Gender locked race?

[Lauront]

Just to be clear, I'm not against the addition of a separate race, like the Hrothgar... if they're a real thing. It's just that I do not want to see them trying to bar adding male Viera because of it. In the end, they should be prepared to add both if they're planning such a route. The obvious solution with the cutesy male Viera issue (which we were told the concept art shown in 2015 was meant to overcome) is just not to design them in such a way if Yoshi-P thinks it's contrary to the race's spirit.

[Wolfyboy]

The other thing to keep in mind is that WoW is still a western MMO. FFXIV is still an eastern MMO at the end of the day. I can't imagine them designing a race that their primary audience isn't going to like very much just to try and attract these "WoW refugees" to the game. I mean, are they that hard up for money? :v

Yet I hear from this thread that they wouldn't not add male Viera because of all the fantasia money! Keep in mind they're also splitting the data centers which helps leave comfortable room for more new players that are potential long term customers, and more players is very VERY important for an MMO.

Also I hear a lot of people say that they don't want male Viera not added due to Hrothgar; however, we do not know which one was made first. That means that Hrothgar possibly didn't get a female variant because they decided to add female Viera instead.

[Shougun]

And that's only the subset of those WoW refugees who simply want a more "bestial" race and that's the only thing preventing them from subbing. I think it's a stretch, to say the least.

I'd argue that it would be a severe stretch too that the only thing preventing people from subbing is an "even more pretty race" then (Viera).

But that's not really important point to me (not a great point to argue against viera for lol). I believe SE getting new blood is an important resource to tap, because they can then get them into the sub cycle and cash shop cycle. Vs people who would already be buying cash shop and paying their sub. This is why I suggested they might be gender locking on two races rather than making one full "pretty" race though. Here they keep people in the cash shop cycle and subbing/buying expansion for that and then also drawing in new blood because SE has a void when it comes to "weird" (imo).

Also it depends on if you count dwarves, gnomes, and dranei as weird or not. Imo they are weirder than FFXIV's but you may or may not consider them. Either way you get 36%+ or 49% if you count them. That's a pretty good number either way.

36% (or more depending on how you count it) of a group you're not addressing at all is a lot when you consider the other 70% you are addressing very well (FFXIV is loaded with pretty already).

Although I wouldn't suggest that if WoW refugees is why they're going this route is the only reason why. I'd also say its because FFXIV already has a bunch of pretty races, so not just for WoW but for other players who are not represented at all. Adding a race to a void that exists vs adding a race to a very bountiful area.

That doesn't mean people wont switch to it (Viera), I'm sure there will be loads of fantasia money, but it does mean that there is an audience that isn't represented and possibly able to bring in new blood or make FFXIV a better home than before as they weren't represented. Au Ra concept art I think could have met that, but the current Au Ra.. I really don't agree that they're weird, especially the females lol.

To add I'm not saying I want them to bar adding male Viera because of this. I'm just saying that addressing the void, addressing the refugee leak of players who don't have an equivalent race (we have blood elf/night elf equivalent), and also adding more pretty (Viera female), could be a legitimate albeit annoying game plan.

Adding both genders to two very visually different races would be the "epic" game plan.

[MrKimper]

I think SE are gradually moving away from the whole 'beastmen not allowed in city' lore thing, since they've had a Lupin in Gridania and those two Mamool Ja in Ul'dah if you unlock BLU. Either that, or it's only the Eorzea beastmen that aren't allowed in the city states.

Besides, if we're gonna ignore male Viera lore just so they can be playable, but then say beastmen can't be playable because of lore reason... double standards, much?

Nah I don't care either way to be honest, I'm just saying from a lore perspective it'd be a bigger shift than adding in male viera, not that it would be a worse or better than the other. Honestly I'd rather they just add in the lupin as playable race rather than a big cat race from nowhere. Seeing as I feel it'd be more interesting anyway, since feasibly we'd just be getting bigger and furrier miqo'te. I'd rather a wholely separate animal race.

[Rokke]

Also I hear a lot of people say that they don't want male Viera not added due to Hrothgar; however, we do not know which one was made first. That means that Hrothgar possibly didn't get a female variant because they decided to add female Viera instead.

Does it really matter which one was made first if the end result is the same? We could get Burmecian males and female Viera and people would still be upset at the inability to play as the missing counterpart. It's the nature of unnecessary gender locks.

[Alice_Chrystal]

Just to be clear, I'm not against the addition of a separate race, like the Hrothgar... if they're a real thing. It's just that I do not want to see them trying to bar adding male Viera because of it. In the end, they should be prepared to add both if they're planning such a route. The obvious solution with the cutesy male Viera issue (which we were told the concept art shown in 2015 was meant to overcome) is just not to design them in such a way if Yoshi-P thinks it's contrary to the race's spirit.

