Glamours, Multiple Jobs and Consistency

[Morningstar1337]

For RPers that have more than one class, I want to know if you use the same outfits for your jobs and if not, how do you justify them IC.

 

A related question is if you wear armor an clothes that IC should be beyond your classes' skill level (Like wearing the Coil or CT gear, or any PvP gear despite your character's skill in the respective job being more around "Level 30" at best, more for dabblerers), and if so, how would you justify it IC, and if not, is it becuase it would be too "Special Snowflake" and mary suish to stick out from the subligars, cowls and non-metallic looking dyed armor that the NPCs of the area wear given the relevant skill level?

 

I assume that in those cases having more than 1 of the Zodiac Weapons, Anima Weapons and a complete set of AF gears are out of the question since they are supposed to be tied to "Job Mastery" (Or in the Anima's case being something of a prototype) and having more than one or two classes with a combination of any of those is pushing suspension of disbelief

[Oyuu]

To me, they're just... clothes? Nothing special about them or 'snowflakey' unless specifically stated. Most roleplayers I run with don't allow their in game class, job or level dictate what their character is allowed to wear. If you like it, and your character looks good in it, go for it.

[Gegenji]

A lot of the AF gear - at least the "improved" ones you could get at level 50 - are mentioned to be replicas made by Rowena's folk. Same with several of the other gear sets; they're replicas made by someone - whether it's Rowena, Garlond Ironworks, or another. So, there's usually a way out to describe how you have most of the outfits. I suppose the only ones that could raise questions are the White Mage, Black Mage, and possibly Dragoon garbs... but, again, they could simply be made in the style due to the character's personal aesthetic.

 

As for me, I don't actually have my characters wearing the job outfits. Chachan wears the Blacksmith AF since he is ICly a Blacksmith and the style fits well for the little Doman dude and there isn't quite the restriction on crafting/gathering AF gear from a lore standpoint. So I suppose that helps.

 

And even his brother, who is ICly a Scholar... doesn't wear any of the AF gear. I suppose he could, but there are so many other fun things to dress him up in and mix and match that just sticking with the AF gear seems... bland? For me, anyway. Probably because there is less weight to the Scholar outfit from an "importance" standpoint than the Dragoon or Paladin regalia.

[Parth Makeo]

So...you don't change your clothes each day or at the least swap around? All my toons have more than one attire even for their job. Like backup armor or just a change of clothes.

 

Also from all your other threads you seem to be Overthinking and planning a character. My best advice overall is to don't start off the gate with a million things on your character. You can't make The Thinker by simply placing the clay on a stand and slap at it. Take the advice as you RP but also RP with basic information about your character. Don't worry about the gear, don't worry about the companions, don't even worry about the weapons for now. Just focus on getting the Character out before all the other stuff.

 

Add on as you RP slowly bit by bit. Let it naturally progress. Overthinking will end up killing your character IMHO.

[Gegenji]

So...you don't change your clothes each day or at the least swap around? All my toons have more than one attire even for their job. Like backup armor or just a change of clothes.

 

Oh, I definitely do that. I have three or four "smithing" outfits for Chachan, and a few more casual ones. Plus a couple fancier outfits for balls and such, should he end up at those. I just assumed they meant just having the characters wearing the AF gear in general and its feasibility.

[Parth Makeo]

So...you don't change your clothes each day or at the least swap around? All my toons have more than one attire even for their job. Like backup armor or just a change of clothes.

 

Oh, I definitely do that. I have three or four "smithing" outfits for Chachan, and a few more casual ones. Plus a couple fancier outfits for balls and such, should he end up at those. I just assumed they meant just having the characters wearing the AF gear in general and its feasibility.

Yeah but i wish SE would allow more armor slots. I don't want to take up inventory space

[Morningstar1337]

So...you don't change your clothes each day or at the least swap around? All my toons have more than one attire even for their job. Like backup armor or just a change of clothes.

 

Also from all your other threads you seem to be Overthinking and planning a character. My best advice overall is to don't start off the gate with a million things on your character. You can't make The Thinker by simply placing the clay on a stand and slap at it. Take the advice as you RP but also RP with basic information about your character. Don't worry about the gear, don't worry about the companions, don't even worry about the weapons for now. Just focus on getting the Character out before all the other stuff.

 

Add on as you RP slowly bit by bit. Let it naturally progress. Overthinking will end up killing your character IMHO.

