradict it. My characters aren't from random unknown locations. They're not secretly some unknown race. I don't give them skills and jobs that haven't been introduced to the game world yet. They're not secretly a Dragoon and White Mage rolled into one that has mastered both arts at age 15. They don't have any unique special powers or abilities that a normal person couldn't otherwise get through a reasonable amount of training.
That said -- I don't understand this pressing need to criticise people for not roleplaying the same way you do with the same exact level of lore compliance when they haven't asked you for advice. It's easy to stare your nose down at some guy RPing Naruto in Eorzea, but it can get dicier when it's something more subtle like "your miqo'te doesn't act cat-like enough" or whether or not someone should be playing certain jobs. (Example: Some folks think warriors are totally cool to play as! Other people think it's breaking the lore to RP any job-class other than Paladins! Who is right and who is wrong? NO ONE KNOWS because it's all subjective thanks to the Warrior NPC actively trying to teach people the art, but it having died out long ago, etc, etc. Please let's not actually talk about whether it's okay to RP certain classes, because that conversation has been done to death.)
As an artist, I don't go around offering critique to every single artist I come across, even if they're fledglings and really could use the pointers. Unless they explicitly ask me for it or present it in a situation where it is implied that they want critique - it's actually considered rude to drop unwanted, unasked for critique on someone's artwork out of the blue without them expecting it or giving some indication that it is welcome and they would use it to improve their craft.
By the same token, I earnestly feel it's not any of my business to criticize or tell someone how to RP their character unless they explicitly ask me for critique. make a thread asking for advice on how to make their character more lore compliant, or otherwise imply that they're looking to improve themselves and wouldn't mind someone telling them how they could do things better. If they do ask me for advice? You better believe I'm going to try and steer them towards reading up on the lore, choosing a backstory that is more realistic in terms of the game setting, and not secretly being Bahamut reincarnated in the body of a pink-haired bubble-gum scented female roegadyn. Constructive criticism on how to be a better roleplayer and RP within the setting are fantastic - but only if someone asks for it and sincerely wants to apply it.
Additionally, I think most people adopt the "People can do what they want" approach - not because they want to escape all consequences or criticism while RPing Titanium-plated Space Dragons with a secret yaoi cat man form in Eorzea - but because it is extremely easy for RP communities to dive down the slippery slope of transforming into a very hostile, aggressive police force that dictates every single aspect of what is acceptable in roleplay.
I think we have all been in one of those at least once in an MMO where there is a core group of people who enforce the most strident (and sometimes even incorrect) view of the lore and outright harasses people for veering just a little bit outside of that.
I have been in MMOs where RP communities went so far out of their way to dictate every little detail of what people are allowed to do or be that they actually told people what hair colors they felt were adherent to the lore and which ones they were not allowed to use despite the fact that the developer of the game itself provided us with multiple colors to choose from. It's the equivalent of telling all Moon Keeper Miqo'te that they can't have reds, yellows, oranges, and other similar colors that might too easily be associated with Sun Seekers while Sun Seekers can't have their hair be various shades of blue or purple.
I would rather have an open, accepting, friendly community that has a wide range of Rpers from magical sparkle fairy-vampires I don't really want to RP with to people who earnestly enjoy working within the confines of the lore ...than to have an aggressive, hostile, judgmental community that makes people feel like shit and scares off newer RPers from RPing openly for the first time out of fear that if they fuck up with the lore just a tiny bit, some asshole is going to jump down their throat for not getting it quite right.
RE: Racial RP: How do YOU do it? - Tiergan - 01-29-2015
(01-29-2015, 04:52 AM)Kinono Wrote:(01-29-2015, 03:45 AM)Graeham Ridgefield Wrote: I just wish more people outright admitted that they had no interest in sticking to the lore instead of pulling out the card of 'I can do what I want, FREEDOM AND LIBERTY' that is becoming alarming common in debates such as this.
