Gender locked race?

[Beckett]

That's just as much speculation as what I was doing. Lore is lore, they can't justify 'this' when the male miqo'te were also in the same boat with similar abysmal numbers. The 5% I got wasn't from tactics or FF12 - it was from the latest encyclopedia of Eorzea; this was Yoshida's 'domain' so to speak.

Let me rephrase: What possible reason would they have to create the lore that male Viera are incredibly few in number and never leave the forest, while they're simultaneously working on creating Viera as a playable race?

The case with Mi'qote is a perfect example. They created the lore that males were few in number and never went out as a justification to not make them playable. It was only much later that they had to adjust the lore in order to make male Mi'qote adventurers make sense. So for male Viera, why would they create lore they know that they'll instantly have to change?

[Gwenorai]

Let me rephrase: What possible reason would they have to create the lore that male Viera are incredibly few in number and never leave the forest, while they're simultaneously working on creating Viera as a playable race?

The case with Mi'qote is a perfect example. They created the lore that males were few in number and never went out as a justification to not make them playable. It was only much later that they had to adjust the lore in order to make male Mi'qote adventurers make sense. So for male Viera, why would they create lore they know that they'll instantly have to change?

That all depends on how you look into it I suppose. I look at that lore and see a possibility. The dramaturge, states that the Green Word that Viera follow actually gives them means to seek aid from outsiders and possibly leave the wood if it also means that by doing so they are protecting the wood and the Viera. He also speaks in past tense hinting that things have changed in present years; a throwback to FF12 and tactics and how now things are very much different. If not, then oof, our female Viera is going to get some very rude responses when they return to the wood.

If one of the playable areas is going to be the very homeland of the Viera. Where Lore has it that the males shoot on sight, attack outsiders etc - would it be good storytelling to have your WoL a possible outsider and other outsiders just to stroll in? Or for the males that are guardians and protectors of the wood to not engage both the imperial invasion and more so; the cause of the fire - that was started by Yoshida to be in that area.

While they certainly can ignore the fact the males exist. Why then hype up the fact that males are wardens of the forest, killers who swoop down and dish out cold punishment regardless of your purpose of being there? And instead just have it 'Oh, even though all of this stuff is happening which certainly would cause male Viera to stir and congregate to form a resistance. I know it's the one thing that would possibly cause a male Viera to pop out and say hi, but nope.' What are they going to do, how would they go about even doing that? Just state 'Oh, our males are fighting them' and that's it? I can't imagine any writer worth their salt doing this.


Note; this is the quote I was referring to.
'Until recently─perhaps the past several generations─a Viera living outside her homeland was unheard of, and those who abandoned their tribes were branded outcasts. You see, the Viera follow a strict code called the ‘Green Word’ that binds them to their land and prohibits all contact with the outside world unless absolutely necessary.”'

[Rokke]

Let me rephrase: What possible reason would they have to create the lore that male Viera are incredibly few in number and never leave the forest, while they're simultaneously working on creating Viera as a playable race?

The case with Mi'qote is a perfect example. They created the lore that males were few in number and never went out as a justification to not make them playable. It was only much later that they had to adjust the lore in order to make male Mi'qote adventurers make sense. So for male Viera, why would they create lore they know that they'll instantly have to change?

I interpret it as the Dramaturge has no idea what big shakeup is going to happen between now and 5.0 that causes us to travel to Dalmasca or become the WoD. Despite the game existing for the most part inside a time bubble theres a few points where logically X happens before Y. Logically we met Fran and became aware of her branch of the resistance and the dramaturge tells us what we know so far about Viera pre 5.0 in the same vein that logically the lv 30-50 DRG quests take place before Heavensward.

The devs have all but spelled it out that we're going to be able to visit Viera settlements at some point in the expansion, but if the guys are as trigger happy as the current lore says they are, we shouldn't be able to do so. I think something big is going to happen between 4.56 and 5.0 that'll give some wiggle room for both us to play as Viera and for us to make it to bunnyville.

@ Ronso -
The fact that Yoshi didn't wear or say any hints towards "lions" on day 2 leads me to believe that we're not getting a 2nd race. We're 50ish days out from the final fanfest with zero nods in-game or out of game to Ronso being a part of the expac.

[Beckett]

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I absolutely love the theory that there will be some big story shake up, along with the theory of male Viera being based on Lionrabbits. I desperately want it to be true that we're getting male Viera, but I'm not getting my hopes up.

[Rokke]

I absolutely love the theory that there will be some big story shake up, along with the theory of male Viera being based on Lionrabbits. I desperately want it to be true that we're getting male Viera, but I'm not getting my hopes up.

I was worried until day 2 of the event. No Ronso hints + Yoshi being cheeky about Viera all but sealed it for me. What they’ll look like is anyones guess since the only physical descriptions we can use to try to imagine them are “some are pale and some are not”, “they’re fierce warriors”, and “puberty makes them obviously different from the girls in some manner” + blufever's lion avatar, but Im pretty confident we're getting them now now ^^

[Jaywalker]

Let me rephrase: What possible reason would they have to create the lore that male Viera are incredibly few in number and never leave the forest, while they're simultaneously working on creating Viera as a playable race?

