Male Au Ra Standing posture is way too "proper", namely his feet

[DreadRabbit]

Some of the animations however just feel inherently more "elegant" (As opposed to neutral and up to interpretation) which is really unfitting for what the Xaela at least are.

Who says tribal can't be elegant? Not every tribe according to the lore are warmongering nomads. There's at least two or three tribes that gave that life up to either live on the edge of their lands and speak/trade with other races or live in isolation as farmers/goat hunters. There's tribes that accept exiles from other lands. There's a tribe that decides their leader through a game of chess rather than a bloody battle showing they prefer a good mind to a bloodied hand. Yes there's the two large tribes constantly going at it, but there's several others that embrace more peaceful lifestyles.

[Terin]

While it's true that I don't really like the posture, the real problem with it is that it's so similar to the Elezen. Given how different most of their *other* animations are, it just feels really off for them to "snap-back" into the really proper-looking posture. This tall, rigid stance just seems unnatural compared to the more physical animations the males show off.

And no, you can't have "elegant" and "tribal" as the same thing. They're basically polar opposites. Elezen already have "elegant" covered, I think.

[Aryalandi]

Who says tribal can't be elegant? Not every tribe according to the lore are warmongering nomads. There's at least two or three tribes that gave that life up to either live on the edge of their lands and speak/trade with other races or live in isolation as farmers/goat hunters. There's tribes that accept exiles from other lands. There's a tribe that decides their leader through a game of chess rather than a bloody battle showing they prefer a good mind to a bloodied hand. Yes there's the two large tribes constantly going at it, but there's several others that embrace more peaceful lifestyles.

Agreed with this entirely, don't forget clan Dotharl though, we would be on top of the mountain if there were more of us.

As far as the topic goes change pose works fine for this, it takes all of five seconds for your character to stop being formal, the first thing i did in fact was change it.. nothing like a max height xaela leaning forward slightly to emphasize how much bigger he is than the people he is looming over.. XD

But not everyone wants to be that way, some people like the elezen poses, and yes you can in fact be both elegant and tribal at the same time

[Pomelo]

I love the way male Au Ra stand and the majority of their emotes to be honest >.<

The only thing that irks me is the whole earring situation.

[Samcaesar]

Please remove the 20 a day post limit so these massive posts happen less from me SE ;_;

Snip.

I don't get why everyone assumes "Can the Xaela changed to be at least be less sophisticated looking and more beast like?" equals "I hate all people and their dumb waifus!! Make the Au Ra all giant ugly monsters". I don't get why the Xaela have to be a color palette swap whenever it's clear that culturally they Xaela and Raen have very little in common. Like.. Doesn't anyone else find it awkward that the Raen and Xaela make such a huge distinction ("I'm from the Dusk Mother!" "I'm from the Dawn Father!" ) when the only real difference they've got is scale color?

Let's be honest folks, the reason why a lot of people don't like the idea because they want to have the standard Au Ra, cutesy girls high in neotony and guys with an awkward mix of "elegant" and imposing looks, and have black scales without any carefor those of us who know SE could've done things to make the clans different and thus make the new race appeal to a wider crowd. It's a little selfish imho, the non-apology-esque apologies all the clear "Nope, not gonna happen, 'sorry' the race isn't what you want maybe the next one will be like it" whenever someone brings it up. Are black scales really more important than making a race that appeals to even more people with distinctively different clans (Even if the distinction is just emotes)?

Why should they have? Actually any other race could be a beast race for the future, not just an Au Ra. We have our 'cutesy' race so if you want a Beast one, why is it that Xaela tribe that should of been that one to be changed for that want to be filled? We could all "have a bone" instead of just one side or the other.

Maybe they should of changed moonkeepers into some big furry lions with giant claws or some other race into whatever weird thing instead. :P

There's a lot of reasons adding races like the Miqo'te and Midlanders (IE cute races) will just make that chance of a more beastlike race smaller and smaller. Like.. The Au Ra (And this is specifically applies to the girls, but I wouldn't doubt the same reasoning was used with the guys with regards to a few modifications) were designed because not many people play the Roegadyn and highlanders (I personally find the highlander women a very debatable "Tough girl" option especially when compared to the Roegadyn) while most of the players played Miqo'te and Midlander, thus the Auri girls look closer to them. This is kind of a dangerous thought process with regards to adding a diverse set of race options.