This whole post is actually kinda my view on it. Yeah "do what you want and eff the haters" sounds really great and empowering, but... Unless you are keeping your RP within a really tight circle, everything has a ripple effect. You have to take SOME responsibility for your character and their actions and their repercussions and what you do or suggest within the provided setting. What you do and how you act is going to have an effect on other characters, and whatever characters they interact with. I know what I'm capable of believing but Kino is sort of a blank slate in a lot of different areas of knowledge.Â
The biggest frustrations for me, is trying to wrap my head around in-characterly handling completely conflicting information. I'm not that type of person that likes to disregard people, characters or encounters at all, even if they go entirely against what I know to be true. One person Kino trusts is changing their form all the time because "fantasia flows like water thanks to the alchemist's guild," while another character Kino trusts staunchly tells her that such a thing is beyond our current ken. Okay. One friend gets pregnant through [MAGIC MEANS] while modern biology (and I assume the common opinion of characters in-game) tells us this isn't possible. How does Kino, or any other character, react to the fact that there is conflicting information on THINGS THAT WOULD BE COMMON KNOWLEDGE.Â
Imagine, if you will, a real-life scenario where your best friend or significant other suddenly came forth and told you they just didn't believe in cats. Like, flat-out didn't believe they existed. You'd probably say "look at these videos" or "but I own a cat" or "but we own a cat." But they just shook their head and emphasized that cats don't exist. You'd think they were crazy. And I would hate, hate, hate having to treat every other godsdamned person I meet like they're a lunatic because they choose to "eff the haters" rather than read some dialouge.
Okay, sorry about that. Rant over. I swear I'm like, the least lore-nazi person ever, but sometimes I hate having to compile this stuff.
I honestly don't have this problem. My FC is awesome and filled with like-minded people who all think the lore is an important, fantastic resource that you shouldn't just toss out the window so someone can have a magical, time-warp pregnancy where the child ages up to adulthood in a matter of days so their best friend can play as said child and RP out a romance with another person. I also politely step out of RP that veers into that territory and work to avoid it. I have had to have Tiergan think someone was insane just once, and I just never RPed with that person again afterwards.
While Rpers are always going to be the minority on Balmung, the RP community is big enough where I personally feel that if you don't want to deal with people that RP in a bizaare way -- you really don't have to. If someone gets butthurt over you deciding not to RP with them, they are just going to have to accept that not everyone RPs the same way and that if they aren't going to RP in a way that is compliant with the lore, a lot of people are just not going to feel good about roleplaying with them.
RE: Racial RP: How do YOU do it? - Cato - 01-29-2015
I think some people are under the false impression that other people are directly dictating what their fellow role-players are able to do. Nobody can force anybody else to do anything and that's certainly not what's happening here.
Let's look at this thread as an example of what I'm getting at:
http://ffxiv-roleplayers.com/showthread.php?tid=9690
Or if that's not enough, let's toss this one into the mix as well:
http://ffxiv-roleplayers.com/showthread.php?tid=9312
Both threads contain a lot of rants fuelled by frustration. People vent, then they move on - and it's really no different when it comes to role-play. I'm not going to lose any sleep over someone playing their full-blooded Garlean as an experienced mage but I'll certainly raise an eyebrow, offer some criticism and maybe make a playful jest or two at their expense.
Just like I'd expect people to criticise my character if I decided to play him in a way that directly contradicted the lore. Also bear in mind I'm not referring to genuine mistakes here, but rather the willing and continued defiance of established lore.Â
If it's any consolation I often poke fun at myself at my own expense too. It's just how I am and my sense of humour is very British. A lot of us are like that - and if people do something bizarre we tend to laugh, criticise and then move on.
I really can't stress how important I think that is in a community like this. You've got people from all sorts of different backgrounds, expecting them all to operate and think in the same way is both inefficient and rather concerning.
RE: Racial RP: How do YOU do it? - Kinono - 01-29-2015
It may very well be just me. My FC has died out from under me so I have to keep RP to a fairly open circle. I've met a lot of, ahem, characters.
RE: Racial RP: How do YOU do it? - Aduu Avagnar - 01-29-2015
*stands up and clears throat*
Hello, I'm Tim and I'm a roleplay snob.
There, I said it. I would rather not rp with someone who ignores major swathes of lore. Bearing in mind, that there is a difference to playing in the grey areas from outright ignoring. I even try to help people that are new to the world so they can flesh out their characters with established lore (when asked.)
