Au Ra physiology and other lore.

If you guard what's important to you, and have no qualms about killing others to do so, then you have no room to judge others as "evil" or "wrong" for doing the same.

...

Kupo, let's get back on topic! We can has Au Ra clan info and naming conventions, SE? Pweeeeease?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Cilia

If you guard what's important to you, and have no qualms about killing others to do so, then you have no room to judge others as "evil" or "wrong" for doing the same.

...

Kupo, let's get back on topic! We can has Au Ra clan info and naming conventions, SE? Pweeeeease?

---

Well a final note, remember I said there was no good in conflict only which evil you fought in the name of.

Heck that in and of its self could be the Ascians big plot for us in a bit she'll.

And now to paraphrase the great Gilgamesh,
Enough of this expositionary banter!!!
<kicks the shit out of the soal box>

Back in topic!!!

So I hear you like Mow Moes. >:)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kaiser-Ace

Heck that in and of its self could be the Ascians big plot for us in a bit she'll.

Enough of this expositionary banter!!!
<kicks the shit out of the soal box>

---

I like how your auto-correct went with "bit she'll" for "nut shell," but decided expositionary and soal were words.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Viridiana

I like how your auto-correct went with "bit she'll" for "nut shell," but decided expositionary and soal were words.

---

I know right lol.
Man, I know what I'm requesting next live letter. Smartphone support for forum editing lol

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kaiser-Ace

I know right lol.
Man, I know what I'm requesting next live letter. Smartphone support for forum editing lol

---

It's so bad. Like.. You've gotta go to the none-mobile version to do it, but making the screen bigger is a pain in the rear. On the alternative on the mobile version, for some reason my phone likes to make the area where you write your post 3 miles long.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Samcaesar

It's so bad. Like.. You've gotta go to the none-mobile version to do it, but making the screen bigger is a pain in the rear. On the alternative on the mobile version, for some reason my phone likes to make the area where you write your post 3 miles long.

---

Yep, 8 pages worth of blank to hit the post button. I'm putting a post in the recommendation forum for this problem.

Since everyone's posting photos, this is my beau. Strawberry swirl hair ftw.

I went with the grayscale skin swatches since I think that matches up nicely with the scales :3

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g6...ramalepink.jpg

I only see people posting Au Ra men with anime hair. Do they have any more subdued hair styles?

Yeah, they have all the other shared hairstyles as well. I think people just like these because they're unique currently. :P

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Isklexi

You got issues with gravity-defying hair, bub?

---

To answer your question though they do have braided styles and more tribal-esque looking coifs, but if you can go with an amazing creation that has taken at LEAST 10 cans of hairspray alone to keep aloft, well, why not?

There is exactly ONE unique male Au Ra hairstyle that wouldn't take hours of time and/or several cans of hair gel or hairspray to do.

I went with one of the tamer ones. Sort of.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Isklexi

I only see people posting Au Ra men with anime hair. Do they have any more subdued hair styles?

---

Yeah. Here's mine:

http://i.imgur.com/TJXujfs.jpg

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Cilia

There is exactly ONE unique male Au Ra hairstyle that wouldn't take hours of time and/or several cans of hair gel or hairspray to do.

I went with one of the tamer ones. Sort of.

---

Well, that's also what you expect from a final fantasy.

http://www.kotaku.jp/images/2012/10/121003hairwax1.jpg

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Nataruma

at LEAST 10 cans of hairspray

---

You know a man takes his haircare seriously when he's willing to punch a new hole into the ozone layer every morning.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sigiria

Well, that's also what you expect from a final fantasy.

---

The best part about that picture is that the girls have the most reasonable hair.

As mentioned in Crisis Core "Sephiroth uses an entire bottle of both shampoo and conditioner to wash his hair. Both are provided by the Shinra Company and are scented with thirteen kinds of perfumes" Hair is a serious business for final fantasy characters.

http://fuc.wdfiles.com/local--files/.../archer530.png

I want to go back to the whole "Guardian" complex thing. Unmarked spoilers for Fate/Unlimited Blade Works, so if you don't want that turn away now. (I hate large blocks of black text/spoiler blocks more than I hate unmarked spoilers, deal with it!)

