That's pretty much my biggest problem with bending lore to play a WHM, it's really really hard to do and it gets murky really easily so I tend to avoid it. There's basically a bunch of reasons why you can't, constant hurdles you have to find your way around (Oh, it's forbidden, oh only the padjal know it, oh the Elementals guard the succor and they say no, oh, only a few people even know what a white mage is, etc etc) it just doesn't seem worth trying to do the mental gymnastics it would take to A. Explain it, and B. have it explained to me plausibly. Especially when a White Mage is really someone who dedicates their life to the Shroud and the Elementals and you can easily be just as an effective healer as a very strong Conjurer and it wouldn't change your story.
I've expressed a lot of dislike about WHM ICly over the years, but I actually think most of that comes from the fact you can be the EXACT same character without needing the White Mage thing. Most people don't play servants to the Shroud, in fact a lot of people who say they are WHMs (Who I've seen) don't even hang in Gridania. There's nothing wrong with just being a Conjurer in this instance and - to a lot of new peoples credit who I have talked to - most people agree once it's explained to them in such a way. VERY few get the "I do what I want so eff you" attitude.
As someone stated above, a new player isn't going to know White Mage is gated so heavily, and may just call themselves that simply because "Well, it's Final Fantasy, that's what healers are." It's good that, to a lot of veterans credit, people don't mind explaining it over and over and over again (Just look at how any threads there are on the subject) so new players understand. Informed decisions are much better than "Well, you go do whatever you want." without any explanation.
I'm pretty stringent on this, and I'm in a guild that is also stringent. If you say your a White Mage ICly, my character won't know what that is. And if you try to explain it's what the Padjal do, my character will flat out not believe yours. I'm with everyone else, EVERYTHING can be explained well enough if you do your homework, and if your reason is plausible - if your able to clear the many hurdles it takes to be a White Mage - then I'll probably still rp with you. I'm stricter on White Mage then I am on most things in this game, but I won't refuse to rp with you unless you get all uppity about my preferences on lore.
I've expressed a lot of dislike about WHM ICly over the years, but I actually think most of that comes from the fact you can be the EXACT same character without needing the White Mage thing. Most people don't play servants to the Shroud, in fact a lot of people who say they are WHMs (Who I've seen) don't even hang in Gridania. There's nothing wrong with just being a Conjurer in this instance and - to a lot of new peoples credit who I have talked to - most people agree once it's explained to them in such a way. VERY few get the "I do what I want so eff you" attitude.
As someone stated above, a new player isn't going to know White Mage is gated so heavily, and may just call themselves that simply because "Well, it's Final Fantasy, that's what healers are." It's good that, to a lot of veterans credit, people don't mind explaining it over and over and over again (Just look at how any threads there are on the subject) so new players understand. Informed decisions are much better than "Well, you go do whatever you want." without any explanation.
I'm pretty stringent on this, and I'm in a guild that is also stringent. If you say your a White Mage ICly, my character won't know what that is. And if you try to explain it's what the Padjal do, my character will flat out not believe yours. I'm with everyone else, EVERYTHING can be explained well enough if you do your homework, and if your reason is plausible - if your able to clear the many hurdles it takes to be a White Mage - then I'll probably still rp with you. I'm stricter on White Mage then I am on most things in this game, but I won't refuse to rp with you unless you get all uppity about my preferences on lore.
![[Image: tumblr_n92fndN0EH1rujdn8o1_500.gif]](https://33.media.tumblr.com/449e130ac31106ec8aeda3d0f121d76b/tumblr_n92fndN0EH1rujdn8o1_500.gif)