However, if you can provide me with a kickass reason why you do what you do, that bends the lore, but doesnt outright break it? Game on, lets do that shit. Just please, for the love of Godbert, dont just say 'I am this because you can't tell me I'm wrong'
RE: Racial RP: How do YOU do it? - Smiling River - 01-29-2015
I have to be honest, I didn't read the whole thread because it's 14 pages and I'm busy. I read a handful of posts. I'm the the "follow the lore" camp myself, and challenge people to rise to the responsibility of playing their chosen part. Be it a chirurgeon or a Miqo'te. I myself play a Roegadyn currently (and had played an Elezen for a long time in 1.0) and constantly struggle with finding a balance between RP'ing a stereotype vs a Roegadyn mindset.
There is a huge point that maybe someone has mentioned in the pages I skipped to get here. That is that FFXIV "races" aren't really races, they are different species. I always say that a good rule of RP is to RP what you know or at least have some connection to / understanding of. That makes for immersive and realistic RP, regardless if it's solely based on lore or has some personal flare added to it. Ideally it'd be lore based, but whatever.
The problem with playing a non-Hyur is not simply the act of making sure to wiggle the ear, play with the tail. It's that you as a human being need to put yourself into the mindset of an entirely different species. Every. Time. You RP. That to me is the greatest challenge to authentic racial RP. It is entirely too easy to 'humanize' the other species of XIV, heck one can argue they are all sort of versions of Hyur. But the challenge is to try to think like a Miqo'te or a Roegadyn. Would they even perceive the world the way humans would? Would their thought patterns be similar or more varied, and if they're varied how so?
There is a quote that is apropos of this discussion; ""If a lion could speak, we couldn't understand him" - Wittgenstein. Meaning if a different species had the capability to communicate with us, we may not understand them due to their completely different reference points and way of thought.
We know that the various species of Eorzea can communicate, but perhaps there are not only physical differences but psychological ones Roleplayers are not exploiting? Just as an example, say you have an ailing citizen, doesn't look like they would make it. Perhaps a Lalafell, who have close familial bonds, is more likely to have the opinion that this person should be taken care of by everyone (their world view may be based on this concept). Being left alone is evil, communal support is good. That may be their moral compass, in this situation. Given the same predicament a Miqo'te may think the good choice morally is to destroy the ill person, because their mindset may be based on who can or cannot contribute to a tribe. For the Miqo'te the evil option is to keep them alive, and the good to destroy them swiftly. Their psychology would potentially explain that kind of moral compass.
Now that was just one example, and maybe it was a bad one at that - I am not sure if all the lore I tried to talk about there is correct, but I hope you see what I am trying to elaborate. Racial RP can be far more complex, if one truly wants to make it a challenge and step outside of playing a human with a different costume on. But I do understand how hard that road is, and by selecting a race other than Hyur we're always kind of shooting ourselves in the foot because there is a limit to how true to a different species we can role play.
RE: Racial RP: How do YOU do it? - Cato - 01-29-2015
(01-29-2015, 05:19 AM)Kinono Wrote: It may very well be just me. My FC has died out from under me so I have to keep RP to a fairly open circle. I've met a lot of, ahem, characters.
I don't think you're alone in that. It took me a year to find some like-minded role-players and a Free Company that I was comfortable hanging around with. Experiences can differ significantly but I think a lot of people underestimate how difficult it can be to build up a reliable and consistent network of contacts.
On that note you're very welcome to poke me in-game for role-play if you'd like!
RE: Racial RP: How do YOU do it? - Mikh'a Elakha - 01-29-2015
My first ever post, and only because my Miqo'te is my baby. I haven't read the entire thread and so these points may have been covered. As it stands, here is how I do it.
Ears: I do not emote my ears at all times. Sometimes I forget, others times I feel it isn't required. We have hominid features which are expressive enough on their own. Ears do however add extra flavour and so I always use them when an emotion is particularly strong. Often an ear will flicker or tick when his name or something interesting sounds within earshot.
Tail: Mikh'a is careful of his tail when sitting. He uses it more when he is physically engaged (leaping, sparring etc, they are part of the balance thing for the race, or so I believe). Again with strong emotions it might bristle or fall still rather than maintain an absent swish.
Both together: When entirely at ease, these things happen more frequently. Another thing I try to remember is that everyone has a tell. Minor body movements or ticks that others who know them would spot, and so there times when Mikh'a will appear outwardly calm for example, though his tail will fall flat or bristle ever so slightly.
