Using a different model in game vs roleplay

[Redrick]

I'm curious how people feel about this, for example. I would like to play and roleplay a Ishgardian Duskwight however; I'm personally very attracted to the Wildwood Elezen face options and facial hair options; but I wish to roleplay a Duskwight. I know some people are very particular with certain aspects of roleplay and I was curious how this would be taken if I attempted it. In your own opinions how much would it bother you? (Keep in mind I'd keep away from ear clasps and keep to very dark/pale skintones I can find between the two races)

[Unnamed Mercenary]

Plenty of people roleplay things their model can't really do. Like my main character's supposed to be a pureblooded Garlean. The thing to keep in mind is to avoid the clearly racial/tribal characteristics. But also I mean, it's not impossible that there could have been mixed blood or recessive traits. I don't think anyone's going to be so strict as to metagame and tell you you're the wrong tribe OOCly.

[Maril]

I can't possibly imagine, so long as you stay away from making traits unique to the wildwood, why you'd get "trouble" for using a wildwood to play as a duskwight. Whilst I can't recall right now if there's anything super tell tale that sets them apart, I imagine it's easier than for example trying to pull off a keeper mooncat on a suncat slot due to the eyes. 

 

Some people rely on wysiwyg a lot so you may get people who assume them to be a wildwood, but some kindhearted explaining and perhaps turning it into a bit of an IC joke will probably get you out of it fairly smoothly. Maybe you can post some side-by-side screenshot comparisons with your wildwood-duskwight attempt next to an actual duskwight?

[Kilieit]

My character is off-model as hell.

 

Most people's are - whether it's in small ways, or big ones. At the end of the day, the character creator is still limited, and people's imaginations are boundless.

 

As long as major features that would change people's immediate reaction to your character are easily findable (in search info, for example) I think there's no problem with it.

[Nebbs]

Provided you look like the model and don't mind people assuming things IC then go for it.

 

I find it a pain when the character is not like the toon, which then requires explaining, extra description, having to ignore things and etc etc etc.. all of which gets in the way of getting on with RP.

 

The line of least resistance is generally the best.

[Perth]

Ear clasps should be perfectly fine, I always imagined those to be something of a stylistic choice than possessing a lore-based root. I sympathise with the decision, as my time messing around in character creation made me grow frustrated with how dark Duskwight lips on male models are regardless of how light and peachy the skin tone might be. I don't think anyone would be concerned, so long as you're willing to acknowledge that depending on the skin tones used they might be confused for being a Wildwood.

[Redrick]

Oh thank you all for the fast feedback I wasn't expecting it; and I wouldn't mind the situational person asking his race and I don't think the character would either. I was just curious about everyone else's thoughts so this was very nice. Thank you all for the thoughts its very helpful    : D

[Redrick]

Edit: Thank you all for the help; and I'm enjoying the discussion afterwards honestly. This is neat

[Altitis Acquired]

I had a character who has alot of piercings and tattoos, which I put into his wiki and even did some photoshopped screenshots to show them:

 

 

https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/pages/Daevan_Emberbrand

 

A good idea is to write in your Search Info that there are some changes and then put in a link to where people can go read about those changes. Or simply write "Is a Duskwight" even though you use the Wildwood model. You don't have to have dark purple skin just because you are a Duskwight. My character Corin is a Duskwight, but has pale skin...

 

[Kilieit]

Ya, mine's in my search info too:

 

 

The 5'8'' thing is important because my character's in-game model is something to the tune of 6'2'', and the 6 inches definitely make a difference in how people would be perceiving him. I also try to mention it in emotes if I can ("looking up at" Highlanders, describing him as short in comparison to other auri men, and so forth).

 

There is an overlap of appearances between wildwood and duskwight, and your character seems to hit it, so anyone hoping to tell your character's clan would have to speak to him... which gives you the opportunity to portray his Duskwighty-ness. I think you'll be all good.

[Aya]

Similarly, Aya is a Highlander, 5' 10", who usually is wearing 2-4" heels and so standing over 6' tall [which is noted in her search info as suggested above!].  Her model is only 5' 8", I think it is, the max height for a midlander.. it might be 5' 6". I moved her over to this model ages ago due to the Highlander perma-clenched fists (aah before /cpose! :-D ) Now its just Aya.. and I don't really want to change back.

 

So I understand entirely! So far no one has ever objected, though sometimes they do assume she's a Midlander, and given how similar Hyur are to one-another I just assume, ICly, that they're mistaken.