I still think the one artwork is very attractive and not one bit weird or too girly I think male viera can work pretty well with a lean and masculin aesthetic. I honestly don't know myself why male viera are considered so weird.

The cute ones though are reeeaally not my cup of tea. It would be weird to me (personally) if my fierce beauty would have a tiny cutesy counterpart xD But that is just my opinion No ill will towards those who like them I personally would just prefer not to use male viera for that.


The idea with ivalician moogles is cute though! (even if i am personally not into chibi stuff...but they would be cute to look at...and kick lalafell from their thrones xD)

[Theodric]

I'd be fine with Viera men if they were closer to the lean/muscular artwork. They look fierce enough to be protectors of the forest. If they're cute, feminine or child-like then my interest would evaporate. Based on how they're described in what little we know of them it doesn't seem like those aesthetics would fit. I just don't want them to be Miqo'te but with bunny ears instead of cat ears.

[Crushnight]

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See i'm fine with adding bestial races it would be very interesting compared to rest of ffxiv races but the big bugbear (thing that annoys me) is;

why do the males have to beastly and the females pretty, why can't both genders be both?

Au Ra males are closer to beastly but then you look at female Au Ra and they went way too overboard on making them cute comparatively it just makes me think even if Hrothgar are more beastly looking their females will be Au Ra females 2.0 because the ffxiv devs can't do it any other way and that shouldn't happen there are people who like beastly women just like there are those that like pretty boys pls devs give us both

[Shougun]

See i'm fine with adding bestial races it would be very interesting compared to rest of ffxiv races but the big bugbear (thing that annoys me) is;

why do the males have to beastly and the females pretty, why can't both genders be both?

Au Ra males are closer to beastly but then you look at female Au Ra and they went way too overboard on making them cute comparatively it just makes me think even if Hrothgar are more beastly looking their females will be Au Ra females 2.0 because the ffxiv devs can't do it any other way and that shouldn't happen there are people who like beastly women just like there are those that like pretty boys pls devs give us both

Agree, full stop. Lol

Although I don't mind dimorphic races, personally, as I really wanted to see the concept art for Au Ra where the females looked very seductive sucubus (demoness) and the males looked like male demons basically. I can imagine the wild horns of the concept would clip but seriously what do you call the cat tails and current horn clipping anyways... ? Not an issue at this point lol.

So I guess I'd add when going dimorphic I like it more when they try to keep both variations to feel special then, rather than "normal" and "actually unique" lol

I think it would be really nice if the females of any weird race get to at least have options to be as non-pretty focused as a male might be. At least the option for it. Like if they made the males a bit hairy and the females were generally less hairy and pretty it'd be great the females can have an option to stray away from that standard pretty woman look.

I wouldn't mind a female race being more weird/beastly than the males in FFXIV but seeing as I want to play a male ... it's hard for me to say that I want the first weird race to do that (assuming Hrothgar is Ronso-lion-pantera/lupis (BLESS)-like). Like at least for an option that I want to play.. It'd be nice that the males to be at least equally imposing. Maybe I'd still play the females if they were switched like that but it wouldn't be my make and eat my cake choice lol.

[Wolfyboy]

Does it really matter which one was made first if the end result is the same? We could get Burmecian males and female Viera and people would still be upset at the inability to play as the missing counterpart. It's the nature of unnecessary gender locks.

Because it shows it isn't about races being gendered lock, it shows that people just want male Viera. If people don't want gender-lock (This is what the thread is about) some people would advocate for both as most people are. However, there are some people thinking that it is Viera being screwed over for a possible "ugly" race when it could be the completely the opposite way and are taking it personally towards people who would prefer something else. Like how apparently I'm a toxic bara cat lover, and this is a Viera thread and to keep normal speculation away that could rain on the parade. (We have show your Viera and the main support for Viera thread if the people don't want opposite opinions on the subject).

I don't only read these forums about FFXIV, I do others, but it is this stuff that makes me unpleasant.

It must truly suck living in your mother's basement, soaking up your own BO. Way to take this way too seriously. As a gay man, I have no interest in being some large and bulky male. I am happy with a slender and toned frame. Get a life. Get laid. Enjoy life and maybe lose your anger and hateful soul.

Also, it's spelled "archetype" if you're going to make a point, please learn to spell.

Now this person was replying to a troll. There is other threads with similar kind of stuff towards anyone who would prefer something more masculine. It is ridiculous. Now, this thread has gotten a lot better so it isn't to much of an issue, but I want people to keep in mind that Viera males may have not been screwed over by Hrothgar and it could have been the other way around. Hopefully people keep the civility so I don't have to take this as personally as well.