Male Viera as a playable character! show your support

[Kazran]

Lore has more meaning than silly fan service.

I still question the validity of the 'Lore' keeping Viera males forever in the forest. Especially since ffxiv has it own lore separate from 12 and the other Ivalice games.

What's the lore behind them never leaving? What compels them from puberty to old age to never even think about leaving? It's more unbelievable that not a single Male in all of history from birth to death has never deviated from the cultural norm.

Are they indoctrinated in some nefarious scheme? Do they hunt down their own if the ever try to escape? Is it a spell or some magic that binds them? Do they all just think alike and aren't individuals at all?

To me a lot of the reasons that would keep them all, every single last Male without deviation, without question would feel somehow insidious. If they aren't individual's at all but more feral beings who only act on instinct and nature, then that's the whole men are beasts woman are breasts dichotomy and that's really gross. (And you can't say it wouldn't because the Viera reveal video was nearly soft core in its sexy bunnies ladies running around in their lingerie giggling.)

Where is their freewill? If they don't have freewill then who or what is taking it? Isn't generally seen as bad to strip people of their freewill? Why do they not have the freewill to choose?
Who is taking their freewill in this? Isn't it bad to take someone's choice away?

Are male Viera okay?

Do they need rescue?

Every member of a populace conforming exactly to their culture cus reasons is highly unbelievable. And remember, as I said, ffxiv has it's own lore separate from 12 and The other Ivalice titles and so things ARE different!

Theres also the fact that the WoL is the exception to the rule, to all the rules. From being the only non Padjal White mage, to killing gods left and right easily. Being the only way to save the world from Alexander to defeating all of Omegas tests and Omega themselves. The WoL is the ultimate exception!

[Theodric]

My stance is that I only want to see them added if they're similar to the tall muscular portrayal in the concept art and some of the fan art. It'd feel very much like outright pandering if they were to be very short, feminine and androgynous. I want them to be fierce looking protectors of the forest. They can - and should - be classically handsome as the norm. Though if for whatever reason the developers decide to make them look like Alphinaud as has been requested by some I'd rather not have them added at all.

[Senn]

I'd rather see male viera as androgynous. I don't want them buff.
Yoshi P described male viera as slim, handsome, and elegant. I like the sound of that description. It doesn't necessarily mean they will be androgynous, but it does mean they will most likely be slim, and I am happy with that.


edit:
Like this concept art

Although I would prefer without the chest hair personally... Perhaps give us an option to do without it, or a slider.

[Ranhansha]

Add one (1) support

[stormygabe]

My stance is that I only want to see them added if they're similar to the tall muscular portrayal in the concept art and some of the fan art. It'd feel very much like outright pandering if they were to be very short, feminine and androgynous. I want them to be fierce looking protectors of the forest. They can - and should - be classically handsome as the norm. Though if for whatever reason the developers decide to make them look like Alphinaud as has been requested by some I'd rather not have them added at all.

Wouldn't it also be pandering if they were muscular and..."classically handsome?" I doubt they'd make them look like Alphinaud and I doubt they'd make them short. But to say that making them one way is pandering would also imply the same for the opposite. Fierce warriors of the forest need not be enormous beefcakes. And finally, I take them to be more akin to mystical wood elves than hulking barbarians. I mean...the Elezen are pretty thin and "pretty" but a lot of them are portrayed as being tough and manly. (Estinien anyone? And who can forget Aymeric?) With the way the ladies are portrayed, I can't see the men being that much different.

Edit: I also want to add another non-FF example of tribal, fierce forest people. The Na'vi! They have the same "living with nature hearing nature's voice warrior" thing going as the Viera do. The guys in that universe are every bit as rough and tough as you'd expect them to be, but they're still pretty wispy. Nevertheless, I doubt you'd want to get into a tussle with one of them.

[Anselmet]

Lore has more meaning than silly fan service.

Oh is that why we don't have that many male miqote roaming around? Oh wait.

