Just relax and support the devs

[JunseiKei]

The vitriol is a bit much, but people do have a right to voice their concerns. Likewise as pointed out while they didn't /promise/ Male Viera they did their utmost not to actually deny their probability. A lot of this backlash simply wouldn't be here if they had come out from the start and stated Viera were mono-gendered back in Paris and taken out the lore lines about the males during the Alliance Raid quest line. What is happening now is several months worth of hype, debate, and expectation all being thrown out the window and it's no wonder some people are genuinely upset. Especially when it was such an easy problem to outright prevent in the first place.

That said I do feel bad for the dev team who had no hand in how the lore or the marketing of fanfest was presented as well as the forum staff. ESPECIALLY the forum staff. I do not envy their job right now as the forum continues to explode.

Concept art is never an indication of something will be implemented. Concept art is literally drawing up plans and taking what you want, dismissing what you don't want and maybe fusing ideas you do like into something new. Tons of concepts don't make it into a game and some aren't ever even shown to the public. We were also shown demon concept art. Does that mean Square Enix is promising demons as a play-able race? No. Are they actively saying that demons won't be a race? No, there's no need. That's the whole basis behind concept.

They also can't backtrack their lore. Let me explain - Viera are not a single gender consisting of only females. They are not like Hyrule's Gerudo (1 male every 100 years versus 1 or 2 males per every 10?) . Viera have males - they live annexed from the more "social-able" female Viera and are basically exiled from contact from everything to guard their homes.

[Enla]

Concept art is never an indication of something will be implemented. Concept art is literally drawing up plans and taking what you want, dismissing what you don't want and maybe fusing ideas you do like into something new. Tons of concepts don't make it into a game and some aren't ever even shown to the public. We were also shown demon concept art. Does that mean Square Enix is promising demons as a play-able race? No. Are they actively saying that demons won't be a race? No, there's no need. That's the whole basis behind concept.

They also can't backtrack their lore. Let me explain - Viera are not a single gender consisting of only females. They are not like Hyrule's Gerudo (1 male every 100 years versus 1 or 2 males per every 10?) . Viera have males - they live annexed from the more "social-able" female Viera and are basically exiled from contact from everything to guard their homes.

Except I never mentioned the concept art and don't even know how you came to the conclusion I was? Because shockingly enough I actually agree it's not a good basis for expectation? There is a reason I don't even touch on it and instead focus on how they handled the reveal at fanfest where they could have very easily clarified the issue, and the lore in game. The latter of which frankly was very much a backtrackable moment as that was the first and /only/ instance we have heard of the males in FF14. This isn't FF12 or any other universe where they existed in the past. They could have very easily changed the lore and it wouldn't have hurt a single thing. Likewise they didn't even /need/ to backtrack it. Just save the blurb about the males for when we get to the Greatwood. "Where are all the guys?" -> "Oh -insert lore explanation here-." Would have worked just as well, if not better given the circumstances.

[JunseiKei]

Except I never mentioned the concept art and don't even know how you came to the conclusion I was? Because shockingly enough I actually agree it's not a good basis for expectation? There is a reason I don't even touch on it and instead focus on how they handled the reveal at fanfest where they could have very easily clarified the issue, and the lore in game. The latter of which frankly was very much a backtrackable moment as that was the first and /only/ instance we have heard of the males in FF14. Likewise they didn't even need to backtrack it. Just save the blurb about the males for when we get to the Greatwood. "Where are all the guys?" -> "Oh -insert lore explanation here-." Would have worked just as well, if not better given the circumstances.

Not directly you, but quoting the sentiment; the only thing I meant to directly reply to you was the 'mono-gender race' thing. The whole "playable male Viera" seems to stem from the concept art circling around when Au Ra were first announced. They showed all the concept art for what would be considered "Au Ra" - a race based on Viera, a race based on dragons (with some looking more bestial), some based on demons, some based on the viangaa, and some based on "beast" (lupin and viera are actually depicted here).

For the FanFest, they showed only female Viera. I, for one and I know I wasn't alone in pointing this out, made a point to tell others they only showed females. No males. Players dismissed it, saying maybe they need more development time and brought up how all of the models in the trailer look the same in the face. When it was brought up that not even Au Ra were shown with just male or just female and it'd be incredibly bad to show half of a race, players continued to cover their ears and reject this notion. Others pointed out the lore for male viera is one of annex and isolation, unlike male Miqo'te, which are just very uncommon compared to their female counterparts and how XIV, for all its faults, adheres to the lore they have built.

All of this ignored or explained away for a sliver of hope, especially with the "please wait for the Japanese FanFest" reply.

I can't be angry with XIV on an arguably bad judgement call when players were so willfully dismissive of facts.

[JunseiKei]

You're right, they didn't specifically SAY viera. However, SE controls what they put out to us. They literally have the power to show us or not show us whatever they wish. They showed us viera. Bunny people. If they didn't want people to make that connection they should not have depicted it as such with their concepts.

If you dont want to put your foot in your mouth, then dont set yourself up to do just that. (in regards to SE, not you.)

This applies:

Concept art is never an indication of something will be implemented. Concept art is literally drawing up plans and taking what you want, dismissing what you don't want and maybe fusing ideas you do like into something new. Tons of concepts don't make it into a game and some aren't ever even shown to the public. We were also shown demon concept art. Does that mean Square Enix is promising demons as a play-able race? No. Are they actively saying that demons won't be a race? No, there's no need. That's the whole basis behind concept.

Assuming you meant the concept art of "Au Ra - The Viera" or "Au Ra - Beast" since both bunny-like concept can be found in both sections of the Heavensward artbook.