Please make the in-game Au Ra (Males) more muscular, reflective of the Artwork

I'll be honest; on paper, the Au Ra are absolutely everything I've ever wanted out of a New Race. The artwork depicts the males as muscular, imposing, powerful-looking warriors, although still having more handsome features (as opposed to the Highlanders, who have some funky-looking Faces).

I love the story -- or at least, implied story -- behind them, that they are descendants of Saint Shiva, who is said to have laid with dragons, giving them a unique "vibe". When Yoshi-P was on-stage, describing them, he said all of the words I wanted to hear; they would be large and powerful, but dangerous looking, unlike the Roegadyn, who've always seemed too friendly, even "cuddly", to be considered truly imposing.

If you've not already seen the artwork, then take a look at this:

http://cdn4.dualshockers.com/wp-cont...4-03_22_20.jpg

The Male there looks awesome. He's lean enough that he could be quick on his feet, yet solid enough to deliver a crippling punch, or swing a truly heavy Greatsword (and if you've seen the new Dark Knight weapons, you can attest to how heavy-looking those things are).

Now... let's take a look at the actual in-game counterpart that was shown:

http://i8.17173.itc.cn/v3/outcms/201...mage_23712.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/V0qbjEt.png

The Males there basically look like Elezen, but with horns. They look "skinny", not the proud-looking warriors that the Artwork depicted. I "get" that it might "make sense", given they seemingly share some Elezen heritage, but no two Races should ever look quite so similar. Now, given that Heavensward is likely still some time away, it's entirely possible that these are a very early model -- given credit by the fact that, as seen in the video, the horns weren't actually full attached to their heads.

It is my sincere hope that the team will beef-up the Males more, particularly in their chest, shoulders, and neck. Keep the thin waist-size, as in the artwork, but make their torsos much more ripped. I ask this because, in all honesty, Race-selection is the primary reason I've not been more committed to FFXIV, as I feel like I'm stuck choosing between three "pretty boy" races, and the oh-so-lovable Roegadyn, none of which feel "dangerous" or "imposing" to me.

I know, as a Western gamer with "Western tastes" (I know, I know; the West is awful about flooding games with super-macho characters), I'm probably not the main audience. Yet, isn't that the point of adding a New Race? To appeal to players who might normally *not* have been interested in the game before? Don't get me wrong, I fully intend to play Heavensward either way, but with a more powerful-looking Au Ra, I think I'm more likely to actually stick around for the long haul.

Food for thought, anyways.

The au-ra have not be released yet, please wait until you can create a au-ra before any threads about making them more muscly tall shorter/ etc, we don't know what the character creator will bring for them

also if your looking at the artwork roe's art as muscly as there artwork and miqote art as flexible nor have the curves of there artwork :P those threads were made and died along time ago

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Originally Posted by DracotheDragon

The au-ra have not be released yet, please wait until you can create a au-ra before any threads about making them more muscly tall shorter/ etc, we don't know what the character creator will bring for them

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If he waited until they were released he'd have no hope of changing them... what are you... why did you... uhg.

100% agreement OP, on the sentiment of making them more muscular. I think they look like elezan with horns, which sucks.

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Originally Posted by Ehayte

I think they look like elezen with horns, which sucks.

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But, like... that's what they're supposed to be...

No please, they look absolutely silly in the official artwork, their heads are WAY too small for the bodies. Much prefer what I've seen of the in game models.

They will probably have a muscle tone slider for this.

(But, like others have stated, they ARE elezen [complete with too small heads] with horns and scales)

I sincerely doubt they're going to make this change. They're already probably spent the better part of a year designing and modeling them. The reason they probably have elezen proportions (and the female have miqo'te proportions) probably has a LOT to do with modeling all of the armor in the game.
Here's something to think about: There will never, ever be a race that deviates too far from the proportions of the 5 races we have now. To do so would mean remapping and remodeling every single piece of armor in the game. And the development team has mentioned time and time again in QA posts that getting the armor we have to work correctly is already difficult. They're going to take shortcuts whenever possible.
And the Au'Ra in the official art looks like he has shoulder pads for shoulders. I'm not seeing any significant differences that wouldn't make him look silly.

I was hoping the male Au Ra would be smaller than the females. Would be a nice change of pace.

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Originally Posted by sarehptar

But, like... that's what they're supposed to be...

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That's popular speculation, but even if they are, their concept art depicts them as these tall, powerful, long tailed creatures. Sadly the only thing they managed to really capture with the in game model was their height.

