Hrothgar Feedback Thread

[Midareyukki]

This is a thread to provide Square Enix with concise and organized feedback from fans about the state of the Hrothgar race, the playerbase’s outlook it and what we hope can be done to improve content made for us.

I’d like to preface this by saying we understand there are nuances when it comes to making a videogame. Whether it is finances, decisions from higher ups or technological limitations. Our objectives must be within the boundaries of possibility and reality, not wishful thinking.

What Led to This

Though this follows the aftermath of the “6.1 Hrothgar Hairstyles” topic, the situation goes beyond that.

When Hrothgar were announced, it was said we would be a single-gender race, like Viera at the time. That due to constraints, making headgear for us would not be feasible. We were led to believe this was temporary, and that a good reception would change the minds of those making the game. After all, that happened before, in other content. But that was not the case. It’s been over 3 years, and Square Enix’s stance remains the same, though inconsistent, as some headpieces do fit us while others don’t.

When the Benchmark for Shadowbringers was released, it was revealed Hrothgar had no option to change hairstyles. If one wanted to change to their counterpart hair, they would have to pay real money for a Fantasia and change their head entirely. Only with 6.1 has it changed, and the most painful part is how Square never acknowledged it.

We were told we would get more customization in 6.1. Hrothgar players eagerly awaited for the announcement in LLs, which did not happen until the final one before the patch. On April 1st, notorious for being April Fool’s, the devs presented the implemented hairstyles. Not only were they considered “the worst fitting” by a crushing majority of Hrothgar players, they were quickly derided as awful by the rest of the playerbase… with a lack of ears to rub salt in the wound.

Indeed, we were told by Yoshida himself the reason our hairstyles would not feature ears is due to the way our heads are designed. An idea later parroted by Zhexos, our Community Representative. The excuse convinced no one, and if anything, served to spark even more outrage. People with a technological understanding of how the game is made showed us what the problem was and how the characters were assembled. Modders also proved how even with a different head form, it was very much still possible to make fitting hairstyles without culling ears without much fuss.

Worse: Yoshida claimed to be surprised that we reacted with outrage. Considering this was the reaction of the majority of the playerbase, it shows an unpleasant disconnect.

Finally, once players voiced their discomfort and fear that these hairstyles would not be featured in the Aesthetician, as Square never acknowledged the issue, the final patch notes were edited to feature a note informing us they would be. But even that came with a cost.