Gender locked race?

[Jaywalker]

Comparing the lionhead rabbits + old artworks from the FATE in tokyo, I can only assume male Viera ears do not look like normal rabbit-ears but of those lionheads.

I start to believe male Viera are dimorphic. The mane could be either face hair (beards) or actually chest hair (artwork). The end result might look like lions (as the leaker assumed the "icons" of this race). Also lets not forget, all Viera appear to have the same build til the age of 13. This also means their ears (the spot they sprout) are probably on the center of the head as well. (Compared to female Viera)

Im sure if someone would actually draw a sketch of a Viera with a mane, ears like a lionhead and made the face shape of a female Viera (small, round and with a button nose) + adding masculine tones, would end up as a "lion-lookalike" race.

Ronsos make 0 sense as we got none mention in FFXIV in the lore nor any mention of them appearing from overseas. We had the Return to Ivalice raid to tease Viera and this happened (just as they teased Au Ra with Yugiri in ARR).

If I dont remember wrong, Yoshida said he doesnt like male Viera because they looked to "cute". And we also learned from last FanFest during the Art Panel, that everything goes right into Yoshida's supervision. And since he does not like throwing away all the other ideas of the team, he told them to make a mix of said features. And thats why I believe male Viera look more like lions, than bunny bois.

I have never seen this art before, thank you for sharing it!

Also, honestly as long as the facial hair is an option versus mandatory (which hopefully means that Yoshida is being very professional with this and leaving room for both his preference and other people's as well, which I suspect is the case) I'm thrilled with this possibility!

Also, chiming in on the lion race with personal two-cents--I do not want it.

Reason being





Hellsguard are easy to make look like big cats, dogs/wolves, bears... anything with a black nose really. Add the werewolf ears from the Halloween costume schtick it's even more noticeable. Having a big cat race, even if the overall features were more animal like Rev or Ronso, feels like it would be creatively redundant.

[Kupocoubo]

I think it's being said just because it's a lion looking race, that's not Rev lol. At least imo Rev look like naked cats, and other naked animals, which look like.. uh.. ... .. Well I don't want to look like a big walking naked .. ... cat. So its being more used like "hopefully more Ronso" haha.

Although it is good to make sure people know that the only reference we have is a profile picture had rabbit and lion in it. Just in case that wasn't known.

I imagine if the males are technically Viera but look a bit different, like that lion rabbit, then they escape the gender locked complaint since it means they're not gender locked.. which would be a smart choice. I feel like gambling towards the males will be dimorphic like that as it seems to be playing the board better than two races, while still addressing Yoshi-P's issue with male Viera and perhaps finally adding a bit more non-standard race (maybe?).

The good news though if they did really make two new races (both gender locked), is that we can spend the next year asking for the counterparts like SE has done already. So we end up getting two complete races - at least that's good news if SE really meant that this expansion is our last new race (which may or may not be true).

I hope they can add more clans and customization if they're done with makes races... That might allow us something really neat. For example adding miqote with a more cat nose or peach fuzz face (like FFXI), or the mature succubus and demon of Au Ra. Each new clan could have a little bit of lore without having the work of adding a whole new race. Like finding an Au Ra tribe that made home near a void portal, which had slowly accentuated their features.

I personally would have preferred an announcement of both male and female vieras at the same time, even if it was during the last fan fest, announcing just one gender and not confirming the other give me anxiety and im not kidding lmao

[Shougun]

I personally would have preferred an announcement of both male and female vieras at the same time, even if it was during the last fan fest, announcing just one gender and not confirming the other give me anxiety and im not kidding lmao

I could imagine that especially if someone was looking forward to it. I was just meaning that if the race is different enough to deserve a reveal, either because of dimorphic or different race, then it would make sense to separate them out. I personally don't think if they were the same that it is worth separating out the hype or at least keeping players in the dark, but obviously we'd agree there then lol.

So I'm was just guessing that due to outside information + their actions of keeping people in the dark that something must be off (whether that's good or bad remains to be seen). Of course it's also just a guess, it could be literally "male" to the "female" like a hyur midlander is and they separated and stayed silent about it just because they can.

Tl;dr agree if they're the same that they should have been announced together, even if it was "males are not ready yet". But there may be another reason in which case I might understand why nothing was said yet. Although I have no PR strategy, maybe giving people anxiety and then giving them what they want is a strategy? XD

[SigmaOZ]

Has anyone thought that Yoshida's joke was not a real one!?...


Anyone whom watched the leaker's info should know that he mentions not only one new race but two, the first being the all-female Viera and the second could easily be the horrible Bangaa!...


Either case is fine by me, I won't be playing male Vieras or unsightly Bangaas so that's no problem, what saddens me is that they didn't show the second clan for the bunny race and I really hope they include the cute but shorter females as part of the same race, the ones from the sketches several posts above!...

[Rokke]

Has anyone thought that Yoshida's joke was not a real one!?...


Anyone whom watched the leaker's info should know that he mentions not only one new race but two, the first being the all-female Viera and the second being the horrible Bangaa!...


Either case is fine by me, I won't be playing male Vieras or unsightly Bangaas so that's no problem for me, what saddens me is that they didn't show the second clan for the bunny race and I really hope they include the cute but shorter females as part of the same race, the one from the sketches several posts above!...

Bangaa aren't even on the table as possibilities. Even if you ignore the leaks their body type is soooo far off of what "works" with XIV armor/hair/makeup that they'd never be more than predesigned NPCs.

[Kupocoubo]

maybe giving people anxiety and then giving them what they want is a strategy? XD

Omg it would be so evil

[BiddyBatnana]

No no no, no Bangaa ! (they are awesome BUT)
Qu are better !

[stormygabe]

Bangaa aren't even on the table as possibilities. Even if you ignore the leaks their body type is soooo far off of what "works" with XIV armor/hair/makeup that they'd never be more than predesigned NPCs.

I'm surprised you even responded to that comment. They didn't contribute anything to the conversation besides some low key gloating. (I mean....where tf did they even get that the leaker was suggesting Bangaa...)

[Kupocoubo]

What if male vieras from Hydaelyn are moogles from Ivalice (since Montblanc from Hydaelin doesn't look like Montblanc from Ivalice)



Lmfao just kidding

[Rokke]

I'm surprised you even responded to that comment. They didn't contribute anything to the conversation besides some low key gloating. (I mean....where tf did they even get that the leaker was suggesting Bangaa...)

There were people who legit thought we were geting Lupin so you never know how to read some of the posts here lol

Viangaa confirmed