The pictures the OP shows only show the male Au Ra (both) leaning from an angle. You don't get a good view of their muscle build with that pose to be honest.

They have a muscular build though, to be sure. They appear kind of like if you merged an Elezen with a Roe. They aren't fully bulky, but they definitely are not slender.

This is a slightly better picture for muscle clarification as they aren't shown at the angle of the OPs pictures:

http://i1.2pcdn.com/node14/image/art...6dhvglahcb.jpg

You can see they definitely have a muscular build. As far as muscle tone/definition goes. There'll be a slider for that more than likely.

IMHO, it may just be the lighting/editing in those promo-style shots. They have that "glamour shots" style which tends to make things look very smooth.

[Link to Huge Pic] <-- They look pretty muscular to me. I'm not seeing any "skinniness" there (aside from the females in the pic, those elbows look dangerous lol).

Honestly, I think they look very formidable, not to mention huge!

What bugs me about them is how dead the tail looks. The concept artwork has the tail flowing or at least appearing to move, while the models we have seen so far, the tail just looks stiff and stubby. I hope there is a tail slider and tails are more animated, at least like male miqo'te tails instead of female miqo'te tails that barely move...

i agree best time to fix a race ( or anything) is before final release... gah.. i wish someone would have said something about the pet class before that egi storyline became canon.

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Originally Posted by Ecks007

You can see they definitely have a muscular build. As far as muscle tone/definition goes. There'll be a slider for that like there is for all the races, already.

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Not for Miqo'te
Have Lalafells a muscle slider?

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Originally Posted by sarehptar

What bugs me about them is how dead the tail looks. The concept artwork has the tail flowing or at least appearing to move, while the models we have seen so far, the tail just looks stiff and stubby. I hope there is a tail slider and tails are more animated, at least like male miqo'te tails instead of female miqo'te tails that barely move...

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They might borrow the animations of the miqo'te tails - it would save time
I'm also hoping theres a tail slider... I want a long tail on my male Au Ra. I can see a long tail ont he fem Au Ra, but it's hard to say for the males - not even a shadow or a slight catch of a sight of them. I just hope the males don't get stubs >.>

OP>
*begin ramble*
In concerns of the OP, I kind of like the original artwork, also - powerful but agile looking, given by the broad shoulders and tiny waist (I can't help but think big Roe ninjas look funny doing all those fast agile twirling moves :x but I don't think Au Ra would look AS out of place doing the same moves - even as tall as they are). Unfortunately, I'm going to have to agree with what most likely going to happen and it's reasoning... they would have to add in a shit ton of updated versions of ALL the gear in the game (thats.... a lot) just to fit the males odd frame. Only thing I can think of is that they set gear to say, "If race Au Ra -> then Chest piece Roe, Pants piece Elezen", but considering they would have the waist of a piece of string, a chest piece (that also covers the waist) sized for the top half of a Roe would look weird and non-fitting passed the chest.... since the inward slope between broad chest and tiny waist is pretty steep in that drawn design.

It WOULD give diversity in shapes, though >.> But ah well

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Originally Posted by Felis

Not for Miqo'te
Have Lalafells a muscle slider?

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Really? Hmm. And no I don't think lalas have a muscle tone slider now that I think of it. Could have swore the miqo'te did though.

Well. Roe, Elezen, and Hyurs have one. Pretty sure Au Ra will too, given the muscles. Maybe female Au Ra won't have it though. Who knows.

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Originally Posted by Fleur

Honestly, I think they look very formidable, not to mention huge!

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They do xD They also look very perma-angry... (the males, anyway)
I wonder the height comparison between both male and female Au Ra and male and female everything-else. I'm wondering if they're about Roe height, or taller... o_o (or did I miss this answer in another post/announcement?).

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Originally Posted by Ecks007

Really? Hmm. And no I don't think lalas have a muscle tone slider now that I think of it. Could have swore the miqo'te did though.

Well. Roe, Elezen, and Hyurs have one. Pretty sure Au Ra will too, given the muscles. Maybe female Au Ra won't have it though. Who knows.

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I really want to say the male miqo'te do, along with the tail slider - it's been a long time, though, since I poked around at miqote character customizing. Only thing is, it just deepened shadows/darkness on pre-existing shapes to be more 'defined', but not a whole ton of difference. It doesn't actually add/subtract much muscle mass (I don't think any of the races have that... but I could be wrong. I have no elezen or roe characters to experience this)

Miqo'te do not have a muscle slider.

