Quote Originally Posted by reivaxe View Post
Popularity is mostly about execution of design, not concept.
Please don't redefine words, the meaning of popularity, conform to the dictionary is: "The state or condition of being liked, admired, or supported by many people."
"Not trying to make the most popular thing is one thing, using that as an excuse to make something utterly unpopular for a game is another"? You don't know how popular they will be until they come out that is an objective fact, as well as that beast races are a niche not everyone enjoys. YP already said that popularity is not something they are concerned with when making this race, so why not go all out and make them the female version of the Warrior archetype like the males? I don't see why is there such fear in this. Female Lalafel aren't taller or more feminine, they have almost the same body as the males (If not identical, I seriously can't tell). With the Roegadin you have the somewhat standard-looking bodybuilders, which is your only variation from the norm. So why not let Hrothgar be different, like the males (but with more feminine features)?
I agree, a lot of people didn't play Viera and Hrothgar in the beginning because of the gear problems. But just this year SE did try and rectify this in order to make hair more accessible. And that is why if you check the race analytics at endgame Viera is almost double in numbers than Elezen males and almost as many as Miquo'te males. And that is for both Genders, not to say that even Hrothgar succeeds Female Elezen and both Roe's female and male! These races are liked for their appearance and features, the restrictions are the problems! Now that they are slowly fixed, people go back to them!
" I don't think they're gonna be AS beast presenting as the males." That is where I hope you are wrong. Cause the solution to make them more feminine is not to take away from the beastly features, but to make their bodies more feminine and that can easily be solved by: giving them a more feminine shape. Just like you said with the faces, the base is not a human face, but a feline one with human elements to create ease of reading expressions.
And the warrior archetype. A lot of people when I say this think of the stereotypical muscular barbarian that looks like he eats steroids every 2 hours. And so think that I am advocating for females to be that big and impossibly muscular for the female anatomy. But what I am asking for instead is the "Female warrior archetype", think of: Wonderwoman, Valkyrie, The female Vikings and even the female Hun warriors.
There are tons of good interpretations of strong warrior women, why should we just narrow our view to the already existing types for the sake of "will they be popular?" since that is a non-issue, this is a subscription MMO and the items on the cash shop as well as in-game fit all races and there is no incentive to pick one race over the other on the simple basis that is all aesthetic.