Shuck

So we've had what amounts to a flood of interest for us (meaning any), and I've noticed a common theme. I'm real glad we come off as fun, likeable people as we're posting here, semi-seriously. Do me, and yourself a favor though. In the Joining tab, there's some links for you to click on. Click those and read the stories. Just give it a go. Because the tone of the storytelling, and the one with which I speak to you people casually is more than a little different. Not to say that we're all mopey fuckwits In Character, but like...bruh, this is not a comedy troupe. Anyway, back to silence.

I mean, there's no need for a defense, but ok, let's talk about this. Sure, fine. That doesn't make traveling viable in order to ply a trade that would likely find you mending things and charging people. Then comes the issue of supplies not only for your trade, but for moving from spot to spot, which brings us to... Yeah, no. See, if money is a problem, then so is food. Food is something you need to travel. So is shelter, and protection, particularly given that it's a pre-industrial society. If we're paying fare to someone to ferry you from spot to spot, where's that money coming from? How much are you producing in order to cover these expenses? Where are you producing your products? Are you just stitching this shit in an alleyway, or by the side of the road, or what? A workshop provides a central location to keep necessary materials (rolls of fabric are kind of heavy, so are looms, spinning wheels are cumbersome, you get the idea) out of the elements/unstolen. A master's name provides your claim to being capable of fixing people's shit/producing new things much needed legitimacy. If some grubby dude staggered up to you on the road, with a backpack full of random fabric, then waved a rusty needle at you and said "Lemme make you a dress, sweetheart", would you take him up on the offer? If you would, you're far, far more brave than the rank-and-file citizen. These stand up. The latter...somewhat less. Like...where are you going, fam? Who's gonna let you just show up, and show shit off? Who're you gonna show it to? Looking for someone to teach you new shit is a good angle, though. Go with that, OP. Be like "If I have to stitch one more pair of plain, beige slacks, I'm gonna save up, buy a gun, and blow my fucking brains out all over the shop floor. BBL, turds. Gonna go find out what color is." Yeah, of course they'll be looking to be fashionable, but "want to" and "actually capable of affording to" are two different things. Even then, fancy shit tends to be like a one-time purchase, and unless you're Eorzea's first car salesman, or real-estate agent, you're not making a living off one-time purchases. Name'a that game is volume if you're not some well-to-do jerk's personal tailor, feel me?

Hello, inner monologue. How did you get out here?

I did it. Doors are open, shit's updated, probably new stories coming whenever I finish them up.

I've got a question here. Why would someone aspiring to be a weaver travel anywhere but to and from their master's shop? Given the state of things in Eorzea, it's safe to assume that apprenticeship is the primary method of education. What are they roaming around for? What can't they learn in the shop? I mean, I also see this assumption that the working class (the majority of any population) wants appearance first, and function second. Which...I mean, that's just not even kind of true. Things can look good and be functional, but first, your broadest client base in this pre-industrial society is going to need this stuff to work first, then last real long, and finally, if it could look good as a bonus, that would be sweet. Just stuff to consider.

Correction here: Final Fantasy Tactics came out in 1998. Same world as XII and all, but this is a thing that's been around the FF franchise since the late 90's. He looks kind of like Mr. Oogie Boogie. Anyway, just wanted to clear that up in it's entirety. On this whole discussion, I see we've covered Shantotto, and the other crossover events that are kind of canon. For future readers (as I just read the date as I'm idly cruising through things) What I think you should be asking yourself with multiverse anything is "...yeah, why though?" Because if it's "well, I want to stand out", you're chasing a spotlight you're never gonna catch. What good are any of these flashes of other worlds? Why would they be interesting to strangers? What are you gonna do with these visions? If they effect nothing, and can be reached by nobody, why bother?

Dude, there's some things you have to ask yourself about these kinds of messages. First, and most importantly: Am I the asshole here? When I ask myself this question, the answer is "yes", but you might not answer that way. I see the call for self-awareness has already gone off, and that's good, you should follow that. Second: How much do I care? People say dumb shit about dumb shit all the time, and words are cheap. They have as much value as you assign them, and literally nothing more. I mean, for a while? It was word-of-mouth that me and mine were fake roleplayers only interested in trolling other people. I didn't give a shit, I just kept doing what I was doing, and now I break the anecdote out every now and then as a point of comedy. I guess the point is: Get to a spot where you can break this anecdote out as a point of comedy, because roleplayers don't have a Yelp! page, and even if they did, who fucking cares. What are they gonna do, report you to the Better Roleplaying Bureau? Call the Imagination Police? Call 'em, you don't give a fuck.