Tribal culture: Mikh'a had a tribal upbringing. To his people, sexuality is irrelevant so long as babies are being born and so often times preferences are pushed aside during mating season (I consider this not as when females are -on heat- but instead a window that would allow babies to be born when food is plenty in the wild, since they are nomadic). As such, it's a very business-like concept for them. Mikh'a has grown from this mentality to one that is not -anything goes, i like my sex- but instead to -I am able to maintain many meaningful connections- and fails to understand the concept of monogamy.
TL;DR
Racial lore, sexual preference and such other concepts do not define my character, though I have at least considered the impact that these have on my character. We may not conform to societal norms, though they will have had some measure of influence, be it positive or negative.
RE: Racial RP: How do YOU do it? - Cato - 01-29-2015
(01-29-2015, 05:43 AM)Mikh Wrote: Racial lore, sexual preference and such other concepts do not define my character, though I have at least considered the impact that these have on my character. We may not conform to societal norms, though they will have had some measure of influence, be it positive or negative.
I think that's the best stance to take. One's race, background and sexuality will always have some influence upon them - even if they try to claim that it doesn't. It should never be the main defining trait however, since that just risks a character becoming a dull and predictable stereotype.
I grew up with a pretty rough Northern British accent. I also moved around a lot in recent years and I've gradually adjusted my accent to fit in better. Yet if I get startled, angered or excited then my original accent has a habit of emerging once more, often to the amusement of those around me!
I can see something like that happening with a character.
RE: Racial RP: How do YOU do it? - Tiergan - 01-29-2015
(01-29-2015, 05:18 AM)Graeham Ridgefield Wrote: I think some people are under the false impression that other people are directly dictating what their fellow role-players are able to do. Nobody can force anybody else to do anything and that's certainly not what's happening here.
Let's look at this thread as an example of what I'm getting at:
http://ffxiv-roleplayers.com/showthread.php?tid=9690
Or if that's not enough, let's toss this one into the mix as well:
http://ffxiv-roleplayers.com/showthread.php?tid=9312
Both threads contain a lot of rants fuelled by frustration. People vent, then they move on - and it's really no different when it comes to role-play. I'm not going to lose any sleep over someone playing their full-blooded Garlean as an experienced mage but I'll certainly raise an eyebrow, offer some criticism and maybe make a playful jest or two at their expense.
Just like I'd expect people to criticise my character if I decided to play him in a way that directly contradicted the lore. Also bear in mind I'm not referring to genuine mistakes here, but rather the willing and continued defiance of established lore.Â
If it's any consolation I often poke fun at myself at my own expense too. It's just how I am and my sense of humour is very British. A lot of us are like that - and if people do something bizarre we tend to laugh, criticise and then move on.
I really can't stress how important I think that is in a community like this. You've got people from all sorts of different backgrounds, expecting them all to operate and think in the same way is both inefficient and rather concerning.
I read back through this thread a bit and saw that basically half this thread was already saying all the same points I made and 14 pages later, people are still not in agreement.
I think this is a great example of how all the critique in the world isn't really going to change the mind of someone who isn't asking, wanting, or planning to use critique someone gives them. People are going to stick to their guns unless they make the decision for themselves that they are receptive to changing. They're going to do their thing. You are going to do yours.
At that point it's not critique - it's just venting like you mentioned. If you want to vent about it, that's fine! People vent all the time about things -- but at least accept that venting is all that folks are really doing at that point instead of trying to paint it as 'constructive critique' that is going to help someone build a better character or criticism that has any other purpose other than to shame someone for not RPing as you want them to. (Or in the case of the original thread that spawned this one - out right telling people they are RPing something wrong because it's not what they personally wanted and putting "You're doing it wrong" in the title of their thread Whoops! I got confused about this and thought all that came from some other miqote thread I missed. Apologies. ) It has no other purpose other than to make someone feel bad that they're not RPing a certain way.
You may feel it's okay or necessary to criticise someone for RPing something wacky that doesn't really suit the lore in FFXIV - but I don't. This is just something we're going to have to agree to disagree on. I personally would rather spend the time I would have wasted criticising someone's RP actually roleplaying with people whose RP I DO enjoy and find engaging/adherent to the lore.
