A new race

[Damane]

every single piece of armor comes from a .dat file in the FFXI folder of your PC. seperate .dat files are needed for each race, since their body build is cosmetically different. So, the lvl 17 lizard armor body piece actually has 5 .dat files somewhere, one for each race. Sometimes, the armor looks differently on men than women, meaning there are actually 8 .dat files for that one piece of armor. This is not limited to armor either, weapons require different .dats per race, since a Taru and Elvaan visually would't be using the same size sword/club whatever.

Now, as far as adding a new race to the game...every single piece of equipment in the entire game would need to have a new .dat file created to accommodate the new race. Let that sink in for a second....EVERY piece. Go look at the AH for a second and realize just how much work that would be. Now double it, since this new race would more than likely have a male and female. That is FAR too much work for the FFXI Dev team when there is already so much on their plate.

you forgot to mention the rare/ex gear: the 60 different armors for all the artifact/relic/empyrean gear, oh wait there are 2 new jobs so 66. Sky abjurations/gear, Nyzul isle gear, salvage gear, Legion gear, Limubs gear, Dynamis gear.... well yeah the list goes on ._.

[L0IRE]

every single piece of armor comes from a .dat file in the FFXI folder of your PC. seperate .dat files are needed for each race, since their body build is cosmetically different. So, the lvl 17 lizard armor body piece actually has 5 .dat files somewhere, one for each race. Sometimes, the armor looks differently on men than women, meaning there are actually 8 .dat files for that one piece of armor. This is not limited to armor either, weapons require different .dats per race, since a Taru and Elvaan visually would't be using the same size sword/club whatever.

Now, as far as adding a new race to the game...every single piece of equipment in the entire game would need to have a new .dat file created to accommodate the new race. Let that sink in for a second....EVERY piece. Go look at the AH for a second and realize just how much work that would be. Now double it, since this new race would more than likely have a male and female. That is FAR too much work for the FFXI Dev team when there is already so much on their plate.

sorry bud I was being sarcastic, I clearly know what dat. files are, and I know what your saying about every piece, but it could still be done, regardless of how hard it sounds, and the whole "theres too much on the dev teams plate" is there? they need stuff to do, all I was saying is it could be done, the dev team isn't just a group of a couple dudes working on one thing at a time, theres different departmens working on different things, they don't just all sit down and work on expansions and mediocre updates.

[Kafrein]

In regards to story limitations, I am a believer that you can overcome any barriers in a story if you really, really want to. Just gotta think outside the box.

We do know other races exist outside of the enlightened 5 and the beastmen; the zilart and the kuluu. Yes, they are extinct, but it is entirely plausible that Square could introduce a new facet to the lore that makes the introduction of new races 'fit'. It would be very difficult though, and not everyone would accept it.

In truth, Square has no reason to do this, so they won't. FFXI doesn't 'need' new playable races, and I understand it's not a matter of need, but as I said in my previous post this is not a game where you create new characters frequently. You create one and even if you play for years you will never accomplish everything, and any character CAN accomplish everything. There is no need to create a new character.

[Renaissance2K]

sorry bud I was being sarcastic, I clearly know what dat. files are, and I know what your saying about every piece, but it could still be done, regardless of how hard it sounds, and the whole "theres too much on the dev teams plate" is there? they need stuff to do, all I was saying is it could be done, the dev team isn't just a group of a couple dudes working on one thing at a time, theres different departmens working on different things, they don't just all sit down and work on expansions and mediocre updates.

I don't think anybody is arguing that it can't be done. I think they're arguing that, given the amount of time and manpower it'd take to retroactively add a race to all existing pieces of gear, the team's time is better spent on content that is more than just aesthetic in nature.

This is just speculation, but I think the art and design team in particular is a bit over capacity. Considering we get new zones every two or three updates, and that the new items and battlefields are re-using existing assets, I don't think Square-Enix is able to produce new art at the rate they could originally.

You could argue that Square-Enix should hire more designers, but at this stage in a game's lifecycle, an investment like that isn't going to happen unless it's practically guaranteed to make them more money in the long run. And, I'm sorry, but no matter how badly you want it, a new race is not going to increase subscription numbers. Nobody's going to reactivate their subscription so they can play as a Flemmywank or a Potzwokker.

[Blah]

I don't think anybody is arguing that it can't be done. I think they're arguing that, given the amount of time and manpower it'd take to retroactively add a race to all existing pieces of gear, the team's time is better spent on content that is more than just aesthetic in nature.

This is just speculation, but I think the art and design team in particular is a bit over capacity. Considering we get new zones every two or three updates, and that the new items and battlefields are re-using existing assets, I don't think Square-Enix is able to produce new art at the rate they could originally.

You could argue that Square-Enix should hire more designers, but at this stage in a game's lifecycle, an investment like that isn't going to happen unless it's practically guaranteed to make them more money in the long run. And, I'm sorry, but no matter how badly you want it, a new race is not going to increase subscription numbers. Nobody's going to reactivate their subscription so they can play as a Flemmywank or a Potzwokker.

Well it's easy to shoot down the idea now, so much time has gone by they got other stuff to "fix" race stats don't matter now that they put in all 100+ gear (again I disagree, I still see a lot of discrimination). But when all is said and done the same could be said about just about every idea on this forum. Even the job tweaks that people are asking them to fix, they've left them broken all this time why waste time fixing it now that it looks like the game is going to end? Why do any work at all? People are quitting and not coming back. Finally fixing what they should isn't going to bring any1 back. >_> <_< Do it because even though yes it MIGHT be a waste of time if people see that you still have SOME imagination and creativity and can do the "impossible" people MIGHT MAYBE POSSIBLY come back. P.S. Wooooooohooooo some1 from my server I'm going to stalk you now...ok no I'm not...really I'm not...

[L0IRE]

I don't think anybody is arguing that it can't be done. I think they're arguing that, given the amount of time and manpower it'd take to retroactively add a race to all existing pieces of gear, the team's time is better spent on content that is more than just aesthetic in nature.

This is just speculation, but I think the art and design team in particular is a bit over capacity. Considering we get new zones every two or three updates, and that the new items and battlefields are re-using existing assets, I don't think Square-Enix is able to produce new art at the rate they could originally.

You could argue that Square-Enix should hire more designers, but at this stage in a game's lifecycle, an investment like that isn't going to happen unless it's practically guaranteed to make them more money in the long run. And, I'm sorry, but no matter how badly you want it, a new race is not going to increase subscription numbers. Nobody's going to reactivate their subscription so they can play as a Flemmywank or a Potzwokker.

I agree with you minus one thing...the bringing back subscribers...I disagree, rune and geo brought and influx to my server of over 1000+ on any given day, just to play two new jobs, ive played other games like L2, where as soon as kamael came out the servers hit max capacity at 5k, where shortly before hitting record lows, so I'm sorry but I fully disagree that a new race wouldn't bring back subscribers.

[Blah]

Besides how many times have they surprised us so far eh? How many times have we all thought "Ah SE isn't going to do that they're too lazy da bums" and surprise! They do it. So...maybe...maybe maybe maybe....

[L0IRE]

Besides how many times have they surprised us so far eh? How many times have we all thought "Ah SE isn't going to do that they're too lazy da bums" and surprise! They do it. So...maybe...maybe maybe maybe....

maybe, I know it won't as of the cost and time everyone is cramming down my throat, but maybe.

[Dragomair]

I'd like a new race as long as they're humanoid.
(Maybe Tritons, Gorgons, or Adlets?)

[Anjou]

I don't think there should be one, though a system to change our face/race would be much more welcomed...