Gender Locks Have Revealed the Worst in Players.

[Physic]

Just wanted to take a moment to speak to this piece of it, and just give my perspective as to why I didn't care about it then but care about it now. In FFXII, I played as other characters - as Vaan, Fran, Basch, Ashe, etc... Fran was a Viera I played as, but never my character. Viera lore always fascinated me.

But here, I play my own character, for whom I conceive backstories and personalities, and even plan out character arcs (I'm a writer, literally always writing). We're going to the Viera homeland in Shadowbringers. I took male Viera as given once it became clear the race was coming. I get that SE never promised us males, and I acknowledge that I assumed.

With the combination of ShB news and Viera lore, I came up with an awesome backstory for my character, with personality traits and idiosyncracies. I was really excited to be a male Viera. I feel really let down that I don't get to run around as that character. May still write his story though.

Look, people on both sides of this argument are running on intense emotions. Neither side of the disagreement is a hoard of demons or whatever, but we've spent the last 48 hours throwing some pretty horrific, personal attacks at one another. This isn't productive, and really does reflect the worst in us - on both sides.

We all love FFXIV, and are all passionate, and all care about different things. We can be productive - and even disagree - without turning on each other like this.

but, there are virtually no male vierra in the lore of 12, or now in xiv. If you accept lore exists, its not surprising you may not have access to everything you could conceptualizs.

but i feel like by now, you were either very lucky, or not too creative, because the vast majority of possible charachters you can conceptualize have never been available for creation. Children, people with fat on them. older people of most backround, etc.

its fine to be disappointed and ask for what you want, but dont act like developers wronged you, or are out to oppress people because they made a choice you didnt like.

you here is not primarily the poster, but the people making those claims.

[Illianaro]

but, there are virtually no male vierra in the lore of 12, or now in xiv. If you accept lore exists, its not surprising you may not have access to everything you could conceptualizs.

but i feel like by now, you were either very lucky, or not too creative, because the vast majority of possible charachters you can conceptualize have never been available for creation. Children, people with fat on them. older people of most backround, etc.

its fine to be disappointed and ask for what you want, but dont act like developers wronged you, or are out to oppress people because they made a choice you didnt like.

you here is not primarily the poster, but the people making those claims.

I dunno... I had enough information to come up with at least a basis for a character. A viera taken away from his home and family at a young age, once it became clear he was male. Raised by a fellow viera who became the closest to family he had, a mentor, who taught him to fend for himself, to fight, to protect the forest, always thinking of the family he was forced to leave behind. Or, better yet, a male viera who was hidden when it became clear he was male, and found later on - as the lore I saw indicated that this happened from time to time.

A viera raised among only another viera, in the wilderness, would have a bit of a wilder personality, protective, tentative about other people, with less social grooming - as social awareness is not as vital as being able to hunt, feed yourself, survive, and protect the forest from outsiders. Wouldn't necessarily be a loner, but would struggle to make connections because of a trained guardedness.

Then the male viera, during those rare times of going back to the villages, learns his sister left the wood at great risk. Gets the idea that he's going to get out there and find her. He manages to escape the wood, almost dying in the process. It sets up conflict between him and his mentor. It sets up at least intriguing interactions with the world. It sets up some fun RP implications in game. And boom, I have the broad strokes for a start of a story.

It's not complete, and maybe it's not super creative, but it's enough for me to get excited at the idea. I don't mind if others don't find the idea original - I was enjoying the theorycrafting.