Dark and Mature can be quite similar to one-another, though the differences between the two for me would be this.
Mature: My vision of this is the acknowledgement of more serious themes in a game that rather downplays the gruesome nature of a lot of things that occur, such as certain halfbreeds who appear in the game, the deaths of certain major characters, and that courtesan EVERYONE QUESTIONS in Limsa Lominsa. As far as 14 is concerned, your character does not deal with things like that, they're a 'hero', something universal to all ages no matter the game. You are good guy. Good guy saves world from big monsters.
But what about the underlying matters behind the world that the hero is left unaware of? Crime, prostitution, racial discrimination, murder, corruption and rape are all present factors in Eorzea, much like our own world, and mature players are willing to accept and acknowledge those themes, unlike some who prefer to keep things more PG for a potential child audience. In all honesty, a lot of players, including myself, started off roleplaying before adulthood, and being exposed to certain things might drive others away, or enrage parents. Thus, sometimes it's best to make sure your audience is of a certain age rating before engaging in a mature RP.
Dark: Now Dark RP, I class as a theme within the mature theme, as it not only acknowledges these factors, but further attempts to embrace them within RP. While a lot might not agree with certain factors, and thus keep away from the 'dark' crowd, these people from what I've seen tend to focus towards a grimmer reality, and the unhappy truths of the world around them. While this doesn't mean comical moments couldn't be had, it just seems less likely for those that want to make things bloody, dangerous, blunt, cruel, immoral and with a chance of character mortality.
During my time in Argent Dawn, these sorts of things really picked up when Game of Thrones gained popularity, though there were always dark RP guilds around at the time. Ones that would wind up killing off their members in some of the most horrific fashions, placing themselves in locations that are rife with danger or crime, and often downplay the almost miraculous nature of healing magic.
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One thing I do not string either of these two together with, is that neither are required to have characters ERP. That's a different type of 'mature' entirely, and completely detached from these two themes, making this act a potential addition to be had, but not a requirement in order to engage in either types of RP. Black-screening is very much a thing, even if you acknowledge the more sexual natures in the world.
'Course, these two definitions are my perceptions, but while most definitely not preferring Dark RP, I'm not going to jump on the hate bandwagon in calling them a bunch of 'grimdark losers fapping to Song of Fire and Ice and Hostel'...though it was pretty funny in my earlier years.
Mature: My vision of this is the acknowledgement of more serious themes in a game that rather downplays the gruesome nature of a lot of things that occur, such as certain halfbreeds who appear in the game, the deaths of certain major characters, and that courtesan EVERYONE QUESTIONS in Limsa Lominsa. As far as 14 is concerned, your character does not deal with things like that, they're a 'hero', something universal to all ages no matter the game. You are good guy. Good guy saves world from big monsters.
But what about the underlying matters behind the world that the hero is left unaware of? Crime, prostitution, racial discrimination, murder, corruption and rape are all present factors in Eorzea, much like our own world, and mature players are willing to accept and acknowledge those themes, unlike some who prefer to keep things more PG for a potential child audience. In all honesty, a lot of players, including myself, started off roleplaying before adulthood, and being exposed to certain things might drive others away, or enrage parents. Thus, sometimes it's best to make sure your audience is of a certain age rating before engaging in a mature RP.
Dark: Now Dark RP, I class as a theme within the mature theme, as it not only acknowledges these factors, but further attempts to embrace them within RP. While a lot might not agree with certain factors, and thus keep away from the 'dark' crowd, these people from what I've seen tend to focus towards a grimmer reality, and the unhappy truths of the world around them. While this doesn't mean comical moments couldn't be had, it just seems less likely for those that want to make things bloody, dangerous, blunt, cruel, immoral and with a chance of character mortality.
During my time in Argent Dawn, these sorts of things really picked up when Game of Thrones gained popularity, though there were always dark RP guilds around at the time. Ones that would wind up killing off their members in some of the most horrific fashions, placing themselves in locations that are rife with danger or crime, and often downplay the almost miraculous nature of healing magic.
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One thing I do not string either of these two together with, is that neither are required to have characters ERP. That's a different type of 'mature' entirely, and completely detached from these two themes, making this act a potential addition to be had, but not a requirement in order to engage in either types of RP. Black-screening is very much a thing, even if you acknowledge the more sexual natures in the world.
'Course, these two definitions are my perceptions, but while most definitely not preferring Dark RP, I'm not going to jump on the hate bandwagon in calling them a bunch of 'grimdark losers fapping to Song of Fire and Ice and Hostel'...though it was pretty funny in my earlier years.
