Since voting seems about to reopen, I hope you'll all forgive me for an attempt at summarizing some of the views and concerns I've had reading through this thread. I'll try to be brief, I promise, but for those not keen on wall-o-text, I'll have a handy dandy summary at the bottom.
I see an attitude of "We're RPers! Be proud! We won't take shit from anyone!" Well, I guess that's alright, but it doesn't really jive with me. While I RP, it doesn't define who I am. I am a XIV player who RPs, not necessarily an RPer to the very core. I also read science fiction novels and enjoy the occasional movie, but I don't take pride in either of those 100% voluntary pastimes either. They're things I do, not what I am. The concept of "RPer pride" frankly confuses me and seems the first step on a path that ends in us-vs-them mentality. The line between RPer and non-RPer is not nearly so clearcut.
"So then why bother trying to avoid certain groups at all", you ask? Because it's something much more basic: Wanting to avoid aggressive, elitist, or immature players. "But those will be on every server!" Why yes, they probably will be. But when faced with the prospect of a known quantity of prepackaged notably outstanding bad eggs or the uncertain prospect that there will PROBABLY be others of unknown number and severity... I'm taking the chance. It's not at all cowardly or "running away" or anything so idealistic, it's wanting to spend the next several years of my game time in as friendly and comfortable an environment as possible. It's way easier to be pleasant to people when they're nice to you in return, and which LS is going where is not a 100% reliable indicator - but it is one of the few we do have.
This is also the case with my earlier 4chan comment - someone pointed out that they have a short attention span and likely wouldn't persist in any sort of organized group. Absolutely true. However, in my personal experience, the sort of personality that enjoys 4chan tends to be the sort of personality who revels in the anonymity of the internet and the opportunities it affords them to do whatever they please with little fear of backlash. Hence, "We are Anonymous." That sort of attitude doesn't NEED to be organized to be obnoxious, and unpleasant to share a server with. So, it becomes clear that it's not just a matter of which linkshell is going where, either.
It's not just a matter of obnoxious people either - a server with a very dedicated, organized, hardcore and large endgame group will probably make casual enjoyment of those elements (if they're anywhere near as competitive as XI's) that much more difficult.
I can sum up my views this way: Say you're hunting for a new apartment, and you have two prospects. One, you know is next to railroad tracks, and trains WILL go barreling by at 2am with their whistles blasting. The other, you're not quite sure where it is - it may be next to similar tracks, or it may not be. Why on earth would you choose the one that's guaranteed to be noisy?
I don't think pride or cowardice or squeamishness or anything of the like enters into the picture at all. To me, it's simply a matter of looking at what server is most likely to provide an environment free from elements that would diminish our free enjoyment of the game - both in our roleplaying, and in our forays into the challenges the game has to offer us. One of the few indicators we have of what those servers may be... is which group is going where. I don't think it's wise to completely disregard that.
I see an attitude of "We're RPers! Be proud! We won't take shit from anyone!" Well, I guess that's alright, but it doesn't really jive with me. While I RP, it doesn't define who I am. I am a XIV player who RPs, not necessarily an RPer to the very core. I also read science fiction novels and enjoy the occasional movie, but I don't take pride in either of those 100% voluntary pastimes either. They're things I do, not what I am. The concept of "RPer pride" frankly confuses me and seems the first step on a path that ends in us-vs-them mentality. The line between RPer and non-RPer is not nearly so clearcut.
"So then why bother trying to avoid certain groups at all", you ask? Because it's something much more basic: Wanting to avoid aggressive, elitist, or immature players. "But those will be on every server!" Why yes, they probably will be. But when faced with the prospect of a known quantity of prepackaged notably outstanding bad eggs or the uncertain prospect that there will PROBABLY be others of unknown number and severity... I'm taking the chance. It's not at all cowardly or "running away" or anything so idealistic, it's wanting to spend the next several years of my game time in as friendly and comfortable an environment as possible. It's way easier to be pleasant to people when they're nice to you in return, and which LS is going where is not a 100% reliable indicator - but it is one of the few we do have.
This is also the case with my earlier 4chan comment - someone pointed out that they have a short attention span and likely wouldn't persist in any sort of organized group. Absolutely true. However, in my personal experience, the sort of personality that enjoys 4chan tends to be the sort of personality who revels in the anonymity of the internet and the opportunities it affords them to do whatever they please with little fear of backlash. Hence, "We are Anonymous." That sort of attitude doesn't NEED to be organized to be obnoxious, and unpleasant to share a server with. So, it becomes clear that it's not just a matter of which linkshell is going where, either.
It's not just a matter of obnoxious people either - a server with a very dedicated, organized, hardcore and large endgame group will probably make casual enjoyment of those elements (if they're anywhere near as competitive as XI's) that much more difficult.
I can sum up my views this way: Say you're hunting for a new apartment, and you have two prospects. One, you know is next to railroad tracks, and trains WILL go barreling by at 2am with their whistles blasting. The other, you're not quite sure where it is - it may be next to similar tracks, or it may not be. Why on earth would you choose the one that's guaranteed to be noisy?
I don't think pride or cowardice or squeamishness or anything of the like enters into the picture at all. To me, it's simply a matter of looking at what server is most likely to provide an environment free from elements that would diminish our free enjoyment of the game - both in our roleplaying, and in our forays into the challenges the game has to offer us. One of the few indicators we have of what those servers may be... is which group is going where. I don't think it's wise to completely disregard that.
