Dear Square Enix, can you remove the race restrictions on hairstyles?

[Felis]

I could totally dig having some of the Au Ra female hairstyles for my midlander.

Midlander hair is too heavy fo Au Ra hairstyle.

[Sterre]

There's a difference between complaining and explaining your reasoning in detail. Can you please *explain* why you are against it, in detail?

My main point was rather clear in my comment. The reason why I'm against removing any race restrictions is that this game doesn't offer any race specific content, only "content" that offers some unique traits to the races (other than the obvious physical differences) are hairstyles, hempen sets and starter gear. That honestly isn't much at all, I know not everyone cares about that stuff, but there are still many who do. Removing the restriction would take away the little uniqueness the races have left.

There's plenty of hairstyles available for all, and all the hairstyles they will add in the future will most likely be without restrictions as well, so it really isn't unreasonable to have those few hairstyles restricted.

[Reinha]

Nothing could stop us, the WoL, from having the same haircut as a person from another race. I mean its hair.

Nothing would stop a Machinist from wearing a Bard's feathered AF hat. I mean it's just a hat and you fight the same fights in the same places as either job. Yet that's not allowed. You have to take off the hat when you swap your bow to a gun.

The reason is that in this fantasy world (built by the devs) different jobs wear different gear. That side of lore is only partially enforced with certain gear sets, just like the design decision that different races typically have different hair is only partially enforced with certain hair styles. People have a lot of freedom but not so much that it goes against what Eorzea is like.

[Nirokun]

My main point was rather clear in my comment. The reason why I'm against removing any race restrictions is that this game doesn't offer any race specific content, only "content" that offers some unique traits to the races (other than the obvious physical differences) are hairstyles, hempen sets and starter gear. That honestly isn't much at all, I know not everyone cares about that stuff, but there are still many who do. Removing the restriction would take away the little uniqueness the races have left.

There's plenty of hairstyles available for all, and all the hairstyles they will add in the future will most likely be without restrictions as well, so it really isn't unreasonable to have those few hairstyles restricted.

^I agree with this. Race-specific hairstyles, aside from not requiring the devs to work to provide more to the insatiable glamour crew, provide a specific "look" to a race. There's the option for more generic hairstyles, and then there's race-specific, and I daresay "cultural" styles. It's cool to think that, oh, Au Ra, have a certain hairstyle that typifies their culture, much like Dunesfolk forehead gems and Elezen ear clasps are distinctly THEIR style. It's like when you research your heritage (whatever it is) and the clothing/style of your culture. If you see someone not from your culture, who looks very different from you, wearing or styling themselves after someone in your culture, there's something off (or wrong) about it. Keeping some things special for each race is a nice thing, it preserves a part of their "look and feel", especially in a game where these things are used, as a whole, to carve out their lore.

I don't know why it bothers people so much.

[Automedius]

^I agree with this. Race-specific hairstyles, aside from not requiring the devs to work to provide more to the insatiable glamour crew, provide a specific "look" to a race. There's the option for more generic hairstyles, and then there's race-specific, and I daresay "cultural" styles. It's cool to think that, oh, Au Ra, have a certain hairstyle that typifies their culture, much like Dunesfolk forehead gems and Elezen ear clasps are distinctly THEIR style. It's like when you research your heritage (whatever it is) and the clothing/style of your culture.

I don't know why it bothers people so much.

You know, Au Ra females and Hyur Highlander females share one long hairstyle. What about that? Not trolling or joking around, I just really want to know what you think about that.

[Nirokun]

You know, Au Ra females and Hyur Highlander females share one long hairstyle. What about that? Not trolling or joking around, I just really want to know what you think about that.

If it's not specific to any one race, then I don't think it's a big deal, personally.

[Magic-Mal]

.If you see someone not from your culture, who looks very different from you, wearing or styling themselves after someone in your culture, there's something off (or wrong) about it.

For you maybe. Certainly not me. I don't go crazy because a person who isn't my race is using a hairstyle.

[Shougun]

If it's not specific to any one race, then I don't think it's a big deal, personally.