The man above is known throughout most of the series as "Archer", and without going into too many details he travels back in time to kill his younger self. His younger self is a would-be ally of justice, who wishes to protect anyone and everyone he meets. At some point he gains superb magical powers to help him fulfill that dream as a "Guardian Spirit". Ironically, this meant travelling to different points in time and murdering people by the dozens. Why? Because if he didn't, hundreds, thousands, and sometimes even millions of people would die.

Saving everyone wasn't an option, he had to kill people to save others, and eventually he took his own life. Instead of finding rest, he became a Heroic Spirit, and must constantly relive his life. With his "ideals" broken he joins the Holy Grail War where his younger self participated, so that he could try and eliminate himself; hoping to cause a paradox that eliminates his Spirit and sets him free.

As a military servicemember I have a very similar worldview (except that I accept this reality, rather than trying to shut it away). I may at any time be called to kill hundreds of people in order to protect the millions back home. That does not make me the good guy, nor my enemies the bad guys. It just means I have something to protect.

More on topic: I think Au'Ra are cute and perfect in every way. My biggest complaint is that horn options are locked to face options (Horns 2 with Face 1 please!)

Military service, huh? I got a lot of respect... but I...

... I wish I could still be in the service, that I was a "normal" person...
... but I can't be, and I'm not...

...

... really hits a personal sore spot. Not going to say any more.

*sigh*

More on topic, my main complaint is the women's moé mannerisms; the rest I'm OK with, male and female alike. But what's done is done.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Cilia

snip

---

I'm not exactly "normal" either; I won't say anything else past that, but let's say there's a reason I always play female characters.
Like I said though, I don't really consider the Au'Ra Moe. Lalafells fall more into that demographic. Au'Ra strike me more as petite asian girls. More "kawaii" less "moe"

Define normal and then we can make a thread discussing it.

My greatest and only gripe about the Auri in general, both male and female, is the fact that horns are locked to faces. I either gotta pick the younger looking face or the horns I like but can't have both. Shame really. Maybe they'll add that in the full release.

Hmm my biggest complaint, as I'm sure you all could guess, is how the two clans look exactly the same! Ideally I would've wanted the girls to be massive on one of them and the guys to be small and moé. Or maybe small moé men and women on both and big men and women on both.. But eh, I've always got references for my Au Ra.

One of my friends commented on how they seemed "Nadeshiko" which I actually really agree with them on that.

Could you really expect anything else? All of the racial differences are really minor. They usually change the eyes or give slightly different skin tones. Compared to that the Auri are pretty amazing. They get different skin tones AND new scale colors.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kaiser-Ace

My greatest and only gripe about the Auri in general, both male and female, is the fact that horns are locked to faces. I either gotta pick the younger looking face or the horns I like but can't have both. Shame really. Maybe they'll add that in the full release.

---

That would be really nice yeah. I don't mind the swept back horns particularly, but it would be a lot more fun if I could mix and match. And don't get me started on the males. The only horn style I like is the curly ones, but it's on a face that looks perpetually grumpy. Curly horns, and younger not so grumpy face plskthnx.

Well I've explained the lack of clan differences from both a design and in-universe standpoint... there's just not enough time to design and model 4 different character models. (Yes, the Hyur have it, but they're the exception that makes the rule.) In-universe the only lore tidbit we've gotten thus far suggests the Raen were once tribal nomads like the Xaela, so they probably have a similar genome which hasn't changed enough to produce significant differences between the two clans.

It is what it is!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sabeta

Snip

---

Shrugs, I just wish we got a repeat of the Highlanders and Midlanders. Plus, Miqo'te have skintone eyes&teeth along, same thing with the Lalafell too with skintone and eyes

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Cilia

Snip

---

I know I know, but as long as we're complaining I might as well pop in too. The Auri women just kinda annoy me and I keep teetering on and off between whether I just deal with it or go through Heavensward in denial about their existence.

Well it's not like denying their existence is going to change it... right?

Riiiiiight?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Cilia

Well it's not like denying their existence is going to change it... right?

Riiiiiight?