 

I have several outfits for Glamour for my Jobs (even those I haven't gotten to 60 yet),

 

As for the overthing? Well part of the problem is that I been using this character for a couple years (an she's the only one I made) and I never RP'd in a game cue to difficulty staying in charatcer, and starting out in a server that isn't Balmung (and getting to that server is too hard or expensive IMO). For context that means she wound up becoming a big name adventurer, ended the dragonsong war stopped Bahamut, the Cloud of Darkness and other potential villains and well, I just find a bio to be overdue. The server problems combined with the bonds I made with other players also would make the server transfer a difficult choice, so I also don;t see myself RP in game soon bar whatever story choices pop up in cutscenes.

 

Though perhaps I should find a way to start with the (IC) boards here. At least find a story besides the canon that I use to influence my character and fill in the blanks (and address/retcon any inconsistencies I may have placed in my tenative bio or the parts of it I shared)

 

I think I know my next thread. Thanks

[Gegenji]

For context that means she wound up becoming a big name adventurer, ended the dragonsong war stopped Bahamut, the Cloud of Darkness and other potential villains and well, I just find a bio to be overdue.

 

Technically, "everyone" did that. But that is all OOC, as all those grand things are attributed ICly to the Warrior of Light. Some folks play as though they are the (or are one of a number of) Warrior(s) of Light. However, that is not a thing you should feel you need to have. In fact, many folks don't RP having done as much as slain a Primal let alone delving into the World of Darkness.

[Morningstar1337]

For context that means she wound up becoming a big name adventurer, ended the dragonsong war stopped Bahamut, the Cloud of Darkness and other potential villains and well, I just find a bio to be overdue.

 

Technically, "everyone" did that. But that is all OOC, as all those grand things are attributed ICly to the Warrior of Light. Some folks play as though they are the (or are one of a number of) Warrior(s) of Light. However, that is not a thing you should feel you need to have. In fact, many folks don't RP having done as much as slain a Primal let alone delving into the World of Darkness.

 

Fair enough. I actually got the basics of my Backstory down now so would making that (be it a rough or finished draft, or otherwise) in the Town Square be recommended?

[Kilieit]

For raid gear and stuff, like...

 

Uh, my character has a hairpin as part of some of his RP outfits that, in lore meta terms, is supposed to be a replica (or even long-lost original! It's not clear) of the hairpins worn by Ishgard's Knights Twelve. It drops from The Aery, a highly dangerous location in the Churning Mists, and is the same item the Knights are shown wearing in the subsequent cutscene. So something with a lot of heavy lore connotations.

 

...but the hairpin my character wears isn't that. It just looks the same in game terms. Aghurlal found it at the bottom of the bay in Limsa, probably dropped from a cargo ship importing jewellery or from some poor schmuck's luggage. It's his now. He thinks it's probably made of cheap metals anyway, and he likes how it looks. So he kept it. If someone was like "hey that's a rare historical artefact," Aghurlal would be like "haha okay if you say so, maybe I'll get it appraised then" and go on with his day.

 

And 99.9% of the characters I encounter aren't going to know what a Knights Twelve hairpin looks like anyway! Even if it was one in RP terms (it's not), the number of people with enough knowledge to recognise it as such is extremely slim! Maybe if I encountered someone RPing a dragon who happened to be old enough to have been there at the time, they might query it, but I can think of maybe one person on all of Balmung who might possibly fall into that category. Everyone else is just gonna go "hey, cute, a little hairpin that matches your earrings".

 

Same goes for, like, most high-end rewards gear. Most characters are gonna go "nice, a pretty purple top", not "isn't that from the Void Ark?". Most characters don't know what the Void Ark is, let alone that you can get clothes there, or what they look like. So it's safe to use gear that drops from there in OOC terms as something else in IC terms.

 

The only exception is the artefact gear you get from ARR lv50 job quests, and even then some of it is probably excusable - as Gegenji mentioned, I think the only ones I'd advise caution about using are the DRG, WHM, BLM, and I'd also say PLD sets, because the jobs they represent are either illegal (WHM, BLM) or well-established military authorities (DRG, PLD). SCH, BRD, WAR, and so forth - you can likely pass them off as regular clothes, especially if you're mixing and matching the pieces in with pieces from other sets.

 

(ETA: check out Virella's post on the next page about MNK AF gear, too. Also not advised to use the set in its entirety as casual-wear.)

[Parth Makeo]

 For context that means she wound up becoming a big name adventurer, ended the dragonsong war stopped Bahamut, the Cloud of Darkness and other potential villains and well, I just find a bio to be overdue. 

so did like 1 million other players...but that is the questionable part about MMO-RP is that they paint your character as THE savior. as THE one.

 

That is why majority of us here actively avoid having our characters participate in the patch/event majorly as the sole defining reason that it happened. Sure the character can fight during the Dragonsong war or the character delved into the Crystal Tower...but because the game paints your character as the only one to be able to save the world because of the big name adventurer...

