Male Viera as a playable character! show your support

[Theodric]

I suppose it's something of a tradition at this point for the thread to go in such a direction. How unfortunate!

Though as others have said, there's already a thread devoted to female hrothgar. I also doubt one of the missing genders would be added without the other.

[Senn]

I suppose it's something of a tradition at this point for the thread to go in such a direction. How unfortunate!

That's weird, don't you steer this thread in that direction as well? I mean, I tend to take long breaks from this thread, and when I came back to check up on things, I see you're still going off.

I'm hoping the development team realise that the demand for ugly male characters and men dressing up in feminine/androgynous attire just isn't very high and that the vast majority of people playing male characters simply want more good looking, conventionally attractive options.

Just because you don't like it doesn't mean other people find it ugly. And how do you know the demand "isn't very high", or that the vast majority like what you like?

[SturmChurro]

Just because you don't like it doesn't mean other people find it ugly. And how do you know the demand "isn't very high", or that the vast majority like what you like?

Theo was stating facts.

[Theodric]

That's weird, don't you steer this thread in that direction as well? I mean, I tend to take long breaks from this thread, and when I came back to check up on things, I see you're still going off.

What direction would that be? As for taking breaks, that's your right - though some of us are more eager to push for male viera to be added than others I suppose.

Just because you don't like it doesn't mean other people find it ugly. And how do you know the demand "isn't very high", or that the vast majority like what you like?

Well, for one thing Lauront's poll earlier on in the thread revealed that the majority of those who responded wanted male viera to be fairly well-built and classically handsome. Which, in turn, are traits that consistently prove popular across the board in various different forms of media.

If you're interested, maybe it'd be worth picking out that picture you like so much in the OP and combining it with the image from Zeylos' signature, asking people on the street which of the two they'd prefer to interact with. I think the results would prove fascinating.

[Zanarkand-Ronso]

Frankly this thread has run its course a few dosen pages ago.
Only reason its still going is because of random drama and Derailment. That and the Cookie-Cutter "I want this/Support it" posts.

Be lying if I said I dont find it all entertaining sometimes

[Senn]

As for taking breaks, that's your right - though some of us are more eager to push for male viera to be added than others I suppose.

Are you implying that I'm less eager to push for male viera to be added because I take breaks? That bait tho

Well, for one thing Lauront's poll earlier on in the thread revealed that the majority of those who responded wanted male viera to be fairly well-built and classically handsome. Which, in turn, are traits that consistently prove popular across the board in various different forms of media.

Yeah, a western audience might like it. Though in the JP forum, I saw the opposite. Images of the more slender male viera were positively received. At one point, I had linked to the thread. Unfortunately, many NA forum goers went in to "like" the buffer version of viera, skewing the results. Was pretty unfortunate and embarrassing.

I know it can be confusing when I say androgynous, but what I'm talking about is something similar to Omega M. Whether that counts as androgynous or not, I don't really know or care. However, that slender physique seems to be popular - perhaps because it's kind of similar to anime protagonists and whatnot.

It really depends which group of people you ask.

In any case, we already have buff characters in the form of highlander, roegadyn, and au ra. We also have well-built characters such as midlander, elezen, and miqo'te.

Perhaps the slender type of character may not appeal to the "vast majority" of westerners - but in my opinion, I would say a very good portion would still be interested in such a physique.

Anyway, we already know that a race's potential popularity isn't necessarily the deciding factor on whether a certain type of race or physique will be added to the game. Take hothgar for example.

[Theodric]

Are you implying that I'm less eager to push for male viera to be added because I take breaks? That bait tho

How is it bait? I was merely speculating on your motives, as you speculated on mine.

As for the rest of your post, there was a recent character poll for Japanese players of Final Fantasy games to rate their favourite Final Fantasy characters and athletic/classically handsome men consistently placed very high. Along with some of the beefier male characters.

When it comes to the typical Final Fantasy protagonists, they resemble Midlander men more than anything else. They're not usually very skinny or androgynous (at least not in the way that is similar to the art you're pushing).

I'd also note that Yoshi-P has thankfully ruled out child-like viera as an option, so the chance of them being designed to be even shorter and less well-built than Midlander or Miqo'te men is very, uh, slim.

After all, a line has to be draw somewhere.

[Senn]

When it comes to the typical Final Fantasy protagonists, they resemble Midlander men more than anything else. They're not usually very skinny or androgynous (at least not in the way that is similar to the art you're pushing).

You keep using the phrase classically handsome, but you're using it to describe a broad range of things. I recall at one point you referring to miqo'te as classically handsome, which I found kind of strange since there's nothing "classic" about their appearance.

I think I found the ranking you were referring to. Wasn't Zidane ranked #3, and Bartz #6? Both are pretty slim guys. The other high ranking ones like Zack, Cloud, and Tidus are closer to midlanders, yes. Though they have a very distinctive JRPG style to them and are unlike big buff men like highlanders. Like I said, popularity isn't necessarily the deciding factor, though I do think a slender type of character would be popular and would fill in a niche I feel we are missing with male characters.

Edit:
and now that I'm looking at him, Vincent appears to be a pretty slender character as well. He ranked #10. Looks like we have some slender gents in our top 10 list afterall.

[Duskane]

Frankly this thread has run its course a few dosen pages ago.
Only reason its still going is because of random drama and Derailment. That and the Cookie-Cutter "I want this/Support it" posts.

Be lying if I said I dont find it all entertaining sometimes

Mate...thats every thread...

[Theodric]

The likes of Vincent and Bartz resemble Midlanders. They don't resemble this:

I made an edit to the concept art

I made the shoulders less broad, the neck a tad bit shorter, and removed the fur.

As stated by Yoshi-P, they're not going to add viera in a way that resembles child-like forms - which is essentially what you're pushing for, perhaps unintentionally, by asking for something shorter and skinnier than Midlander and Miqo'te men whilst also being extremely feminine/androgynous.

There's a cut off point where it simply begins to look inappropriate within the context of some of the situations that a playable character finds themselves in. As Yoshi-P has also elaborated on during recent official statements.

At any rate, I hope Matsuno has the final say over their design. He has a strong track record of creating character designs that are tall, well-built and classically handsome. I'd be fine with anything between 'Midlander', 'Highlander' and 'Au Ra'. Elezen work too, especially with Urianger's beefy biceps and broad shoulders at the forefront!