What makes a hair logically locked though? I mean it's not like each race has it's own hair texture (I mean texture the feeling, not the computer texture), and while there is some lore/culture all the races are living together so as culture is very naturally shared in people living together.. the lore sort of fits in there too. I get having races look different is nice but is "hair" really what should be making the difference?

It's like when you research your heritage (whatever it is) and the clothing/style of your culture. If you see someone not from your culture, who looks very different from you, wearing or styling themselves after someone in your culture, there's something off (or wrong) about it. Keeping some things special for each race is a nice thing, it preserves a part of their "look and feel", especially in a game where these things are used, as a whole, to carve out their lore.

Culture adapts and changes, and imo in a small sense that I see it sometimes being pushed by certain groups.. needs to die lol. In older days because of slow communication/interaction/and heavy tribal attitudes we get these large differences, but as culture has ALWAYS behaved it shares and adapts at defining moments and is sometimes contradictory. For example MASSIVE amounts of non-Chinese Asian culture references and finds roots in Chinese culture, this is not a bad thing and for example you shouldn't feel like "kanji" isn't yours as a person who identifies with Japanese even though its pretty much Chinese characters but at the same time people who would suggest "Japanese" is only for Japanese.. hell no. (Language is just a very reactive living example of culture - just see how even in English we have different versions now, but if you wanted we could reference many Japanese myths which many have roots in Chinese myth).

Culture has and always will be a living growing body of memories that belongs to no specific person (even if specific people have large impacts), like a primal in FFXIV. Admittedly some primitive thought processes still exist where people are forced into a specific box, but if you live in an area that touts freedom and pursuit of happiness you should be pleased to tell those ideas to go evacuate themselves (to help vanquish foolish thought, boxes are silly). If you wanted to gather the energy (crystals) required and pray to the "vath" primal you totally could. You do not need to be vath to summon the vath primal. I do not need to Au Ra to enjoy Au Ra culture, I do not need to be Japanese to pray at a Japanese temple and wear traditional Japanese clothes and while I don't really do the later if I did and someone had issue with it I'd kindly tell them to keep it to themselves cause I don't care lol. I suppose I may need to be Au Ra to do X IF they actually had some special ability (can fly) or Eorzea is a place where behaviors are exclusive "NO YOU CANT WEAR THAT, YOU'RE NOT AU RA WHITE/BLACK!" XD.

Culture has been shared from person to person country to country, and you don't own it - you only allow yourself to breathe it in and out. Those who forbid you to breath the same/other air of culture because of your looks... ugh.. lol.

In a game sense It's not that bad I'm not actually annoyed (I think it's funny to see the races be racist in FFXI for example), but if we're using culture logic and we're in a civilization that is actually civilized then in a real world sense if someone uses that logic.. That significantly bothers me, as it ignores how our history and interactions have developed through time it ignores the very logic of how we develop and attributes things by default to people who may or may not have even done or experienced things that would relate to that culture. I guess you could example it like someone born in the US is an American even if they're not white right? And if you get crap and separated out because of your color it's called racism and isn't cool, you're one of us it's not about being white and people who use that tribal BS.. you know the drill. Similarly if I'm born in Japan as a white person I can if I so desire breathe Japanese culture, the Japanese blooded American does not have more "RIGHT" to Japan culture than the person who was born and lived there their whole life but happened to be white (except for circumstances of racism, in which case we should all know people make bad decisions but its due to the racism that they're denied right and not because they shouldn't have it).

Perhaps in game there is culture exclusion behavior between the three cities but at least as my character I've never felt like I was bound to any group of people, I was a foreign adventurer who became a member of the Immortal Flames but fight for all three groups and partake in FC as a freebody.

Tl;dr of that culture rant: Is there a strong level of exclusion and racism in the Eorzea region (discounting Garlean who we're not), because I don't recall.. and if not I don't think culture is a strong argument. If there is I missed it but then at least we have a strong story on why its separated. At least imo.

[Nirokun]

What makes a hair logically locked though? I mean it's not like each race has it's own hair texture (I mean texture the feeling, not the computer texture), and while there is some lore/culture all the races are living together so as culture is very naturally shared in people living together.. the lore sort of fits in there too. I get having races look different is nice but is "hair" really what should be making the difference?

