Gender locked race?

[Shippuu]

This is what we get with a new playable race(before expansion):

1. An npc in game to represent/reveal in the last main patch of the current expansion
2. Clan info
3. gender info
4. their society structure
5. Where they come from

Both are handled differently and are treated differently by SE themselves if we were to get an unknown race we would get a surge of information on them at Tokyo on top of more Viera information. By this point we had more information on Au Ra but Viera are going to be better implemented with how they have set them up something i feel SE learned from Au Ra implementation being oh there here neat. So i then gotta ask why would SE repeat the Au Ra mistake while simultaneously also avoiding it its weird :s

So of this list, there would potentially be only 1 thing on the list that we wouldn't get for the new Race (if there is one), and that's that there was no in game NPC hinting/representing this race. (Which we can't even say for certain considering we haven't had all the patch story delivered to us).

Au Ra's poor implementation was less to do with groundwork set up before they arrived, and more to do with zero impact, relevancy, or even appearing in the entire Heavensward story/areas outside of a total of about 3-4 NPC's. A new race could be more important to the 5.0 story and it would be the same as "learning from the implementation of Au Ra". We could be going to wherever this new race is from, which would immediately put it on being better implemented than the Au Ra was in Heavensward.
Even then, Au Ra was implemented poorly, but it didn't do anything to really negatively affect the game. So even if they did the exact same thing, it's not like it's even really an issue in the first place? It's certainly not a big enough issue to even consider not doing it because of that.

Ah, one thing I will tackle is the whole Yoshida's vision - I don't think that's rightfully true. I think that the fact that Matsuno Yasumi is now working on this expansion with him that he has a lot of ways as well, especially as the creator of the Viera and of course, the developer of FF12 and tactics.

That's a pretty big assumption there unless you have proof? Matsuno worked in collaboration for the Ivalice raid series, we have little pointing to him being further involved in the development of the expansion (and considering they're bringing in new guest creators for the next raid, he's likely not helping).
But if they stated he is working as a new position on the expansion and I missed it, I'd love to see.

[Gwenorai]

-snip-

Aye, this was from hearsay - I can't find anything but the Livestream where they're talking about the 24man. So, you're right - but I still think there's still a point there. That if Matsuno wrote the lore, then Matsuno also has a say on what happens to his creations and also has to go through him. Unless you think Yoshida can simply go around his vision? I'm not stating you said this, I'm genuinely curious on your take on the matter regarding this.

[Shippuu]

Aye, this was from hearsay - I can't find anything but the Livestream where they're talking about the 24man. So, you're right - but I still think there's still a point there. That if Matsuno wrote the lore, then Matsuno also has a say on what happens to his creations and also has to go through him. Unless you think Yoshida can simply go around his vision? I'm not stating you said this, I'm genuinely curious on your take on the matter regarding this.

Ultimately FFXIV is under Yoshida's direction, so even if Matsuno disagreed I feel Yoshida ultimately can overrule it. Remeber, Yoshida isn't just director/produce of FFXIV, but also a member of the board of directors for Square Enix, and head of SE's Business Division 5. He's much higher on the totem pole so to speak so his decisions can certainly supersede Matsuno's. I'm sure Yoshida would certainly consider Matsuno's point of view regarding the issue, but Matsuno definitely doesn't call the shots regarding what ultimately gets put into the game.

You also seem to be implying that Matsuno would be for the inclusion of playable male Viera in the first place, which may not be the case. (He was the one who established that FFXIV's male Viera "simply do not exist to us." and to go looking for them would lead to disappointment. So...)

[Gwenorai]

Snip

I agree with the point regarding rank and rule. So yes Yoshida can overrule. But that does bring up another question; he's very high up, and he represents Square. Regarding something that is as touchy as gender locking a race in our times. He reverted it once and was met with universal praise. While bringing it back, that's something that isn't going to meet with approval but seen as a backwards view. Yes, he'll be sticking to his guns - but in the end, it's going to hurt his image and squares. Because yet again, it's a backward view and people will glom on that. All it takes is folks to broadcast, Twitter, Reddit, Twitch etc.

Now that backlash could be big or small, but the backlash is backlash. We only see a small amount of it regarding BLU, I've seen so much more in discords, twitter, Reddit and other social media outlets. TLDR; the forums are just a small part of it. People are screaming all over the place regarding BLU, and I imagine they will listen, they have to since the class is in such a sorry state.

I think the backlash would be considerable regarding male Viera.

• - When people wanted Viera, I imagine they assumed that the male would be included because they removed the gender lock. No one thought they'd bring it back after what happened with the original gender locks.
• - Concept art showed both male and female; meaning the idea of the males wasn't entirely off the table. Along with the comment that they wouldn't show just the females.
• - Creating lore that would have the men confined in one specific area; who are aggressive to outsiders and then have us go to that area. In regards to the story; this would give a fantastic introduction. If however, they're going to use that lore to 'destroy' one part of a race's gender. That speaks of lazy writing, complete avoidance and a way to write them off in its entirety rather than expanding and adding to the lore.
• - While it's acceptable in Eastern MMOs; it isn't so much in Western MMOs, and that's where the money will haemorrhage. Yes, this is an Eastern MMO; but it has a huge western influence. Western MMOs do not have gender locks - why? Demographic, political correctness, etc. What do I mean by this? Eastern MMOs tend to go for sex appeal; the females are attractive and hot, or cute, petite, the men are rugged and strong. It's old backwards thinking. To me at least. Times have changed. More women playing, more people wanting to stray from the norm. Take me for example; I'm a female who wants to play as a male character. This isn't even including the LBGT+ community. Or just a man who wants to play as a Viera that is his own sex.
• - Business; in the end, this is all a business. Money matters. A new race will come, that's for certain. We have Viera, and that's a lot of money in Fantasias and the likes. A lot of money. Male Viera done 'correctly' close to the female but not straying too much; more money. A race that hasn't been shown or previewed or hinted at seems like more of a gamble in regards to that income.

In the end, gender locking will always be something that takes away from the freedom of the player who is affected by it. It stings even more in an RPG - and even more so in an MMORPG as there is no hiding from the choice they made. And while we can take the lumps and deal with it - there is no reason why those who were slighted should stay silent about it.

Honestly, I can't even imagine how irritated I'm going to be if there is no male Viera, and I'm surrounded by my friends who are happily playing their Female Viera - all the while seeing 'Bara lions' and thinking, 'this is what I got instead of my male Viera.' There is no hiding from that disappointment.

[xbahax92]

• - When people wanted Viera, I imagine they assumed that the male would be included because they removed the gender lock. No one thought they'd bring it back after what happened with the original gender locks.
• - Concept art showed both male and female; meaning the idea of the males wasn't entirely off the table. Along with the comment that they wouldn't show just the females.

Agreed. When I wrote in the Show your Support for Viera thread - I didnt really care much about female Viera. I wanted the whole race to be added, female AND male. They showed us Male Viera concepts, people started imagining how they would look like ingame, thats how the Viera thread started blooming, reached 234 pages since 2016....

This addition does not only influence Final Fantasy XIV fans right now, but also players who enjoyed other Ivalice games, people who were talking about male Viera years before in other forums and chats, people that created male Viera fanmade art...

Even if the backlash stays small, the disappointment will be HUGE and not only in FFXIV, but world wide. Right now they're trying to spread the word of male Viera's. Something that hasnt been seen in any other game. They're most likely playing with fire, if they are going to say "Sorry, no male Viera" at Tokyo FanFest.