No New Races... But New Clans?

[Gula]

They could absolutely make Garleans playable by simply saying they are Resonant. They could even write a story about how a group of escaped and then were rescued by the Scions or someone else.

However, they would have to start at a higher level. Similar to some of the jobs starting at a higher level because story-wise, it would have to be after Endwalker when the fate of Garlemald is presumably settled, and we get a whole new story arc.

I think this is a terrible idea.

[Iscah]

I don't think you can make a race start at a higher level than the others or lock them out of the earlier story.

I can't see them ever making Garleans playable for the amount of story complication that would cause.

(Admittedly I would have said that about beastlike races too, and yet now we have Hrothgar. But letting people play as the "big bad" enemy race that is also barely different to an existing non-lore-breaking race is less likely to win the battle of "worth implementing for variety".)

[Lium]

Yeah, I don't think it would ever happen. They would have to start a high level because it wouldn't make sense playing a Garlean in ARR or really in any content - MSQ or otherwise. That's probably the chief reason we'll never see it.

I was just pointing out to people saying Garleans can't use magic as a reason you'll never see them playable can be easily remedied by SE if they ever wanted to do it.

On a personal level, I'm not crazy about this idea because I already main a hyur. No reason to add another "human" race.

[Shibi]

Yeah, I don't think it would ever happen. They would have to start a high level because it wouldn't make sense playing a Garlean in ARR or really in any content - MSQ or otherwise. That's probably the chief reason we'll never see it.

Cid nan Garlond happily helped us in the ARR story. I can't think of anything that really stops other Garleans also abandoning their homeland after the Bozja incident.

[Roda]

1, I would rather the in-game lore/culture representations be fleshed out for the existing clans before we got new ones. (like moonkeepers and duskwights have been in the game since 1.0, and if we get a new tribe of dogo'te or, idk green elves before we get a non-fatemob representation of either, it would be really aggravating.) Plus, there's nothing a new clan wouldn't add that couldn't also be added to the existing races as more options.
2, easiest way to add garleans into the game is to just add a garlean eye headpiece to the gold saucer or like a drop from the lowest level garlean fate and let people make hyurs/short-eared elezen to kinda fake it for their RP.
2.a, or, hear me out, garlean beast tribe reward. :>

[Fland]

If SE'd add a third clan to current races, I just hope they'd be noticeably different than the other two and not just mostly recolor with tiny difference.

[HollowedDoll]

Why not.. just... add new customization to the clans we already have?

[Lium]

Cid nan Garlond happily helped us in the ARR story. I can't think of anything that really stops other Garleans also abandoning their homeland after the Bozja incident.

Well, like I said I'd be for it with some restrictions, though not crazy about the idea. But as you've just seen, SEVERAL posts in this thread are against it. Perhaps you can address one of those?

[Theodric]

At the very least, adding a proper 'third eye' glamour would be of benefit at this point in time. It's already possible for players to design a decent looking Pureblood Garlean if they so wish - and quite a few role-players choose to do just that.

In terms of playable options, a clear distinction is made between Imperial Garleans and regular Garleans - and even then, there's examples of working with the former out of necessity/mutual benefit.

[Lauront]

I don't think you can make a race start at a higher level than the others or lock them out of the earlier story.

I can't see them ever making Garleans playable for the amount of story complication that would cause.

(Admittedly I would have said that about beastlike races too, and yet now we have Hrothgar. But letting people play as the "big bad" enemy race that is also barely different to an existing non-lore-breaking race is less likely to win the battle of "worth implementing for variety".)

Less complicated than male Viera being playable from the beginning... at least Purebloods have more of a presence than they do.

No more ridiculous than how they integrate any other new race, really...