Missing Genders: NPC only or Playable Option?

So, we heard from the devs that unreleased genders would be looked into and hopefully released alongside the PS3 release:

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Hey everyone, sorry for the delay in getting this response back to you!

We talked to Yoshida and one of the things he mentioned was that the number of people wanting a female Roegadyn was pretty unexpected! He wanted us to let you know that the team will do their best to introduce missing genders alongside the launch of the PS3 version.

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However, with a recent translation of the German lodestone page, it is confirmed that Merlwyb is a Roegadyn (at least in at least 2 European translations, French as well I hear.) It mentions that she is 'one of the few' female roegadyns, which is a troubling remark.

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http://static.finalfantasyxiv.com/pl...001.png?_v=66n

Simple Translation:

"Merlwyb ist nicht allein aufgrund der tatsache aussergewöhnlich, dass es sich bei ihr um eine der wenigen weiblichen roegadyn handelt, nein, sie bekleidet als Admiral auchnoch gleichzeitig die Ämter der Staatsoberhaupts Limsa Lominsas und der Oberbefehlshabers der Thalassokratischen Kriegsmarine."

"The fact that merlwyb is one of the few female roegadyn isnt the only reason shes exceptional, no, at the same time she, as the Admiral acts as the Head of the state Limsa Lominsa and as the highest general of the Thallasocratic Marine"

Borrowed from the original poster and Cairdeas

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Yoshi-P's statement on the matter is vague at best, as he never states that they are considering releasing them as a playable option, at least not in so many words.

I was curious if the Devs could get a more solid answer for its English player base. This is not a thread requesting they be released immediately, or to be insensitive to others who wish for more practical patches first. Even if it's a minority of us, we do want to know for sure so not to get our hopes up. D:

I just started a thread as I was thinking about the female Galka quite a bit... then I realised no-one had brought up the other questionable company leader, Gridania's Kal-E-Senna. She doesn't look too human to me...
http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...r-new-race-%21

She's a Padjal, and apparently they're quite rare.

I love Merlwyb Bloefhiswyn and I wish to play as a Female Roegadyn because of her.

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He wanted us to let you know that the team will do their best to introduce missing genders alongside the launch of the PS3 version.

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Yoshi-P's statement on the matter is vague at best, as he never states that they are considering releasing them as a playable option, at least not in so many words.

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This is the same conclusion that I came up with, which is why I am not getting my hopes up until they clarify. While they say they will try their best to introduce the missing races, they never flat out say that they will be playable. On the other hand they do not say they won't be playable.

I just find it amusing that I told someone that it could mean they are bringing the missing races into the game as NPCs, and they told me no they would be playable. Then the first look we get of a supposed Female Roe and it's introduced as a NPC! LOL

But yeah, until they say the magic word, playable, I refused to get my hopes up that they will actually give us new playable races. If they do then they better give the players who have been playing the choice to change races if they wish without loosing any of their ranks/levels/gear/etc.

I seriously thought the leader of Limsa Lominsa was a Miqo'te, lol.

Here is something to think about. They have the missing gender models already. So here is the question Why wait till ps3 launch to release npc?

It wouldn't make sence to wait that long to release npc. My bet is playable, also factor in they also said a few ffxi playable races were "rare". I think galka is considered rare considering their lore. I also do not think the femare roegadyn is rare, just rare to be in polotics. Since they state that females are into fishing when you look up sea wolf roegadyn.

It is also noted, they were going to be playable but they had no spare people to make that happen. They were going then to make them npc but then that didn't happen.

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Originally Posted by Kilta_Firelotus

Here is something to think about. They have the missing gender models already. So here is the question Why wait till ps3 launch to release npc?

It wouldn't make sence to wait that long to release npc. My bet is playable, also factor in they also said a few ffxi playable races were "rare". I think galka is considered rare considering their lore. I also do not think the femare roegadyn is rare, just rare to be in polotics. Since they state that females are into fishing when you look up sea wolf roegadyn.

It is also noted, they were going to be playable but they had no spare people to make that happen. They were going then to make them npc but then that didn't happen.

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Only reason I am skeptical and hold out for them to clarify is due to the fact that when I played FFXI for 6 years people wanted Male Mithra's, among other things. SE then said we are going to introduce Male Mithra, and it was a Male Mithra in a CS that wasn't playable and you only saw through that specific storyline.

