Male Viera as a playable character! show your support

[Senn]

Yeah, it's hard to keep track of what some posters are pushing for with so many conflicting stances!

I disagree, my stances are not conflicting. It was clear I was referring to the biceps and the body type of the picture. Not their face.

To clarify, since you seem very confused, I do think male viera should have a face with a rabbit-like structure. I do not think a "classically handsome" face would be suitable to male viera.

[Theodric]

I do not think a "classically handsome" face would be suitable to male viera.

That's fine. I think Yoshi-P will design the men to have classically handsome facial options since the women have conventionally attractive facial options to available to them. I think the men may have some tufts of fur as a customisation option, though - and perhaps some neat exclusive facial hair designs as well. I know it's been a common suggestion for more scars, tattoos and facial hair to be added to the character creation so it'd help address that request.

At any rate, at least we know that they will likely resemble adults due to Yoshi-P's statement. After all, he did say that Viera won't adhere to a child-like aesthetic and that they wouldn't be based off of Alphinaud either. Which is what a lot of the suggestions put forward resemble!

[Senn]

That's fine. I think Yoshi-P will design the men to have classically handsome facial options

I disagree, as the concept art shows male viera with a rabbit-like, or miqo'te-esque, facial structure.
Please take a closer look at this image:


"We would have to use our own imagination for that. There was fear about how we would approach that. Perhaps an elezen body with a miqo’te face and bunny ears."
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...8GTvPw4uI/edit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGezcBuu-mc

Judging by both Yoshida's words and all of the other concept art, including the one in my post, it seems like a rabbit-like facial structure, or a miqo'te-esque face, is the most likely route they will take with male viera. By looking at the rabbit-like facial structures the females have, we can make an educated guess as to how the males will look.

Of course, it's too soon to say anything with certainty. However, I am simply speculating this is the most likely outcome if male viera are to be added.

In my personal opinion, a "classically handsome" face would not be suitable.

What does a rabbit like face even entail in this context?

Something similar to a male miqo'te's face. In addition, the nose would look similar to the female's - more rabbit-like.

edit: hit post limit

Male Miqo'te are designed to be classically handsome, so I'm glad to see we're on the same page.

I disagree. You showed a picture before to explain what you meant by "classically handsome" - it was a western view of masculinity - and also human. Male miqo'te are not that.

The phrase "classically handsome" implies there would be typical features one would associate with being handsome. However, viera are not typical, as they are not human/hyur to begin with. Viera are not human/hyur, and there is nothing "typical" or "classic" about their facial structure if you take a look at the concept art.

[zeylos]

That's fine. I think Yoshi-P will design the men to have classically handsome facial options since the women have conventionally attractive facial options to available to them. I think the men may have some tufts of fur as a customisation option, though - and perhaps some neat exclusive facial hair designs as well. I know it's been a common suggestion for more scars, tattoos and facial hair to be added to the character creation so it'd help address that request.

At any rate, at least we know that they will likely resemble adults due to Yoshi-P's statement. After all, he did say that Viera won't adhere to a child-like aesthetic and that they wouldn't be based off of Alphinaud either. Which is what a lot of the suggestions put forward resemble!

I'm not so sure about the fur thing personally? I mean, I'd like body hair ofc, but I heard there's like a max amount of options they will have? Maybe in their racial armor or something? idk

[SturmChurro]

I'm not so sure about the fur thing personally? I mean, I'd like body hair ofc, but I heard there's like a max amount of options they will have? Maybe in their racial armor or something? idk

From what I gather, and I may be wrong, each option takes up another means of customization. So like, if there was a tuft of fur, and it was a customizable option, it would take up the place of something else, something like ear/ear size would take up that slot, hyur have muscle slider. If the tuft of fur was permanent to the body, or maybe added to features (?) it could work, I think. I'm not exactly sure how their character creation works, and I am probably wrong, but that's what I've gathered.

Personally I wouldn't want the tuft of fur, I think it it would look dumb, but that's just me. Rather, I wouldn't want it permanent to the character, if it was an option I wouldn't mind, but we might not get a choice. Still I probably wouldn't play a male viera, so I don't really have a horse in this race.

[Gwenorai]

From what I gather, and I may be wrong, each option takes up another means of customization. So like, if there was a tuft of fur, and it was a customizable option, it would take up the place of something else, something like ear/ear size would take up that slot, hyur have muscle slider. If the tuft of fur was permanent to the body, or maybe added to features (?) it could work, I think. I'm not exactly sure how their character creation works, and I am probably wrong, but that's what I've gathered.

Personally I wouldn't want the tuft of fur, I think it it would look dumb, but that's just me. Rather, I wouldn't want it permanent to the character, if it was an option I wouldn't mind, but we might not get a choice. Still I probably wouldn't play a male viera, so I don't really have a horse in this race.

I wouldn't mind the hair turf since it would separate them out a little from the females. I don't know like this is an unseen part of the race - it gives them the opportunity to make the males be a lot more than just a duplicate of the females with just male aesthetic. I would love the hair turf, but I'd also want them to have jackalope horns as well. I think that'd be so cool. The only issue with the horns would be that they would be tied to the face though - I imagine. As well as clipping, but aura go through that problem every waking day.

As long as the hair turf didn't take up something else in customisation. I could deal with it.

Also, I was reading about Hares and this stuck out.

