Gender locked race?

[Lauront]

Honestly, unsubbing is the only way to really get SE's attention. Even if it's only for a couple months it's the most powerful tool consumers have.

Yup, but that's the course Redcurrant is proposing to take. For me, it's not something that would push me over the tipping point, but I think it's a very negative design direction. Even BDO is starting to shy away from the gender locks.

I don't even mind the fact that the devs imbue the game with their more traditional Japanese mindset... I honestly find some of the "progressivism" in the US market to be cheapen games, as it's not what I turn to fantasy games for. However, I don't see how gender-locking Viera and introducing Hrothgar fits into this all, especially when they caved in and gave bunny outfits to both genders. At least with male Viera, they have full artistic direction so as to avoid making them cutesy. Why is it an issue now, after you can design very cutesy catboys with bunny ears? Hence, I don't take the 2013 remarks by Yoshi-P particularly seriously as an objection to male Viera.

I think if they are introducing Hrothgar, they will end up having to later on put in both genders. If that's the intention and they will simply "complete" each race later on in time, I've no real issue with it.

[ErysNight]

Yup, but that's the course Redcurrant is proposing to take. For me, it's not something that would push me over the tipping point, but I think it's a very negative design direction. Even BDO is starting to shy away from the gender locks.

I don't even mind the fact that the devs imbue the game with their more traditional Japanese mindset... I honestly find some of the "progressivism" in the US market to be cheapen games. However, I don't see how gender-locking Viera and introducing Hrothgar solves this problem, especially when they caved in and gave bunny outfits to both genders.

Honestly, with the number of documented times they've talked about development cost constraints (SE treats FFXIV as a cashcow and draws a ton of profit from it without giving them much of an increased budget for development), why even make a second race? It has to be considerably easier to just make male and females, avoid all the ire from the vocal minority and develop gear for the male counterpart to the females.

So I am really interested in their reasoning at this point. I need the JP fanfest now lol.

[Theodric]

I like cats. I want to play a big, beefy cat man.

By all means, add male Viera too - my beefy cat man will need something to chase around!

[Taykawai]

I don't like gender-locking races in principle. I can understand why it would be enough to drive someone to unsub.

Put me on the boat of "gender locking race = unsub". Breaking the possibility of player identity is a big nope for me.

[Shougun]

Put me on the boat of "gender locking race = unsub". Breaking the possibility of player identity is a big nope for me.

Out of curiosity would you stay subbed or resub if it was either mentioned to be added later or was?

Lets say your worst case scenario they make two genderlocked races giving whatever reason they give, if it was said to be happening later or did happen later = continue sub/resub?

[Lacan]

Just pls give us the man bunnies Yoshi. ;-;

[ErysNight]

Just pls give us the man bunnies Yoshi. ;-;

A reasonable post. That first "like" is from me.

[Tsumdere]

-snip-[/SIZE]

Yeah, the problem is we have no idea what Hrothgar are. They might chop off half of a very requested race to put in a new one that might not be what people were asking for at all. They aren't Ronso, because if they were they would be called Ronso. I'm also growint to be not so jazzed about having another feline race when there could be... buff bird boys? Or buff dog boys? Or buff elemental boys?
Not to mention, SOME of those people wanted playable beast girls too! All of the beast tribes that have been requested have both genders, all of which have been seen! Ronsos, Bangaas, and Lupin all have females. Maybe I want to play a Bangaa in a coeurl print bikini? Who is SE to stop me! D:<

And none taken, I never thought you were out to get me. I also clearly didn't elaborate what I meant in the first post judging by some of the responses to me lol.

They do look the same lol.

I engage you to consider the following though: Japan is a highly traditional country where even though in America we might be slightly more progressive... In Japan the typical "Sexy/soft female - Strong male" thing is their desired preset. It's ingrained in their culture as a patriarchal society.

So while they are a global company, they have to make certain accommodations (male bunny suit) they aren't going to jump with arms wide open into feminine bunnybois. This is represented in every anime trophe ever. But it's not as though strides haven't been made, we've seen some more progressive themes filter into the game little by little. But I mean keep in mind that this game is created by a japanese company. It's going to take time.

I used to live in Japan. In the country side. I am pretty familiar with Japanese culture. The older folk definitely hang onto the ways of the past, and that's who is running SE. They do need to open themselves up for being equal, because it hurts no one and benefits them.

An aside though, even when I lived there places like Ikebukuro and butler cafes were becoming very popular very fast, animes like Free!, Kuroko no Basuke, and Kuroshitsuji were absolutely mowing over the rest of them (let me tell you about how the girls in my dorms used to force the boys off of the TV so they could watch anime boys swim lol it was a bloodbath), and even game stores and hobby shops were selling increasing amounts of female-oriented stuff. I don't think it's Japan as a whole since the younger crowd is pretty damn progressive. You would have to wear blinders to think that female fans weren't everywhere in Japan and absolutely ravenous since companies are still not quite grasping that fact.

[ErysNight]

I used to live in Japan. In the country side. I am pretty familiar with Japanese culture. The older folk definitely hang onto the ways of the past, and that's who is running SE. They do need to open themselves up for being equal, because it hurts no one and benefits them.

An aside though, even when I lived there places like Ikebukuro and butler cafes were becoming very popular very fast, animes like Free!, Kuroko no Basuke, and Kuroshitsuji were absolutely mowing over the rest of them (let me tell you about how the girls in my dorms used to force the boys off of the TV so they could watch anime boys swim lol it was a bloodbath), and even game stores and hobby shops were selling increasing amounts of female-oriented stuff. I don't think it's Japan as a whole since the younger crowd is pretty damn progressive. You would have to wear blinders to think that female fans weren't everywhere in Japan and absolutely ravenous since companies are still not quite grasping that fact.

First. I am jealous of you lol but yeah! I think it's slowly an undercurrent so that's why my overall point is to give this game time while keeping all factors in mind as well. I don't see them ignoring us completely as the playerbase keeps asking for these things.

Not to mention it's bad business practice for any company that wants to operate in a global market to not take into account the cultures of their customers. I just don't see SE throwing themselves into the progressive wave lol.

[Tsumdere]

First. I am jealous of you lol but yeah! I think it's slowly an undercurrent so that's why my overall point is to give this game time while keeping all factors in mind as well. I don't see them ignoring us completely as the playerbase keeps asking for these things.

Not to mention it's bad business practice for any company that wants to operate in a global market to not take into account the cultures of their customers. I just don't see SE throwing themselves into the progressive wave lol.

SE tends to have the problem of not listening to NA/EU when they really should. It won't matter anyways because JP is just as into bun boys as we are. XD If they truly are gender locked, I imagine they are sweating bullets right now reading JP threads.

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Editing this post because I'm about to hit daily limit :

While there is a vocal minority that speaks out, there is still a lot of disappointed people. Most of the Viera lovers I know were just disappointed and are getting ready to spend their fantasia money elsewhere.