Suggestion: Playable Bird Race

A bird race would be so cool. Maybe it could be influenced by harpies. I love birds, and I think it would be so interesting.

I would love for this to happen! That and a plant a unisex plant based race. ^^

Maybe in the distant future. For now, though, no new playable races should be added until the existing playable races see major additions and fixes to their character creation systems.

Well, as long as they don't tape wings onto a Hyur and call it a bird I'm fine with it. Balancing be damned, I'd want the "arms" to be for flight like a proper bird and the majority of the melee coming from the talons or whatever is strapped to them. Casting and ranged weapons would be S-E's bag of feral cats to develop into a thing. Though a Predatorish shoulder cannon for MCH would be both easy peasy enough I'd imagine while being sufficiently awesome. ...and what is with this obsession with gender gear as of late. Everything is rehashed from other gear styles already in game or is on Mogstation.

Obligatory rez macro for a bird race: <t> stop hanging out Amid the Flowers!

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Originally Posted by DamianFatale

A bird race would be so cool. Maybe it could be influenced by harpies. I love birds, and I think it would be so interesting.

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You mean like this?

http://i.imgur.com/XY0m0Kh.jpg

I'd imagine the character and armor design modelers would have a fit trying to make it work. You dont want them to work too hard.

Unfortunately this is about as likely as them adding FF12 Viera's to the game, minor edits to gear and anatomy is just too much of a hassle for them apparently.

If they added an avian race, I would want them to be based on something silly and/or cute like penguins, parrots, or Kiwis. >w> ♥

That's a tremendous idea! I would just like to say that I absolutely ADORE elephants and I am convinced that an elephant-inspired race would also make a great addition to FFXIV.

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Originally Posted by DamianFatale

A bird race would be so cool. Maybe it could be influenced by harpies. I love birds, and I think it would be so interesting.

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Originally Posted by Soge01

I would love for this to happen! That and a plant a unisex plant based race. ^^

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that had me thinking starbound with the avian and floran playable race :D

Keep dreaming.

https://res.cloudinary.com/teepublic...s/120028_0.jpg

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Originally Posted by ErikMynhier

https://res.cloudinary.com/teepublic...s/120028_0.jpg

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Wubba lubba dub dub!!

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.

I can't see this happening due to gear design reasons :T

And I would LOVE Vanu Vanu to be playable. Best Beastman race hands down, end of story. Full stop.

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Originally Posted by DamianFatale

A bird race would be so cool. Maybe it could be influenced by harpies. I love birds, and I think it would be so interesting.

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Silly idea, physiologically birds can't use tools so how are they supposed to use weapons .. yes, in FFXI the Yagudo are implausible, we don't need that here.

I am kinda still waiting for the Viera.

At the risk of parroting what others have said adding a new race without cawse might be fowl play at this point.

While I'm not against it in principle, the existing race options are already too much for the team when it's taking actual years to design and implement new gear pieces and they're arbitrarily locking things away from half the playerbase to cut corners on modelling. The tail issues with Au Ra and Miqo'te are still outstanding too. Another playable race with a body shape that drastically differs from the existing models would just condemn us to even more problems.

no for more animal ear/tail/wings stick on Hyru
but yes for Brest type looking playable race
I know it is more a dream, since I doubt SE would remodel all the equipment for 1 race that vastly different from other (not talking about Roe or Potato different)
I keep my hope

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Originally Posted by Pintsized

Silly idea, physiologically birds can't use tools so how are they supposed to use weapons .. yes, in FFXI the Yagudo are implausible, we don't need that here.

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Birds in the corvidae family and psittaciforme order have all been known to use tools in various capacities. Birds are up there with dolphins, apes, dogs, octopodes, and elephants in terms of intelligence.

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Originally Posted by Misutoraru

no for more animal ear/tail/wings stick on Hyru
but yes for Brest type looking playable race
I know it is more a dream, since I doubt SE would remodel all the equipment for 1 race that vastly different from other (not talking about Roe or Potato different)
I keep my hope

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I might be remembering this wrong but wasn't like the original design for the Au'Ra a lot more beastly/lizard-like in appearance but when they showed it to the Japanese fanbase they had an absolutely massive rage fit over it and thus we ended up with tall elezen males with horns/tails/scales and female hyurs with horns/tail/scale.

It is entirely because of the Japanese fanbase that we can't have more feral or beastly races. They only like cutesy things which is why the Au ra are the complete disaster that they are

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Originally Posted by Aquaslash

It is entirely because of the Japanese fanbase that we can't have more feral or beastly races. They only like cutesy things which is why the Au ra are the complete disaster that they are

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Though I note that they are also more popular on EU and NA servers than the least conventionally pretty alternatives, or at least they were last time I checked. Au Ra have been a success.

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Originally Posted by Marxam

You mean like this?

http://i.imgur.com/XY0m0Kh.jpg

I'd imagine the character and armor design modelers would have a fit trying to make it work. You dont want them to work too hard.

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Who said the bird has to have wings? Some birds are flightless.

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Originally Posted by Aquaslash

It is entirely because of the Japanese fanbase that we can't have more feral or beastly races. They only like cutesy things which is why the Au ra are the complete disaster that they are

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I find this so irritating. Why can't both regions get what they want? Nobody said that Japan had to play as the original Au ra.

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Originally Posted by Aquaslash

It is entirely because of the Japanese fanbase that we can't have more feral or beastly races. They only like cutesy things which is why the Au ra are the complete disaster that they are

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Where are you getting this info from? All that I'm really finding from their side of things is complaints that the girls eyes droop too much and some talks about the starting race characteristics concept mostly being forgotten.

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Originally Posted by DamianFatale

I find this so irritating. Why can't both regions get what they want? Nobody said that Japan had to play as the original Au ra.

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Because that would require twice as much work as developing one race and refitting all of the existing and future gear for new models. Which is fine, but not something they're going to agree to on a whim without thinking about the impact it would have on the expansion and all future upgrades.

The myth about only Japanese people liking cute, tiny girls with scales is blown apart by the actual popularity of the race in the west. Scapegoating Japan while being one of the modern Au Ra yourself is a bit confusing.

Here are some good Anthropomorphic bird characters that might work

http://www.figures.com/forums/attach...1&d=1443618358
http://img14.deviantart.net/d07c/i/2...os-d6fcsh6.jpg
http://pre14.deviantart.net/94eb/th/...ll-d71mdiq.jpg

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Originally Posted by Serilda

Scapegoating Japan while being one of the modern Au Ra yourself is a bit confusing.

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It would be - IF we had the other option available.

Consider that if you want to play a "beastly" race in FFXIV, you don't have the choice of playing, like, a Charr, Tauren, Asura, Worgen or anything of the kind. The closest options to what you want are: Miqo'te and Au Ra, the only races with animalistic aspects about them.

You have to take what you're given.

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.