Gender locked race?

[Shougun]

Dancer is still unconfirmed... also Yoshi's statement pre-Heavensward regarding male viera basically are mute at this point when you consider they've had another two years to work in the design and see if they can't get something better. It's not like they started creating female viera and just threw up their hands and said "welp, I guess they'll never be not cute. Better just give up"

Yoshida referenced his old blue mage comments recently though (in some comment about expectation of how blue mage is), at least the ones I'm thinking he refrenced are just about as ancient as viera genderlock lol (maybe he's thinking of more recent stuff, but I remember him detailing blue mage /long ago/ to almost the exact extent we've received blue mage now today). Which all I'm saying is I don't think just because it's old means it isn't important to intake (not mute), especially as you could say that about blue mage too (had years to work over the design).

For Dancer I think we're all just assuming dancer just because the gun blade and blue mage were accurate, and it seems logical to fit dancer into the healer slot meeting gun blade as tank. Seems like one of the safest bets from the info we have, of course like other things not guaranteed.. but seems very likely.

[Shippuu]

Dancer is still unconfirmed... also Yoshi's statement pre-Heavensward regarding male viera basically are mute at this point when you consider they've had another two years to work in the design and see if they can't get something better. It's not like they started creating female viera and just threw up their hands and said "welp, I guess they'll never be not cute. Better just give up"

Honestly his comments aren't moot at all. He explained many years ago how he would go about putting blue mage in the game and it's exactly how he said he would implement it all that time ago. He certainly allowed the team to work on concepts for male viera but by his own admission those didn't convince him.

So while it's true he could have been given a concept he'd like since then there's been zero proof of it, and arguably evidence against it as there's little reason for them to split up showing off both genders during the initial announcement. Even the trailer for them and announcement was done in a way as if that was the whole race.

[wereotter]

Honestly his comments aren't moot at all. He explained many years ago how he would go about putting blue mage in the game and it's exactly how he said he would implement it all that time ago. He certainly allowed the team to work on concepts for male viera but by his own admission those didn't convince him.

So while it's true he could have been given a concept he'd like since then there's been zero proof of it, and arguably evidence against it as there's little reason for them to split up showing off both genders during the initial announcement. Even the trailer for them and announcement was done in a way as if that was the whole race.

There's actually a VERY good reason for only showing the females in Europe. If male viera are added, this will be the first time we've ever seen them, and that's a pretty big deal. (You'll have to forgive me for not remembering the name) The designer of the initial viera was not present at the Europe fanfest, but last I knew is supposed to be at the Tokyo fanfest. It's only right and respectable to let the person who created them in the first place unveil what the men actually look like. If this is what Yoshi had in mind by not revealing them in Paris, then I have just gained immense respect for him.

[Shougun]

There's actually a VERY good reason for only showing the females in Europe. If male viera are added, this will be the first time we've ever seen them, and that's a pretty big deal. (You'll have to forgive me for not remembering the name) The designer of the initial viera was not present at the Europe fanfest, but last I knew is supposed to be at the Tokyo fanfest. It's only right and respectable to let the person who created them in the first place unveil what the men actually look like. If this is what Yoshi had in mind by not revealing them in Paris, then I have just gained immense respect for him.

That's definitely the romantic option, and I would think it would be very sweet if that's how it all went down. Like, very cute bromance scene between two developers lol. We could meme it up and play some music later depending on how it looks .

However, there is a flip side to that, which is Matsuno never put male viera into the games because he doesn't like/want them.

So if Yoshida goes "Male viera, you in bro?" and he goes "... I made three games in that universe (the one I lead to create), with many viera characters, and a village, and you think I want them? No, of course I'm not in". In which case two developers have just sat on top of the idea of male viera. I find it likely he didn't really want or at least doesn't really care for them if he made three games without a single male viera to show for it.

[Shippuu]

There's actually a VERY good reason for only showing the females in Europe. If male viera are added, this will be the first time we've ever seen them, and that's a pretty big deal. (You'll have to forgive me for not remembering the name) The designer of the initial viera was not present at the Europe fanfest, but last I knew is supposed to be at the Tokyo fanfest. It's only right and respectable to let the person who created them in the first place unveil what the men actually look like. If this is what Yoshi had in mind by not revealing them in Paris, then I have just gained immense respect for him.

Another just as valid reason is a surprise reveal of a different male race, and that doesn't come wth trying to explain why yoshida wouldn't just say male viera are coming later or will be shown at the JP fanfest. Instead he's avoided the issue entirely, only saying to wait until the JP fanfest, and directing people to review the in game lore that doesn't paint male viera in an encouraging manner to be playable.

[Fredco191]

I just hope I like the look of whatever the hell we’re getting.

[Kupocoubo]

Also find it ironically funny that people who would point to the in game lore as proof male viera will be playable also think feol or some other drastically different sub race is coming for Viera when the in game text clearly spells them out as the Rava and Veena, being differentiated by light and dark skin tones.

