I will say that I saw somewhere in a break down of Miqo'tes (I think either on this thread or a quote from somewhere else) that male Seekers -actually- don't get much in the way of a choice. Yes, they can choose to fight a Nunh to take over his tribe or start a tribe themselves (which is far more difficult) but ultimately, it comes down to the choice of the women. They are more LIKELY to take a male if he replaces a Nunh because he's shown that he's stronger and strength is what they care about. But males don't lay claim to women.
It sounds like the females choose to join a male's tribe, either because he is strong and of good stock or because the females of the tribe have influenced her decision in some way. The women still take care of the children almost exclusively, probably because the child's father can be replaced at any time.
Though it's not a matriarchy like with Keepers with the woman's name is passed down, I don't think male Seekers actually get a lot of respect outside the fact that they are the dominant male of their group, much like lion prides. Males aren't the primary hunters, females don't actually have real emotional connection to them, and their main job is to try and keep their position because that's how they survive and assure they will have offspring. While male lions are capable of hunting down their prey it's most often if not almost exclusively the females that provide. Without that steady income of food, they're left to prowl for an open territory where they can survive without being killed by another male.
So in essence, male Seekers probably -need- women and -want- to maintain their positions of exclusive-access lest they be cast out to wander and not have the chance to have more offspring. I don't think females are subservient or that the term 'harem' is used to denote that. It's likely not exactly like human harems as we know them where a man -buys- or is gifted women in order to appease him and/or to provide children to carry on his line. Women probably still make all the major decisions and leave the males to worry about whether or not they'll have a meal and a warm bed by the next sun.
There are a number of different ways to look at this scenario with Seekers. I don't think you have to say that everyone views Seekers as being flimsy bimbos who'll either do anything for money or have sexual relations with anyone without care. As it's been pointed out, it likely varies from person to person depending on where they're from.
A merchant from Ul'dah might speak down to a female Miqo in Limsa Lominsa and get much more than he bargained for. They did say in my story quest when I got my pass that many people in any of the city-states (specifically Ul'dah in this case) had never gotten a chance to go to Gridania or Limsa Lominsa. This sort of situation likely arises.
I personally don't care much for the stance of -people- who look down on other people based on the choices they make. Yes, Siobhain abhors robbers and bandits and thieves who prey on the weak, but she doesn't go around picking on them for no reason nor does she assume she understands why they're doing what they do. People choose to make their characters, more often than not, as close-minded on certain things as they are despite any reason in the lore that they might have to think otherwise or consider things as normal instead of being rubbed the wrong way by it.
I've made close minded characters on purpose, but it's usually that they're closed about what they'll do with themselves. Of course, I don't typically roll characters who have the freedom to be snooty because I don't have many who are rich to begin with. It's easy to hate something ICly that you don't really mind OOCly, it's harder to like something ICly that you hate OOCly.Â
If you claim you hate or despise or plain don't like something OOCly, especially in regards to the way 'most people play' or 'most people see things' and you decide to take that dislike and find a way to use it in character, that's just one more great thing about freedom of opinion. It just worries me that we all, as experienced roleplayers, can have a negative impact on the thoughts and views of others. Whole communities of roleplayers, excluding none because we -are- a community, have caused people to be afraid they might not be as skilled as others, be afraid to ask questions for fear of negative (angry) responses, be afraid of being creative and unique, and to quit playing the game because of those fears. Worse, we pass on our opinions, no matter how often we -say- they're just our opinions and whomever can do whatever they like, to new people who misinterpret what we say and take the majority's opinion as law to use as their reasoning to avoid other new people or tell them that what they're doing is wrong.
It's all that I'm worried about and it's why I waste soooo much time trying to make points more open. Yeah, maybe it'd be great if the community unanimously decided that SE has it wrong and we'll furthermore ignore all the 'stupid' or 'annoying' things they do with Miqo'tes to sexualize them, but it's not really fair for everyone.