 

It's not a real good starting point.

 

Take my words with a grain of salt on this one big time...I mean it. Hate me if you wish as well...

 

But since you are finally starting an RP profile...It would seem FAR TOO Mary Sue if you suddenly showed up as the one who helped defeat a powerful dragon or the hierarchy of the Void. Not to say you can't help in some way, but directly fighting such forces is very grey ground in RPing...

 

If others would like to chime in and correct me, please do. I don't want to be enforcing rules but from past experience in wow RP and such, it really is kind of jarring if your character was the one or of a few who did the thing that about 1 million players have done with their characters.

 

Last time...take my words with a grain of salt. I'm trying to not enforce stuff...just wishing to warn you if you go in this direction.

[Morningstar1337]

But since you are finally starting an RP profile...It would seem FAR TOO Mary Sue if you suddenly showed up as the one who helped defeat a powerful dragon or the hierarchy of the Void. Not to say you can't help in some way, but directly fighting such forces is very grey ground in RPing...

 

I know that, this is part of the reason I want to start with getting the backstory out first (as in, what my character did before/upon emigrating to Eorzea) and then from there see if Its easier playing who is effectively a bit player in another's story (Be it another RPer or the Warrior of Light), or playing a character who is still the Warrior of Light, but starting their story in 2.0 rather than 3.3, deepening on who in the community is willing to "take me in" so to say and what their continuity is.

 

TBH, when you think about it, the Warrior of Light is already bordering Mary Sue territory anyway.

[Gegenji]

TBH, when you think about it, the Warrior of Light is already bordering Mary Sue territory anyway.

 

There really is no "bordering" with the Warrior of Light. He basically IS a Mary Sue. He comes in and masters all the ancient professions, hangs out with all the top brass around the world, and is considered single-handedly responsible for stopping Garleans, Primals, and a thousand-year-long war by just stepping in to do so. All the while he's also made to pick up dropped coins and kill X number of critters because someone asked him nicely to.

[Warren Castille]

WoL isn't technically a Mary Sue, he's a canon character in the fiction. I mean, you could make the argument that any fictitious and destiny-bound character falls into the Mary Sue definition, but that's just nitpicking.

 

WoL is supposed to be the most important character in not only the world, but in the history of the world.

[Morningstar1337]

TBH, when you think about it, the Warrior of Light is already bordering Mary Sue territory anyway.

 

There really is no "bordering" with the Warrior of Light. He basically IS a Mary Sue. He comes in and masters all the ancient professions, hangs out with all the top brass around the world, and is considered single-handedly responsible for stopping Garleans, Primals, and a thousand-year-long war by just stepping in to do so. All the while he's also made to pick up dropped coins and kill X number of critters because someone asked him nicely to.

 

That reminds me, has anyone discussed certain theories about the WoL? I feel like a "Fallen Angel" aspect and the possibility that their messiah transformed into a bane to Eorzea that must be felled would be an interesting idea for RP.

[Virella]

Just pitching on the MNK AF gear.

 

The French version of the game mentioned it is heresy and highly insulting to wear Cyclas as a non-Fist of Rhalgr, and punishable by death (implied). So. Yeah. You don't want to do that either.

 

"Because they are imbued the Destroyer of power, only the monks of the Fist Rhalgr are allowed to wear them, after having overcome many hardships... got stolen, an insult to our order... We will take care to punish the heretics and trample them." - vague quick bad translation of the 45 Monk Quest in French on temple garbs.

[Gegenji]

WoL isn't technically a Mary Sue, he's a canon character in the fiction. I mean, you could make the argument that any fictitious and destiny-bound character falls into the Mary Sue definition, but that's just nitpicking.

 

WoL is supposed to be the most important character in not only the world, but in the history of the world.

 

I meant it more from the angle of RPing as this grand individual (adjusted just so to fit one's personal sensibilities and the character they want to play if they're not going full Derplander), but your points are valid.

[Kilieit]

TBH, when you think about it, the Warrior of Light is already bordering Mary Sue territory anyway.

 

I'm going off-topic here, so spoiler tags so I don't take up a huge chunk of scrollspace, but here's what I've got to say.

 

This is exactly the reason why I only RP Aghurlal as the Warrior of Light with my one close friend. His main roleplay universe is an alternative universe where he swerved working for the Scions after defeating Ifrit, and even that is somewhat outstanding in terms of what's reasonable for an RP character to have done.

 

BUT: Note how I still have a space, albiet a private one, where I roleplay him as the Warrior of Light? Even though, versus Balmung's RP atmosphere, it would make him a "special snowflake"? That's because it's fun. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that - as long as you're not treading on other people's toes while you're doing it.