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Originally Posted by Terin

I love the story -- or at least, implied story -- behind them, that they are descendants of Saint Shiva, who is said to have laid with dragons, giving them a unique "vibe".

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I want to know where this is coming from. Is it just a popular speculation based on the fact that Au Ra are humanoid but scaly, or has SE actually come out and released any kind of lore on it? It just seems... unlikely.

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Originally Posted by Saseal

I really want to say the male miqo'te do, along with the tail slider - it's been a long time, though, since I poked around at miqote character customizing. Only thing is, it just deepened shadows/darkness on pre-existing shapes to be more 'defined', but not a whole ton of difference. It doesn't actually add/subtract much muscle mass (I don't think any of the races have that... but I could be wrong. I have no elezen or roe characters to experience this)

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Miqo'te don't have a muscle slider. I don't think Elezen do, either.

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Originally Posted by Ronove

Miqo'te do not have a muscle slider.

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Originally Posted by Ashkendor

Miqo'te don't have a muscle slider. I don't think Elezen do, either.

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Huh o_o My memory is even crappier than I thought it was *Commits sepuku*

I probably mixed up memory of hyur customization since I recently did a retainer fantasia o.o

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Originally Posted by Felis

Not for Miqo'te
Have Lalafells a muscle slider?

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I think I remember Miqo'te having a muscle slider... Not too sure since I haven't made a character in months.

[edit] woops seems I didn't read all the posts, I guess they don't.

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Originally Posted by Delta041

I was hoping the male Au Ra would be smaller than the females. Would be a nice change of pace.

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Yeah, I too was hoping that this round we'd get more androgynous males for a race. I like to make feminine-looking boys.

You know.. small shoulders, sharp jaws, big eyes, pointy chins, small mouths and noses, long legs and no muscle at all...

: : Maybe next expansion....

http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb2...-Anime_boy.gif

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Originally Posted by Bluevann

Yeah, I too was hoping that this round we'd get more androgynous males for a race. I like to make feminine-looking boys.

You know.. small shoulders, sharp jaws, big eyes, pointy chins, small mouths and noses, long legs and no muscle at all...

: : Maybe next expansion....

http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb2...-Anime_boy.gif

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Hm, you don't like the newer male hairstyles? I tend to play "guess the gender" while walking through the main cities. I'm ashamed to admit I lose a lot, definitely with the Elezen.

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Originally Posted by Bluevann

Yeah, I too was hoping that this round we'd get more androgynous males for a race.

http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb2...-Anime_boy.gif

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Yeah. We have lots of androgynous females already. Female roegadyn's are just male body's with slightly bigger breasts and not as chiseled jaws. Some of them also wear brightly colored lipstick to help people tell them apart from the males.

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Originally Posted by Elim

Yeah. We have lots of androgynous females already. Female roegadyn's are just male body's with slightly bigger breasts and not as chiseled jaws. Some of them also wear brightly colored lipstick to help people tell them apart from the males.

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Lots =/= one race of of five.

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Originally Posted by Terin

The Males there basically look like Elezen, but with horns. They look "skinny", not the proud-looking warriors that the Artwork depicted. I "get" that it might "make sense", given they seemingly share some Elezen heritage, but no two Races should ever look quite so similar. Now, given that Heavensward is likely still some time away, it's entirely possible that these are a very early model -- given credit by the fact that, as seen in the video, the horns weren't actually full attached to their heads.

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and i have a complete contrary opinion on that.. I would have loved.. if the males look much more "androgynous" like their female counter parts.. as they dont really look like the same race..

As the female look very "filigree".. the males look like... dunno..

http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb2...male_Au_Ra.jpg
As i saw the female Au Ra for the first time.. i thought the male version is going to look something like brother e-sumi.... the padjals..

http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb2...E-Sumi-Yan.png



as the female Au Ra's look like female hyurs with horns and scales on..

I understand that they are probably descended from Elezen; that's no excuse to look the same, though. I understand new Races will always conform to humanoid body-types, but there's no reason they couldn't make them appear significantly more muscular, as it isn't that drastic a change to silhouette. The whole "Muscle Sliders" thing doesn't hold much water, because it doesn't actually change the size or shape of your body; simply how the lighting-effects hit your character's skin.

