Tonberry, as a playable race.

[Lirion]

I like the mysterious nature of the Tonberrys, wouldn't want that being ruined by seeing countless of them running around everywhere.

[RoxyLalonde]

Guess I will have to be a bit more serious about my explanation. Seeing as it's now under scrutinization.
Immersion
A tonberry playable race would be a serious detriment to the current and proposed future state of immersion into the game. Tonberry's have always been a minimally verbal race if not completely non verbal in some games. They have almost always been an antagonist to all living things as well. Seeing as they simply hunt people down and kill them.
13-2 allows you to capture monsters and convert them to your side but they are converted there is no inherent urge in the tonberry's created nature to want to assist people. Tonberry's main action and goal seems to be to stab things and watch them die while moving incredibly slow. Thusly in FFXIV the tonberry would require a transformation into a human like creature, because they are removing non-humanoid features from the races. It would also require some lore to turn it INTO this humanoid creature... but not only that it would also by virtue require this method to give them enough time to build a city and society with basic principles and development of battle arts and magic either through cultural diffusion from the primary 5 races or by self discovery. After that, it would require the tonberry(humanoid) race to then develop and foster relations with said primary 5 races as to allow them to freely live breathe and have equal rights in these races cities, while not negating the fact that the 5 races are also highly bigoted and racist against anything besides cat girls (who do in their defense have high verbal skills as well as mostly humanoid forms) As seen in the case of the beastmen tribes, Moogle's Sylphs Amal Ixal Cobal all are fairly verbal but lack distinctly humanoid features to the taste of Eorzean's. So much so that they aren't even considered to be worthy of burial or mercy.
Thusly the implementation of a tonberry race would be highly difficult and they would be an undercast and mistreated segment of the Eorzean population that would be trash to them.
Thusly, if tonberry's suddenly popped up it would annoy everyone due to the fact it would break highly from the common characteristics this game has been appreciated for.
That is why, I said they would do well as a summon, or a lesser beastman tribe (like the sylphs or moogles who aren't hated but still treated with odd regard.) I hope you enjoy my elaboration on my statement since you seemed to be requesting clarification.

[Elexia]

I like the mysterious nature of the Tonberrys, wouldn't want that being ruined by seeing countless of them running around everywhere.

Well the only mystery to their nature was honestly given in FFXI, prior to that it was mostly fanfiction since most of the FF games rarely touched on any Tonberry style backstory.

[Cailae]

I always hoped/wanted Qiqirn to be playable, myself. In XI they had friendly relations with the 5 races, even running shops and such in town.

A strong argument could be made to make them playable.

[Firon]

Well the only mystery to their nature was honestly given in FFXI, prior to that it was mostly fanfiction since most of the FF games rarely touched on any Tonberry style backstory.

pretty sure that's why he used the word mysterious

[Jinrya-Geki]

Guess I will have to be a bit more serious about my explanation. Seeing as it's now under scrutinization.
Immersion
A tonberry playable race would be a serious detriment to the current and proposed future state of immersion into the game. Tonberry's have always been a minimally verbal race if not completely non verbal in some games. They have almost always been an antagonist to all living things as well. Seeing as they simply hunt people down and kill them.
13-2 allows you to capture monsters and convert them to your side but they are converted there is no inherent urge in the tonberry's created nature to want to assist people. Tonberry's main action and goal seems to be to stab things and watch them die while moving incredibly slow. Thusly in FFXIV the tonberry would require a transformation into a human like creature, because they are removing non-humanoid features from the races. It would also require some lore to turn it INTO this humanoid creature... but not only that it would also by virtue require this method to give them enough time to build a city and society with basic principles and development of battle arts and magic either through cultural diffusion from the primary 5 races or by self discovery. After that, it would require the tonberry(humanoid) race to then develop and foster relations with said primary 5 races as to allow them to freely live breathe and have equal rights in these races cities, while not negating the fact that the 5 races are also highly bigoted and racist against anything besides cat girls (who do in their defense have high verbal skills as well as mostly humanoid forms) As seen in the case of the beastmen tribes, Moogle's Sylphs Amal Ixal Cobal all are fairly verbal but lack distinctly humanoid features to the taste of Eorzean's. So much so that they aren't even considered to be worthy of burial or mercy.
Thusly the implementation of a tonberry race would be highly difficult and they would be an undercast and mistreated segment of the Eorzean population that would be trash to them.
Thusly, if tonberry's suddenly popped up it would annoy everyone due to the fact it would break highly from the common characteristics this game has been appreciated for.
That is why, I said they would do well as a summon, or a lesser beastman tribe (like the sylphs or moogles who aren't hated but still treated with odd regard.) I hope you enjoy my elaboration on my statement since you seemed to be requesting clarification.