[Virella]

I do think it is smart if there's an option to represent your race, you should pick it. Some people will pick onto it. I can understand it for Garlean roleplayers ect, because the race isn't available to them you know?

 

You can still tweak the models quite nicely. Yes, even duskwight women can look good, you just need to sit down and play with the character creator for a while.

 

And Aya, I really thought she was a midlander all along, so there you go, the proof it doesn't always really work

[GentleGiraffe]

I don't see a problem with it.

 

Wildwoods don't have the same shades of gray skin avaliable to them at the character creation, but the Duskwight's also offers a variety that ranges from pale to brown to lightly tanned, so I doubt anyone other than yourself would be really able to tell the difference in game. 

 

That said, unless you want to make a mystery out of it, I would advise putting on your bio that you're Duskwight. Supposedly other Elezen can tell the difference between the clans, but the skin/hairstyle options are so similar that as a player I would often mistake a Duskwight for a Wildwood even though my character wouldn't.

[Aya]

And Aya, I really thought she was a midlander all along, so there you go, the proof it doesn't always really work

Haha! Maybe it doesn't work in the sense that "not everyone will know about it" but it does work in the sense that you do not mind that interpretation, (I presume!) and should it come up importantly I could easily correct it, and should it come up in conversation Aya would just presume it was an unimportant mistake

 

I suspect it would be much the same for Wildwood and Duskwight, except that someone -might- be less rascist for having confused the Duskie for a Wildwood, since Duskie-cism is about the only sort of IC-racism (other than all-Lala-are-cute) that you really see much of in RP.

[Damele]

I have to agree with most of the community on this one. As long as your not way the hell out in left field trying to RP something that is completely and utterly fail, you should be fine. There will always be "those" that don't like it but they are not paying for your sub!

[Parth Makeo]

A lot of the positive parts of Roleplaying is that people use their imagination, and there is never anything wrong with using a different model to adjust say height or race. There shouldn't be an issue. I do have a mild nit pick with people who decide to say they are a different gender of their model (like female but said they are male)

 

Aside though it really should be creative if you do that. I personally think the models are just enough for RPing with the sliders that at times it feels right, but i understand if people want them to be a foot bigger or smaller. I should actually get heights for my characters.

[Virella]

And Aya, I really thought she was a midlander all along, so there you go, the proof it doesn't always really work

Haha! Maybe it doesn't work in the sense that "not everyone will know about it" but it does work in the sense that you do not mind that interpretation, (I presume!) and should it come up importantly I could easily correct it, and should it come up in conversation Aya would just presume it was an unimportant mistake

I wouldn't say I mind it, but I do feel it is a poor choice onto representing your character as the race (or clan) they are meant to be. Especially because unlike all the other races, midlander and highlanders do look distinctly different in regard of frame of body they are given in game.

 

For me it is sticking a dog label onto a cat and then getting upset people see it as a cat and not a dog. Thankfully you don't seem to do that though, what I have to give you kudos for.

 

Anyhow, opinions differ after all, and well, at the end of the day, everyone's going to use whatever model, race, lore or whatever suits them best even if some might not agree with it. Some people will roll with it, others won't. As long people aren't mean about it OOC? Eh, who cares.

 

But I do feel, especially with the hyur clans, if you do the swap and try to represent the other clan, you should except some people will throw comments at your character or muck up their clan. Because well, a highlander doesn't look like a midlander and visa versa!

[Altitis Acquired]

I know I've said this a handful of times before on this forum, but I am of the mind that people can RP whatever they want. Want to be a dragon in disguise as a Garlean lalafell who is possessed by a Voidsent and has vampiric tendencies? Go ahead! Do whatever you like! And hopefully you will find some fellow RP'ers who accept whatever you RP and that you have fun together!

HOWEVER! You should never assume people will accept what you RP if you step out of the lore. There are people who would never even acknowledge your existence if you RP as a character who is something else than what the lore has established. Some people will even harrass you, but that is NOT okay and you should blacklist those people immediately!

 

It's all about mutual respect in the community. Have all the fun you want, but don't force it on other people unwanted. And likewise, people shouldn't force you to RP something you don't want to.

 

Making a Wildwood and call it a Duskwight... that's lightweight. Anyone having an issue with that are most likely doing it just to be nitpicky a-holes.

