Suggestion: Use Any New Races as a Means for Additional Story (and Boosting)

[Shurrikhan]

Now I know a lot of you will be thrown off at first by that last parenthetical portion, but hear me out. I'm sure this view won't be popular even then, but I'd like to put this forward as at least a sort of gauging experiment.

At present, any new race added is added without in-play context. There is in-game context, in that is lore telling us (though often little more than) that "Au'ra exist", for instance; but, there is zero impact on the way their story actually unfolds if one fantasias to or creates a new character of that race. The identity just isn't there. You could be a member of an endangered race and now make up 90% of the player-base, or join the Scions as a Garlean (if a race were essentially *gag* created off the mere addition of a forehead ornament) and there wouldn't be any variance whatsoever. You're still the silent-but-trustworthy-god-slaying-errand-boy.

Alternatively, the way things are currently does at least mean that new players need only buy a given expansion to be able to level under the appearance of a new race. And therefore it allows for a change in social scenery, so to speak, at the start of each race-inclusive expansion. But the addition comes as only that — appearance. There's no new content, no adaptation to put the story in a new light. And probably for good reason; as expensive as it is to adjust art assets for a new race, along with developing that race itself, it's probably far more expensive still to satisfactorily adjust NPC reactions to your character or create new storylines to fit or contextualize that race from its own point of view.

Yet, that is exactly what I'm suggesting here. And yes, the boosting portion is a part of that. I feel that any race added should be under the goal, first and foremost, of adding to the story of the game. To that end, I feel like race additions are best served through "hero" races of a sort, available only after encountering the new race or its storylines, and any character created in that new race running its own sort of leveling, accelerated according to your main's progress. His or her story would run parallel from the inside to the main's outside view of that race's storyline, possibly intersecting at multiple points. At the end of this period, either character can essentially "absorb" the other's progress and experience completely, remaining or becoming the new main, or both can continue on with whatever boosted progress was given. On continuation, the new character goes through an adjusted path into the MSQ (e.g. into the Scions) that actually fits and fulfills their differing circumstances.

Again, my priority here is that the race at least have in-play context, that their addition feels "right" and really adds something to the feel of their expansion, not just as a sales gimmick. I understand that this approach has at least as many draw-backs, but I'd like to hear where your own priorities lie. This was merely an illustration of mine. What's yours?

The game doesn't need new races, FFXI was fine with the original 5 and still is 15 years later, 'classes' make for alternative play-styles in MMOs, races are largely cosmetic and the 5 we started with are more than sufficient.

Oh, I'm not arguing that. I'm just saying that IF another race is to be added, it should ONLY be added with all due context and application as (lore/story/thematic) content in itself.

[Bloody]

While I agree that they could have done more to incorporate Au'Ra into the storyline more as to why they appeared suddenly, I think they did a decent job with Yugiri and Sid (Drk 51-60 NPC) to bring them in and show their own nuances. If any more races are added in the future (not really hyped on it, prefer more options for current and please god no Viera), a stronger story/lore connection would be interesting.

[Dustytome]

I think I get the concept you're going for, but I don't think it works for anyone playing on a single character account unless they gave you a free fantasia upon coming across this new race.

[Shurrikhan]

I think I get the concept you're going for, but I don't think it works for anyone playing on a single character account unless they gave you a free fantasia upon coming across this new race.

That's more or less what I was suggesting through that optional "merge" of the two storylines. That said, we'd clearly need to allow an extra second character slot with the expansion. I forgot that was a thing -- legacy here.

[Serilda]

I'm still waiting for them to make some of the original player races story-relevant, let alone new ones.

I don't change races ever once I've made a character I like, so new races aren't of much interest to me in this game (it would be different if you had to reroll to try new jobs as with most other MMORPGs). If I did make an Au Ra with Heavensward, I would find it a burden to play both characters and weird to combine them with my Duskwight's mottled past. But that's just my opinion as I think in roleplay terms and my sense of identity is quite strong.

[Masekase_Hurricane]

I thought the Au Ra was covered well in the story. Mor dhona was built up to house all the refugees, although we never seen all these refugees. When we eventually got the race we essentially became the refugees thus fitting into the story.

[Pintsized]

What's yous?

The game doesn't need new races, FFXI was fine with the original 5 and still is 15 years later, 'classes' make for alternative play-styles in MMOs, races are largely cosmetic and the 5 we started with are more than sufficient.