 

Like... if "being a Mary Sue/special snowflake" wasn't a concern, I'd be like, knock yourself out, do what you find fun. I find the terms to be wonderfully overused, and the concepts themselves to be somewhat restricting. There is a time and a place for "Mary Sue"/"special snowflake" RP! Which means that it's possible to do it, and enjoy it, and have everyone else around you join in and enjoy it as well. Generally this means private RP's with existing friends who have agreed to it, and have characters of similar power level to yours.

 

Because the problem with "Mary Sue" isn't that you're playing a powerful or prestigious character. It's that you're playing a character who is more powerful and more prestigious than almost everyone else you're going to encounter, both in-game and on the forums. It means it gets difficult for other people to get a word in edgeways, when RP is supposed to be a collaborative endeavour. If your goal is to be The Most Special And Good out of everyone you're roleplaying with, then yeah, that's a problem. But that's not the vibe I get.

 

In a non-interactive story, the problem becomes more apparent if the character is unrelatable. You can be powerful and prominent in a solo story and still have struggles that people can relate to, weaknesses that make you seem mortal, and give-and-take with other characters that makes it seem like the story isn't just an ego-trip for the protagonist.

 

A few months ago, I wrote a long-ass rant about the concept of "Mary Sue", and why I think it's outgrown itself as a measure of whether a story/roleplay is "bad" or not. You can read it if you're interested.

 

Anyway. The only reason I keep giving advice about how to keep your character "balanced" is because you keep bringing up "mary sue" and "special snowflake" as key words that you want to avoid coming across as. And honestly... if you're concerned about coming across as those things... you need to drop "is the Warrior of Light" from your character concept. It necessarily means that you're the protagonist; and protagonists are necessarily "Mary Sues", because the reason they are the protagonist is because they are more powerful or more prominent in the story than everyone else.

 

BUT. That's not my actual advice to you.

 

My advice is: stop worrying about whether you're coming across so much as a Mary Sue or not. Because you seem to enjoy stories where the character is a powerful protagonist, I think worrying about straying into Mary Sue territory is only going to hamper your enjoyment - and this is a hobby that's supposed to be fun!

 

Here are the things I want to know from you:

• What do you want to do? Do you want to write solo stories? Do you want to do forum RP? Do you just want to have a private backstory in mind for your character while you play the game, that you don't share with anyone? Something else?
  
• Who do you want to do it for? Yourself? The RPC community? Another community? Someone else?
  
• What do you want in return? Reader participation? Praise? Ao3 kudos? Something else?

 

Knowing these things will help you ask questions more tailored to what you actually want to do, because right now it's not particularly clear - and help us answer your questions with more finesse, because I think up until now we've mostly been assuming you're talking about public RP either on the forums or in-game, where it's important to maintain a character power level consistent with the characters around you.

 

[Morningstar1337]

 

Here are the things I want to know from you:

 

• What do you want to do? Do you want to write solo stories? Do you want to do forum RP? Do you just want to have a private backstory in mind for your character while you play the game, that you don't share with anyone? Something else?
  
• Who do you want to do it for? Yourself? The RPC community? Another community? Someone else?
  
• What do you want in return? Reader participation? Praise? Ao3 kudos? Something else?
   
  

Knowing these things will help you ask questions more tailored to what you actually want to do, because right now it's not particularly clear - and help us answer your questions with more finesse, because I think up until now we've mostly been assuming you're talking about public RP either on the forums or in-game, where it's important to maintain a character power level consistent with the characters around you.

 

 

 

Okay You;re right, I haven't bee clear on this ever since the intro thread, a thread no one is gonna read months from now.

 

The reason I came to this thread, is to get a backstory and bio made for my character, For now its private as it is unlikely to come up in the in-game conversation.

 

This is something I am doing for myself, I don't (or rather shouldn't be) want(ing) attention at all.

 

maybe its time to finally post what I have already done in a new thread as well as mention that this is just a backstory for a character I am doing for myself. and Just keep it confined in that thread and a GDocs instead of a page on the RPC database before I overthink it to outright abandonment. And then work more on an alternate universe version of her more suitable for collaborative efforts.

 

And don;t worry about derailment, that ship's sailed to the point where I'm consternating changing the title

[Koro Dotharl]

My RP weapon of choice uses the "balmung" model but that's all they have in common: The design.

 

I don't think it is snowflakey to use a weapon with a fancy look. What makes weapons special is their story. I am sure there are RPers with weapons that got a waay fancier story that makes them much more powerful or ancient despite the plain design they may have chose, in contrast with a sword with a rather complex design which only story and purpose being: A piece of metal designed to swing around and hurt people.