They added another race with cute girls (And arguably men who do a bunch of elegant stuff), which just gives more players an option to choose another cute race, which only hurts the whole "No one plays "tough" races" issue. Like.. If you had a selection of pies and cakes with only one type of cake compared to plenty of options of pie, people coming in are likely going to choose the pies just because there's more variety. Now the answer to the problem is "Well guess we should add more pie!" it's "Let's add more cake so that people who don't like that specific kind of cake either don't have to settle or just go with pie because at least they have a choice there". Arguably, if SE also just gave a new set of options for a more savage/"beast-like" look to the Au Ra and stopped relying on correlational data to make decisions, and instead perhaps relied on player input (Polls and all) to make decisions things would be less of an issue and would be good for more people. Like.. Say they opened a poll and it received 30% of people saying "More Beast-like race" and 70% saying "Keep it cute", so they design the race with a focus on cute, and give several options to help make it more "beast-like" such as a face option and some toggle-able. Alternatively they design a "beast-like" race with tons of things giving it an option to make it look cute (Say like a Vanu-Vanu esque race is added where the 1/4 of the options keep it looking beast like, while the other 3/4th opt for a cute fluffy furball look).

I don't think I've seen one person that suggests all Au Ra be changed to look tough, just mainly the Xaela (Given their warrior tribal motif) or give options to do it with both, so it's hardly giving a bone to just one group. Currently what we're looking at with regards to the Au Ra is both clans appeal to one demographic (Albeit the majority but still). What a lot of people have suggested is change one of the clans (Or adding options so that they both can be made tougher/more beast like) so that more people can be satisfied, without taking away from the main/original demographic. Currently we also don't know if they'll even add another race, and considering SE's reasoning behind the Au Ra's appearance, if they do add another race it's heavily likely to just be another 'cutesy' race (A majority of players will be allocated to the grand total of 4 races with traditionally "cute" girl options, Lalafell, Miqo'te, Midlander, and Au Ra, so their reasoning with the Au Ra still holds), and if that's the case, what will you guys be doing? Will it be another case of "Just wait til you can have your race don't worry and deal with it for now", or will you guys decide that the only way to really be fair is to ask SE with us, even if it doesn't appeal to you?

Honestly it'd be the sunseekers, not the moonkeepers who'd have more reason to be changed.. But heck why not at least the option to add small fur patches or noses akin to the Roegadyn's noses (With the little black bit that is) to the Miqo'te would be appreciated without cutting into (And angering) the "I like cute races" demographic that plays Miqo'te.

Snip

Whenever you have a tribe described as "Warring nomads" you generally expect them too. Besides it's a "Usual" clan thing for them to have tests of brawn to determine leadership. There's tons of tribes that suggest that Xaela life isn't "Elegant", heck it's why the Raen left Xaela, for more peaceful lives. Note, "Tests of mind" like the Malqir might just mean they prefer to be lead by a strategic person, it doesn't mean they avoid fighting, also note that the phrasing of the Malqir implies that "Tests of brawn" are the usual way they decide leadership. Besides, you seem to imply that there really isn't a pounded in "Cute and sweet" motif with the girls, which sure it's possible, but it's kinda dumb whenever it's pounded in the way it is.

There's several tribes who fight and love fighting or just live very "unelegant" lives. Adarkim ( The largest tribe and also war loving), Avagnar (Live within the Adarkim), Bairon (Live off their own bodily fluids), Bolir (Collect dung), Borlaaq (Described as warrior women), Buduga (Kidnap and battle), Jhungid and Kharlu (Prepare for a yearly battle against each other for domination over the region), Mankhad (Fight using poison blowdarts), Olkund (Engage in selective breeding to make their tribe as big as possible), Dazkar (Women are put in the hunting position and are very notable for that), Qerel (Warriors wear bone armor that they killed during coming of age ceremonies), Torgud (Naked all the time), Tumet (Leave their children for dead tied against a tree as a coming of age ceremony), Dorthal (Extremely violent with no fear of death), Goro (Marry horses), Ura (Miners don't live elegant lives normally), Horo (See being overweight as an attractive quality and will bloat their bellies). Tribal folks can be elegant, but it's definitely not posh "I'm a model~" elegance more "One with nature" elegance, kinda like the difference between Nobles in Ishgard and the Padjal. Less posh elegance, more natural elegance.