If all you want is a race that looks like an Elezen, then play a bloody Elezen. There's zero point in introducing an entirely new Race, if it isn't going to even be distinguishable once they're wearing any sort of armor. For many of us, the existing Races just don't scratch a particular itch, and the Au Ra's artwork depicts the character I truly *WANT* to play. The in-game version we were shown looks like something we already have access to, and I still don't like.

I say all of this with love, as I think FFXIV may honestly be the MMO to watch, and it seems to be gaining a lot of traction. I really like what the Devs are doing with the game now, and Heavensward may be the most ambitious MMO Expansion-Pack I've seen since WoW's The Burning Crusade expansion. I just really want the Au Ra to deliver on that amazing artwork, because that is absolutely the character I would be playing until the end of my days in FFXIV.

I also was hoping for effeminate males. The only races i have trouble with OCCASIONALLY are Lalafels, and sometimes I mistake Roegadyn females for Highlander Hyur Males... The rest tend to be obvious... I have a friend that's really disappointed that there aren't more effeminate men... So he decided to play a female instead.

That said I just think the angle is bad on the pictures... They are definitely bulkier than Elezen you are just seeing them from the side.

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Originally Posted by sarehptar

But, like... that's what they're supposed to be...

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Well, yeah. But... If you've got both elezen and dragon ancestors.... shouldn't you have a little bit more from your dragon part than just... "horns. and a few scales here and there. like a skin disease."

(Plus, the girls look like midlander hyurs with horns. Which they're not supposed to be, IIRC.)

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Originally Posted by Ashkendor

I don't think Elezen do, either.

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Damn, I actually went into character creation to double check this... and Elezen don't have a muscle tone slider. I could have swore we did. Dammit.. that actually makes me mad now. ><

Yeah, the only races that have muscle sliders so far are Highlander/Midlanders/Seawolves/Hellsguard. Elezen/Lalafell(both) have ear sliders (the rest do not.) and Miqo'te (both) have tail sliders (again the rest do not.) So it sort of a catch 22 when it comes to Au Ra, will they have a tail slider? Like Miqo'te? Or will they have muscle sliders like Hyurs/Roes? Or both? Can't wait to see and find out!

Like I said; for me, the Au Ra look so perfect in the concept-art, I could see myself sticking with the game a lot more intently, whereas the in-game model shown seemed lacking. Their Arms look totally right -- muscular, without looking all "roided-out" -- but their torsos are far too svelte, whereas the artwork depicts them with impossibly-chiseled muscles; not just defined abs, but muscles around the rib-cage, too.

Also, buffing up the shoulders and slimming down the waist will likely have a minimal effect on armor having to be "custom-fitted" to each race. It's not like they're have to "build everything from scratch again"; that only applies to Races that have *radically* different bodies, such as something that doesn't have legs or feet, or has fewer fingers (and even those have workarounds). The Au Ra is still basically using a human body, I'm just asking that it be accentuated a little more. Beefier, rounded shoulders, a thicker neck (or maybe "wings", as bodybuilders refer to them; the muscle between your shoulders and neck), and more muscled torso, with a thin waist.

Yeah, it probably *sounds* like a lot, but the alterations needed there are fairly minor, all things considered. They've undoubtedly done the lion's share of the work, anyways; I'm just asking they give it a once-over, and bring it closer in-line with that amazing artwork, because I think *that's* the kind of Race that's going to appeal to NEW players.

I think the male and female Au Ra are way too different already. It would just add more difference, they could be two different races. Pheraps a slider for muscles would do it though. Still they were only shown near the female that are really small so you can't be completely sure about what they'll look like next to the other races.. Like many says they are like elezen, well I don't think so, bigger face, bigger torso, shorter.. just to say something and they give a totally different "aura". Elezen are refined while Au Ra looks really rough.

While for the lore I guess I missed something so please enlight me: weren't they just a eastern race running away from Othard? When did they became dravanian descendants? I like the lore so give me a link please

What really bothers me also is how identical the two clans look from each other. This likely means the emotes are the same for both clans, too. Why only make Hyur have two clans whose emotes and physique is actually of a noticeable difference? It's just not fair >_<

Keepers of the moon for example are by lore more introvert and brooding, they should give them more serious and quiet emotes, instead of all those hippie-happy emotes they share with the Seekers (which instead looks fine with the emotes we have because they are a group-minded, extrovert clan).

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Originally Posted by Ardent_Dawn

Hm, you don't like the newer male hairstyles? I tend to play "guess the gender" while walking through the main cities. I'm ashamed to admit I lose a lot, definitely with the Elezen.

