I’m in the “within reason” camp, knowing full well that what I consider to be within reason may not be what Dragon/Eldritch Conceptual Mega-Mages may enjoy. Mostly I’m perfectly able and willing to simply not engage with such players however, and I daresay the feeling would be mutual if they knew my thoughts on their take on RP.
My genuine gripe is when certain ethnicities or cultures are blatantly fetishished. Orientalism is a prevailing red flag of mine, as are profiles specifically catering to an 18+ audience - usually made all the worse through their crude misrepresentations of genderfluid characters and/or non-straight orientations.
From a purely anecdotal point of view, it seems to mainly be a thing with human characters as well. I could name a few guilds who were especially volatile when the pronoun option was initially added. Whether or not they ever course-corrected or not isn’t for me to know, but the fact they felt it was funny in the first place…?
After some unsolicited whispers on my fem-Draenei, I finally caved in and used the pronoun option to clarify her gender. That did the trick.
Thank you. It did hurt a little but I respect you speaking up. It’s good to see how my words come across from a different perspective so I can grow from it and learn I’m glad I clarified my intentions.
It’s lovely to see so many people that do care about the roleplay. I’ve once been accused of ‘not caring’, when in truth I want to see people get better, enjoy the game and engage with the roleplayers, like I have for too many years.
Also big agree. Representation is important, but only done properly and respectfully.
When I got started in WoW I figured TRP was like the D&D character sheets I used as a kid. So I started to write down everything I figured I had to remember about my character. After a while it got to the point where I got that warning: “your profile is to big etc”.
So I stopped adding stuff. The years went by and TRP did not change much until the pronouns option was added. At that point I both felt a bit old and a little sad. Like has it really come to this? We wouldn’t need it if people just could respect each other.
I didn’t fill it in figuring most players knew I’m a woman playing a female toon by then. Reading this, now I feel maybe I should. Out of respect for others or just to make some players feel safer. Those thoughts had not crossed my mind. Perhaps it’s that age acting up again.
But I also have a male character I hang out on when I want to chill. It’s incredible relaxing because I never get that unwanted attention that female toons sometimes have to suffer. Using the pronouns option honestly on that one would spoil it.
Or perhaps no? I don’t know. Anyone here who has tried?
PS I will make a new less overloaded TRP. Any year now.
This is entirely why I enjoy playing my noble from Stormwind - she didn’t really get much of a chance to be a ‘proper’ noble with all the fancy legions of soldiers and endless sprawling mansions in mysterious off-screen locations devised purely to intimidate you in RP. Nobles from Stormwind should ideally be played as either basically comedic or entrenched in the civil service in such a way that they can continue to have some authority, or (as in the case of my knight), completely broke and powerless.
The First War, fleeing to Lordaeron as a refugee, coming back to SW only to find their power waning and their position in society no longer so important… Defias attacks, Gnoll attacks, Scourge attacks, Legion attacks… your nobles better have some good copium on hand for why their country manor isn’t a smouldering pile of ash.
I’m glad I clarified my intentions.