'Rabbits tend to be social animals that live in groups. Hares spend most of their time by themselves, only pairing up occasionally to mate.' So, it seems that the males and all that are just separate for the sake of following their animal inspiration. 'Hares'. Part of me wonders if they even care about being alone, or if the males actually enjoy it and thus it's a reward for them to live alone.

I also can't see any information where the male hare is smaller than the females. And of course, there are also the mating habits where a male will find the females and mate with several of them before going off. I guess that's why they're classes as polygamous and promiscuous during the mating season. It wouldn't be that much of a stretch since Miqote has the same deal. So, unless it's not as simple as it seems to be and they're not basing the males on their aggressive animal counterparts then there could be size difference. Otherwise, from what I can see so far - male hares are not that different in size to the females, from what I can see so far. I'll continue to flick through the internet and check, but eh, none of these websites mention a huge size difference - if at all. That being said, there's no reason for the dudes to be different in size than the females, we can't keep using the 'rabbit' argument - they're not rabbits.

Edit: Senn posted some examples of some species of Hare being smaller than the females in regards to the weight which is genuinely a >%5 difference. I stand by my argument that it's really not worth making them smaller regarding that - and if they were then the males shouldn't be smaller in height, but have less fat. Which is the case, the males have zero body fat. The females, however, do have curves and have fat retention.

[Senn]

...

"Hares and jackrabbits are leporids belonging to the genus Lepus"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hare

There is a trend of female hares (Jills) being larger than male hares (Jacks).

Lepus nigricollis - Regardless of location, female L. nigricollis tend to be larger than males.
https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Lepus_nigricollis/

Lepus califomicus - In Kansas, sexual dimorphism exists in mass and length of adults; females are larger than males. As the breeding season begins, difference in mass between sexes increases until a maximum is reached in mid-summer. Toward the end of the breeding season in late summer, males begin to gain mass and females to lose mass. After the breeding season, mass is nearly the same for both sexes.
https://watermark.silverchair.com/53...1BebEH_JJ164RA

Lepus timidus / Mountain hare - Females tend to be larger than males.
http://wildpro.twycrosszoo.org/S/0ML...us_timidus.htm

[Gwenorai]

"Hares and jackrabbits are leporids belonging to the genus Lepus"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hare

There is a trend of female hares (Jills) being larger than male hares (Jacks).

Lepus nigricollis - Regardless of location, female L. nigricollis tend to be larger than males.
https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Lepus_nigricollis/

Lepus califomicus - In Kansas, sexual dimorphism exists in mass and length of adults; females are larger than males. As the breeding season begins, difference in mass between sexes increases until a maximum is reached in mid-summer. Toward the end of the breeding season in late summer, males begin to gain mass and females to lose mass. After the breeding season, mass is nearly the same for both sexes.
https://watermark.silverchair.com/53...1BebEH_JJ164RA

Lepus timidus / Mountain hare - Females tend to be larger than males.
http://wildpro.twycrosszoo.org/S/0ML...us_timidus.htm

Ah, but they're described as hares in the game Senn, not rabbits. Even the dictionary term for leporine means Hare rather than a rabbit.
leporine
/ˈlɛpərʌɪn/
adjective
of or resembling a hare or hares.
I suppose it will also depend on which 'hare' they're going after, as it doesn't seem to be overly common as there are multiple breeds of hares that do not have this. Or those writing the articles find that the differences between them are not something that is worth mentioning, while with rabbits it's a lot more clear. A 0.3 KG difference is more akin to 'weight' rather than height. Males burn off more than the females, female mammals also retain fat more - this is seen throughout the biology of all mammals, though males tend to be bigger in both muscle mass and just genuine 'unit size'.

As seen here Brown Hare Information Which talks about dimorphism, but it's less than 5% and is regarding their weight, not overall size.

To clarify, jackrabbits are hares, even if it includes the word "rabbit" in the name.

"Jackrabbits are actually hares, not rabbits."
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/a...ed-jackrabbit/

Lepus timidus go by many other alternative names such as mountain hare, arctic hare, snow hare, jackrabbit, and so on.

Aye, I figured as much - but I feel the need to drive home they're not rabbits but Hares, haha. I am curious on which hare the Viera are based off of. Or did they just take the simple idea of the 'Hare' and leave it at that. Either way the tiny weight difference between them should be nothing to get excited about.

[zeylos]

From what I gather, and I may be wrong, each option takes up another means of customization. So like, if there was a tuft of fur, and it was a customizable option, it would take up the place of something else, something like ear/ear size would take up that slot, hyur have muscle slider. If the tuft of fur was permanent to the body, or maybe added to features (?) it could work, I think. I'm not exactly sure how their character creation works, and I am probably wrong, but that's what I've gathered.

Personally I wouldn't want the tuft of fur, I think it it would look dumb, but that's just me. Rather, I wouldn't want it permanent to the character, if it was an option I wouldn't mind, but we might not get a choice. Still I probably wouldn't play a male viera, so I don't really have a horse in this race.

U have a say ofc, since even if u might not main it u might be tempted to make an alt, or just prefer seeing them look better, and eveyrone's opinions are worth listening to.

Personally, If there's fur I wouldn twant it to replace the ears, and I wouldnt like/ think they would do actual tuff, since that means resources and they'll likely use as few as they can to have them set for 6.0 without exhausting their team too much, I'd rather get body hair, or, if Im completely honest, a muscle slider would be even better.

I think u are right on how customization works