It's not that they can't be elegant, but whenever it shows that they're generally a pretty rough and rumble clan, elegent things look a little out of place. Plus... You know, I don't see folks asking for Lalafell, Midlanders, and Miqo'te to have some more savage/tough emotes and poses, or well, when you do most people are met with a "no" >.>

[Lillia]

snip

I am not saying your idea is bad but a polls possibly wouldn't even work to the best of it's potential, even on here suggestions are likely made by a quarter of the community who actually have a problem/dislike/idea/opinion of something or another daily. Idk if this is an exact number of course but... it's definitely not the whole community, not everyone reads the news or clicks it either. But not everyone posts on these forums and a lot just avoid the forums due to various amount of reasons so you still have that population to consider too.

I have an option of the fourth face looks 'tough' or I suppose.. mature for females, but for xaela to be 'tough' like you said with miqo'te is what I think goes for xaela too; players who love their 'cutesy' character would probably be upset at a major change, the only difference i see with the miqo'te population is that it's probable that the population is bigger and they have been invested in their miqo'tes longer.

I still am all up for a race for more beast-like people but I don't think an established or shown off race of any kind being changed in a big way or suggested for big change is good unless for good reasonings.

I think the only small change I would suggest for SE is make the male Au Ra's a little shorter or I guess a tad taller for female and change the sclera for the Xaela to look... better? I saw it as them going for a more demonic look "black sclera with whatever color eyes" thing but I know that was one of the dislikes of others as well.... so maybe making that an optional thing inside 'scales' instead of a trait thing. Mind you, I personally have no care about either of these 'problems' but... like you said, why can't it be a equal exchange thing?

One thing I will say to everyone is that everyone should be careful when posting a suggestion of this or that, because you're suggesting a change with someone elses race too, this goes double for people who don't play the race because theirs will likely stay the same while another persons race could changed for better or worse by mere suggestions.

[Nektulos-Tuor]

They stand way too proper. The Xaela and the white scales should have completely different postures and animations.

[Laerune]

They stand way too proper. The Xaela and the white scales should have completely different postures and animations.

The Xaela and the farmers should have been two different sub-races like the Highlander and Midlander. I think if SE did that, they would have had new poses. Not that I dislike the sass that the male Au Ra have.

[DreadRabbit]

snip

I'm not saying you're wrong, however the whole "I'm a model" thing is your opinion, not a fact. For me and a lot of others who enjoy the Au Ra it doesn't look that way (or if it does, they like it). For me personally as an example, they just look really chill, sassy, or even lazy. Savage people aren't savaged 100% of their lives. We get that plenty while we're fighting in dungeons and such. What kind of poses do you expect a "savage" person to make (honest question, not sarcasm)? There's only so many ways a person can stand or sit.

Also, this:

One thing I will say to everyone is that everyone should be careful when posting a suggestion of this or that, because you're suggesting a change with someone elses race too, this goes double for people who don't play the race because theirs will likely stay the same while another persons race could changed for better or worse by mere suggestions.

Most of the people I've seen complaining about the Au Ra are people who have shown they have no interest changing into one, or haven't because they don't like the characteristics of them. That's fine, that's why you're not playing as one. The people who are playing Au Ra are doing so because they like them as they are now. I like that the main difference between the two clans are the scales. They did get a little lazy on the emotes, I'll agree, but the clans of the other races don't have nearly as stark of differences between them that people keep trying to say the Xaela and Raen should have. Why?

Personally, rather than change a race that from the hype they're getting a lot of people like as they are, these energies would be better put into asking SE for that more "brutal" race that people want. Use the time now to start petitions, because SE has shown that they do at least partially listen. And there's clearly enough support here on the forums for that sort of thing.

[Terin]

snip

Honestly man, you nailed every point over the head.

They basically designed the Au Ra based on what people were already playing, and that's just not a good idea. They should be striving for diversity. Speaking for myself, the reason I never played Highlander to Roegadyn isn't that I don't like "big, tough" characters, but that I don't like *THOSE* characters. Highlanders, specifically, suffer the exact same problem as the Xaela now do; they're stuck sharing animations that don't really suit their culture. I mean, look at Hildibrand; would he honestly seem so hilarious, if things like their Sprinting animation weren't so goofy-looking?

I mean... looking at the Au Ra's concept-art, I LOVED those characters! Especially the early-concept art they showed of the females; very savage-looking! Or even the current, official art of the Males; they look way more physically imposing. The current one -- just the way they stand -- seems very "pretty-boyish".