Suggestion: Playable Bird Race

From what I can tell the original concept art from the development of the Au Ra race was first unveiled at FATE Tokyo after the designs had already been finalized and the race announced. Here's a summary of that panel with tons of screenshots. They go into a lot of detail on their creative process and how the dev team wanted to create a race that felt like Final Fantasy that would be popular without just rehashing miqo'te characteristics. I can find no evidence of the Japanese fanbase having "massive rage fit" over the concept art. I'm actually finding multiple jp sources with fans voicing disappointment that they didn't go with the wolfman concept.

After what happend to the Au Ra, I am worried for new races.

If they add a bird playable race, I would demand they add accordions for bards. I would then change my character to a male bird person, change the first name to Kass, and all would be well. Uncreative, but well.

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Originally Posted by Texa

From what I can tell the original concept art from the development of the Au Ra race was first unveiled at FATE Tokyo after the designs had already been finalized and the race announced.

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This was my understanding too; I don't recall JP account holders being sent surveys to request cute schoolgirls over hot demon people or anything like that. I'm pretty sure the simplification of the design was entirely to make adapting gear easier and nothing to do with player preference (though the global popularity of the Au Ra we ended up getting shows it was a success regardless). Miqo'te butts, wolfmen and demon girls; all victims of the practical realities of the team wanting the races as similar as possible to cut down on modelling time.

(I am not against more outrageous designs for races at all, it's just that the team really doesn't seem able to cope with it.)

No thanks. They'd have to go with a minimal change to basic physiology - like with Au'Ra, which would mean beaked faces, feathers instead of scales, and arms with feathers that would clip everything in sight, along with a tail that would clip every thing in sight.

It would be a clipping nightmare.

So, no.

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Originally Posted by Antonio_Xul

Here are some good Anthropomorphic bird characters that might work
**snip**

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Bird based humanoids with arms and wings represent a 6 limbed flying species, not 4. Wouldn't that suggest an exoskeleton instead of feathers?

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Originally Posted by Serilda

This was my understanding too; I don't recall JP account holders being sent surveys to request cute schoolgirls over hot demon people or anything like that.

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I can post some (ROUGHLY) translated comments on the concept art here just in case someone tries to argue "JAPAN JUST WANTS CUTE DESIGNS ITS THEIR FAULT" again.


http://i.imgur.com/cf0CXkA.jpg
俺的にはウルフマンやりたいなぉ "I would do the wolfman"
昔から獣頭のムキムキしたヒーローが大好きだからウルフマンいたら絶対やってたなあ。 "I've always loved beastheaded heroes, so I wish it had been the wolfman"
ヴィエラもいいけど実装されるなら見た目が大きく違うウルフマンがいいなぁ "Viera are okay but the wolfman would be very unique if implemented"
ウルフマン実装したらＦＦ始めるのに(´・ω・｀) "FF should start implementing wolfman"
ウルフマン良すぎだろ "wolfman is so good"
オレもウルフマンあったら選んでたわ "I also favor the wolfman"
今のエオルゼアには獣人要素が足りないウルフマンの実装を早急に求むもしくはアマルジャ使わせて下さいお願いします（切実） " Eorzea currently doesn't have enough (playable?) beastman themes. I want wolfman or amaljaa to come into immediate use"

http://i.imgur.com/T3UAsvR.jpg
悪魔っぽいの良いわ "That's a good demon"
モンスター感残ってるセクシーアウラ的なやつかっこいいな "I like the cool sexy monster feeling on the Au Ra guy"
ファンタジーの世界なのに普通の人間使ってもワクワクしないんだよね "even if it's a fantasy world I don't find playing as a normal human exciting"
なぜこのデザインにしなかった "Why didn't we get this design"
これだったら幻想薬買ってたわ "I'd buy a Fantasia if Au Ra looked like this"

Bonus んなこと言ったら海外だって人間種族が一番人気だっつの "We don't get more [beast-y races] because human races are the most popular overseas."

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Originally Posted by Khanscott

Well, as long as they don't tape wings onto a Hyur and call it a bird I'm fine with it.

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Vierra will be the same if it ever comes. Straight up copy-paste from miqote, different tail and ears. And people want that.

Unpopular opinion alert!

Playable beast races are cool and all, but I don't think they fit into FFXIV at all. I mean, we have beastly races, and they are specifically shunned and held separately in the lore from the humanoid races. Frankly, even fitting the Au Ra into the main plot doesn't make much sense. How come no one comments on you being a race completely unknown to Eorzea at the start of the story? It would be even less believable if it were a beastly race, known or not.

The realities of game development make my opinion on the matter irrelevant, but I'd prefer to stick with the races we have.

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Originally Posted by Driavna

If we are talking something like Vanu Vanu or Ixal sure, but if you are thinking about regular humans in a cosplay then no. We are better off with more customization option for all the current races.

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This.

Give us actual playable beast races, not 90% hyur with wings or rabbit ears.