How did you choose your main's race, and why do you stick with it?

I chose Hyur before I even downloaded the game. I still gave all the other races/tribes a shot 'just to be sure', but it was no contest. So it really came down to Midlander or Highlander. I also knew I wanted to be a healer as my main and while progressing the MSQ, and the frames of the Highlanders are just too large and athletic to fit my own image of a healer, whom I think should be petite, graceful, feminine, and very delicate looking. I also typically favor cloth armor which works really well with Midlanders, so it helps with my choice in glams.

Another reason is I knew that since the Midlanders are very basic, their population would likely be pretty small as most people like unique looking characters. If I knew the Elezen where in such small numbers, I might have went in that direction, and still kind of think about it now and then for the exact opposite reason. They're very exotic.

Also, female characters in single-player FF games are usually what Hyur Midlanders are in this game. That helped the decision as well.

I chose a male Roe (first Sea Wolves, now Hellsguard) as i always liked "big" races. I was close to change to Au ra as i liked the demonic look with scales and stuff but i sticked with roe. I really enjoy when mounts scale with size like griffin or sleipnir and i wish the same happened with midgardormr or twintania ;)

Miqo'te because we are by far the cutest :)

Easy choice. Im not into scales, so Au Ra was out. I couldnt handle being ugly, so Roe was out. Midgets... *shudder*, so no Lalas(never lalas). Humans are boring, so no Hyur. Catgirls are cliche so no on Miqo'te. Sexy-elves are slightly less cliche, so Elezen wins! Finding out later that we're less common just made me feel better about the choice.

I think Lalafells are absolutely adorable, and the way they roll out of bed and strike a little pose when I log in never fails to make me smile.

I chose Miqo'te because for one, I love cats. I always have. Male Miqo'te because you hardly see themin games. I couldn't resist being one in FFXIV. :) I've been a female Miqo once, only lasted a week. xD I'm just really attached to my chara. Though I would love to change his last name, love his first name.

I went with Elezen before even starting the game. I really like how graceful they are, they're not huge or anything, and how height matches well with them...being tall irl sorta helped influence my decision. Also in Tera, I mained Elf so I was already pretty fond of them.

Getting in game, I like their animations. I know many people who don't, but for me personally, I like their fancy exuberance.

The fact Elezen's are scarce gives them more appeal to me. I remember queing up as Dark Knight in Pharos Sirius one day and my whole party was like, "omg an Elezen TANK?" I just really love how I designed my Elezen and I wouldn't give him up for the world.

./ramble

I chose to be a miqo because, without joking, when my friend asked me if I wanted to play FFXIV with him I asked in return "Does this one have cat boys?" (since FFXI did not)

He said yes and so here I am.

I chose a Lala because the second I started up the game and saw the race, I screamed with joy xD

But seriously, I had followed the game for a year or so prior to purchasing it (I bought it when HW came out) so I was aware of the different classes and races. My exposure to the game came from Twitch streams, YouTube videos and Twitter posts, so I had seen quite a few different characters. I tend to go with the smaller races in MMOs probably because IRL I'm a petite lil thing. As for my main class, I decided to challenge myself. I usually go with an offensive mage class in both MMOs and single-player RPGs but I gravitated toward the White Mage class, partly because I enjoyed it so much in the original FF games and partly because healing was something I hadn't previously experienced in an MMO.

Au Ra, because dragons.

Need I say more? I bought Heavensward early, even though I barely just started, because of them. I think that shows just how much I love dragons.

Before I knew the expansion existed and I did my free trial I went with Mikote, because I'm kind of a weeb, slight weeb.