discussion Races, and Physical Stats

[Stormblade]

This was brought up in another topic, but do you roleplay the different races as having different physical capabilities (miqo'te able to jump higher and be more agile than hyur) or as basically the same (your lalafell can arm-wrestle a roegadyn and win at least half the time)?

 

My first instinct would be toward differences - it seems logical to me that a roegadyn would always win in terms of physical strength against the other races unless magic is involved, a miqo'te probably has the best night vision and is very agile/flexible, lalafell are quick and can easily hide from the larger races, hyur would be jack-of-all, master-of-none, Au Ra likely have a natural toughness thanks to their scales, etc.

 

But I can see where that would impose limitations on people and is contrary to some scenes from the game - we see a lalafell fighting seemingly evenly with a hyur in the pugilism arena, most fighting is done with aether-enhancement which would make muscles potentially meaningless, people enjoy have a character that looks slender but is stronger than visibly muscular character, and so forth.

 

What do other people think? What do you usually see played out, IRP? Whether it be people competing in a foot race, or arm-wrestling, or an RP fight where it comes down to a contest of strength or agility?

[Valence]

As I said in the other post, I will always take into account what the lore tells us for fact.

 

A xaela will always beat a roegadyn in sheer physical strength alone. This is lore. 

 

That doesn't mean that the roegadyn's weight will not be higher though, but since the lore doesn't covers that and what it implies, I'll try not to focus too much on it. However yes, if I wanted to treat it the most seriously possible, a roe could play on his weight a lot. And when it doesn't come to weapons of a certain size, at equal skill, weight will most of the time win, no matter the physical strength.

 

We can take the case of the miqo'te, for which the physical differences are the most extensively covered into the lore:

 

- Culture oriented around physical talents (lorebook: ambiguous how much it affects on genes, but logically it should over time with evolution).

- Seekers: wiry strength (lorebook), surpassing agility (lorebook), huge stamina (lorebook). Adept at climbing and diving (lorebook).

- Keepers: Similar physical stature than Seekers except for their stamina (lorebook), fierce strength of will and unerring instincts/keen intuition (lorebook).

 

Since I'm playing one, I can hardly forsake all those differences for the sake of "racial stats don't matter". Some of them at least, actually do in the lore.

 

So I guess I would fall into the first category, at least for the differences in physical perks of each race described in lore (Lalafell's hearing, etc). The rest is a lot about suspension of disbelief, which is of course always source of debates.

 

 

Note: trying to answer that from a lore perspective since you posted into the lore section, but it might be more appropriate for the RP discussion forum...

[Stormblade]

Is a Xaela's strength something mentioned in the lore book? I wouldn't have thought it would be that high, just by looking at them.

 

Good point, though - I probably should've posted this in the RP section. It would probably be bad to just repost it again in that forum, though, right?

[Unnamed Mercenary]

Is a Xaela's strength something mentioned in the lore book? I wouldn't have thought it would be that high, just by looking at them.

 

Good point, though - I probably should've posted this in the RP section. It would probably be bad to just repost it again in that forum, though, right?

 

I've moved the thread since this appears to be more an opinion matter than something showing cited sources/references.

[Sounsyy]

Is a Xaela's strength something mentioned in the lore book? I wouldn't have thought it would be that high, just by looking at them.

 

It is, yep.

 

In contrast to the brilliant white scales of the Raen' date=' the Xaela, children of the Dusk Mother, take pride in their scales of lustrous black. While their size and stature is almost identical to that of the Raen, their physical strength, hardened by generations of war and conflict, far outstrips that of other races.[/quote']

 

Strictly from a lore perspective, the "stats" for each race break down like this:

 

Xaela Au Ra: physically strongest of all races

Plainsfolk Lalafell: very good hearing

Dunesfolk Lalafell: resistant to many (non-Eorzean) poisons, aptitude for magic

Wildwood Elezen: best eyesight, best hearing, natural affinity for magic

Duskwight Elezen: best hearing and uncanny awareness

Seeker Miqo'te: best smell, exceptional balance, very good stamina and agility

Keeper Miqo'te: best smell, exceptional balance

Midlander Hyur: most educated, keen aptitude for magic

Highlander Hyur: very good stamina and physical strength

Sea Wolf Roegadyn: very good physical strength, best stamina, generally open-minded

Hellsguard Roegadyn: very good physical strength, best stamina, great mages

 

 

Sources:

The long' date=' pointy ears of the Plainsfolk are extremely sensitive, said to be able to detect the faintest scampering of the prairie's various fauna.[/quote']

Averaging some thirty-five ilms in height' date=' the Lalafell are by far the smallest of Eorzea's races. What they lack in physical strength, however, they more than make up for in swiftness of reflexes and sharpness of mind. Underestimating a Lalafell has been a costly mistake for more than a few men. Hair of grassy and earthen colors is common among Plainsfolk, with dubious theories claiming that these hues evolved to camouflage their bearers from the sight of the fearsome vultures that roam the skies above their island home.[/quote']

Another unique Dunesfolk practice is that of feeding their children cups of herb tea infused with minuscule portions of diluted snake and scorpion venom. As such' date=' Dunesfolk raised in traditional households often display a remarkable resistance to certain poisons.[/quote']

Dunesfolk miners also rival the Roegadyn in their numbers and accomplishments' date=' making up for their lack of brute strength with resourcefulness and the ability to delve into the narrowest tunnels.[/quote']

 

For hundreds of years the Wildwood Elezen have lived in the relative safety of Eorzea's lush forests. They are blessed with extremely keen eyesight - a contributing factor to their famous talent for archery.