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I do appreciate the long hair, but that is not enough to make a male look feminine. Look at my elezen (my biggest success at androgynous character in-game so far).

http://cdn.guildwork.net/albums/imag...08f9d9313c.jpg

From this shot, just the face, less attentive players may think he's a female, though the eyes betray the gender already being too small, as well as the mouth being too big. The jaw is as thin as I could go for, and I'm still not happy with it.

But what really betrays his gender, aside the height (I put the slider to 0, and am still taller than the tallest Midlanders), is the horrible width of shoulders. I'm forced to dress robes with puffy/confusing shoulder pads to hide them because they're so big, it's atrocious.

http://cdn.guildwork.net/albums/imag...1810c4201a.jpg

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Originally Posted by Noxifer

Well, yeah. But... If you've got both elezen and dragon ancestors.... shouldn't you have a little bit more from your dragon part than just... "horns. and a few scales here and there. like a skin disease."

(Plus, the girls look like midlander hyurs with horns. Which they're not supposed to be, IIRC.)

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Oh I definitely do agree. When I heard they wanted to add dragon-type characters, I was hoping they were bringing Gria in. I would definitely have loved to see the Au Ra have wings (even if not big ones), and I also wish the scales had been more consistent throughout to create an actual draconic appearance. From an objective stand point, I like the appearance of the girls, so I will probably make one eventually, but from a player stand point, I think this design was lazy and it makes me sad that unwillingness to put in the time to alter gear to unique body styles is going to forever limit us to looking like clones of each other with different props pasted on our bodies.

I also definitely agree that the heights make no sense if they are supposed to be descendents of Elezen/Dragon combo. Elezen aren't sexually dimorphic, and from what we have seen of the dragons, they aren't either (Svara and Isgebind are the same size as Aiatar and Safat, for example), so it is odd that Au Ra females would be so much smaller. I'm waiting to hear a lore reason for this but I'm pretty sure the real reason boils down to "We wanted dainty ladies in our game."

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Originally Posted by Greven

While for the lore I guess I missed something so please enlight me: weren't they just a eastern race running away from Othard? When did they became dravanian descendants? I like the lore so give me a link please

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I don't think there has been any official lore stating they are dravanian descendents; however, for the game writers to make a plot point out of Shiva sleeping with a dragon and then to have a hybrid-looking dragon race show up would be kind of a ridiculous coincidence.

As long as the tails are fairly well animated, I wouldn't mind getting a couple of different "patterns" for their scales, but for the most most, I'm actually okay with that aspect. True, I'd maybe have preferred something a bit more "draconic", but I get that they want something a more more consistent with the other human-like races. My issue is, like I said, that I feel like they're could to look like Elezen with horns, whereas I've been asking for a more domineering, powerful-looking race since the ARR-Beta, as that's where my tastes always fall.

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Originally Posted by sarehptar

I also definitely agree that the heights make no sense if they are supposed to be descendents of Elezen/Dragon combo. Elezen aren't sexually dimorphic, and from what we have seen of the dragons, they aren't either (Svara and Isgebind are the same size as Aiatar and Safat, for example), so it is odd that Au Ra females would be so much smaller. I'm waiting to hear a lore reason for this but I'm pretty sure the real reason boils down to "We wanted dainty ladies in our game."

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My best guess is that they wanted traits from a bit of every type of the dragons in-game. If you look at, say, Naul and Marraco, the differences between the two are enough to justify the dimorphism between the Au Ra. Not that I agree with it (again, I wanted androgynous males), but it's my guess of how SE thought of it.

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Originally Posted by Bluevann

My best guess is that they wanted traits from a bit of every type of the dragons in-game. If you look at, say, Naul and Marraco, the differences between the two are enough to justify the dimorphism between the Au Ra. Not that I agree with it (again, I wanted androgynous males), but it's my guess of how SE thought of it.

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That's really true--if they are descendents of dragons, it could definitely depend on the type of dragon involved... (O___O) The game sort of lumps all the dragons together as "the dravanian hoard" but there are obviously quite a few different species. The types that look like ground-dwellers like Marraco and Chudo-Yudo, the little ones like Dragonflys, the Aevis, Naul and Koschei, big ones like Safat, Svara, maybe Nidhogg, and then all the way up to the "wyrm" type Midgardsormr... I am definitely interested to learn more about the dragons in this game--I hope we actually get to see their society and ways of life, instead of just kill kill kill the dragon!!

Personally, I am all for Ishgard burning to the ground.