Gender locked race?

[Gwenorai]

...and yet that's exactly what they did with the Viera. Across multiple games, no less.

My issue with Hrothgar is that the race would have been created specifically because Yoshida didn't want to have a male Viera, that's if it's gender-locked. That doesn't sit with me well. I'd rather Hrothgar not be gender-locked at all and the Viera locked than having both of them locked all because someone didn't like the idea of bunny men.

At least with time and effort, they'd end up adding in the male Viera? What lore are they going to give Hrothgar that would make it specifically male only? A mirror of Viera just the opposite? Sigh.

As for males in the other game that can be explained away; we never had any reason to see a male. With the limitations of those games and how the lore was so much smaller back then - why add in something that didn't need to be added at all that had zero ramifications on the plotline?

I'm just trying to wrap my head around how we're going to go into the Greatwood for ShadowBringers and how we're not going to end up getting attacked by the fierce wood wardens that inhabit it. What plot are they going to give us that would retcon their lore so that none of the males are there, not even NPCs? What side quests will there be, what fates! Etc

a male Fran in 12.

We shall call him Francis.

[Roda]

I think gender locks are silly. I've said as much throughout this thread. Yet as long as there's an equivalent it's not nearly as damning as some are making it out to be.

See the thing is, at least for me, the only male equivalent to the female viera is a male viera. Creating an entirely new race to exclude one gender as a response to another race excluding another gender doesn't fill the gap, it just creates another gap that will need to be filled.

We shall call him Francis.

Frank

[Anvaire]

It's weird that people both argue against lore reasons for something not existing/existing, yet also ask for lore reasons for something existing/not existing. Also it's funny that a lot of people read the lore to fit their own desires. We have no lore on any new race because if there is a new race, it's a big surprise. Or was supposed to be one.

My point is that any lore that explains why there are only males in the hypothetical Hrothgar to my mind wouldn't stand up to interrogation. Not to mention when Aura was added there was effectively a lore void, they were just there and sprang up all over the place with no explanation of why they were suddenly there. Nor why the Ishgardians allowed them in. At least with Viera we know something about them, and will have their homeland added in the same expansion. Can the same be said of Hrothgar? who knows. But whatever their lore ends up being my point is that it can never truly justify gender-locking a race unless there is literally one remaining member of that race and the rest were annihilated and even then, that poses massive issues.

i'm not saying that lore is the final deciding factor, but it should at least be reasonable, currently i can't see how it can work with two gender locked but different races, especially when those races should have multiple clans and we know the Viera do! The base issue is that Gender locking isn't really justifiable and i find that gender-locking the Viera's with their design being what it is, frankly comes across as degrading. But i think the design is mostly due to that being their inception in 12. Either way, its problematic

[BillyKaplan]

I think gender locked glamours are a good example of why this won't really work. Even when going by equal numbers, at sets that have matches, if the outfits are different enough you're going to have people asking for an unlock. The bunny outfits being gender locked - and two variations at that - didn't stop people from asking for the Gambler coat to be unlocked. And we all know about the male-unlocked bunny outfits (which honestly I've seen more on guys than the Gambler outfit...).
So having equal numbers won't mean much if the quality of the product is too different.

[Tabbs]

...

Yeah, I am not trying pick a fight with you, haha. I just don't think single player games from the past can be used as evidence that it would happen here.

That being said, I do have to disagree that it's not nearly as damning. Like Roda has said, I want male Viera. A male only equivalent race wouldn't really satisfy what I'm looking for, especially if it ended up being the huge beefcake lion that everyone thinks it is.

[Alacran]

The fact is, even when Yoshi said that he didn't want to show the art, they still did it. SE knew it would spark player demand and it certainly did. Players from around the world asked for Viera and SE acquiesced... after a time. Many excuses were given as to why it would be an issue to implement, everything from resources to development time to personal bias, even then player demand only grew. Knowing the fans insatiable and unrelenting nature, i can scarcely believe they would make more work for themselves introducing not one but two gender locked races. The outcry has been monumental and we have yet to even have true confirmation if this design choice being final. If they are gender locked, i truly feel it will be only a matter of time before SE will have to acquiesce once more.

[cicatriz313]

I'm also wondering why everyone wants specifically male Viera barring "hrothgar" when we know neither what male Viera or "hrothgar" look like. It seems that some of the community want little cute male bunnies and some want strong looking males like in the concept art. If we get a strong looking race that isn't a bunny, is it the lacking of the ears that will make people angry? Because I mean, they look like elezens with ears in most of the art people are throwing out there.

Edit: and then what happens with the people who want the cute version? I mean someone's gonna lose no matter what.

[Tsumdere]

I'm also wondering why everyone wants specifically male Viera barring "hrothgar" when we know neither what male Viera or "hrothgar" look like. It seems that some of the community want little cute male bunnies and some want strong looking males like in the concept art. If we get a strong looking race that isn't a bunny, is it the lacking of the ears that will make people angry? Because I mean, they look like elezens with ears in most of the art people are throwing out there.

Edit: and then what happens with the people who want the cute version? I mean someone's gonna lose no matter what.

Because I asked for Viera not Hrothgar. I wanted bunny males regardless of size, not this random race that not a single soul asked for. Also because gender locks are a stupid and lazy decision and I would STILL be here asking fo female Hrothgar if it was male-only Hrothgar revealed.

[stormygabe]

I'm also wondering why everyone wants specifically male Viera barring "hrothgar" when we know neither what male Viera or "hrothgar" look like. It seems that some of the community want little cute male bunnies and some want strong looking males like in the concept art. If we get a strong looking race that isn't a bunny, is it the lacking of the ears that will make people angry? Because I mean, they look like elezens with ears in most of the art people are throwing out there.

Edit: and then what happens with the people who want the cute version? I mean someone's gonna lose no matter what.

I can't speak for others, but for me, it's always been more than just the aesthetics, though their appearance IS still a factor. From the lore I've read, I've always thought of them as spiritual woodsy nature people. I've always loved characters like that. I also loved their stoic, calm, and wise demeanor from FF12. At least with Fran. With this new lore, I like the idea of them being these forest guardian types. So that's generally why I, personally, wanted a bun boy. Not just because #rabbitcute or whatever, but because the race as a whole has always appealed to me in that way. Idk anything about Hrothgar besides their names and what people have speculated about them, but if they're a hypermasculine type of race with a culture to match, I won't play them. I also don't like playing female characters in MMOS like this one, so I won't play a female viera either.

[myahele]

I'm also wondering why everyone wants specifically male Viera barring "hrothgar" when we know neither what male Viera or "hrothgar" look like. It seems that some of the community want little cute male bunnies and some want strong looking males like in the concept art. If we get a strong looking race that isn't a bunny, is it the lacking of the ears that will make people angry? Because I mean, they look like elezens with ears in most of the art people are throwing out there.

Edit: and then what happens with the people who want the cute version? I mean someone's gonna lose no matter what.

I think it's because we don't know anything about Hrothgars outside of what that leak said and the French dialogue mentioning a mane. Those asking for Viera males have those concept artwork to work with at the very least