Tl;dr of that culture rant: Is there a strong level of exclusion and racism in the Eorzea region (discounting Garlean who we're not), because I don't recall.. and if not I don't think culture is a strong argument. If there is I missed it but then at least we have a strong story on why its separated. At least imo.

I don't think there's any actual limitation on hairstyles, forehead jewelry, or ear clasps, no. But I think it adds to the uniqueness of each race. That's why I think, if it's exclusive to that race, keep it that way. If not, things begin to muddy and I'm sure the insatiable masses will be asking for more (cat ears/tails on all the things, people claiming that it's just "glamour" because that's a super-flexible thing "because magic"). There should be some line.

(I read the rant, but won't comment because it doesn't apply to the ingame world in a lore-sense, which answers your question.)

I'm pretty sure Fernehalwes said, in a discussion about mixed races (Hilda being very rare), that there still is a lot of racial tension there. Everyone is from a different background and are together, but still have their own cultures/agendas.

Finally found it:

http://gamerescape.com/2014/10/22/fa...pher-koji-fox/

"MCKF: I touched on this a little bit today in the live stream and there was a question about relationships between the races and crossbreeding. A lot of it doesn’t happen because while we have all these races living together in Eorzea, there’s this tension between them. That’s there because they have these histories of fighting for a long time and then not really making up, but agreeing to disagree and living together because it’s better than living by our self and being more susceptible to Garlean attacks or whatever. We work together because we have a common enemy type of thing. Most of the races don’t really like each other and it”s gone on through multiple Eras."

Edit: I guess it doesn't have to do with Hilda and I'm mixing things up, maybe that's some other source. @_@

[Shougun]

I don't think there's any actual limitation on hairstyles, forehead jewelry, or ear clasps, no. But I think it adds to the uniqueness of each race. That's why I think, if it's exclusive to that race, keep it that way. If not, things begin to muddy and I'm sure the insatiable masses will be asking for more (cat ears/tails on all the things, people claiming that it's just "glamour" because that's a super-flexible thing "because magic"). There should be some line.

(I read the rant, but won't comment because it doesn't apply to the ingame world in a lore-sense, which answers your question.)

I'm pretty sure Fernehalwes said, in a discussion about mixed races (Hilda being very rare), that there still is a lot of racial tension there. Everyone is from a different background and are together, but still have their own cultures/agendas.

Finally found it:

http://gamerescape.com/2014/10/22/fa...pher-koji-fox/

"MCKF: I touched on this a little bit today in the live stream and there was a question about relationships between the races and crossbreeding. A lot of it doesn’t happen because while we have all these races living together in Eorzea, there’s this tension between them. That’s there because they have these histories of fighting for a long time and then not really making up, but agreeing to disagree and living together because it’s better than living by our self and being more susceptible to Garlean attacks or whatever. We work together because we have a common enemy type of thing. Most of the races don’t really like each other and it”s gone on through multiple Eras."

Edit: I guess it doesn't have to do with Hilda and I'm mixing things up, maybe that's some other source. @_@

Well I find physiological differences are a good reason to stay separate, like tails / horns, w.e lol. And I want significantly varying physiological race differences, I want to see a really different race and that be special. So i'd disagree if people wanted to have a Miqote tail on an Au Ra :P. But so far the hairs don't seem to require some special feature of a race, like I made example of medusa hair would obviously be special to some race..

As for that lore reference it doesn't seem strong enough that a player wouldn't be able to break the rules and be okay, I meant like if I wore a lalafel hair someone would actually want to tar and feather me. If someone shakes their head like "omg look at that weirdo" and that's the culture of we're in, that to me means its okay to share hairs and maybe be shunned a little - like we already have people running around in their underwear lol. I was talking if the game had some real strong racism then it would be explained via lore. I mean if there is that sort of lore in the game then we should respect it, but I never felt like the game had that strong a level of racism.

I do recall you're being accurate about Hilda though, I remember something about her being a bit weird too.