Oli!

Work on this has stalled slightly as I'll be out of the country for the next ten days. However, when I get back, there will be plenty of stuff to update, and new sections to post!

This has the potential to save me a lot of work, and I must therefore thank you! I shall look through everything you have when I have the time.

I'll be honest...I have no idea how this could act as a buffer to such a thing when they specifically say the Hosts and Hostesses have "no preference" as to gender. As in, someone attending the event being extra pushy, thinking that they'll score (in whatever way) because the female Miqo'te serving them is an actual girl, when that may not be the case. Although one could argue that revealing genders makes others easier targets for said people, one would assume that the fact that they know what this event is about, and the fact that they are participating of their own free will means that they are prepared for that sort of situation, while the gender-identification eliminates the other, giving them less awkwardness to deal with. This could especially be the case given that often people feel "betrayed" when a character is a different gender from their player, as silly as one may find that to be. I've seen quite a few threads in a myriad of communities about that sort of thing, and there may even be a few here (though I haven't taken the time to look). Even if the servers have no preference, it can still get awkward in a myriad of ways. No Preference Within Reason, one could say.

Sorry. Any time verification of RL gender is "necessary" for an "RP" event, it's not RP. RL Gender should have absolutely nothing to do with an RP event. And if they're so concerned about protecting the workers from player harassment, they would never be verifying their RL gender in the first place. That's a huuuuuuuuge opening for harassment. As far as what I can see in the posts, nowhere does it say it's an RP event. It looks like it's open to people of all servers and play-types. It's fine if you don't want to go (and honestly, it's not my type of thing either), but seeing as it's quite clear that they put quite a bit of time and thought into constructing an event the way they want to, I think it would be nice to at least respect what they're doing here. As for the gender thing, I'll just post in this comment what I thought earlier. That's all I'll say on it, really. EDIT: As an afterthought, on the flipside, it could also simply be because providing someone's real gender would provide the necessary OOC buffer needed to prevent people getting too far into things, which could be uncomfortable for those who are hosting the event. So I suppose either possibility would be applicable and appropriate.

Quoted from an organizer on the third page of the original thread: Come on guys, let's at least give them the benefit of the doubt here, no need to dismiss it without so much as a 'good luck.'

I can only speculate, but considering the nature of the event, the fact that the event is on a non-RP server and is welcoming to all players (and not just those who RP), and is not (at least where I can see) explicitly stated as being an RP event (just that it could be if people wanted to show up and RP there), the reason for the gender confirmation would be for those who do not RP and are looking for companionship of some sort, would be my guess. Which wouldn't be a bad thing at all, I don't think.

Thanks folks, just doing my best. Here's an update, my first piece of XIV-related art, a sketch of my main character in this game, Oliwat Kokiwat.

Thanks guys, just doing my best to keep it going. Next one may be a while off, as I have a bit of leveling to do.

THIS IS WHERE THE NEW THINGS ARE. I've also got a tumblr.

EVERYTHING IN THIS POST IS NOW OLD. GO TO THE SECOND ONE KTHX. Hi. I'm going to dump my eye-cancer here. I draw often, but I'm almost entirely self-taught, so I'm not that great. My dA is here if you're into that sort of thing. If, for some reason, you want me to describe my methods when it comes to something (I'm not the best by any means), I would be more than happy to do so, because I know how frustrating it is to figure art out all by yourself. Alternatively, if you want me to explain the story behind a concept, I would be more than happy to go on and on about that too. Anyway, enjoy if you can. More things to come possibly. I draw a lot.

Letter from the Editor Welcome Once More, Readers! As we approach the middle of the month, I decided that a new issue was just about due. Within, you'll find various bits of updated information on all sorts of things, such as the apparent intentions of the Quiveron Bandits, and the interesting uses of Toxic Toad liver secretions. This, of course, assumes that you are fiesty enough in the first place to go about gutting a Toxic Toad to begin with. More substantial, perhaps, is the start of the entry on Western Thanalan! It is, unfortunately, not quite complete, but I do believe it will be very soon. The next release, regardless of whether or not it features my full findings on Western Thanalan, will absolutely have some interesting information on the city of the sea, Limsa Lominsa! Finally, I am considering compiling an additional section for the entry on Ul'dah, involving people and factions one would do well to know! Helpful? I think so! I also have many more notes on all sorts of things I can't wait to add in! Did you know that Cactuars shed their needles and cause the fourth greatest source of foot pain in Western Thanalan? Did you know that the Sanguine Sirens are comprised entirely of females without a single exception? Did you know that Spice is a general terminology for any "legally obtained goods" coming from the cargo of the Kraken's Arms? No? Well it's a good thing you've got the Guide, isn't it! Carry on, fellow Cartographers! Signed, Oliwat Kokiwat, The Very Last of the Rattlepacks.

Railroading is something that I don't like either, so don't worry on that front. The plan almost never gets past the players, and it's just too much work to force it onto them, not to mention it's much less fun. Sort-of. Although things like environmental changes and bad-guys would be treated as they would be in a text-event, people would probably still be in-game for the sake of accessibility, privacy (not everyone is comfortable with handing out their Skype names), and for the purpose of having character models and a location to reference from.