Tbh I think it could be an interesting storytelling conflict. Motive-wise, viera lead a pretty tough and limited lifestyle. It wouldn't be crazy to think any of them, including males, might want to leave that for more lifestyle freedom. If the males especially are predominantly fighters, boom. That's a skill they can use to support themselves as adventurers. But with all of this, if there's a limited number of males and they've been fighting off Garlemald to protect the forest and a bunch of viera are leaving the forest behind for a slew of reasons, that creates first some stigma for any player character viera who have left (especially males since there are less) and with it juicy conflict. Also possibly places strain on viera traditions and gender roles, like they might need to send female Viera to defend the forest too.

Not to mention this encourages them to start breeding like rabbits to replenish ranks. ;P

The male/female extreme divide can be used to justify having villages of entirely female or male viera, to maintain continuity with FFXII, to offer further immersion into alternative societies, you name it. Originally in FFXII I suspect it was to make less models to design and just have a bunch of sexy bunny girls, but moving forward it strikes me as more of a nod back but with some wiggle room.

They put themselves in an interesting position where they conceivably could delay male viera release, or technically avoid it (although I think that wouldn't go over well) but they could also work them in no problem. What might be interesting is if they have conditional release, like you unlock male viera in the character creator if you complete xyz quests. There's flexibility atm.

[Gwenorai]

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You're right here. Viera do live really restrictive lives that are actually really sad. The men are forced to live in solitude, to live and die alone - with their only companions being the other wards they take under their wing and whoever they mate with. It's not hard to believe that a female Viera wouldn't want that for her son. The females are guilted into staying and are shunned if they do leave. If females leave, knowing full well what will happen once they do - then why can't the males?

Honestly, the fact we can play as the female shows that maybe just maybe so much has changed in comparison to the FF12/Tactics Ivalice. Gotta think about it honestly, the males and females were all kind of trapped in that strict dogma. The Females just had a matriarch telling them they couldn't go out as well as there fellow sisters. The male has nothing holding him back from leaving other than the teachings of the wood warden and his desire to protect his family and people. This is hardly the first time we've heard such a story; Star Wars and their Jedi have the same issue and some of them still leave the order after being brainwashed as children and forced to follow a strict dogma.

There is nothing in the lore that says that males would be hunted down/killed for leaving. Their only punishment being they are banished. Perhaps they'll expand on that?

It's easy to come up with a back story regarding a Male (And female) Viera WoL in these scenarios:
1) They were born outside of the wood from a Viera mother who left the wood. Halfbreeds exist. It is more than likely that Viera and Hyur are compatible just like Au'ra and Hyur. They would more than likely have the Viera traits. And that's even if they're a halfbreed. A female Viera could have just gotten pregnant and left. Or in recent times, a male Viera takes his interpretation of the 'green word' to leave to protect his lover and unborn child. WoL descended from this.
2) Being a chosen of the mother crystal; the wood - a female spirit is more than likely tied into this; while not the mother crystal per-say, but like the Padajj and the elementals of their wood. Benevolent and serving the mother crystal. WoL are driven by fate and destiny. As I've said before in previous posts it makes perfect sense for a Male to leave by listening to the word of the Wood.

I could honestly come up with so many more!

But dang, there's something extremely sad about being trapped in a jungle/wood all your life and wanting to be free and see so much more. I hope the Viera are given that chance. The female has been given that, now free the males. Shouldn't just end with a sad tale on how they're all just going to end up dying alone.

[Jaywalker]

But dang, there's something extremely sad about being trapped in a jungle/wood all your life and wanting to be free and see so much more. I hope the Viera are given that chance. The female has been given that, now free the males. Shouldn't just end with a sad tale on how they're all just going to end up dying alone.

I agree and adore all of the stuff you posted, but my dude consider how next level sad it gets if the whole reason a WOL Viera leaves is wanting freedom only to end up as the WOL. Bound to save the world over and over again fighting primals because no one else can. Seeing new connections die or turn traitor after leaving everyone they knew and loved behind. Getting exposed to the world's horrors and hunted like an animal by Zenos. Being a hero to everyone but the Wood and the Viera behind them.

WOL has a lot of angst as is, and depending on backstory even more, but Viera it's basically built in. :O

[Gwenorai]

I agree and adore all of the stuff you posted, but my dude consider how next level sad it gets if the whole reason a WOL Viera leaves is wanting freedom only to end up as the WOL. Bound to save the world over and over again fighting primals because no one else can. Seeing new connections die or turn traitor after leaving everyone they knew and loved behind. Getting exposed to the world's horrors and hunted like an animal by Zenos. Being a hero to everyone but the Wood and the Viera behind them.

WOL has a lot of angst as is, and depending on backstory even more, but Viera it's basically built in. :O

Ooooof, we've gone in too deep!
Yeah, damn - that's pretty amazing for a back story. I hope someone takes that and makes a good story out of it! Hopefully, SE!

I'm honestly hoping to meet one that has the 'Echo' that is a main character NPC.

[Crushnight]

for me i do have a preference as to what i'd like male viera to look like but so long as it is added i will be content with however they look there just isn't any reasonable excuse to gender lock any race in ffxiv my hope is that because the viera lore states both genders we should be getting both if they wanted to gender lock it they would've done something similar to the Galka where it is perceived male but there isn't any gender