You forgot about the "young Elezen" stuff while Ravas and Veenas differ only with skin tones. Also, Feol Vieras don't look "drastically different" than the Ravas and Veenas, they are just shorter, especially their ears.
If the "young Elezen" like Vieras are the other sub race, and given how young Elezen are short compared to the adults, it's reasonable to think the other sub-race will be shorter Vieras -> Feol.

[Gwenorai]

Another just as valid reason is a surprise reveal of a different male race, and that doesn't come wth trying to explain why yoshida wouldn't just say male viera are coming later or will be shown at the JP fanfest. Instead he's avoided the issue entirely, only saying to wait until the JP fanfest, and directing people to review the in game lore that doesn't paint male viera in an encouraging manner to be playable.

On the other side, confirming them would rob Matsuno of doing the confirmation/reveal himself.

As for the lore, that honestly depends on how the reader interprets it. I read it in past tense, I take it into consideration that things are changing and then I factor in that we're going into their homeland. But of course, there are reasonable reasons why people would shy away from the idea of them being in the game based on the lore.

I just hope the story regarding the Greatwood isn't lacking if they don't add in the large bulk of Wood-Wardens.

That's definitely the romantic option, and I would think it would be very sweet if that's how it all went down. Like, very cute bromance scene between two developers lol. We could meme it up and play some music later depending on how it looks .

However, there is a flip side to that, which is Matsuno never put male viera into the games because he doesn't like/want them.

So if Yoshida goes "Male viera, you in bro?" and he goes "... I made three games in that universe (the one I lead to create), with many viera characters, and a village, and you think I want them? No, of course I'm not in". In which case two developers have just sat on top of the idea of male viera. I find it likely he didn't really want or at least doesn't really care for them if he made three games without a single male viera to show for it.

He never needed to make a male. In FF12 they had Fran in the party who was the sister of the Matriarch. They don't attack other Viera leaving or coming, they just ignore them and refuse them access to the village unless there are special reasons to give them access. Example; Fran was barred access from going into the Eruyt Village.
As for tactics; same reasoning. Never needed a male and from a developer standpoint - why add a male who didn't need to be added and waste resources?

The only issue with this game is that the story does sort of call for one - and if not then it calls for one heck of a good explanation and amazing story to explain why they're not where they're supposed to be without making it look half-arsed.
In the end, I will never understand why devs create a race where male and females exist but don't care about one side of the population. Like, if you didn't care for them or want them then why add them in the first place! This is the world of fantasy! Just have them reproduce asexually!

[Shougun]

Having not really been deep into Viera lore myself I went to check out old stuff and I thought it might be worth knowing, at least for those who were in a position more like my own, that Veena and Rava are not new concepts.. such that unless SE goes out of their way to make them more different than they have been in the past we can look at old FF games and already tell that veena and rava are pretty much skin color shifts.

The Viera (ヴィエラ Viera) are a rabbit-like race that can live three times as long as a Hume, and divided into two subraces: The light-skinned Veena and dark-skinned Rava. The Viera have rabbit or deer-like features, most notably their long ears. Their feet are shaped in such a way that in order to stand they must wear high heels. Their slender forms heighten their senses and speed, and although their defense is low, Viera agility and finesse are unmatched by the other races. In Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, Vieras have blue-white, pale green, or purple-white hair, with only a few having hair that is pure white, which is considered to be a blessing. Viera can listen to the surrounding nature and sense Mist, and can sometimes go berserk from feeling an overwhelmingly vast quantity of active Mist. In Final Fantasy XII, they live in hidden villages deep within the vast forests of Ivalice. The Viera believe themselves to be intimately tied to the "Wood", a part of the forests themselves, and are rarely involved in matters outside the wood. A Viera that moves out of the forest, like Fran, is considered an outcast and dead to her people. Mixed breeds of Veena and Rava Viera have accustomed themselves to coexist within Hume society, dyeing their white hair.

Sounds pretty much like what we have in FFXIV, but the above was written in 2006. (source: Final Fantasy XII Scenario Ultimania)

I still personally prefer when the clans are very different though (hyur like), because .. more options, but the above might give a heavier lean to same shapes different colors.

[Shippuu]

You forgot about the "young Elezen" stuff while Ravas and Veenas differ only with skin tones. Also, Feol Vieras don't look "drastically different" than the Ravas and Veenas, they are just shorter, especially their ears.
If the "young Elezen" like Vieras are the other sub race, and given how young Elezen are short compared to the adults, it's reasonable to think the other sub-race will be shorter Vieras -> Feol.

The young elezen comment was so vague and nonsensical that it could be used to explain all kinds of things. They were entirely talking about hairstyles for the most part so it could have been regarding a hairstyle. It could just be a reference to the vact that the viera legitimately look like elezen with bunny ears so a small one could absolutely look like an elezen. It could be reference to potential customization improvements to all races to give some mixed race options since those are a hugely requested feature. It could have been reference to something that never made it out of a concept phase.

People trying to interpret it as being a completely separate sub race option is a pretty big reach. It's not reasonable at all to think that when all the evidence points to the opposite. With 2 distinct clans being spelled out and their differences being the typical thing SE does to differentiate between sub clans.