Some possibly controversial thoughts about a dancer addition

[Tridus]

Point taken. I seem to have a bad habit of posting things without thinking them through, and in turn, my inability to think things out ends up upsetting a lot of folks. I really am sorry. Again, I didn't mean to offend anyone. I'll refrain from posting further in the forums. Thanks for tolerating me up to this point.

That's kind of an over reaction, don't you think? This idea wasn't a good one, but everyone's had those.

[Singularity]

The same skill doesn't have to have the same animation for every character. I acknowledge that it's more animation work for the developers to create multiple sets of movements, but it's better than the extreme of locking off the job entirely to half the playerbase. There's also plenty of real-world inspiration to copy - dancers have been both male and female for as long as dancing has existed.

[Shurrikhan]

It's sad in a way that in 2018 (yup - I said it) we still have the notion that a default Dancer is a scantily clad female who would 'heal her allies through booty-shaking and impressive jiggle physics'.

I'm not imagining that to be the case at all, only that there are going to be very different styles among what would seem inspiring between the movements of a petite female and a burly, roided up male.

I don't want one or the other. I want both, intersecting no more or less than seems natural.

[BillyKaplan]

I acknowledge that it's more animation work for the developers to create multiple sets of movements, but it's better than the extreme of locking off the job entirely to half the playerbase.

Or. OR. You can just have all genders use the same dance animations. To stress the point, if you already acknowledge there's a set of movements that you'd accept for male charas, why not just have that be the unisex movement set instead of insist on what you imagine as a more feminine movement set? Boom, one movement set for everyone without even getting people complaining the male Roes know how to spin around themselves.

I don't want one or the other. I want both, intersecting no more or less than seems natural.

Most arguments about gender and sex where the word 'natural' is thrown ends up in examples from nature that show humans' views on both concepts is not only subjective for the individual, but also bullocks besides. Tread carefully.
Or let the male Roe dance fancily. It's not illegal.

[Miste]

I want Dancer for both genders.

As someone else said it worked in FFXI. Yes, male Dancer gearsets were slightly different than the females, but I think they did very well with it and also the dances were the same for both genders.

I mean an idea I have mulled over would be like customizable dances for your abilities...like if they add Dancer then with it they could also add a "Performance" ability window that has a bunch of motions where you could choose different preset dances or create your own from the small motions you can choose from.

But...that would likely be expensive with all the motion capture and needing to hire dancers for it.

They could just do a cheaper thing and make up say... 20 preset Dance animations (which they could expand on in later patches as well) though that you can choose from...then males and females can choose the style of dancing they want for each ability that requires a dance for it. I mean if you really loved one of the dances you could even just make all of your abilities use that same dance...completely customizable for each player from those presets.

It would be more unique too since when you come across different players playing Dancer it is likely they won't use the exact same dance preferences as another player and it is a bit more fun to see what dances other players enjoy for their character.

Everyone kinda wins then cause you are free to choose what you like no matter your gender and such. If you want more masculine dances they could have some to use and also feminine ones as well and you get to just pick what you like with gender not mattering.

[Ilyrian]

I'm not imagining that to be the case at all, only that there are going to be very different styles among what would seem inspiring between the movements of a petite female and a burly, roided up male.

I don't want one or the other. I want both, intersecting no more or less than seems natural.

Realistically - and lets assume that Dancer is greenlit - it would have to be another AST clone as a WHM + dances or a SCH + dances would make those jobs obsolete.
This AST clone would then replace the card mechanic with a Dance mechanic; which would be a BRD song clone that would continue to 'play' throughout the encounter. The Dancer would do some sort side-step motion continuously and/or be surrounded by musical notes or similar. Anything else would be distracting in an encounter and not work with high-movement. (You're welcome SE - take an early lunch on me).
So yeah, anything that could or would happen regarding a Dancer job would probably not be anywhere near the ideal that many people have/want.

[Burningskull]

I think a DNC would be a melee support like BRD is a ranged support, thus making it a dps and not a healer. That said if the world can have male strippers I don't see why FFXIV can't have male DNCs.

[Singularity]

Or. OR. You can just have all genders use the same dance animations. To stress the point, if you already acknowledge there's a set of movements that you'd accept for male charas, why not just have that be the unisex movement set instead of insist on what you imagine as a more feminine movement set? Boom, one movement set for everyone without even getting people complaining the male Roes know how to spin around themselves.

Your own example of the Sundrop dance answers that. It's based on a traditionally masculine dance, so of course it looks more natural performed by male characters.
Sure you can program both genders to animate the same way, but if you intend them to look dignified and elegant, you probably shouldn't.

[Maero]

Yes many (myself included) want Dancer next expansion at least only thing i am against is if they (and those players that want it as) a dps. We have enough damn dps in this game atm

[SenorPatty]

Thet could create racial dancing instead of gender based dancing. And the dances a player gets is based off the regions in Eorzea. Aura could have ritualistic style steppe dance. Miqote would have tribalistic dances. Roes...maybe something pirate-y. Hyurs would be "city" style dance and lalas...maybe a mix of everything? Elezens could be dances that accompany barding...?

And yes, I know, too much work/not enough money. I can dream though, right?