So... that spiderman shirt... (new job tease)

[Vexander]

I wonder... will we ever get Jobs only for females?!
I remember back in Ivalice we had such jobs...

Cannot agree with DBelmont more. Female player-characters already have a significant deal of favoritism with having far more outfits gender-locked to them, with far fewer outfits gender-locked to males. In general their models have more attention to them while their customization options tend to be a bit more favored as well. Female Miqo'te have the bust slider, but male Miqo'te do not have the muscle slider, for example.

But I'd be against a class even if it was gender-locked to males. Gender-locking classes is just a terrible idea in an MMO.

[DBelmont]

But I'd be against a class even if it was gender-locked to males. Gender-locking classes is just a terrible idea in an MMO.

In my opinion, the best way to deal with classes is to give them an involving theme and mechanics and make it adaptable to many character creation options.

If you lock classes to specific races or genders, you simplify the concept in a bad way. One example where FFXIV is successful: Normally, WAR could have been considered Roe male locked. That would make it the generic berserker/barbarian concept of western rpgs. Instead, by making that theme applicable to all genders and races, it becomes a lot more interesting. It could be an unaturally strong Lala or a rockstar-like Hyur or Elezen. It can still be that Roe buff dude though.

In our current instance, making Dancer female only, it would immediately turn into the obscene waifu archetype.

[Vexander]

If you lock classes to specific races or genders, you simplify the concept in a bad way.

Can't agree with this more. I think it was one of World of Warcraft's greater failings. That, and the archaic two-faction system. And the general downward spiral of the lore as the Heads of Development hit Midlife Crisis and turned the story from a compelling and rich novel narrative to comic book super heroes. A lot of other things too, actually.

Either way, FFXIV does it right. I'd be very upset if a class was race/gender locked, without EXCEPTIONAL LORE explaining in thorough detail WHY, and even then, still a terrible idea. Some classes are inherently going to play better than others.

[Shippuu]

Female Miqo'te have the bust slider, but male Miqo'te do not have the muscle slider, for example.

Just wanted to point out this is a poor example. The bust slider and muscle sliders are not counterparts in the character creator. The muscle slider is present only for races that lack a layer of customization option the others have. Elezen/lalafell have ear customization, miqote have tail customizations, etc. As a result only hyur and roegadyn get muscle sliders (for both male and female).

[Vexander]

Just wanted to point out this is a poor example. The bust slider and muscle sliders are not counterparts in the character creator. The muscle slider is present only for races that lack a layer of customization option the others have. Elezen/lalafell have ear customization, miqote have tail customizations, etc. As a result only hyur and roegadyn get muscle sliders (for both male and female).

So there is no male-specific customization option. Someone told me the muscle slider was it. Never really toyed around much in character customization, but it seemed to make sense. Women can increase or decrease their bust, guys their muscles. Guess this is just a broader example of how female characters already receive more favoritism than males.