Gamer Escape: Lots of players are excited for Male Viera. Some however are still wondering about the newer races’ (Viera and Hrothgar) lack of hairstyles, lack of visible head equipment, and, in the case of Hrothgar, needing a fantasia to change their existing hair styles. Are there any plans to level the playing field for Viera and Hrothgar players by making adjustments to those issues?
Naoki Yoshida: For both the Viera and Hrothgar, there were certain characteristics we wanted to emphasize in their design—the long ears of the Viera and beast-like features of the Hrothgar. Due to this, there was a limit to the range of customization, and we worked with these conditions when creating these races. If we wanted to make these features more customizable, we’d have to sacrifice those unique features, so it would be great if everyone could understand that at a fundamental level, it is not simply a matter of whether or not we make adjustments to accommodate this.
I have mentioned this on several occasions, but I understand why players request this—I really do. In an effort to accommodate this, even if just a little bit, we have continued to spend a lot of time assessing possible changes in structural design of the models, as well as potential additions to our current workflow. Even as I write this, I just met with the team to get an update on their testing status for this. We may not be able to get them to be exactly the same as the other playable races, but I hope to be able to give you some kind of update soon, including the status on the stubble for Hyur as you asked about previously, so your patience on the matter is greatly appreciated!