Garo Glam - no Viera support

[Midareyukki]

snip for brevity, bc I am not brief

I'm a fan of FF12. It's my childhood, it's my first ever FF game, and ARR reminds me of it a lot.

Viera deserve a lot more respect than what they're getting in this game. They were once this mystical race of beings that not only held great wisdom, they also embodied the magic behind Ivalice. Even among races like the Nu Mou or the Garif, it was Viera that really caught people's eye.

They were special. Everything about them: their society, customs, the way the mere sighting of one felt a rare and interesting occasion. They felt magical, serious and evoked respect. Even if the community treated them for the eyecandy more than anything, in-game they had respect. And I think this game tries to replicate that with the Viis, and sure it doesn't translate well because it's an MMO... but it still doesn't feel the same.

Square Enix dropped the ball on Vieras hard. Yes, they fleshed them out a little bit further and made them playable, including revealing the elusive male gender, but then they stopped at that. They didn't really do much more with them. It's not just that it's a copy-paste of 12's lore, no, the only thing we know that's original to them is their naming convention... which even that breaks itself, since Viera can name themselves whatever they wish. There is no lore for Viera. I harp on Bozja for being too gruesome (visible depictions of Hrothgars dying, us unable to save multiple Hrothgar, everything about Dabog), but at least Hrothgar got something, and a lot of people consider their trials and preserverence to show their character.

Apart from Fran, the only three other Viera I can remember are the girl in the Gunbreaker series that I LOATHE (she dismisses Radovan for having trauma over being tortured, seeing his country fall and tells him to get over it), a Gyaru assistant to Cid for comic relief... Not even the Viera in the Sage quests really brings much to mind! Only Erenville was done right, but he doesn't interact with Viera lore or even show any known traits, such as sensitivity to aether, heightened senses...

I don't really count the Viis because they're not of the Source. But even then, only Lyna is well written, the other three who are just kinda there. We know of a Warrior of Light having been a Viera, but there isn't much to her other than "she did stuff". We have more to Tenzen, Desch and Ramza than her, and she does seem to be relatively well documented and preserved amidst the chaos that is the First.

[Midareyukki]

(cont)

Representation of Viera seems super disjointed. And I get it. "They're rare in the outside world". But that doesn't mean they cannot be used. So too are Hrothgar rare, yet they show up behind Thancred as members of the Bozjan and Dalmascan resistance. So that doesn't hold up. Especially not for the Warrior of Light, incarnation of Azem, whose job is to uncover these hidden and rare people and form bonds.

And I know I just harped on how they don't have the wonder of being rare, yet here I am asking them to show up more often... but we visit Eruyt Village in FF12. Viera don't lose any mystery points for it. If anything, it makes them look far more robust in their lore and made me feel like all that mysticism was validated.

Seeing how they're treated as well, how characters are thrown in without substance to back up their appearance and lore, it steals away from how special they're meant to be. More special even than the Hrothgar; we're meant to look leonine and bestial and we do a fairly good job at that. But Viera are meant to wow and look mystical. Yet that's lost. We've had more effort put into making the Au Ra feel special in their lore and show so much detail of both the Xaela and the Raen, with a lot more open for imagination, than there has for Viera.

So it really doesn't surprise me, even if it saddens me, to know that Viera don't feel special because of a lack of helmets. Not just hairstyles. It bothers me because I'm already seeing them lose so much that would make them feel more respected and loved, I don't want the players to feel like they're just playing with a Trial version of FF12.

They should never have added new races to begin with.

If you're gonna say that, say it to the male version of your race as well and femroes. As well as Au Ra. You don't get to decide who gets in or not in this game, and thankfully the devs thought it was a good idea. The botching of these two races is in no way a testament to whether they were "a mistake" or not. They're races, like any other.

[Heavenchild]

So.. I made a decision. After I got to know, that the new Streetwear will also get no adjust, I go back to Miqo. Maybe I switch back to Viera when they get more support, or I feel like it. :3

*edit
You may laugh at me now. I wasted 14 euros. xD
Sigh, I can't go back. :')