Gone.

Any chance Lucaell could be seen out of Ul'dah these days? I'm very interested in meeting her, just... not the biggest fan of Ul'dah.

Nebbs is an absolute sweetheart, a shining example of what RP communities need more of: always welcoming and willing to listen to others even during their worst moments, all with empathic, unconditional hugs.

As long as it's done in a tasteful and educated manner, roleplaying characters with mental health woes is entirely fine, at least from the perspective of someone that deals with a small handful of them on a daily basis. Unfortunately, there's a sizable amount of roleplayers who don't educate themselves first and end up turning a number of serious disorders into downright mockeries, fueling the never-ending cycle of misinformation and taboo mental health is plagued with in our modern society. This is what I have a problem with, not the former. I do...

This greatly oversimplifies the negative sides of socialization. If you happen to have anxiety and/or self-esteem issues, ignoring things isn't an option, much less a consideration to begin with. It will haunt you for a very, very long time. It's why sweeping harassment and bullying up under the rug just makes things worse by neglecting the issue entirely, if not harmful to those around us. Words can and do hurt, even kill. Just take a look at all the high profile suicide cases there have been over the past year. It's all the proof anyone needs. That people don't seem to realize why situations like this are concerning honestly scares me.

We have people that can't even manage this on the RPC itself. That some are abusive over on Tumblr really doesn't come as a surprise for me whatsoever.

SO. I finally sat down and started working on a wiki for Foxglove as seen here. It's not quite complete, but I'm hoping there's enough information to make people a little less wary of her. I promise, she really isn't that bad. :love: Also came up with some potential hooks while I was thinking about it to help things along: A former friend or acquaintance from Doma that managed to make it out alive. Any women Foxglove tortured during her service to the Empire. For that matter, any Garlean PCs that could potentially recognize her. Conflict totally welcome here. And a total long shot that may be the most desired of all: a Doman princess that could potentially love Foxglove on an unconditional level. I'll be honest: it's rare when a male character interests me, but this is one of the few I'd be willing to give a try. I'll try and poke you in-game as soon as possible!

This sounds like a character I absolutely need to meet, especially on Foxglove. That might be too much creepiness for one room, though...

I don't think either of them would mind whatsoever. Both of my characters are rational enough to understand that practicing black magic isn't necessarily the mark of a bad person, especially when they had the compassion to save your life. After all, it's moments like this that tend to forge the strongest of friendships and I believe that trumps any prejudices, fictional or no.

Both Vetiver and Foxglove would be interested in this. You know where I'll be. ;3

Oh dang that's adorable. ;~;

One of Vetiver's closest friends is Ishgardian, so that's one excuse. The other would be if the Astrologian guild happens to be located there as I plan on having her study it on an IC level. For Foxglove? Who knows. I'm sure she'll get dragged there at some point, I just don't know how or why.

I won't get into 1.0 or lore panels; I wasn't here for them, nor do I consider them particularly important, not when the former has largely been retconned on an official level and the latter had no real involvement with the Japanese writing team. What I can do, however, is answer your questions based off the perspective I gained from extrapolating what the game itself has given us to work with as that is, in my opinion, the only source that should take any real precedent in our community today. To put it simply: white magic is the raw, traditional root. Conjury is the simplified, common branch. The principles are the same as are the methods and there's plenty of crossover when it comes to spell selection; this shouldn't come as a surprise when the lineage is directly related. What does separate them, however, is a significant difference in power and the discipline required to keep that in check. White magic can pull someone away from the brink of death, but it can also steal that very life away in little more than a heartbeat. Gone unchecked and it can wreak havoc on Hydaelyn in a short amount of time (see: war between black and white mages). This is why the Padjali are born and raised to protect it; a living, breathing filter to prevent any potential misuse. Are Padjali stronger? I sincerely doubt it. They're nothing more than Hyur with what amounts to as a glorified genetic deviation, mortal as anyone else and thus equally as fallible. We just haven't been given any real examples in-game yet. Now, from there, we have Conjury, strained down into something that, while still having the potential to be misused as shown in the CNJ quest-line, is 'safe' enough for the common Eorzean population to practice without the stringent ruleset that needs to be in place for its primordial ancestor. I can't speak with certainty as I didn't pick the game up until several months ago, but personally I just say Vetiver studied a bit of minor thaumaturgy to better understand all six elements on a basic level. Two different schools of magic that happen to balance each other out. Also a fun way to integrate my obligatory THM levels for swiftcast.

Agreed with Merai here. There's been a stigma towards romance in RP communities for the past few years; wanting to weed that circle out is more than fair for all parties involved. Still, you might be surprised. Vetiver ended up winning the heart of her previous love over another and though she's since lost her to death, it came with a lot of excellent character development. A mix of both may just be in order. :3

This is the only LS outside of my private one that I feel welcome in. Nebs has really done a good job picking the best of the community here. :love:

I don't even know why we're still arguing this, especially in this thread of all places. Need I remind everyone that the dialog in the first WHM quest explicitly says chosen few, not chosen one? To keep denying that players can't be a white mage is being stubborn for the sake of stubborn and derailing a discussion way, way off course isn't going to change that. Uncommon, secretive... no doubt. But they do exist, they're nothing particularly special in the grand scheme of all things Eorzean and frankly the concept is not deserving of the constant public flogging as if it were some sort of ultimate Mary Sue. You know, as if that can't happen with any of the other iconic jobs.

