New Race Announced! The Au Ra

[Nalien]

You do understand the difference between a Lion, which evolved in nature and something made by human beings right? You do understand Au'ra aren't real right?

So what? Mimesis is a thing...

I'd imagine when they were told to design a lizard/human hybrid, the artistic folks at SE set about researching lizards (I'd hope they have first hand experience with humans) for inspiration and ideas. Doesn't talk long researching lizards to learn that one of the predominant sexual dimorphism's in lizards is size (males commonly being larger than females), so they integrated that. Call it unimportant if you like, but I'd imagine sexual dimorphism's would actually be a pretty important factor when designing a race with both males and females.

Did they have to imitate reality when designing Au'Ra? No, of course not. They did though, and people should get over it.

[jomoru]

Did they have to imitate reality when designing Au'Ra? No, of course not. They did though, and people should get over it.

Because they didn't? I'm kind of sick of people saying "its nature" "its natural" because Au'ra are 100 percent made up. They can pick whatever inspiration they want. There are plenty of species that don't have extreme sexual dimorphism. There are plenty of species where the Female is larger than the Male. This is true among lizards, birds, mammals etc.

So having extreme sexual dimorphism is an ARBITRARY CHOICE. Its also at odds with the current visuals of the game. Now if you think its cool and visual appropriate for the concept then say so. But this whole "NATURE NATURE NATURE" is bullshit.

[Nalien]

Because they didn't?

I'd love to know how you know what the art team did and didn't take inspiration from when designing Au'Ra.

Au'Ra are 100% made up? Ridiculous. Nothing is 100% made up. When they decided they'd add Au'Ra, they no doubt went "Lets take humans and mix them with lizards", they took two very real things and used that as the basis for creating their fictional race. Again; Mimesis is a thing.

Its also at odds with the current visuals of the game.

And what visuals would that be? That existing races have no real sexual dimorphism's? Aside from actually sounding like a good reason to add a race with such differences, it actually makes sense given the basis for existing races. Only Miqo'te are the only other race it would really apply to (since everything else is basically just Human), but sexual dimorphism's in cats are very subtle outside coat colour, which Miqo'te unfortunately don't really have. Big cats would have offered something, but Miqo'te are more than certainly based off house cats and the Japanese Nekomata mythology. All Japanese cat girls are.

I'm going to go with the idea that they went with the decades of "dragon girl/boy" picks that exist in Anime/manga to draw from as an idea.

Dragons aren't a real thing, but I'll give you one guess what in nature inspired their design. Protip: Check what Dinosaur literally means before saying that.

Also, there is quite literally a species of lizard called Horned Lizards... OK they took some artistic liberties with the curvature/location of the horns, but that's about it. Were they putting horns in the "correct" place this race wouldn't have hair, which might actually have been interesting but would kind of screw with the whole aesthetician thing.

[BobtheBlackMage]

Its also at odds with the current visuals of the game.

Roegaden

/10char

[Wildsprite]

So having extreme sexual dimorphism is an ARBITRARY CHOICE. Its also at odds with the current visuals of the game.

really, stand a small Hyur Midlander F or Miqo'te F next to a tall Elezen M or Roegaden M(I think even tall Hyur Highlander M might fit this). if it's at odds with the current visuals it has been there all along. right from the start of 1.0

my point here is if it's such a big deal to you why wasn't that made long ago.
is it because of the fact that it's going to happen for the fist time in a single race/clan setting?

[Gramul]

So having extreme sexual dimorphism is an ARBITRARY CHOICE.

A sexy choice.
2nd hottest race.

[jomoru]

I'd love to know how you know what the art team did and didn't take inspiration from when designing Au'Ra.

Au'Ra are 100% made up? Ridiculous. Nothing is 100% made up. When they decided they'd add Au'Ra, they no doubt went "Lets take humans and mix them with lizards", they took two very real things and used that as the basis for creating their fictional race. Again; Mimesis is a thing.

In that the only lizards that have horns don't in any way look like Au'ra horns. I'm going to go with the idea that they went with the decades of "dragon girl/boy" picks that exist in Anime/manga to draw from as an idea.

But lets ignore that, lets actually go with your idea that they were all "We need a new race lets look to the natural world in how to build it" so they decided "lizard tail" and "um lets go with antelope horns" and "human body"


Now there are lizards(and antelopes) which have extreme dimorphism. Some that do not. And some even have the females much larger than the males. So any choice about sexual dimorphism is a purely artistic CHOICE. You can't say "it happens in nature" because there is as many counter examples to throw at you.

And what visuals would that be? That existing races have no real sexual dimorphism's? Aside from actually sounding like a good reason to add a race with such differences, it actually makes sense given the basis for existing races. Only Miqo'te are the only other race it would really apply to (since everything else is basically just Human), but sexual dimorphism's in cats are very subtle outside coat colour, which Miqo'te unfortunately don't really have. Big cats would have offered something, but Miqo'te are more than certainly based off house cats and the Japanese Nekomata mythology. All Japanese cat girls are.

what's the difference between "human with cat ears" and "human with the sexual dimorphism of bees" your "rules" are fairly arbitrary. There is no mandate in art that one has to completely follow natural rules especially when one mixes and matches.

Now the story has setup that the PC races are in fact some unified entity, "The races of Man" that there is some unity in the PC races in the face of the various beast tribes. SO making a race that goes against that visual does cut into the idea of them having some sort of unity of nature.

[jomoru]

A sexy choice.
2nd hottest race.

Which to me is a perfectly damn reasonable response. "I like big tall men and petite women" is to me a reasonable statement. Trying to impose some sort of natural explanation in my mind is the crazy part.

[Amiantos]

Which to me is a perfectly damn reasonable response. "I like big tall men and petite women" is to me a reasonable statement. Trying to impose some sort of natural explanation in my mind is the crazy part.

Yet there are others that try to vilify people like that for their choice which leads to having to give a bloated explanation to why they like it.

[Gramul]

Yet there are others that try to vilify people like that for their choice

Those people are being rude. Don't pay them any mind.