[Kilieit]

And Aya, I really thought she was a midlander all along, so there you go, the proof it doesn't always really work

Haha! Maybe it doesn't work in the sense that "not everyone will know about it" but it does work in the sense that you do not mind that interpretation, (I presume!) and should it come up importantly I could easily correct it, and should it come up in conversation Aya would just presume it was an unimportant mistake

I wouldn't say I mind it, but I do feel it is a poor choice onto representing your character as the race (or clan) they are meant to be. Especially because unlike all the other races, midlander and highlanders do look distinctly different in regard of frame of body they are given in game.

 

For me it is sticking a dog label onto a cat and then getting upset people see it as a cat and not a dog. Thankfully you don't seem to do that though, what I have to give you kudos for.

 

Anyhow, opinions differ after all, and well, at the end of the day, everyone's going to use whatever model, race, lore or whatever suits them best even if some might not agree with it. Some people will roll with it, others won't. As long people aren't mean about it OOC? Eh, who cares.

 

But I do feel, especially with the hyur clans, if you do the swap and try to represent the other clan, you should except some people will throw comments at your character or muck up their clan. Because well, a highlander doesn't look like a midlander and visa versa!

 

Highlander male faces that look under 40 when.

 

One of my alts is supposed to be a teenage highlander (or halflander, I'm not totally sold either way) boy... but I had to put him on the midlander model to make him give the right impression. Personally, I'd fantasia him into a highlander as soon as they added a face that looked even slightly like it belonged to a 19 year old. >_<

 

For now, while I'm forced by CC limitations into making compromises, it makes more IC sense for him to be mistaken for a midlander than it does for him to be mistaken for a middle-aged man. He's supposed to be tall, but baby-faced. And at least I can easily frame screenshots to make him look taller than he is - not so easy to use camera tricks to make the current M highlander faces look youthful.

 

I guess it's the same regarding OP's dilemma... if the Wildwood scar patterns are closer to the "first impression" you want to make with your character than the Duskwight skintones/etc, then it's an acceptable compromise IMO.

[Caspar]

The character models tend to reflect the lower and upper ends of a race's height spectrum. With this in mind, I occasionally mention mine is slightly higher than is typically possible, which inches faintly in the direction of gigantism. Though, ultimately, "giant" for Lalafell really doesn't matter to most Spoken so I like to suggest it's only noticeable when they see Virara among other Lalafell. It helps that most players seem to favor making theirs as short as possible, making this difference in height not as exaggerated as it would really be (about a full head over average-small Lalas.) but still visible.

[Virella]

I understand the dilemma yeah. I know someone who actually uses a female highlander model to represent an underaged male highlander. They still sometimes get the confusion, but the character has a male name, doesn't look super feminine (because you can make super androgynous highlander ladies), and has it their search info.

 

That said, shark face doesn't make them look utterly old? Then again if you're looking for a super young appearance aka midlander and elezen super boyish face, then yeah, you're out of luck with male highlanders.

 

Anyhow, I personally feel you're best off picking the race you're meant to represent to avoid confusion, especially if you do not want that confusion to happen IC or OOC. Because it is bound to happen at some point. Most people I've known who picked another model while still roleplaying x do know this and they handle it gracefully when it comes up IC or OOC.

 

However I've seen people handle it very badly as well. Not so much about the topic at hand in this case, but rather about what Parth Makeo described above.

[Hali]

Plenty of people roleplay things their model can't really do. Like my main character's supposed to be a pureblooded Garlean. The thing to keep in mind is to avoid the clearly racial/tribal characteristics. But also I mean, it's not impossible that there could have been mixed blood or recessive traits. I don't think anyone's going to be so strict as to metagame and tell you you're the wrong tribe OOCly.

 

Same! Corelyn is also a Pureblood, but hides her third eye for paranoia issues, so Highlander it is for her, typically (though if we got Garlean models YEEEEEEEEAH BOIIIIIII).

[Unnamed Mercenary]

Plenty of people roleplay things their model can't really do. Like my main character's supposed to be a pureblooded Garlean. The thing to keep in mind is to avoid the clearly racial/tribal characteristics. But also I mean, it's not impossible that there could have been mixed blood or recessive traits. I don't think anyone's going to be so strict as to metagame and tell you you're the wrong tribe OOCly.

 

Same! Corelyn is also a Pureblood, but hides her third eye for paranoia issues, so Highlander it is for her, typically (though if we got Garlean models YEEEEEEEEAH BOIIIIIII).

 

I'd really consider switching if we ever did. Part of me would miss the current design I have now. Also because I like thinking that Franz is big and buff, even at nearly 7 fulms tall. (If Cid can be buff, why can't other purebloods?!)

