Removal/Balance of Racial Stats:

[Fyrebrand]

I really think they should get rid of the racial stats. At best it has no impact, but it can be deceptive for new players creating a character and thinking there is some mechanical/power aspect to their choice of race. If this is influencing anybody's character creation even a little bit, that's not a good thing. It should go.

I'm ambivalent about adding "fluff" non-mechanical racial traits for flavour/fun. I like the idea of it in a vacuum. The ideas I've seen in the thread so far seem fine enough. But like I pointed out previously, it could lead new players to believe it's going to be a bigger deal than it is and skew their race choice based on that. For example, faster swim speed SOUNDS useful on paper -- until you find out the hard way that there is barely anywhere you can swim at all until you get to Stormblood -- and then it's, like, ONE map. And you're just going to use your mount to get around anyway.

It could also piss off existing players who feel like their race was given a lame ability while another race got something apparently better or more useful. I doubt it would make someone change their race over it, but it would be something to resent.

Instead of racial perks/traits, I would like to see more job traits that make the jobs' handle slightly different. NIN has All Fours and Fleet of Foot as traits already as an example

I really like this idea. I remember in WoW, classes all had their own neat little gimmicks. Warlocks could cast an underwater breathing spell and summon allies to their location. Mages could create portals to major cities and conjure food/water. Druids could shift into a "travel" form rather than have to purchase a mount. Rogues could pickpocket some NPCs and lockpick chests. Rangers could track beasts on their mini-map. I would love if we could get this type of thing in FFXIV to contribute to the "job fantasy." Although, FFXIV has a LOT of jobs, and continually adds more. It could be a big task to come up with interesting concepts for every single one. They don't even give us Job Quests anymore.

[Reimmi]

Faster movement speed would impact combat way more than a couple strength points lmao
edit: realize you mean out of combat nvm

[Sindele]

Adamantly against tying actual consequential mechanical differences to them, even if it's out of combat "fluff" (which, frankly, movement speed boosts *never* qualify as even if it *is* out of combat only). Let my aesthetic mind and my optimizing mind rest happily separate from each other.

[Eraden]

If talkings about adding racial abilities, Mao would likes as Au Ra to barfs fires.

[Iscah]

Re. a theoretical "faster movement" trait, that has the potential to be annoyance as much as blessing. Already when playing as ninja it can be awkward to keep pace with your party or particularly with "follow the NPC" tasks because they're programmed to move at standard running speed so the player can move with them at the same speed. If you're equipped as ninja, you instead have to constantly run-and-walk so you don't end up ahead of the character who's supposed to be leading you.

[CaptainLagbeard]

It's fine that the racial stats don't really affect gameplay. The biggest possible difference between stats between races seems to be 5 points (18 min, 23 max). That definitely accounts to practically nothing at this point and that's fine as you can freely play whatever race you want.

[Tiramu]

I really think they should get rid of the racial stats. At best it has no impact, but it can be deceptive for new players creating a character and thinking there is some mechanical/power aspect to their choice of race. If this is influencing anybody's character creation even a little bit, that's not a good thing. It should go.

I'm ambivalent about adding "fluff" non-mechanical racial traits for flavour/fun. I like the idea of it in a vacuum. The ideas I've seen in the thread so far seem fine enough. But like I pointed out previously, it could lead new players to believe it's going to be a bigger deal than it is and skew their race choice based on that. For example, faster swim speed SOUNDS useful on paper -- until you find out the hard way that there is barely anywhere you can swim at all until you get to Stormblood -- and then it's, like, ONE map. And you're just going to use your mount to get around anyway.

It could also piss off existing players who feel like their race was given a lame ability while another race got something apparently better or more useful. I doubt it would make someone change their race over it, but it would be something to resent.



