Viera Feet - Aren't they supposed to be digitigrade?

[Midareyukki]

These images...

*sigh* this is what I loved about FF12's Viera. Something always felt mystical about them, like this beauty that was staring at you in the face but was subtle and foreign. Strange, but not in the sense that it was odd and off-putting, but interesting, different, and probably what was the best part, it was alluring.

They were humanoids, you obviously saw yourself in their body, it wasn't animalistic. But there was something "natural" about them, like their animal traits were a clear representation of what they were meant to be. We often portray druids as these people who wear in all-natural clothes and adorn themselves rustically with stuff found in nature. And that's what I felt from Viera. That they were magical not just because they had a special relationship with the world they were in, but also because of their appearance. Like they were "Magic" incarnate. A force of nature in the shape of humans, but clearly not human.

What we have in FF14 just feels like Humans but with rabbit ears. There's nothing magical about that, it's no different than the Miqo'te we've seen before. Except Miqo'te have a lot more racial traits than even Viera do. Viera faces are different, yes, but skull structure alone isn't the factor that made them different, it feels minor. There's nothing magical about the Viera we have, and it's such a shame because Viera players genuinely love their characters. To most people, those feet may look weird at first. But when you take Viera as a whole with feet such as those, it really just adds to the Viera look. Otherwise, if I wanted a human with rabbit ears, I'd have gone Midlander with Gold Saucer tiaras.

Of course, this is from an "outsider looking in" perspective. Viera themselves should be the ones actually saying how they feel about those designs, not me. But from what I can see from Viera's reactions in general, racial traits being respected and enhanced seem to be a common sentiment.

I understand it's hard for a lot because it would require footwork to be adjusted to this over one race. So I can't pin the blame on the devs so blindly. But the alternative we're given brought down the glow Vieras otherwise had.

[Tsiron]

I've complained (and caught a lot of flak) about how basic the race designs in FFXIV basically since the beginning. I wish they all had a bit more going on to make them more than just humans with extra bits (even if fundamentally they'd all still be humanoid) but... yeah, like I said last page, they're not going to change their designs at this point. Maybe next MMO we'll see these concepts realized with a modicum more creativity...

[MikkoAkure]

I've complained (and caught a lot of flak) about how basic the race designs in FFXIV basically since the beginning. I wish they all had a bit more going on to make them more than just humans with extra bits (even if fundamentally they'd all still be humanoid) but... yeah, like I said last page, they're not going to change their designs at this point. Maybe next MMO we'll see these concepts realized with a modicum more creativity...

The problem with XIV from the beginning in 1.0 is that they decided to port over the races from FFXI in what was rumored to be an attempt to literally connect the games for players who played both and later explained as being spiritually linked. They then removed some of what made them unique too, like Miqo'te becoming humans with cat ears in XIV when they looked more animal-like in XI. And Roegadyn having their lizard tail cut off and an extra finger added. I wish we had different from XI and more uniquely separate appearances, but I can at least understand why they are similar for gear modeling reasons.

I don't have a problem with the Viera though. Digitigrade feet would look weird in XIV for a player race and they would require completely different shoe models than everyone else. This was mentioned before, but Viera came from FFTA originally, not FFXII, and in that game they had a mix of digitigrade feet and regular human feet so it's not like this is a giant break from lore and FF history. The pictures I was going to link are already on the front page of this thread with Viera from their first ever FF appearance having both human feet and rabbit feet depending on their class.

[ASkellington]

I wouldn't mind the OPTION or the option for a tail, but I never thought they would be digigrade.

I mean c'mon. Viera and Hrothgar are having issues getting hats, you really wanna extend that to shoes/boots?

[Midareyukki]

I wouldn't mind the OPTION or the option for a tail, but I never thought they would be digigrade.

I mean c'mon. Viera and Hrothgar are having issues getting hats, you really wanna extend that to shoes/boots?

I don't think this is ever going to happen. And you are right, there are better things to worry about right now.

For me, it just shows how much is lost when one makes a race in such an impulse. Not only this, but making a Hrothgar that looks like Kimahri is just as awkward. We have a very good approximation, but the hair and the horn don't fit. And they might have, had those options been considered. Same as these feet.

But we have what we have, and the best we can change are the things that we can bring up to standard. Which are hairstyles and headgear. Not to look any more different than we already do, because Square designed these races with this as their threshold. But to be up to par with everyone else.

[Shibi]

In real life - although they run on their toes - Rabbits are Plantigrade.

...and rather tasty. Baked in a slow oven with garlic and paprika and white wine, or in a rabbit and mushroom stew, or even put in a pie with a light gravy. Yumm!

[Jaquan]

I really fail to see how Vieras are supposed to be digitigrade if their default footwear are high heel shoes, which by design support entire foot. Yes more detail to their feet would be nice although probably unnoticed most of the time. If your leg is designed as Digitigrade wearing heels/stillettos would only cause you harm.

[Silverbane]

I really fail to see how Vieras are supposed to be digitigrade if their default footwear are high heel shoes.

Take a close look at the Viera tribal footgear.
Those "heels" aren't for standing on, they're for killing with.

[Jaquan]

Take a close look at the Viera tribal footgear.
Those "heels" aren't for standing on, they're for killing with.

Yet they're clearly standing on them. Supporting their entire foot.

[ronibosch]

I really fail to see how Vieras are supposed to be digitigrade if their default footwear are high heel shoes, which by design support entire foot. Yes more detail to their feet would be nice although probably unnoticed most of the time. If your leg is designed as Digitigrade wearing heels/stillettos would only cause you harm.

Square designed them with digitigrade (or at least clawlike) feet in the previous games. They even had clawlike hands, or at least long nails. I don't expect their feet to look like that in this game of course, but Viera looked more "beastly" than they do in FFXIV.