Seeking help rectifying RP vs Gameplay/MSQ

[thececilmaster]

Although I'm pretty experienced with roleplaying, I'm extremely new to roleplaying in an MMO (I'm currently trying to start for the first time, really), and I need some help understanding how to rectify things that are clearly game/story-oriented with making my character (such as the limitations on Jobs, etc), especially with the context of the greater RP community. Unfortunately, I'm kind of coming into this with a character I've already been playing for a year, and therefor have a few strong feelings regarding her, which would probably make it somewhat more difficult to get into the RP scene with her. To better clarify my questions, I'll be asking them in regards to my specific character (hereafter just called Sokhatai or Sokh). 

 

To start off with, when I was creating Sokhatai, I did do plenty of research into lore to help decide things like what class to start with, and for her story, I had her start as an Arcanist. This much is easy to deal with, and we can move on from that without much concern, and I honestly understand her backstory pre-game fine, it's just the stuff that happens once you actually start playing FFXIV that I have difficulty understanding how to handle in regards to RP. Character-wise, one of the biggest defining things to me about Sokhatai is that she is a Scholar, which is, unfortunately, kind of snowflake-y in lore terms, since the WoL is the only non-Tonberry Scholar. What's proper conventions, etiquette, etc, for dealing with that kind of issue? Is it considered "ok" to snowflake it up in that regard? Essentially, what would proper form be when making this character into an RP-able character, at least when it comes to the job?

 

Other, more generic lore questions, that still have to do with the MSQ: Ishgard was recently closed to pretty much everyone, and only opened up due to the WoL's actions. Similarly, Ala Mhigo and Doma both were liberated largely because the WoL was involved. I personally have no stake in my character being involved with either event, but I don't understand quite how those kinds of world-changing events are handled by the RP community, and would like help understanding how those kinds of things are rectified with the RP, or they're mostly just ignored.

[UnidessGaming]

Hey! Welcome to the madclub!

 

In regards to your generic Lore questions, usually regardless of the game/setting the majority of the RP community follows along with the timelime aknowledging world-changing events as they occur. Generally speaking, most people RP their characters as the Average Joe in the setting and build their backgrounds accordingly.

Obviously, if a character has been RP'ed since before the events of Heavensward or Stormblood (to use your examples) their background would not involve them and the subject might be brought up in RP if said character has knowledge of those events, or if they were involved at some level with the events of the main story while they unfolded during the respective expansion.

If it's a completely new character that enters the RP scene after those events instead, they might be incorporated or referenced in their background if the character is native to those regions the events took place in.

 

All in all, it all depends on at which point of the timeline the character is introduced to the RP scene and how old they are.