RE: Racial RP: How do YOU do it? - Dis - 01-29-2015
This is such a touchy topic for so many reasons. Â Glioca isn't your typical Elezen, because Glioca isn't really from Eorzea (complicated story), but she considers the world her home, however she won't change her entire being to conform to a race when she finds those types of limitations usually hold her back from interactions with what could possibly be very good people whose race just doesn't line up with her own for whatever reason. Â
She's very open-minded, and accepting of other races (except Miqo'te, of which she has distinct dislike of, due to things that have happened in her semi-recent past), and of varied sexualities, identities, and preferences. Â But, not all of my characters are so chill. Â I do think that people shouldn't always play up to a certain stereotype of a character archetype, because that limits their ability to stretch their creativity, but even those types of characters (ones who hammer right along the lines of the lore) have their place in making a fully fleshed out and expansive world, especially in terms of a setting where personal interaction is a huge part of establishing a character.
RE: Racial RP: How do YOU do it? - Cato - 01-29-2015
(01-29-2015, 06:19 AM)Tiergan Wrote:(01-29-2015, 05:18 AM)Graeham Ridgefield Wrote: I think some people are under the false impression that other people are directly dictating what their fellow role-players are able to do. Nobody can force anybody else to do anything and that's certainly not what's happening here.
Let's look at this thread as an example of what I'm getting at:
http://ffxiv-roleplayers.com/showthread.php?tid=9690
Or if that's not enough, let's toss this one into the mix as well:
http://ffxiv-roleplayers.com/showthread.php?tid=9312
Both threads contain a lot of rants fuelled by frustration. People vent, then they move on - and it's really no different when it comes to role-play. I'm not going to lose any sleep over someone playing their full-blooded Garlean as an experienced mage but I'll certainly raise an eyebrow, offer some criticism and maybe make a playful jest or two at their expense.
Just like I'd expect people to criticise my character if I decided to play him in a way that directly contradicted the lore. Also bear in mind I'm not referring to genuine mistakes here, but rather the willing and continued defiance of established lore.Â
If it's any consolation I often poke fun at myself at my own expense too. It's just how I am and my sense of humour is very British. A lot of us are like that - and if people do something bizarre we tend to laugh, criticise and then move on.
I really can't stress how important I think that is in a community like this. You've got people from all sorts of different backgrounds, expecting them all to operate and think in the same way is both inefficient and rather concerning.
I read back through this thread a bit and saw that basically half this thread was already saying all the same points I made and 14 pages later, people are still not in agreement.
I think this is a great example of how all the critique in the world isn't really going to change the mind of someone who isn't asking, wanting, or planning to use critique someone gives them. Â People are going to stick to their guns unless they make the decision for themselves that they are receptive to changing. Â They're going to do their thing. Â You are going to do yours. Â
At that point it's not critique - it's just venting like you mentioned. Â If you want to vent about it, that's fine! Â People vent all the time about things -- but at least accept that venting is all that folks are really doing at that point instead of trying to paint it as 'constructive critique' that is going to help someone build a better character or criticism that has any other purpose other than to shame someone for not RPing as you want them to. Â (Or in the case of the original thread that spawned this one - out right telling people they are RPing something wrong because it's not what they personally wanted and putting "You're doing it wrong" in the title of their thread.) Â It has no other purpose other than to make someone feel bad that they're not RPing a certain way.
You may feel it's okay or necessary to criticise someone for RPing something wacky that doesn't really suit the lore in FFXIV - but I don't. This is just something we're going to have to agree to disagree on. Â I personally would rather spend the time I would have wasted criticising someone's RP actually roleplaying with people whose RP I DO enjoy and find engaging/adherent to the lore.
Well, it's like I said - I enjoy engaging in debate! If people want to agree to disagree, that's perfectly fine. I just think it should be a two way street - just as nobody can force someone else to role-play in a specific way I don't believe anybody should force someone to remain silent on matters that may concern them.
I also don't believe that questionable behaviour should be free of criticism. If I see a guy running naked down the street (putting aside the legal issues involved) I'll laugh at their expense and roll my eyes. I'm sure most people would - and that's pretty much what happens when questionable characters are encountered. Some people might take it a step further and offer criticism in an attempt to reason with them. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
On that note, it doesn't take a lot of time to write up a post either. I'm not starved for role-play and I don't believe that the people taking the time to write up posts are missing out on role-play as a result. I frequently multitask when I role-play and it doesn't impact on my speed of posting since I'm just wired to be able to do many things at the same time.