---

Not like acknowledging them will change it either Q Q I appreciate stoicism but I'm not the most devout follower of its methods!

Ahem! Uh, whatever are we talking about?! Those Au Ra look so cool and tall! Weird that they only have the guys! Guess they're like Galka! Coughweepingcough

Now can you imagine a wedding with a Lala female and Auri male? Interesting mechanics in play to get those kisses to work >_> I mean that's almost obscenely crazy, but I bet you someone's going to do it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Nataruma

Now can you imagine a wedding with a Lala female and Auri male? Interesting mechanics in play to get those kisses to work >_> I mean that's almost obscenely crazy, but I bet you someone's going to do it.

---

Duh, he can just pick her up. Not like she's be heavy or anything.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sabeta

Could you really expect anything else? All of the racial differences are really minor. They usually change the eyes or give slightly different skin tones. Compared to that the Auri are pretty amazing. They get different skin tones AND new scale colors.

---

This. There are minimal differences between subraces. That's kinda the point.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Balipu

Snip.

---

Shrugs, it makes a races' clans, imho, feel more unique if they have some visible differences. Like.. maybe Sea wolves Roegadyn would be thinner or have kinda flatter hands to indicate lots of swimming or something. I know the Hyur are an exception, but it really feels like an honest attempt at unique races whenever the clans actually have differences outside of minor things. It sorta helps make the clan feel more unique as well as sorta give the player more diversity in options outside of "Do you want dragon/demon people with black scales or white scales?" Or "Do you want big large guys who have primarily cool color tones or primarily warm color tones for their skin?"

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Samcaesar

Shrugs, it makes a races' clans, imho, feel more unique if they have some visible differences. Like.. maybe Sea wolves Roegadyn would be thinner or have kinda flatter hands to indicate lots of swimming or something. I know the Hyur are an exception, but it really feels like an honest attempt at unique races whenever the clans actually have differences outside of minor things. It sorta helps make the clan feel more unique as well as sorta give the player more diversity in options outside of "Do you want dragon/demon people with black scales or white scales?" Or "Do you want big large guys who have primarily cool color tones or primarily warm color tones for their skin?"

---

But clan and species are two diffrent things. A Clan is just a creature of the same speicies that live in a diffrent area. There is little diffrence umungst the clans but vast ones in the races for this reason.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kaiser-Ace

But clan and species are two diffrent things. A Clan is just a creature of the same speicies that live in a diffrent area. There is little diffrence umungst the clans but vast ones in the races for this reason.

---

Shrugs. Highlanders looked pretty different visually from Midlanders. I'm just saying I would love more things to make the clans stand out, primarily with minor details and body shape, which isn't unheard of within the same species. Like look at poor dogs and all their breeds :P

Ehh, we've been over this. Dogs are a unique case in that their phenotype expressions are highly mutable by selective breeding... something either not possible with the Au Ra, or something they don't do (because that's eugenics, and until it's confirmed a civilized people practice eugenics I assume the contrary).

Anyway, there isn't that much difference between Midlanders and Highlanders. Highlanders are, on average, taller and more muscular... that, and the in-game tendency of Highlanders to have naturally darker skin tones, is about the only physical difference between the two clans. (... and female Highlanders having larger bust sizes, but that too can be explained by musculature.) The other differences (unique hairstyles, clan tattoos, emotes) are purely aesthetic.

Speaking of clan tattoos, do the Au Ra not have any? I know they have the scales, but there isn't a tattoo option for them in the Benchmark... if they don't that's cool, but it feels weird because every other race has them.

I wonder what lore reason there will be explaing why Xaela males have black sclera?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by myahele

I wonder what lore reason there will be explaing why Xaela males have black sclera?

---

That likely has to do with being descendants of the Dusk Mother, just like their scales are for the same reason.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Cilia

Snip

---

I know. Still not like they couldn't be different, shoot how some how Xaela maintain their scales due to being the children of the Dusk Mother, I just sorta wish it was something else besides just the scales.

Eh, they still look different physically. Like if you silhouette tested them you'd probably be able to tell 9/10 times which is which.

