I kind of get where you are coming from Moonfire. The jump from GemStone (MUD geared towards RP) to Final Fantasy XI MMO was a little jarring for me. Limitations in character appearances were awkward. Factoring out some of the less aesthetically pleasing options, it was commonplace to run across your "twin" - or often many of them. I'm glad in XIV that characters look so much more unique and are represented as such.
But then there are other things you've mentioned. The day-night cycle and weather and how the passage of time should be handled. Having to "look the other way" with regard to mechanics like this can be frustrating, though it does seem necessary, to some degree.
And then RPing the story makes it out like you are "The One Hero", so this sort of needs to be avoided. And you're entirely right - in the end there are a number of sacrifices that need to be made in order for you as an RPer to have a character that fits within an environment that is conducive to RP.
And then there are mechanics. If you are a lancer, you gain abilities from some of the other jobs that help you as a lancer. And to some degree this makes sense. Having a knowledge of swordplay might help one think about where to direct his or her lance when going up against a swordsman, for example. And certain techniques may legitimately be cross-class. But when I think of it more from a RP perspective - it makes more sense to me that someone specializing in exclusively polearm training would be a much better lancer than someone who cross-trains in several weapons. Game mechanics dictate otherwise. The same can be said for crafting.
So I appreciate where you're coming from, and it is extremely frustrating sometimes to have to make concessions like this and avoid certain elements of the game. But I've learned over the years to kind of offset this by examining the quality and variety of other RPers. People also willing to make these sorts of small sacrifices to fit more naturally into a world that perhaps isn't designed specifically for our style of play. In the end, I think the benefits far outweigh these costs, but that's also only my own opinion. I feel I've seen this community at its best, and I've been proud to be a part of it. It's not a perfect puzzle, where our characters are perfectly rounded puzzle pieces that fit neatly together - it's more of a collage with characters often being a bit rough around the edges, and often not fitting together ideally. But the bigger picture is still the same - if that makes any sense.
If you do ultimately decide to go, I will be sorry for the missed chances for interaction and RP. And I'm sure many others here feel similarly. But it is your choice, and if the game is not going to be enjoyable and entertaining to you, than no amount of nay-saying will change your mind, and I hope that you do find something that brings you joy and fulfillment instead.
But then there are other things you've mentioned. The day-night cycle and weather and how the passage of time should be handled. Having to "look the other way" with regard to mechanics like this can be frustrating, though it does seem necessary, to some degree.
And then RPing the story makes it out like you are "The One Hero", so this sort of needs to be avoided. And you're entirely right - in the end there are a number of sacrifices that need to be made in order for you as an RPer to have a character that fits within an environment that is conducive to RP.
And then there are mechanics. If you are a lancer, you gain abilities from some of the other jobs that help you as a lancer. And to some degree this makes sense. Having a knowledge of swordplay might help one think about where to direct his or her lance when going up against a swordsman, for example. And certain techniques may legitimately be cross-class. But when I think of it more from a RP perspective - it makes more sense to me that someone specializing in exclusively polearm training would be a much better lancer than someone who cross-trains in several weapons. Game mechanics dictate otherwise. The same can be said for crafting.
So I appreciate where you're coming from, and it is extremely frustrating sometimes to have to make concessions like this and avoid certain elements of the game. But I've learned over the years to kind of offset this by examining the quality and variety of other RPers. People also willing to make these sorts of small sacrifices to fit more naturally into a world that perhaps isn't designed specifically for our style of play. In the end, I think the benefits far outweigh these costs, but that's also only my own opinion. I feel I've seen this community at its best, and I've been proud to be a part of it. It's not a perfect puzzle, where our characters are perfectly rounded puzzle pieces that fit neatly together - it's more of a collage with characters often being a bit rough around the edges, and often not fitting together ideally. But the bigger picture is still the same - if that makes any sense.
If you do ultimately decide to go, I will be sorry for the missed chances for interaction and RP. And I'm sure many others here feel similarly. But it is your choice, and if the game is not going to be enjoyable and entertaining to you, than no amount of nay-saying will change your mind, and I hope that you do find something that brings you joy and fulfillment instead.
"One of the deep secrets of life is that all that is really worth doing is what we do for others." Â ~ Lewis Carol
Eva's Journals  |  Eva's Wiki Page (coming soon)  |  RP Handbook
Eva's Journals  |  Eva's Wiki Page (coming soon)  |  RP Handbook
