Ask Questions to Character Concept Artist Ayumi Namae

Yoshi-P: Are there plans to increase the number of clans available for races from two? In other Final Fantasy games the Viera had three unique clans (Veena, Rava, and Feol) present. In Final Fantasy XIV there are already clans that are not available to the players. For example, there is an Othardian Roegadyn, Gosetsu, currently in the game. There is also Hilda, a half Elezen half Hyur, in the game as well. The new clans could be used to add some requested features to existing races, new faces for Au Ra for example. New clans could also help boost the populations of some less selected races. I would love to see a short, petite version of the Elezen in game. So to reiterate the question. Are there plans to increase the number of clans available for races from two?

Namae: The cast of NPCs in Final Fantasy XIV are superbly designed, but there is one thing that has always bothered me about them. We never get to see any of the main cast wearing anything other than combat equipment. I realize that the reason is because the Warrior of Light only gets called in when there is a crisis. But how do you envision the main cast of NPCs dress themselves on the rare occasion they get a day off?

Yoshi P: No worries, I won't ask for buttsliders! :D I have a more personal question. Is there any love for the Heavens' Ward in the team? Since Haurchefants dead everyone in the community seems to hate them or doesn't care for them even though some of them were pretty decent guys according to lore. Do you hate them? :o
And I have another one: Where is Zephirins Armor? The other Heavens' Ward knights armors are in the mogstation, even every single weapon but not Zephirins proper armor. Why is that? :( (Please please please please answer this one, pretty please)

Namae: Maybe a dumb question but Why you have choosen the more young and girly versions for Au Ra women and not something more adult? Why aren't the males not as young and fragile looking?

Could we get a Tonberry Glamour akin to the existing Moogle one? :D

When working on the art for upcoming gear and equipment do you prefer to work on classic well established jobs such as White mage or do you prefer to work on new concepts to the final fantasy series such as Astrologian?

With Stormblood we saw a strong influence of far eastern culture and attire. Do you have any interest in any particular theme for the future or maybe a theme you think would be fun to work on? Examples could be (Norse, Roman, Greek, Egyptian, Native American)

May we please be able to see how long a person has been offline for in Linkshells and our Friends List? It would make it a lot easier to manage them if we could see how long it's been since they last logged in. Also if we could have a message pop up in the chat log when someone on our Friends List logs in/out, that would be awesome too.

Are there any plans for more underwater activities, like fighting ?

Are you guys going to implement a type of mandatory tutorial for entirely new players? (players who's accounts have already has a character past the beginning)

Something that would teach them the different type of AOE markers that are used in Trials/Raids/Alliance Raids. There have been an influx of players in duties that run away with stack markers.

We have tried to help players learn, but most of them tend to be rude and say they don't want help....:(

Who is the Japanese voice actor for Solus zos Galvus? He sounds extremely familiar and I cannot figure out who it is!

Hello Namae-san! What does it feel like to see cosplayers re-creating your designs in real life as costumes? It must be exciting!

Are there any differences or unique aspects to your design work for Final Fantasy XIV, compared to other games or projects you may have worked on in the past?

Of all the designs you've done for Final Fantasy XIV, is there a character or piece of gear that was your favourite to work on?

(If anybody else at the Letter from the Producer would like to answer too, do you have a particular favourite design from Namae-san?)

Are there any plans on giving us a kimono in the game? I'd be happy with just a kimono in general, or even Tsukuyomi's kimono. Doesn't matter which, we just want kimonos!!!

What are the chances of getting an toggle/option to make the "floating" parts of some armor to become invisible?

Similar to the Uraeus skirt, would it be possible to get a level 1, all-classes version of the Arachne Culottes of healing model that uses the female model of this item for both male and female characters? I was so excited for those shorts with stockings when they first showed them off pre-patch, and was really crushed on patch day when I rushed to try them on and they looked totally different on my male character!