I really like this idea. I remember in WoW, classes all had their own neat little gimmicks. Warlocks could cast an underwater breathing spell and summon allies to their location. Mages could create portals to major cities and conjure food/water. Druids could shift into a "travel" form rather than have to purchase a mount. Rogues could pickpocket some NPCs and lockpick chests. Rangers could track beasts on their mini-map. I would love if we could get this type of thing in FFXIV to contribute to the "job fantasy." Although, FFXIV has a LOT of jobs, and continually adds more. It could be a big task to come up with interesting concepts for every single one. They don't even give us Job Quests anymore.

^ This

I was one of those new players who chose a race based on the jobs I expected to main. If you have no further info from the community or guides, then what you currently see is the game outright telling you "this race is stronger for this stuff".

I was somewhere near the end of ARR/beginning of HW before I knew that the differences might have used to matter, but don't anymore. I think the mage gear fits Lalas really well, so it didnt bother me too much. But I hate how some other jobs look. So, it would have been nice if the game hadnt given the impression that I should choose that race. I might have gone with something else.

[fulminating]

I’d be interested in seeing what happens if they make them scale properly all the way to 90 for specifically patch 6.58 with reversion to the current status quo come 7.0.

[Calysto]

If we're talking about inconsequential things, FFXI did it with food.
Mithra(miqote) could eat raw fish
Galka(roe) could eat raw meat
Elvan(elezen) had a bonus when eating omelets I think
TaruTaru(lalafels) can be fed to monsters for increased drop rates

[Shougun]

^ This

I was one of those new players who chose a race based on the jobs I expected to main. If you have no further info from the community or guides, then what you currently see is the game outright telling you "this race is stronger for this stuff".

I was somewhere near the end of ARR/beginning of HW before I knew that the differences might have used to matter, but don't anymore. I think the mage gear fits Lalas really well, so it didnt bother me too much. But I hate how some other jobs look. So, it would have been nice if the game hadnt given the impression that I should choose that race. I might have gone with something else.

I didn't think of that, since I've known for like.. *old man voice* a 100 years that the race choice didn't really matter.. and so I can't imagine not knowing that now.. but hearing you mention it like this, that really does seem a bit distracting experience at launch... made even more funny / annoying given that later you'll find out that if you took into account stats that it meant nothing, and you should have just picked which one you visually and thematically connected to more rather than the stats themselves.

In general, like the first post, I think racials are really scary to have because it's potentially stating you could have picked wrong and the only way you can fix it is by paying $20 or restarting the game after many many days of hours played, and also encourages interesting passives / stats on new races from a company perspective.. so you get people switching on that level which I think is financially good but morally a bit ''not great". Though I have to say if WoW can perfect Warbands I think they found a really cool way to have racials impactful yet not really hurt you as much (as you essentially have a master warband and changing your job also changes your race, everything is account related makes it far less punishing), kind of neat solution. I wonder if they can smooth it out so changing your character is more seamless, somehow, that is still one major draw back compared to ours (which where we switch instantly, there you still have to log out and log back in to be a different job lol).

Instead of racial perks/traits, I would like to see more job traits that make the jobs' handle slightly different. NIN has All Fours and Fleet of Foot as traits already as an example, maybe MNK and DNC could get them as well?
Maybe, with their keen eyesight and hearing, BRDs could get a trait that show enemies on their mini-map?
Maybe DRGs could get a trait that increase the height and range of their normal jump?
And so on. *✲ﾟ*(❁´▽`❁)*✲ﾟ*

Definitely think job roleplay, which we reaaaaaallllyy should have, imo , is the route to go. If you want the roleplay of a job, you get to roleplay it by... being that job! Wowza!! lol. What's the punishment for choosing the wrong job at the start of the game or something? Not much, level another job.. Visually the game expresses things fantastically, but usually mechanically I hardly feel a thematic difference. PvP has some nice job expression though.

I plan to boop it at some point when I make a list of more than two jobs but if you have ideas please feel free to boop: https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...-Other-MMOs%29 I'd love to see what people think would enhance the roleplay of a job.