So I'm glad ya'll like taverns and everything, and by all means: Keep drinking and taking off your clothes, then smearing beeswax on your eyelids, or whatever the fuck it is you kids do these days. I can't stop you. I don't want to stop you. I acknowledge that you're having fun, and that you want to be there, and that you get something out of it. With that being said fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuccccccccccckkkkkkkkkkk taverns. I would rather eat my gun than sit in another tavern while someone plays god damned spin-the-bottle. I would rather nail my dick to driftwood and float down the river than see another super-secret plan to do whatever hashed out over a pint, in a public place. There's a big ol' world out there that doesn't involve barstools, dancers, a gross misconception of what ale is like (it was so fucking weak, dude. For real. It tended to be like 3% or less, and tasted like bread), or people getting just way, way too friendly right on the table. We get out there in that. I'm not gonna speak for my dude up there, because he's grown and makes his own choices, but don't expect to find me in a tavern. Call me up for everything else.

No, but I would argue that it doesn't even mitigate it. Due to being able to lie. Watch, I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna do it right now. Here we go. Get ready. [lie] I'm a generally likeable person who has no major personality flaws, and should totally be let into your guild. I am in no way argumentative, petty, or vindictive. [/lie] Except they don't tag it like I tag it. They're not good at tags. But I am the best at them. Anyway, there's also a misconception floating around that a serious group needs a serious application process. I haven't found that to be true. We basically have an application process that I make up as I go, and we're pretty serious in tone. We like doing things in game. I mean, there's lines we don't bother crossing (like the token grind. Are you for real with this? Eat my balls, Squeenix. I'll just wait until comparable gear is for sale on the market. I'll make more gil by accident, my time is something I can't get back), but it's not like we show up, no pants on, being all "WHAT'S UP, OTHER FUCKERS IN THE INSTANCE, I THINK DOGS SHOULD VOTE." On the original topic: Yeah, I still feel you. Kind of sucks sometimes, but when I see something I don't feel like doing in regards to a hobby, I just don't do it, dawg. I shrug, and I stroll.

Sure, fuck it. Go nuts. Like was said: We'll talk to anybody.

Frankly, you can extend this to the whole FC. We don't care who you are, or how weird your dude is, or how new you are or aren't. Send messages, walk right up, whatever. A lot of people just sit in their houses, which is fine, but we don't (and not just due to lack of house) and we're not hard to find.

Having been doing the volunteer service that is Guild Leading for entirely too long (seriously, someone pay me for this), I've got a counter point from my experience. The counter point is "No, there isn't." This isn't to say that I don't field questions, or consider circumstances. Far from it. But resolutions are rare, and internet people constantly assume they're being attacked anyway. When I was young, and we were Misericorde on Warhammer Online, we had people that I should've kicked immediately. Instead, diplomacy was attempted. What "talking things out" tends to produce is an offender who becomes more insidious as time winds on. They learn that doing things the way they've been doing is drawing attention. They learn that if they skirt under a line that's come into focus with lengthy talks, and reminders, and finger-wagging, they can keep doing what they've been doing with no resistance. Effectively, you train them to be a bigger problem, and then that bigger problem lodges itself so deeply in your ass that it would take an experimental drilling machine and a team of rogue geologists to get it out. Fast forward almost a decade, and I haven't had a "guild drama" moment since 2008. I don't have those because when someone is being a shit, I get rid of them. That's not "there's a disagreement" that's not "They worded something harshly, and my ego is bruised by them not reassuring me that I'm precious, and special". That's counts of sexism, weird stalking, bizarre hair-triggers to non-issues (the individual from Warhammer flipped shit over a tank gearing more toward DPS, and more recently, an RPC member flipped shit over the fact that having a baby isn't literally magic) and one case where the guy in question was effectively a child in a man's body. I'm not saying you should just kick whoever. I'm saying there's no room for diplomacy by the time kicking someone is called for. As far as I'm concerned, you can behave like a reasonable human being, or you can take your shitshow down the road. On topic: Part of me agrees with this assessment of weirdly long applications. The problem with questions is that people lie. I'm a shitty individual. I can pretend not to be, sign up for a few new accounts, and join whatever I please. So, while it's totally reasonable to want to cherry-pick who you do, and do not let in to the social circle you built, there's not a lot you can do proactively.