I guess I'm just sorta skeeved out by the Nadeshiko esque way the Auri girls kinda act and wanted something different from dragon/demon girls because this is probably the only thing close to a reptilian race we'll get. Shrugs.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Samcaesar

Snip

---

Roegadyn aren't very different between the clans save for colouring, in the same way Au Ra differ from each, very minor differences in physical attributes.

Most races are basically the same body size for both types apart from the hyur, even so the males and females match each other for size in all the races released so far. The fact Au Ra are so different in regards to sexual dimorphism is a new concept as far as design goes, so I think it's different enough from what we've already seen, but I do like your idea of flipping between the clans even though evolution-wise there doesn't seem to be enough of a time period for that sort of mutation to occur.

Logically the sizes of males and females as they are would be retained for millenia until environmental circumstances would begin to affect their growth. And even then, it would depend on what sort of environmental stimuli whether it would have any impact on their size.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Nataruma

Snip

---

I recognize that, it's more just a personal want for SE to make clans feel more unique besides a palette swapping them >_> Like.. It'd be a lot more interesting imho if Sea Wolves sorta portrayed a more swimmer's esque body, maybe some like being thinner overall or something.

See, their sexual dimorphism isn't that unique imho, look at how massive the Roegadyn men are with regards to their women. Sure the height difference is much more apparent with the Au Ra, but Roegadyn seem to definitely have the largest amount of sexual dimorphism portrayed outside of the Au Ra and it is quite noticeable imho. Honestly a more different one would be to invert the sexual dimorphism from what we usually see.. But again personal wants.

We're really not sure how long the two clans have been separated, but honestly it's a question that's been brought up. My only question is if the scales seem to be a clear indicative of one being Xaela/Raen, which would suggest that they've been separated enough that you don't see anyone with white scales popping up in a Xaela tribe, why not other traits as well? Like, to rephrase it, are the scales that much of a unique trait that it would be impossible for one with Raen parents to have black scales? If so, why just the scales and not other traits like size? Like.. I'm attempting to stay away from getting into a debate again for reasons, but I'm curious on why something like scales can be accepted as something so static between the two clans, but not other traits as well.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Samcaesar

I agree!

---

You're right about the fact that they could have made it a lot more interesting, but they also have to think of the sales pitch, and I have to say that tough he-men and cute girls sell better than petite men and well-built women. There may be a demand for the latter, but it doesn't outweigh the majority. Personally, the way things are right now don't bother me at all, I quite like what they've done with the Au Ra, but I can recognize that they could have done more or developed the two clans for better separation than just a scale difference. They could also have done more in terms of customization, seeing as other races suffer from that aspect, but I will still be happy with the character I roll :D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Samcaesar

We're really not sure how long the two clans have been separated, but honestly it's a question that's been brought up. My only question is if the scales seem to be a clear indicative of one being Xaela/Raen, which would suggest that they've been separated enough that you don't see anyone with white scales popping up in a Xaela tribe, why not other traits as well? Like, to rephrase it, are the scales that much of a unique trait that it would be impossible for one with Raen parents to have black scales? If so, why just the scales and not other traits like size? Like.. I'm attempting to stay away from getting into a debate again for reasons, but I'm curious on why something like scales can be accepted as something so static between the two clans, but not other traits as well.

---

Genetics. If a certain scale color is dominant or recessive, and the genetic code for that scale color isn't in one of the tribes (e.g. Raen don't have a genome capable of expressing black scales and vice versa), then it won't be possible for that tribe to express the opposite scale color. There's also the possibility of co-dominance, meaning the colors mingle together and produce a grey scale coloration, but inter-clan relationships are rare and undocumented. Without scientific study, it's impossible to tell.

While the Au Ra aren't the only ones to exhibit sexual dimorphism, they are far and away the most extreme case. Roegadyn females just don't have the muscle mass the men do; besides that there's very little difference between the sexes of any race. You wanna talk environmental adaptation? Well then, the Roegadyn Sea Wolves should have webbed hands and feet to help propel theyselves through the water for when they fall overboard, and not be anywhere near as massive as they are unless they regularly haul up large sea game to feast on.

... but it's just a game, so whatever.