But I won't agree that 'lol, fetishes' is good enough for serious Seeker RPers. I understand you want to love your race and have them be serious. That's why many of us are trying to give serious, potential explanations for it rather than reinforcing any fears or feelings that all these situations are just a big, offensive joke.
It sounds like the females choose to join a male's tribe, either because he is strong and of good stock or because the females of the tribe have influenced her decision in some way. The women still take care of the children almost exclusively, probably because the child's father can be replaced at any time.
Though it's not a matriarchy like with Keepers with the woman's name is passed down, I don't think male Seekers actually get a lot of respect outside the fact that they are the dominant male of their group, much like lion prides. Males aren't the primary hunters, females don't actually have real emotional connection to them, and their main job is to try and keep their position because that's how they survive and assure they will have offspring. While male lions are capable of hunting down their prey it's most often if not almost exclusively the females that provide. Without that steady income of food, they're left to prowl for an open territory where they can survive without being killed by another male.
So in essence, male Seekers probably -need- women and -want- to maintain their positions of exclusive-access lest they be cast out to wander and not have the chance to have more offspring. I don't think females are subservient or that the term 'harem' is used to denote that. It's likely not exactly like human harems as we know them where a man -buys- or is gifted women in order to appease him and/or to provide children to carry on his line. Women probably still make all the major decisions and leave the males to worry about whether or not they'll have a meal and a warm bed by the next sun.
There are a number of different ways to look at this scenario with Seekers. I don't think you have to say that everyone views Seekers as being flimsy bimbos who'll either do anything for money or have sexual relations with anyone without care. As it's been pointed out, it likely varies from person to person depending on where they're from.
A merchant from Ul'dah might speak down to a female Miqo in Limsa Lominsa and get much more than he bargained for. They did say in my story quest when I got my pass that many people in any of the city-states (specifically Ul'dah in this case) had never gotten a chance to go to Gridania or Limsa Lominsa. This sort of situation likely arises.
I personally don't care much for the stance of -people- who look down on other people based on the choices they make. Yes, Siobhain abhors robbers and bandits and thieves who prey on the weak, but she doesn't go around picking on them for no reason nor does she assume she understands why they're doing what they do. People choose to make their characters, more often than not, as close-minded on certain things as they are despite any reason in the lore that they might have to think otherwise or consider things as normal instead of being rubbed the wrong way by it.
I've made close minded characters on purpose, but it's usually that they're closed about what they'll do with themselves. Of course, I don't typically roll characters who have the freedom to be snooty because I don't have many who are rich to begin with. It's easy to hate something ICly that you don't really mind OOCly, it's harder to like something ICly that you hate OOCly.Â
If you claim you hate or despise or plain don't like something OOCly, especially in regards to the way 'most people play' or 'most people see things' and you decide to take that dislike and find a way to use it in character, that's just one more great thing about freedom of opinion. It just worries me that we all, as experienced roleplayers, can have a negative impact on the thoughts and views of others. Whole communities of roleplayers, excluding none because we -are- a community, have caused people to be afraid they might not be as skilled as others, be afraid to ask questions for fear of negative (angry) responses, be afraid of being creative and unique, and to quit playing the game because of those fears. Worse, we pass on our opinions, no matter how often we -say- they're just our opinions and whomever can do whatever they like, to new people who misinterpret what we say and take the majority's opinion as law to use as their reasoning to avoid other new people or tell them that what they're doing is wrong.
It's all that I'm worried about and it's why I waste soooo much time trying to make points more open. Yeah, maybe it'd be great if the community unanimously decided that SE has it wrong and we'll furthermore ignore all the 'stupid' or 'annoying' things they do with Miqo'tes to sexualize them, but it's not really fair for everyone.
But I won't agree that 'lol, fetishes' is good enough for serious Seeker RPers. I understand you want to love your race and have them be serious. That's why many of us are trying to give serious, potential explanations for it rather than reinforcing any fears or feelings that all these situations are just a big, offensive joke.
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