Male Viera as a playable character! show your support

[WhiteArchmage]

So even if they have a focus or purpose in the narrative it still wont have an impact? I find that hard to believe.
What if the headgear situation is solved and they make improvements as a whole to CC because of it? Will it still not have an impact?

Yeaaaah I'm with you on this one. I don't see how it wouldn't have an impact or whatever if they were released in 7.0. It would even fit, with Au Ra being released in 3.0, half the Viera and Hroth on 5.0, and the other half on 7.0. Odd numbered expansions and 4 years between each.

Heck, I'm less concerned about WHEN they arrive than that they DO at some point. If it's in 6.0 by some miracle of game development amidst a global pandemic, sweet, praise be Yoshi-P or whatever. But from his answers it comes off more as "We'll keep that on the 'maybe' pile until we manage to find a way to make them without killing our team."

Until then I'm not even as bothered as I was 2 years ago. I'm... semi-ok with Viera (I still want hats, and more hairstyles, sure); Radz-at-Han is somewhere I've wanted to go since ARR, and 6.0 is supposed to be the end of the Zodiark/Hydaelin storyline. Male Viera and Fem Hroth will come when it comes... I mean, at some point they might as well make some NPCs than twist themselves trying to go "Yeah, you see, there's a lot of lady lions... over there... off-screen..."

Obviously people are free to disagree, but generally I'm hoping 6.0 is willing to stop with the fake deaths. I swear, if Y'shtola 'dies' again only to come back minutes later...

I swear to Zodiark if that woman casts Flow one more time...

[Zanarkand-Ronso]

Back then, actions seemed to hold more consequence in general. The political intrigue didn't always work out in favour of the protagonists, either. The Crystal Braves storyline is an excellent example - it had a slow build up to be sure, though the betrayal at the end of it? That was brutal. Raubahn, a major character, lost an arm. Nanamo was poisoned (in what turned out to be a counterplay by Lord Lolorito) and the Scions were forced to retreat to Ishgard. There, two major companions who spent a lot of time with the Warrior of Light perished.

Since then, pretty much every major death has just been either an antagonist or very minor character. We're told that a particular plot device is super dangerous and risky, only it doesn't actually end up having any dramatic or obvious drawbacks. (I'm looking at you, G'raha Tia).

IX, XII and VII are my favourite Final Fantasy titles because they handled the fanservice for antagonists and protagonists in a more balanced manner. FFXIV just seems...scared, I guess, to do anything bold.

We already know that Lyse is 99.9% safe despite the 'shocking' teaser of someone lunging towards her at the end of the 5.4 MSQ's. She's shown sitting at a table in Ala Mhigo in the 5.5 MSQ preview.

Obviously people are free to disagree, but generally I'm hoping 6.0 is willing to stop with the fake deaths. I swear, if Y'shtola 'dies' again only to come back minutes later...

Ill need to review the Transference thing from the 1st to the Source, Im not remembering this big risk to it. I vaguely recall that they seemed to have found a way to make it work without a hitch. So I guess I can agree that they kinda just took out the threat as soon as they mentioned it, so I feel like its non existent.
I was more interested in how they got back, as suppose to the risks of how.

The Crystal Braves arc was great, but I think more so that it was character development for Alphi who seriously needed it, and it was further developed in HW. Plus backstory for Rau who had another moment to ensure us how much of a badass he is. I think these moments for me were less about the story telling being interesting and gritty, and more that they made some characters better to me.
Maybe its just the values we have in story telling. idk lol

I dont think any deaths of the Scions is necessary. But if they are gonna hint at it, they should at least follow through. Yes.

[Starshower]

I was hopeful for news on the may fanfest, but it's pretty clear to me now that we won't get the missing genders this coming expansion. However, I'd expect at least some character creator updates for viera and hrothgar. They said they were working on new hairstyles a long time ago, and it's not like this would take the same effort as adding new races or genders. I don't think they'll be able to wear hats, but at least some new hairstyles? even if just two?


And hrothgars could change their faces on the aesthetician. Buying a fantasia just to chaange hairs is still crazy. They could expand the aesthetician and allow us to change eye color, faces, and other minor plastic surgery for gil, and keep fantasia for changing race and gender. That's the bare minimum of expanded customization, but it still feels like asking for too much somehow.

[Amnmaat]

So even if they have a focus or purpose in the narrative it still wont have an impact? I find that hard to believe

Story narrative? MSQ has 0 effect on adding races/missing genders.
They just added Bozja; they easily found a way to skirt around female Hrothgar.

They would have done so as well if female Viera/male Hrothgar didn't exist. It would have been jungle Roegadyns and jungle Miqo'te at the Rak'tika Greatwood.

What if the headgear situation is solved and they make improvements as a whole to CC because of it? Will it still not have an impact?

Fixing a mistake they themselves made (lack of hair and hats) is on them.
Your example is like comparing the Gpose stickers to Bozja.

