Request: Hempen Garb - Racial Unlock

[ZephyrMenodora]

As long as you're aware that in the game world, it has religious significance for Highlanders. Suppose it's possible for a non-Highlander character to be raised in such a way that they'd also have a similar religious reason to wear it.

I'm not I wasn't aware there were religions in the game that other races were banned from following.

If it's too problematic they could just edit whatever the offending part of the shirt is then and make it plain instead I suppose.

Every other place we go the WoL can immediately dress similar to other citizens / cultures so not sure how this is more specific.

[Astronis]

I'm not

Now you are!

Every other place we go the WoL can immediately dress similar to other citizens / cultures so not sure how this is more specific.

Dozens and dozens of Highlander NPCs specifically wear this particular undershirt. That's why it's specific. Doesn't mean a mi'qote can't theoretically wear it, but it's as strongly associated with Ala Mhigan Highlanders as kimono are associated with people from Kugane. I'm honestly not sure why you need this explained.

But if all that is desired is some fetish wear, there's probably something in the level 96 armor range that will work out.

[ZephyrMenodora]

Now you are!



Dozens and dozens of Highlander NPCs specifically wear this particular undershirt. That's why it's specific. Doesn't mean a mi'qote can't theoretically wear it, but it's as strongly associated with Ala Mhigan Highlanders as kimono are associated with people from Kugane. I'm honestly not sure why you need this explained.

But if all that is desired is some fetish wear, there's probably something in the level 96 armor range that will work out.

Unless there is some lore entry on the shirt, most people would not know this.

We also have kimonos and other cultural wear that we are allowed to wear as characters. Should they remove all of that? Most of the FF cultures I've seen seem to enjoy sharing their culture with others afterall. We have entire events centered around sharing culture as a theme.

Also weird your mind immediately went to "fetishwear" over it maybe just working for a warrior?

I'm not really sure what you think you are explaining beyond there being some sort of lore most people have no reason of knowing, and maybe being excessively sensitive about this fictional culture.

[Astronis]

We also have kimonos and other cultural wear that we are allowed to wear as characters. Should they remove all of that?

Oh, I see. I made the mistake of thinking you spoke in good faith. I shall not do so again.

[ZephyrMenodora]

Oh, I see. I made the mistake of thinking you spoke in good faith. I shall not do so again.

*eyeroll* Moving on.

Never saw anyone cry cultural appropriation of fantasy racial gear. If people did this in ESO where people wear whatever looks good on their characters, and where a lot of gear has a specific race attached to it, it would be viewed as very weird because it is.

[Destati]

Hrothgar and Viera don't even have their own hempen underwear sets (they share it with Roegadyn and Hyur IIRC), at this point I don't think identity matters too much. (They still should get unique sets though).

[debleb]

For Highlanders in particular, their hempen undershirts are so characteristically Highlander that they get a mention in the Encyclopedia Eorzea, and dozens and dozens of Highlander NPCs wear them rather than something else. So those probably shouldn't be unlocked for other races. Male Au Ra and Elezen undershirts are pretty unique too (Au Ra actually wear that under anything?), but many of the rest seem to belong to other races already, so I don't see any reason not to make the rest more widely available.

But what if you’re, say, role playing a character who isn’t a Highlander, but was adopted and raised by Highlanders? Wouldn’t they want to wear the religious garb of the culture they were raised in? What if you just don’t really care about the lore? After all, players can now glam the military uniform of a Dragoon over their leather working kit, and presumably culturally sensitive clothes like priests’ vestments, headdresses from Tural, and other ceremonial outfits are available to wear for all races and genders, so the religious/cultural significance of a particular piece of clothing is clearly not usually a major concern for gear design in this game.

[Astronis]

But what if you’re, say, role playing a character who isn’t a Highlander, but was adopted and raised by Highlanders? Wouldn’t they want to wear the religious garb of the culture they were raised in? What if you just don’t really care about the lore? After all, players can now glam the military uniform of a Dragoon over their leather working kit, and presumably culturally sensitive clothes like priests’ vestments, headdresses from Tural, and other ceremonial outfits are available to wear for all races and genders, so the religious/cultural significance of a particular piece of clothing is clearly not usually a major concern for gear design in this game.

That’s why I said “probably”. Highlander undershirt is the only one that is clearly cultural (enough that it got a mention in a lore book), though elezen and male au ra’s are unique enough they could be too, so not doing all the work to remodel and port it for other body types makes sense, but there are perfectly good lore reasons players would want to use it. And yeah, plenty of people don’t care about the lore (though SE presumably does, and it took them years to unlock gear for everyone *because* they care about the lore!). I’ve seen the mods people make of that particular clothing item. People want it for fetish gear. Which…OK, sure, that’s a fair reason to want it too, but let’s at least be honest, if SE did the work to port that clothing item to all body types, all the Hrothgar in their speedos and Highlander hempen undershirts we’d see in Limsa wouldn’t be there because they are roleplaying adoptees!

[Iscah]

For Highlanders in particular, their hempen undershirts are so characteristically Highlander that they get a mention in the Encyclopedia Eorzea

As long as you're aware that in the game world, it has religious significance for Highlanders.

You keep saying this but not providing details. Are you talking about this sentence from the page on the Hyur clans?

With a spiritual tradition dating back to times of yore, Highlanders are known to sport wood-carved talismans woven into their underclothes, and votive tattoos adorning their bodies.

While this does indicate that the talismans Highlanders specifically would make are significant to them, in a world where magic is as real as other considerations for survival, this is a practical rather than religious and superstitious thing to do.

(Also congratulations, you have more lore about tattoo symbolism than the Duskwights get.)

[Iscah]

From memory, an overall list of where the hempen underwear sets have been used:

General usage:
- Gold Saucer's "Lords and Ladies of the Dance" (back when that FATE was a thing)
- Rowena's employees in Mor Dhona
(in both cases mixed with beachwear tops for races where the hempen top didn't suit the vibe)

Midlander/Viera - gets general usage in crowd scenes but isn't anything distinctive.

Highlander: worn by the refugees in Little Ala Mhigo but generally not by the inhabitants of Gyr Abania.

Elezen: used by some members of the Prima Vista performers, including conspicuously a Hyur wearing a resized version of the outfit. This has turned up again on a Hyur in The Merchant's Tale's portrayal of Corvos.

Lalafell: tends to get avoided for general usage, doesn't look like anything precious.

Roegadyn/Hrothgar: used generically, unlikely to be special.

Miqo'te: Y'shtola wears the top for sleepwear.

Au Ra: some fishermen south of Mol Iloh are wearing the male top, so this can be assumed to be traditional Xaela gear. Female top is likely more modern and gets avoided in general usage.

(Also of note: Hrothgar starter gear is used as Xbr'aal cultural gear worn in Iq Br'aax, not associated with the cultural group that is described to a new player starting the game and picking a character.)