Consistently. It's a real problem. It's not due to a lack of foresight so much as it is due to something resembling blind hope or nihilistic disregard and consistently asking "How bad can it be?" In this case, the only way to find out just how bad this particular decision is will be to reflect on it later. Anyway, you can read the name, I pop in and out of here. I run Misericorde, a guild old enough to be a shitty teenager. We've never been particularly big, or well liked, or high profile, so this isn't to spark recognition, more just checking off an aggregated list of shit I see people rattling off. I mean, I'm gonna be super straight with you, audience: I'm just going through the motions here for lack of direction. Bullet points will probably save us all time. Guild might recruit, might not, don't know yet. I write stories, and I might post them Thanks, but no thanks on the "Welcome back" business, this is more a wave as I brush by the front desk. There. Saves me rambling, saves you reading, and we can all go on about whatever we're going on about.

Yo. So we're on hiatus, as we're out of content that any of us care about. Still willing/able to carry on RP via skype (which is honestly where we do our events anyway.)

Well. Here we are. Here's some things. Nnnnnooooooooo. No. Ok. Here's the thing about shortswords, particularly the ones we see in Eorzea. Those, for reference, look like this. These are explicitly for thrusting. They're modeled after this thing here, which you'll recognize as a gladius. Which...y'know. Could cut and sweep, but it was a straight, sturdy blade with an obviously tapered point that was used, by the Roman legion, for thrusting. So why is a shorter blade better for thrusting? I'll happily answer my own rhetorical question, none of you can stop me. It's pretty simple, really. When you make something long, it has to endure more stress along it's lever. Here's another thing: When people move, they don't move in straight, perfect lines. With a longer weapon, there's always some degree of twisting involved upon contact and withdrawal. A shorter weapon means less force applied in the torsion on the blade (which comes from 1)Driving it in there, 2)Our own imperfect nervous systems and 3)Resistance of the material you're attempting to puncture). Then of course there's the simple fact that thrusting with a longer weapon means your center of control is farther from the tip, and you are therefore, inescapably, less accurate. Basically, you can thrust with a longer sword, sure. These are made for it. You can stab guys all day long, put that sword tip right where you mean to, and not fret your weapon. And here's where XIV gets really fucking weird. The Spatha is actually a longer weapon than what we would call a "short sword". It was comparable to a one-handed Waister, and we can have ourselves a look at it's length in comparison to the Gladius here. What XIV presents is more like a big Pugio. Those look like this. Now. The shape of this weapon would suggest that it's still for thrusting, but it wouldn't be measurably better or worse for the job than it's "short sword" counterpart. There's not enough variation in length and width for either to fail where the other succeeds.

We do. Hit us up when you see us in-game. Or, keep a watch on your inbox here. Just about to send out some contact info to the interested parties.

Baller. Let us know what's up, and we'll get an invite sent off.

So we're Misericorde. We're small, we're getting a regular schedule of events straightened out with our group, as people tend to have lives, and our whole thing, for the past 13 years that I've been running just about every iteration of this group that's popped up has been "unhappy realism." Hit us up if you like.

Baller. Hit me up whenever convenient.

...When? When did you state how it would be plausible? I would sincerely like to read this. Where is the plausibility in getting there in the first place? We'll get to why it's not really super grand in a second. I want to be sure to be as clear as possible. This is a ridiculous stance to take. "You told me it's not a good idea, so it must be!" That's not...even anywhere close to a reasonable thing to do with any kind of conversation. Particularly not one that you initiated. People are conversing. This is what you asked for. Now. Here's some more of what you asked for: Crossing dimensions for a single individual without meaning to has been shown, beyond a shadow of a doubt, to not be a thing that happens in Eorzea. The only person who's come on over on their own is Shantotto. This happened directly in the wake of Bahamut showing up, and the world being re-made as a whole. She managed to hop over for a little bit, and then was sent packing. It was a big, huge deal. So big and huge that it'd be pretty much impossible, with the world on high-alert, and your guy as clueless as they are to the workings of Eorzea, for a hitchiker to slip on by. We did not like Shantotto wrecking our stuff. We were looking for others like her, because wow, let's not have that happen again. The other crossover event was a more massive kind of tear. All sorts of machines and stuff came over with Lightning. There was an effort to get rid of those. And then they were gotten rid of. So. On the plausibility bit, we have the following: 1. Your guy would have to be as powerful as Shantotto to do this on purpose. Good chance they're totally not, given that she's a pretty important character, and the world he was from would notice if he were anything approaching Shantotto. It didn't. We know this full and well. 2. If your guy was a hitchiker, he'd have been part of an immediate, violent purging in the wake of Shantotto. 3. If he came over by accident, it wouldn't just be him, and again, everyone would know about another world-rip thing happening, because the last time, it meant a bunch of scary robots. 4. We wind up back at the violent, immediate purge. So. Aside from it being in what I consider to be poor taste, and aside from it being what I consider to be unimaginative and goofy, that's what I got. Why do you think this is plausible and reasonable? Again. Sincere question. I really do want to know.