There are already two tank-only items in the game (the Yafaemi and Chimerical Felt bottoms) that let male characters show off the shorts with stockings look, but I really want to have something similar as a healer main.

Would the team every bring in the option for multi layers dying? Some many times I have dyed a piece of gear and its accents clash or don't dye at all.

Also would glamour outfits of characters on the mogstation ever be allowed to be dyed?

As much as people hate this place, are there any plans on giving us a Hard version of Aurum Vale?

Hello Miss. Ayumi Namae!
In designing character costumes, how do you take into account the materials and fabric used for their gear? - Especially knowing that they may appear in both the cinematic opening and in game as an avatar. How far do conceptualize these material details of the designs?

I enjoy the costume and gear designs in game and I sometimes try to observe the avatar's fabric or material choices. I would often compare the in-game avatar to the cinematic render.

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For example, the in-game avatar of Lyse in her sister's red outfit looks like the material is made of Dull Satin of a dark red even under the sun. In the opening cinematic, it looks like a brighter red maybe made of Silk Taffeta that is more translucent.
https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/...20170930235532
https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/...20170329040928

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Another example is Yugiri's in-game avatar in Stormblood. Her 3D model has the dark violet parts of her outfit look like harder leather at some parts given the model shine, but in the opening cinematic of Stormblood, it is specifically a velvet suede which is a different soft texture from more stiff leather.
https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/...20170930230442
https://cdn3.dualshockers.com/wp-con...-1340x1340.jpg

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I am curious about your creative thought process on the material and fabric aspects of your designs and how the FFXIV 3D artists team collaborate with them in terms of rendering the intended material for the outfit.

Thank you for reading my question! :)

We've previously seen outfits in the game used to show the passage of time by having certain NPCs and Scions change into new clothes. (E.g. Lyse, Alisae, Cid) Are there any characters who have or haven't undergone such costume changes that you would like to personally redesign and what changes would you like to make to them?

While I'm very happy that the Fan Fest stream is free to watch, I'm very upset that we aren't able to watch the concerts unless we are physically at the Fan Fest. Are there plans for releasing the concerts on a special CD? For future Fan Fests, could the stream be free, but can we have the option to purchase the stream (or something of the sort) so that we may watch the concerts live as well? The concerts were my favorite parts of Fan Fest; they were so beautiful and moving that I was in tears! I'd love to be able to watch them in the future since I'm unable to physically go to Fan Fest.

what are the chances we will ever see the original adventurer armor from the 1.0 cinematic scenes as a level 1 glamour for our enjoyment now?

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/eb/62...43f80f08dc.jpg

Hello, Yoshida-san!

I was wondering for quite a while now. Given that during the last raid of the Return to Ivalice quest male Viera were mentioned existing within Viera lore of FFXIV. I felt the need to ask the question that has been on quite a few other players minds. Will the Viera be gender locked, and only females are playable, in other words exclusive? Or will players also be able to choose the male gender as they do for the other races as well?

For Namae-san and Yoshida-san,

Would you ever consider designing more sets for tanks that feature coats, such as the sky pirate sets in 3.1 of heavensward? I would love more coat options with ascots, frills and lace—as well as for machinists to be able to hide their backpack as a cosmetic option. Thank you both for the amazing work you do for this game.

If we aren't getting smoll bunnies as a Viera sub race, could you explain the reasoning to deny us of such cute fluff?

If we are getting smol viera, just ignore me!

Yoshiiiiiidaaaaaaa

We've gone nearly 3 weeks with the bug causing FCs to not see Pages 2 and 3 of our member lists to remove inactive members. It is causing a lot of heartache!

Will you please consider increasing FC sizes above 512 in the meantime?!

We've been asking this for five years now!

Since Blue Mage got it's own dedicated content, will Beast Master also get the same treatment? Will we get something like the Monster Arena from FFX-2? Which was really fun to fight fustom monsters and eventually Almighty Shinra.