Hi there! I tend to ask this question in most RP communities that I end up in, because let's face it, I love GMing. I GM more than I RP. I toss my own characters to the side in favor of bending and twisting your fates to my EVERY WHIM-- Excuse me. But seriously. I know that there is a wide variety of RP styles, and as a result, there is a wide variety of what people look for in events. Unfortunately, we don't have something along the lines of Neverwinter's Foundry mechanic, nor are there entirely controllable locations for every setting that you can think of, nor is there an easy way to get people to drop what they're doing to fill in for Nameless Goon Squad That's About To Get Their Faces Punched In #21. The answer, then, though it may lack visual awesomeness or actual gameplay, and look like little more than standing around and typing things that no one can see, is events that are done through text. Some people love this kind of thing, either because they love to write, or because it's the only way to get a plot done despite game limitations and boy do they love plot. Some people hate it, because it doesn't involve actually playing the game which is fun and probably what most people are there for, or because just standing around looks so super lame even if what's going on might be totally amazeballs. As a result, time for a short community census. Although you can simply check off what you think on the poll and be done with it, I would personally seriously appreciate it if you commented anyway so that I can get a proper handle on the various ideas and opinions that people have. Having a general spread is great, but having individual opinions is even better. Toodles! :cactuar:

Hi there! A few questions, if you will. I have a character that may be interested in this, but she's not much of a prize fighter, and would probably be more interested in finding people to spar with and be trained by. ICly, she's not affiliated with a Free Company, but I have her sitting in one for the purpose of talking to some close friends. My questions are as follows. 1.) In terms of activity, is the FC chat a big deal, or do most people use the Linkshell for IC/OOC communication purposes? 2.) Even though you've clearly given your blessing when it comes to events outside of the weekly Grindstones, how often do other things seem to happen? Do people gather all the time, or is more of an occasional thing. I think that's it for now. Thank you!

In my experience, the most often-purported reason why Roleplayers are viewed unfavorably in other people's eyes hasn't been something that was touched upon yet, so I just thought I'd state it briefly for the sake of additional understanding. In addition to some of the other things that people have said (we're "weird," some do embarrassing public things, etc.), some people see Roleplayers as simply "dead weight" in a server. We and our friends and groups take up large portions of the (limited) space for characters on servers, we populate cities en-masse and make things chug for some people on lower-end computers, and all for what, standing around and talking? To a lot of people, that isn't really playing the game. We're just there to talk at each other, and take up precious gamespace in an annoying manner like the silver chunks from Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine. I've seen "oh man, these annoying Roleplayers are standing around next to this hardface event and aren't even helping a single bit" in games more times than I can count. So even if the other reasons might seem a bit confusing or otherwise inadequate, this one might help to shed a bit of light on the attitudes that some people may have. The less of us there are around, the more people there are who will actually want to "play" the game.

(( It's no a problem! Seemed simple enough and like a good suggestion, since it's rather lengthy and it looked like it was easy to lose one's pace. And if it helps in some way, then mission accomplished! That's part of what this whole thing is about. ))

(( Thanks everyone! Glad to see that it's been well-received so far. )) Letter from the Editor Hello hello, wandering readers! Although I know you've only just received the first, I found that I just could not keep myself under control, and decided to release a minor updated pamphlet a bit early! Within, you'll find additional information on various facets of Ul'dah, a bit of personal advice from me on certain situations and how to avoid them if you find yourself with unfavorable fortune, as well as an entirely new paragraph under the Cultural section about Ul'dahnian technology! Did you know that the little mechanical men outside of the Goldsmiths' Guild have a name? No? Well that's why the Guide is here! Additionally, in reply to reasonable opinions regarding the readability of portions of various paragraphs, important information that appears for the first time has been bolded in order to make it more apparent. Also, slight adaptations have been made to entries on certain beasts to include little tidbits about this or that that I missed before, such as the fact that Snapping Shrew hides are a popular source of leather. The adaptations made in the next issue will focus almost entirely on Western Thanalan, if everything goes the way that I hope it does! If you see anything amiss, or corrections that must be made, mail in and let me know! Until the next issue! Rattle on, Wanderers! Signed, Oliwat Kokiwat, The Very Last of the Rattlepacks.

Okay I lied. This is the actual last reserve. ...You know... ...Just in case.

Final reserve, of course, just in case.

Also reserved just in case.

[Part Two: On Limsa Lominsa, and its Surrounding Areas]

Not enough Plainsfolk. D: (I play on Balmung.) Character Name: Oliwat Kokiwat Character Gender: Male Dunesfolk or Plainsfolk: Plainsfolk Time Zone: EST What Rp are you seeking? All the things! (Don't have a Wiki page yet but I'm totally working on it.)

Ah, neat! No worries, characters have lives of their own, after all. Looking forward to seeing you around!

The Grindstone is going in the Guide for sure! In fact, I've already written it in! But I must know, who were you?