Also, if they had the missing races models then why didn't they release them when the game came out? They said at that time they had the missing models as well, but we didn't get them to play?

So in short, to many 'ifs' and to much 'speculation' with no clear answers, thus this kitty isn't getting her hopes up until I see the word playable.

:)

if they said they were going to have them non playable, that wouldnt be new news, because they told us at game launch that all of the women/races would make an appearance in the story. They also said they had female highlander modeled, but didnt put it in because they hadnt done all the animations.

So while it is possible they were basically tricking people/ really bad communication (keep in mind the thread they responded to was asking for the actual playable charachters) it would be a very bad move to do so.

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Originally Posted by Physic

if they said they were going to have them non playable, that wouldnt be new news, because they told us at game launch that all of the women/races would make an appearance in the story. They also said they had female highlander modeled, but didnt put it in because they hadnt done all the animations.

So while it is possible they were basically tricking people/ really bad communication (keep in mind the thread they responded to was asking for the actual playable charachters) it would be a very bad move to do so.

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Agreed, but people have asked for things before and SE said they would see what they could do and it ended up not being what people thought. While I do hope that they are playable, I am not going to start jumping for joy until they specifically say they are playable. What the poster said was unclear, and wasn't Yoshi but a person posting for him on what he said. I just don't wanna get my hopes dashed again on new races seeing how they were with FFXI and the requests for other races/sexes.

I mean look how many times they have said we are going to get something in an update for FFXIV and either it didn't go through or it wasn't how people hoped it would be, or it sounded one way and ended up being something else. XD

Ahhh, I'm so glad everyone feels the same way. :D

I too am skeptical of "We'll see what we can do" as an answer.

Also, agreed. While they could have a specific gender/race modeled that doesn't mean that everything in game is modeled to that model. Weapon animations, armor, emotes, etc. An NPC with specific traits in dress and appearance is not the same as a character modeled for play by a user, sadly.

I do hope that if others show as much enthusiasm on the matter, that we'll get a very concise answer from the Dev team. Perhaps some things were lost in translation. Wanting <insert race/gender> is a little different than Wanting to play <insert race/gender> which is what we want clarified.

I think they will be playable because Yoshi(if not SE themselves) seems to want to keep his current image and doing a Tanaka move would badly hurt it.
Why would he tease something that has such strong support(like Tanaka) then just smack us in the face with NPC only genders(when unlike XI they aren't rare or non-existent). Why would he also wait until Ps3 release to show missing genders yet a Female roe is the leader of a company(which is being released before ps3)? Also, wouldn't the missing genders provide a positive impact on the anxious ps3 players?

It's a real jerk move to say "Hey ps3 players enter Eorzea and stare at these NPC models of the missing genders that were made just in time for you!"

Edit: I would still like Yoshida but doing this would not have me thinking so highly of him anymore.

Hmm, I really understand the skepticism, I am feeling it too.

However, being optimistic, I am pretty sure that Grand Companies -- and thus their associated NPC's, including a female Roe -- are going to be introduced quite awhile before the PS3 launch. So that right there will be 1/2 of the missing genders added as NPC's prior to the PS3 launch. And it seems odd that they would mean that they are going to "try" and add missing genders as NPC-only if they can just plop in a female Roe so far ahead of the PS3 release.

But yeah, "try" does not mean it is a sure thing, though I really do think that they will do their best to add playable male mi'qote and female roes.

The way I try to live my life is like this: I try not to let myself get my hopes up over something I don't know will happen for sure.
I am excited that we will get to see them at least as NPCs, but I won't get my hopes up about being able to play them yet.
Yoshida-san wasn't clear on how they would be implemented. We can only hope for the best: playable.

Edit: I do THINK he meant playable, and think that would make most sense...(making them playable right before a bunch of new players join the game). But it's never safe to assume anything.

I would rather them not be playable. Although if they do make them playable they should allow people to change races 1 time when they are released. Many people will be mad if they don't allow them to change races.

I think that they are waiting for PS3 release and along with it they will have all the new character customisation options. Hopefully they will allow current players to use a one time character recreate or something and then after that you would have to pay to change race and things like that. Also I think they are adding the barber shop in game so you can change hair style and other little cosmetic things

Yeah, the ability to change races would probably be preferable.