[Theodric]

Wouldn't it also be pandering if they were muscular and..."classically handsome?" I doubt they'd make them look like Alphinaud and I doubt they'd make them short. But to say that making them one way is pandering would also imply the same for the opposite. Fierce warriors of the forest need not be enormous beefcakes. And finally, I take them to be more akin to mystical wood elves than hulking barbarians. I mean...the Elezen are pretty thin and "pretty" but a lot of them are portrayed as being tough and manly. (Estinien anyone? And who can forget Aymeric?) With the way the ladies are portrayed, I can't see the men being that much different.

Edit: I also want to add another non-FF example of tribal, fierce forest people. The Na'vi! They have the same "living with nature hearing nature's voice warrior" thing going as the Viera do. The guys in that universe are every bit as rough and tough as you'd expect them to be, but they're still pretty wispy. Nevertheless, I doubt you'd want to get into a tussle with one of them.

It wouldn't be pandering. Players in this game aren't exactly starved for the short, slender and androgynous aesthetics. Miqo'te and Midlander Hyur can be designed to be very short, androgynous or feminine with the right options. Every other hairstyle added to the game these days is also very feminine or androgynous in nature with some exceptions. It's a myth that players who favour masculine aesthetics have it better.

Reading between the lines, some of what is being requested is also legitimately creepy - and some of the visual examples of fan art only serve to solidify that view in my mind.

So rather than appease the fairly small crowd that wishes for them to resemble children or young teenagers, I think the developers would appeal to a broader audience by making them at least somewhat muscular.

Those who want to play a slender character can push for more customisation options elsewhere if they so wish. Viera men don't need to conform to child-like, androgynous or feminine aesthetics.

[Senn]

Male viera don't have to be extremely short. If they're around the same height as the females, that's fine. Also, I don't think there's anything weird or creepy about the concept art I just posted. Again, Yoshi P said that if they implemented male viera into the game, they'd be slim. We don't know for certain, but female viera appear to be using an elezen base model, so the males will probably use an elezen base as well, just a bit altered.

[Duskane]

I can see how this can look kinda creepy but it would look fine in game with option
Of changing skin color
Just how first guys drawn.

[stormygabe]

snip

I could say the same for tall, muscular, manly aesthetics. Your character is but one example of that. (I'd also like to think mine is pretty manly too despite the Miqo'te's reputation. We even seem to have the same hairstyle!) We have Roes and Au Ra (and now Hrothgar) as well. As for hair, I honestly think there's a decent balance. I mean...the game has pretty heavy anime inspired aesthetics, which is unsurprising. I agree that male characters get shafted a lot of the time, but I don't think it has that much to do with the character creator itself. The problem there, from my observation, seems to come more with glamours. And maybe new hairstyles could take this into account as well. But I doubt having another buff manly race is going to alleviate those issues.

I think it's a bit unfair to assume that's what people want when they ask for that. Maybe some of them are teens who want to play more teen looking characters. Maybe some of them are adults who want to get back into the mindset of a younger person. Maybe some of them just want to be cute. I'm not trying to support them, but what I AM saying is that you can't just assume that someone is being creepy when they ask for a younger looking character. Again, though, SE is more than likely NOT going to even make them look that way if they make them at all.

I disagree that a broader audience would want them to be muscular. I expect most people would want them to be lean. You seem to be equating thinness with childishness. The Elezen are not childish. A thin adult is not a child or even an adolescent. And whether or not they do add them, you can bet that they'll have options to make them look as feminine as possible. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I'll also argue that those who want to play a muscular character can push for more customization options elsewhere if they so wish as well. Viera men don't need to conform to a very specific standard of masculinity that only holds physical strength and size up as the ideal.

Edit: I always need to add to my thoughts. *sigh* Anyway, I just want to be clear again... 1. I don't want the mViera to look like kids. For whatever reason, pure or otherwise. 2. When I say "thin" I don't mean malnourished. I mean a body type similar to...oh idk...Spiderman? Someone brought up Tom Holland and I think that would be a decent build for them. Basically a Miqo'te or Midlander, but taller.