 

There are limits however. I wouldn't personally dare to draw a weapon with spell effects unless I have a good IC reason for it (such as having obtained it after a long, perilous plot) because people will inevitably question where and why you got such a powerful artifact.

 

As for the story, claiming something only the warrior of light can posses (such as the original anima weapons) is a big nono.

 

To RP the warrior of light him/herself is also something I advice against. There may only be one and it's none of us. Not outside our own PvE activities where we are supposed to indulge in the power fantasy that the WoL represent.

 

It could work if you get a group for an RP bubble but you wouldn't be able to blend with the rest of the community very well, in my opinion.

 

I personally advice to make a step back and resort to RP with just the echo. Which would still requires an advanced mastery of the lore and a good grasp of the basics of RP.

 

This is just my opinion, mind. If you want to do it, go for it and have fun!

[Kilieit]

Absolutely, this is my advice to you:

 

 

 

If it's for your own enjoyment, and it's not something you're expecting other people to join in with: do it. Enjoy it. Don't regret it.

 

At the end of the day, if you're the only person this story is for, then whether your character is a Mary Sue or not is totally inconsequential. Because the problem with "Mary Sue" is that they are too big for their boots, and step on other people's toes... but if there's no one else's toes around to get stepped on, then you're free to enjoy being big!

 

I know from experience that it's difficult, learning to love the things you enjoy without feeling guilty or ashamed about it! But I sincerely recommend working towards it. Learning what you love, learning how to participate in it without worrying about what other people think, and learning to share that joy without overstepping bounds is a wonderful thing to work towards.

 

100% genuinely.

[Morningstar1337]

Absolutely, this is my advice to you:

 

 

 

 

If it's for your own enjoyment, and it's not something you're expecting other people to join in with: do it. Enjoy it. Don't regret it.

 

At the end of the day, if you're the only person this story is for, then whether your character is a Mary Sue or not is totally inconsequential. Because the problem with "Mary Sue" is that they are too big for their boots, and step on other people's toes... but if there's no one else's toes around to get stepped on, then you're free to enjoy being big!

 

I know from experience that it's difficult, learning to love the things you enjoy without feeling guilty or ashamed about it! But I sincerely recommend working towards it. Learning what you love, learning how to participate in it without worrying about what other people think, and learning to share that joy without overstepping bounds is a wonderful thing to work towards.

 

100% genuinely.

 

Thanks. I'll think i'll still post a thread about all of what I conceptualized about my character, but not on this thread.

[Chidori]

For me clothes are just that. My character doesn't go around claiming she is wearing some rare artifact or what not. My alt classes are quick wardrobe changes for me. She will not have her bow with her if she is on an alt class. Pretty much anything I can make a dress into on Ritsu - is gonna happen. I have leveled classes just for her outfits

 

...seriously. I got Goldsmith to 60 because I wanted the chest for it to wear for a wedding >.>;;

[Raeje]

My character likes bold clothes. That's literally all there is to it. If the clothes are flamboyant (EG, my bard clothes), then Raeje will wear them. She's not likely to wear plate armor because she has no reason to...UNLESS, she's wearing it for a performance. However, if I'm out running dungeons, and I feel like wearing my most reliable gear, rather than my most fancy, that's what I'm going to do, because I'm OOC for that, more that likely. 

 

So basically, can I justify wearing fancy gear IC? For Raeje, yes, because she's just into really bold and weird fashion. She's actually, to define and label her style, a steam punk. Do I care if you wear clothes that aren't entirely IC for your character? No, because we're not rewriting history here, we're playing a game.

[Caspar]

I glamour the gear that reflects the look that best suits my character. It just so happens that the gear is cheap or plain-looking. Were my character to have a more exotic sense of style, that would not be the case, and that is the only excuse I need. 

Even the most expensive (gil-wise) piece of gear is the decidedly cheap-looking Arachne Shirt. The Baldr Knuckles are very plain and they represent a special weapon she doesn't use often, so usually I have her wearing hora that look like generic store-bought ones to reflect the fact that Virara repeatedly breaks her weapons.

It's just convenient that my sense of aesthetics isn't that outlandish, and I rarely need really exotic looking gear to convey the feeling I'm trying to get across. Things like the Relic gear, I'd hesitate to use unless it properly reflected the character's background, but that's just my personal preference. It'd probably be fine if it was just being used as a stand-in for gear that doesn't exist in the game yet if you really badly wanted a certain aesthetic and nothing could scratch that itch for you. It can be confusing to other players however.