A willingness to entertain questions as to 'why' while providing the necessary plausibility. At least that's what I'd try and do.

Meeting somewhere in the middle is a nice thought, but it takes the willingness of both parties to make that happen. Unfortunately I don't see that happening here.

This is one of those things I'm just really not concerned with. If Square Enix is willing to retcon their own retcons, then I don't think the onus really lies on the player base. Besides, multiple canons can coexist. DC comics has been doing it for decades and it seems to be working out for them alright.

It... really isn't? Denying a roleplayer's IC existence is something that will always have OOC implications, plain and simple. To ignore this is a sign of someone that doesn't understand the power and effects our words can have on another and I suggest that anyone who does really needs to pull back and think about what they're saying before it comes out of their mouth. I think addressing a situation like this really depends on the context. I would never deny a White Mage using something like Holy to protect a skeptic in the wild from one of the countless dangers of Eorzea, but to use those powers as a glorified parlor trick is another story. White Magic is currently a taboo; that's not the kind of attention a White Mage wants, at least not one that acquired their powers through legitimate means. In this case, I'd think it'd be better to politely point out these lore points to the player in question. Turn it into a discussion that can better their understanding of the game world as opposed to going straight for blind hostility. As for me? If it's not harming anyone, then frankly it's none of my business, or anyone else's for that matter. There's very little I won't roll with and my exceptions are reserved only for those situations that are just so far-fetched that they enter the realm of F-grade fan fiction from the deepest, darkest depths of the internet. Either that or it's someone approaching a sensitive subject in a disrespectful and insensitive sort of manner (i.e. sexual assault, LGBT issues, etc.) Having your interpretation is fine, but when it creates a hostile, dismissive environment, when it flat out ignores in-game dialog, that's when I'm going to take issue. No, seriously, saying that someone can't be a White Mage goes straight against what's said towards the end of the first job quest: Not exactly flattering for a community that has this tendency to place far too much value on pre-determined questlines over more important things. You could start by sitting down and asking questions. Try to understand the why behind that choice, the subtext it's intended to build and how it shapes the character in question as they evolve through subsequent events and interactions. I mean, isn't that what storytelling is all about, anyway?

Think I'm going to go ahead and bump things up. Still not having much luck finding connections for this lady and I really do want to see her flourish!

Rila has become such a strong support figure in my life since meeting her a few months back. We got together over one of my Making Connection threads and have continued to bond ever since. Caring, intelligent with competent writing skills... I couldn't ask for more out of a friend. I'm glad I played Final Fantasy XIV, just to meet people like her. :love:

So I've been at it with Resh for a few hours now and all I can say is... wow. Such a sweet, tragic character, one that's a hell of a listener at that. I'm not even sure I can put into words how much I recommend her for RP, she's that good.

I'm sure Vetiver would love to spend time with Pelhi if she ever finds herself outside of Ul'dah. Definitely keep me in mind!

Funny thing is? Most of the best roleplayers I've met in this game happen to main a Miqo'te. It pains me to think they've been shunned by people such as yourself for what ultimately amounts to nothing more than an aesthetic choice. Also, to answer your question: by providing a compelling, well-written, three-dimensional character backed by a concept no one else is willing to touch. Those are the qualities that drive someone to roleplay with another, not a token racial selection.

ArmachiA already touched on it but I'm going to go into more detail because the real crux of your problem pretty much comes down to this. Meaningful roleplay through random encounters is the proverbial needle in a haystack. Can it happen? Sure. Will it? Probably not. Of all of the RP partners I have available on my friends list, I can only think of three off the top of my head that I found by pure chance. Frankly I'm even amazed I have any to name. The odds are really that terrible. The only two exceptions to this rule are: A. You can thrive off of casual encounters. B. You play a character that is fairly mundane and easily accessible. If these apply to you, then yes, random encounters in a community as big as this one will be just fine. The rest of us, however, will only get what we put in. I understand that it's hard to network when you're horribly shy. Trust me, I know. I've dealt with crippling levels of social anxiety for years. Still deal with it. You just have to push through and make that effort. That's the only real option if you hope to accomplish your goals. Post all the Making Connections threads you can. Give us a reason to roleplay with your character, and yours alone. Reply to postings that interest you and try your best to contact those people in-game as soon as possible. Join linkshells. Join a free company. Do anything you can to be proactive in your search for roleplay. The tools are there, you just have to make use of them. It's really that simple. If you're not willing to step out of your comfort zone to put forth that initial effort, then expect to be disappointed, time and time again.