Chocobo Black Mages, they have no verbal understandable language, yet they are you ally and can cast spells. So Why couldn't I be a tonberry if I wanted to be?

As far as beastmen go, you have the mixture of good and evil. Hence why you see some beastmen in the city. So why can't there be good tonberries?

Why would you need to make them more humanoid, you clearly see what jobs the moogles are by the hats they wear. It would just be full sets of armor instead of a helmet. Hell you could just make it helmets from tonberry and the armor would always be the signature cloaks, I wouldn't care.

[Inaaca]

Chocobo Black Mages, they have no verbal understandable language, yet they are you ally and can cast spells. So Why couldn't I be a tonberry if I wanted to be?

His point was that players talk, which sort of conflicts with Tonberrys being a perpetually silent creature. Chocobos aren't player controlled (at least not in the sense that it's supposed to be "you") so it doesn't really apply here.

[Elexia]

Depends on backstory given considering most iterations of tonberries were just generic enemies usually in high level dungeons. For example in XI we seen 2 variations: Cryptonberry and Tonberry. The tonberry as we know are the remnants of the Kuluu race, while Cryptonberry were also tonberries, they were a different sect with a different belief.

Even in XI they're enemies for the sole purpose of you being one of Altana's children since they felt Altana disgraced their goddess. In most FF games, they're just another iconic FF enemy for the most part. So they don't always have to be evil, it just points in that direction if you look at every FF game. Much like goblins were usually one of the first if not the first enemy you encounter in most FF games lol.

The Qiqirn are neutral creatures which is why there's some aggressive ones and some passive and some friendly (blackmarket), you could see them as a race because their backstory in both games essentially shows them as just another race for hire much like Goblins. (XI)

[Jinrya-Geki]

His point was that players talk, which sort of conflicts with Tonberrys being a perpetually silent creature. Chocobos aren't player controlled (at least not in the sense that it's supposed to be "you") so it doesn't really apply here.

Chocobos have been controlable characters though, Final Fantasy Tatics.

[RoxyLalonde]

Aside from chocobo dungeons, there are no cases of chocobos going on adventures to save the world. There was a half mad half esper girl and a variety of summoners, knights, and various other characters (most games having exclusively human protagonists.) but no there have never been a group of chocobos who went about to save the world. There have also never been tonberries doing this same activity. Because they are monster's or animals. Sometimes the games let you have a few seconds of controlling or being one of these creatures... and sure that can be a side quest "get disguised as tonberry" quest but, there isn't much to defend your argument. a few seconds as a moomba here a couple seconds disguised as a mob. most often when a character is disguised however, it's often as an enemy soldier... or in clouds case... a woman. The reason there won't be tonberries or moogles released as PC's is the same reason that Lalafels are a lot taller then Taru's... people complained they couldn't see or enjoy their gear.
Everything in XIV has been highly humanized... notice how lalafels don't talk like they are taking xanex and the miqo'te aren't rolling their R's like it's a job class... Because they have become "civilized" frankly tonberry moogle qiqiran and the like just aren't the direction that this game is heading... as we can see it now. Who knows about the future.