[Aya]

I wouldn't say I mind it, but I do feel it is a poor choice onto representing your character as the race (or clan) they are meant to be. Especially because unlike all the other races, midlander and highlanders do look distinctly different in regard of frame of body they are given in game.

 

For me it is sticking a dog label onto a cat and then getting upset people see it as a cat and not a dog. Thankfully you don't seem to do that though, what I have to give you kudos for.

 

The first thing I'd say to anyone out there who would feel either upset or hurt about mis-identification is that you should make your character as easily identifiable as possible.  But I don't think that is the case, it certainly isn't with me, and that isn't at all a tone I see in the OP.  So yes, if getting upset is an issue, you should be using the most obvious model possible. 

 

From my own perspective its absolutely not a matter of "getting upset".  I might be disappointed but not upset if someone insisted upon treating Aya as a Midlander in every way, that's the situation that I have created!  But, I think that it would make no material difference whatsoever. 

 

Which brings me to my second point, that I simply have to offer disagreement on the merits.  A Midlander and a Highlander are not at all like a dog and a cat.  They share exactly the same skeletal structure and anatomy.  They share the same biology, and physiology.  Given that their pigmentation variation is also identical, they are not even as dissimilar as two different breeds of cat or dog. 

 

What most sets Highlanders and Midlanders apart are matters of stature and physique.  Highlanders tend to be taller and more muscular than Midlanders, but the musculature is not even an entirely primary characteristic.  A sedentary Highlander is going to be fat.  And some Midlander men are going to be broad-chested and cut.

 

This brings to my most important contention: the apparent differences between the two clans are largely the result of limitations in the game engine, rather than actualities within the game world.  We see every Highlander literally having the same body, and the same for every Midlander.  This is not representative of what our characters experience and observe. Within the IC world the variation will be more similar to our own, and these supposed distinctions would very quickly blur. 

 

Some Highlanders due to a combination of facial features, build, accent, and so on, will be obviously Highlanders.  The same will be true for some Midlanders.  But, for those in-between the distinction will be blurred. They may appear more-or-less similar to one "ideal" form or the other, but it will not be entirely clear what their ancestry is (any more than ethnic descent can always be clearly observed in reality). 

 

I do not feel that playing a Highlander with a Midlander model is anything at all like placing a "dog" label on a cat.  The model's themselves are suggestive at best, and if anything I suspect this arrangement provides a better idea of Aya's form than if I had simply stuck with the Highlander model (though I am definitely open to disagreement on that!)

 

In my mind Aya's appearance did not change with the model switch.  Was the Midlander look closer to that vision?  That's questionable.  Was the aesthetic closer (due largely to the ever-preset clenched fists of the pre-c-pose Highlander female), definitely.  I still feel there is some value in that.

 

There is also evidence that this is the way it is intended to be: just to mention a couple of well-known female Highlander characters (if the Lorebook is to be trusted): Yda and Minfilia.  I would say that both appear more similar to Aya's Midlander model, than to her old Highlander one.

 

In the end though:

Will everyone be accepting of the discrepancy, maybe not... but I don't think the ramifications, even on IC interactions with such recalcitrant individuals, would be invalidated or slighted [You just play along as best you can!].  If the OP feels that his Duskwight is better represented by a Wildwood model, I'd still encourage him to go for it

[Sophia_Grave]

Plenty of people roleplay things their model can't really do. Like my main character's supposed to be a pureblooded Garlean. The thing to keep in mind is to avoid the clearly racial/tribal characteristics. But also I mean, it's not impossible that there could have been mixed blood or recessive traits. I don't think anyone's going to be so strict as to metagame and tell you you're the wrong tribe OOCly.

 

Same! Corelyn is also a Pureblood, but hides her third eye for paranoia issues, so Highlander it is for her, typically (though if we got Garlean models YEEEEEEEEAH BOIIIIIII).

 

I'd really consider switching if we ever did. Part of me would miss the current design I have now. Also because I like thinking that Franz is big and buff, even at nearly 7 fulms tall. (If Cid can be buff, why can't other purebloods?!)

 

I'd probably switch too! But I wonder, do most people use Highlanders for pureblooded Garleans? I see a lot of Midlanders used as Garleans (I use one myself). And then there's Lucia, who's definitely using the Elezen rig with modified ears. But that can be SE just using what's on hand until they make a concrete decision, like they did with pre-reveal Yugiri using a Miqo rig. Hrm. Not that it matters much in the end, I suppose.