What I find comical is the fact that Yoshida said to have high expectations when it came to 6.0. What high expectations? This is a return to a barebones expansion like Stormblood. Maybe this time we get a dungeon every even patch because it's too much, it's been the trend 3 expansions in a row.

[Zanarkand-Ronso]

Story narrative? MSQ has 0 effect on adding races/missing genders.
They just added Bozja; they easily found a way to skirt around female Hrothgar.

They would have done so as well if female Viera/male Hrothgar didn't exist. It would have been jungle Roegadyns and jungle Miqo'te at the Rak'tika Greatwood.

Fixing a mistake they themselves made (lack of hair and hats) is on them.
Your example is like comparing the Gpose stickers to Bozja.

What I find comical is the fact that Yoshida said to have high expectations when it came to 6.0. What high expectations? This is a return to a barebones expansion like Stormblood. Maybe this time we get a dungeon every even patch because it's too much, it's been the trend 3 expansions in a row.

Im saying if they wrote "The Missing Genders" INTO the narrative. Your saying putting them into the game X amount of time later wont have an impact on the game.
My counter-argument is; even if they are apart of the MSQ? Hard to believe that wouldn't have an impact.

Are you saying you can't think of anything they could put into the game to make it exciting other then Male Viera?
So the talks about the theme and story of the next raid isn't exciting, Anima being put in isn't exciting, and new jobs arn't exciting? Even if every expansion gets those things, you have no high expectations of these things being exciting and enriching the game?

Just...Male Viera, nothing else matters?

[Amnmaat]

Im saying if they wrote "The Missing Genders" INTO the narrative. Your saying putting them into the game X amount of time later wont have an impact on the game.
My counter-argument is; even if they are apart of the MSQ? Hard to believe that wouldn't have an impact.

Are you saying you can't think of anything they could put into the game to make it exciting other then Male Viera?
So the talks about the theme and story of the next raid isn't exciting, Anima being put in isn't exciting, and new jobs arn't exciting? Even if every expansion gets those things, you have no high expectations of these things being exciting and enriching the game?

Just...Male Viera, nothing else matters?

No. When something like new races aren't added I just wonder where they put those resources in, and so far those resources don't seem to be diverted into fixing character creator (at a small-scale level) or more content of any kind. The island farm is hard to quantify in terms of scale, but that's not what's going to make someone buy the new expansion or start the game altogether; something like body sliders in character creator or a new race is.

[Zanarkand-Ronso]

No. When something like new races aren't added I just wonder where they put those resources in, and so far those resources don't seem to be diverted into fixing character creator (at a small-scale level) or more content of any kind. The island farm is hard to quantify in terms of scale, but that's not what's going to make someone buy the new expansion or start the game altogether; something like body sliders in character creator or a new race is.

Or, more story. People like to argue it, but I hear nothing talked about more about XIV then its story. Which is the main focus and draw of the game. Its an MMO, but its still a JRPG, and the money goes into that.
Brand new exciting Trials, dungeons, QOL adjustments. These things have way more drive to buy an expansion and keep playing a game then a new race or updating your doll/avatar.

[WhiteArchmage]

No. When something like new races aren't added I just wonder where they put those resources in, and so far those resources don't seem to be diverted into fixing character creator (at a small-scale level) or more content of any kind. The island farm is hard to quantify in terms of scale, but that's not what's going to make someone buy the new expansion or start the game altogether; something like body sliders in character creator or a new race is.

Look, I get it, but consider that they didn't actually have 2 years straight to develop the expansion. After Covid hit, development pretty much halted for 2 months, and even now they're at 90% productivity and probably overworking JUST to get the thing out by Fall. So far we're still missing one FanFest worth of reveals, maybe there'll be a surprise (but likely not, see my post about the interview), or there'll be a buttload of other content that they managed to put out WITHOUT overworking the team to death.

I also want Male Viera, I've advocated for how race/gender combos and CC are the longest lasting content in the game and many other reasons they should be introduced; and if you feel the game isn't worth it without them, all the more power to you; but I don't need them to come NOW at the expense of the rest of the x-pac (and damn I'm actually hyped for Eorzea Valley).

One positive note? Yoshi-P's STILL taking the question. While it's not the answer we WANT to hear, we should really worry when he starts refusing to answer it or instructing media to stop asking it. It means he's still trying to add them.

[Zanarkand-Ronso]

One positive note? Yoshi-P's STILL taking the question. While it's not the answer we WANT to hear, we should really worry when he starts refusing to answer it or instructing media to stop asking it. It means he's still trying to add them.

TRUE! Very True.
As many times as its plopped in his face, no matter how many times it comes up, he never ignores it, he never tries to push it aside.

[Veritas-Ancora]

The way this is going there are 2 ways it will end:

1. Missing genders will be added and they're just reserving the announcement of it until May.

Or

2. They don't get added and the whole mess starts over from the beginning for another 2 years.

#2 is bound to happen, but I'm good for 4 years of this.
If it ends up at every single meeting for another two years, let it.