Disclosure: Au Ra never clicked with me, I'm not interested in rolling one.
I just saw Au Ra as icing on the cake. XIV doesn't have meaningful racial bonuses. There are no granted special cooldowns for playing one or the other. Endgame stats are shifted by single digits when we've got several hundred point scores. Au Ra are a cosmetic option just like every other race is a cosmetic option, and considering that SE's other MMO never got a new race in a decade plus of being live, I'd say that's telling.
"You guys like playing big strong guys, here's an option! You also like playing tiny dainty women, so here's some more of those, too!"
To make a poor analogy: Would you rather have someone bring you lunch from that place you really like? Or have them stop at that weird new joint you've never been to that smells kind of weird?
I just saw Au Ra as icing on the cake. XIV doesn't have meaningful racial bonuses. There are no granted special cooldowns for playing one or the other. Endgame stats are shifted by single digits when we've got several hundred point scores. Au Ra are a cosmetic option just like every other race is a cosmetic option, and considering that SE's other MMO never got a new race in a decade plus of being live, I'd say that's telling.
"You guys like playing big strong guys, here's an option! You also like playing tiny dainty women, so here's some more of those, too!"
To make a poor analogy: Would you rather have someone bring you lunch from that place you really like? Or have them stop at that weird new joint you've never been to that smells kind of weird?
![[Image: yEROfKO.png]](http://i.imgur.com/yEROfKO.png)
