(04-28-2016, 09:19 PM)Caspar Wrote:(04-28-2016, 09:15 PM)Graeham Wrote: FFXIV is FFXIV. I detest the idea of completely breaking the game's lore even if I dislike certain elements of it. Bending, however? That's a different story - but even then I only do it if it's plausible and a means to add some depth to an element of the lore that may not yet have been expanded on. I feel like there's more than enough interesting material to work with in this setting without having to defile what exists. Especially when there's countless interesting niches that go without any love or attention.Defile? That's strong language. But although a great deal of lore is very much set in stone, other elements are vague. We don't know much about the climate in Othard, for example, or the type of food Garleans eat. In those cases, how do you address things the lore *doesn't* cover, or not in enough detail? I guess how much bending is "permissible," is my question.
Ultimately I hold the firm belief that if someone is just going to ignore the established lore in a setting and do whatever they like instead then that's probably a solid sign that they'd be better off elsewhere...or just limiting their role-play to something like Skype or a setting they create themselves.
I can only assume they'd be happier doing that if they show no actual love or passion for FFXIV itself. When I fell out with Blizzard's storytelling I took my leave of WoW because the game's lore no longer interested me. I could probably go off and pretend the stuff I disliked didn't happen but...that's only a way to exclude a great many people. Even if people buy into it then it's just replacing canon with fanon. Which, to me, comes across as rather obnoxious.
That's my personal stance on it anyway.
If something is left vague - such as what, exactly, Othard is like - then it's fine to make an effort to fill in the gaps, especially if it's done by expanding upon what we do know about a particular vague aspect of the lore.
I do feel as though people risk writing themselves into a corner if they embrace too many aspects of the setting that are left without much lore though.Â
In short? I'm willing to turn a blind eye to 'bending' but not to 'breaking'. The former is something I've done myself whilst the latter, to me, just makes me lose interest altogether.