Really? You wouldn't throw in a "maybe try to understand a differing perspective in order to get a better handle on what might not work with your writing"? Not at all? Not even for the benefit of gradually improving in ability regarding a hobby you enjoy? Also, this being "par for the course" (as it...isn't. It really isn't.) doesn't mean it's a good idea. Or that it's plausible. Given that the previous crossovers have been big, crazy events where everyone in the world knew about it, and was confused.

No...no, no, Tancred isn't at fault for people showing up and telling you "Hey, bruh. Probably don't." People express their own viewpoints all the time, it's not like he's turned this all against you, or...whatever it is you're getting at. What are you getting at, by the way? My point exactly. Because it's a franchise, and they leverage familiarity and references to make fans happy. The Lightning crossover event is pretty prime there. This, however, was highlighted as something special, and we were shown the precise extent of it. It doesn't mean that Cocoon and Eorzea are the same place. Certainly. What can I clarify for you? Also, is english your first language? If not, I can use fewer metaphors. Here, let's try this: Dimension hopping for no good reason just makes your reader not want to read any further/not want to invest in what you're writing. Is there some gravely important reason, other than your unfamiliarity with the setting, that your story needs a character from another world? If there isn't, then I would suggest you scrap the idea, google a few things about the setting you'll be playing in, and start from there. If there is, please, share with us. On physics and back pats: Yo, seeking people who agree with whatever it is you do at all times is brain poison. We only get to be right after being wrong a million and one times, and adjusting to it. We learn through failure, and that means experiencing it in it's entirety, not running to the nearest friendly face and trying to ignore information we don't like. Let me know if I can be any more clear. I'm being sincere here, I want you to fully understand what I'm attempting to convey.

Here's a question: Who honestly believes that the words of some stranger on the internet really prohibit someone from doing whatever they choose to do? Is this honestly something that needs to be reinforced over and over again?

Word. Hit us up whenever.

Wait. Wait, wait, wait. I mean...opposing statements in the same post aside, how is the fact that the settings are different equate to "close minded opinion"? Dude. Ok. You like FFXI. I do too! I played it for like five years. Bahamut server, represent. Vana'Diel and Eorzea aren't the same thing, and I'd be super interested to hear why it is you want a character from the former to come to the latter. What's the point? Why do it? Here's something constructive. I don't know if you'll actually take it as such, but here it is anyway: Shoehorning goofy things into a plotline just jars your reader. How many longtime Star Wars fans are really stoked about midichlorians? How many Star Trek fans just love Q? If Gandalf showed up in a Jurassic Park movie, would you applaud the character's presence? How much do you like "slash" fanfiction, in which Harry Potter becomes a vampire and bones the brains out of Hello Kitty? What you're proposing is pretty similar. Not in content, but in execution. This bandying about if "oh, but it's difficult!" is a soft-sell on "don't do it, it's stupid." I think you can handle being told "don't do it, it's stupid." I think you're grown up enough to not need me, or Tancred, or anyone else coddle you on the matter of makebelieve. Here's another interesting thing. You know...let's say if I calculated the trajectory of a projectile wrong? I wouldn't go and find a support group that'd pat my back, and say "Don't worry about them! You didn't do anything wrong! It was the fault of physics for not obeying you! You're a shining star, and could not possibly have to re-evaluate what it was you were doing!" I wouldn't do this, because then I would never learn anything. At all. Ever. Do you see the parallel? That's because there is no real search for feedback beyond "It's great, you're great, let's all just tell eachother we're great." The forum has no idea what constructive criticism actually is, because it's mandated we all pretend to love eachother like precious little harmonious angels we are, and in that mandate is a firm belief that all ideas are good. Even though no, they aren't. This one, guy? This one is a bad idea. Keep your writing and your characters simple.