(08-05-2015, 09:14 AM)Graeham Wrote: I think people are getting confused because they're taking too much of the MSQ's at face value - when it's obvious that they're custom tailored to the perspective of the Warrior of Light who is the exception in almost every way rather than an example of the norm.
Yet most people aren't role-playing the Warrior of the Light, most are portraying the average Eorzean and that comes with the responsibility of acknowledging that if they play their character as being very open minded then their character is by no means an example of the norm.
I agree that what most people seem to be forgetting is that "our" experiences throughout the storyline are not and are not supposed to be the default experiences for the average Eorzean. That's where overreaching statements come in. That's also where we have to look at the content of the quests we do and think about what it might be like from the other side. Right from the start, we're dealing with corpses and death, kidnappings, starvation, prejudice, violence etc. It is all right there in front of us, and constantly. It just doesn't affect "our" character/the protagonist except as an aside/something to help with.
Hildibrand is comic relief, and he plays his part well, but contrasted against the majority of the MSQ, the story is dark dark dark.
But even though most people don't seem to RP the Warrior of Light, I don't think most people RP average Eorzeans either (some do). In my experience, most people tend to RP average adventurers, which are a subset all of their own. Adventurers' demographics are different (the supposedly rarest races seem to enjoy the lifestyle the most, and that's okay). Adventurers' experiences are different. Adventurers' attitudes will be different. I would argue that adventurers are not average Eorzeans, they aren't meant to be, and they don't have to be.
People who make their livings travelling around the world, encountering surprising things, hunting giant monsters, are all going to have more open minds than the person who actually has worked the same farm all their life or tended the same bar all their life.
For those of us playing adventurers (which isn't all, but seems to be the trend), it makes sense to have fairly "liberal" perspectives. Those of us playing characters (adventurers or otherwise) whose backgrounds include reasons to be less open-minded on certain subjects should certainly be capable of indulging in-character prejudices (with open OOC communication). I don't think anyone should expect or avoid certain attitudes with any adventurer they play. Go with what makes sense for your character's past and present.
We're a diverse group of people, in character and out, and we're far from average.