Owing in part to their large ears' date=' they possess a sense of hearing keener than that of the other races. The Wildwood Elezen also display a natural affinity for magic, with great mages hailing from this clan seen throughout history.[/quote']

As part of their physical adaptation' date=' the Duskwight have developed an acute sense of hearing, capable of detecting the faintest of sounds. This natural gift grants them uncanny awareness, which many have put to exemplary use in the field of hand-to-hand combat.[/quote']

Similar in height and build to their Wildwood cousins' date=' the defining trait of the Duskwight is the color of their skin, which has come to take on darker hues after generations of calling shadowy caverns home. For the selfsame reason, they also possess an evolved sense of hearing - their ability to ascertain the source of a sound with unerring accuracy, unaffected by echoes or reverberations, is often likened to that of the shadow-dwelling bat.[/quote']

 

Adaptation to a hunting lifestyle has fashioned [Miqo'te] with a keen sense of smell' date=' powerful legs, and a tail which provides them with exceptional balance.[/quote']

The agile Miqo'te value freedom of movement above all else' date=' shunning unwieldy armor that might restrict their range of motion. Miqo'te legwear is invariably perforated with a hole through which the tail dangles free, allowing them to maintain their unerring sense of balance.[/quote']

The Seekers of the Sun are a true miracle of evolution at work. Though lean and flexible' date=' they possess immense strength and stamina, and excel at near any physical act─be it bounding amongst the treetops or swimming in rough waters. Above all that, their powers of expression are also second to none.[/quote']

Roughly a head shorter and smaller of body than the average Hyur' date=' the Seekers are blessed with a wiry strength, surpassing agility, and the stamina to run for hours under the blazing sun - a combination of traits that makes them uncommonly suited to hunting in arid climes. As many Seekers are adept at climbing and diving, they also make for excellent sailors.[/quote']

Save for their longer tail' date=' the Keepers are nearly identical to their Seeker cousins in physical stature, and can be distinguished by their fur, dark as the night fog, and the large pupils of their eyes. Though lacking the physical stamina of the Seekers, they make up for this with a fierce strength of will and unerring instincts. With their keen intuition, Keeper hunters have been known to easily snare even targets concealed in the gloom of night.[/quote']

[Keepers of the Moon] are distinguishable from their diurnal cousins by their darker fur' date=' larger ears, rounder eyes, more pronounced canines, and longer, skinnier tails.[/quote']

 

Trained in letters from infancy' date=' the Midlanders are generally more educated than many of the other races and clans.[/quote']

Midlanders do not possess the endless stamina of the Roegadyn' date=' nor the hawk-like eyes of the Elezen, nor the hound-like noses of the Miqote, nor the deer-like ears of the Lalafell, nor even the muscle-bound builds of their cousins, the Highland Hyur. Then how, you ask, is it that they became the most prevalent race in the realm? Why, I believe it is their creativity and craft, combined with their intrinsic ability to adapt and borrow from other cultures.[/quote']

Midlanders often display a keen aptitude for magic' date=' with Midlander mages adept in teleportation magic serving a vital role in many an adventuring party.[/quote']

Highlanders are noticeably taller and more muscular than Midlanders' date=' with full-grown men reaching towering heights of nigh eighty ilms. Some posit that the impressive Highlander physique is the fruit of countless generations spent residing in harsh, unforgiving mountain climes, where the air is thin and each day a struggle for survival. Though some discount this theory, none can deny that the physical prowess of the Highlanders greatly outstrips that of their Midlander cousins.[/quote']

Long years at high altitudes endowed [Highlanders] with a stamina that lent itself well to physical activity' date=' and both the men and women are trained in the arts of combat from childhood, which accounts for their thick musculature.[/quote']

 

Massive and heavily muscled' date=' the Roegadyn are easily the most imposing of Eorzea's races. Oft seen vying with one another in feats of strength, they can appear barbaric to the uneducated observer, but in fact are known to be an honorable and compassionate people. The histories are filled with tales of Roegadyn warriors and their courageous deeds.[/quote']

[sea Wolves] are typically open-minded' date=' and blessed with a healthy sense of humor and booming laughter, which can be heard echoing around the alehouses of most ports.[/quote']

Blessed with the same bulk and brute strength as their Sea Wolf cousins' date=' the Hellsguard can be distinguished by the color of their skin, which often takes on reddish hues akin to molten rock. Many Hellsguard partake in ascetic firewalking, training from a young age to bring out their latent mystical talents. It is doubtless due to this age-old tradition that the Hellsguard have produced so many great mages, in addition to the fearsome sword and axe-wielding warriors for which their kind are best known.[/quote']

 

 

All this lore and more can be found in my racial lore compilation here and here.

 

 

 

 

As far as RP goes, physical differences and racial stats only really matter when you and your RP partner want them to matter. If it's important to the scene, definitely make use of them! If the focus of the RP is combat on equal footing (roll-based fight tourneys, for example) then racial stats might not come into it unless you and your partner agree on the rules. In lore, a Lalafell lacks the brute physical strength of a Roegadyn, yet both Lalafell and Roegadyn Brass Blades and Amajina miners exist. It's no fun to say that a Lalafell will always lose to a Roegadyn, but a Lalafell might face a particular obstacle quite differently than a Roegadyn. So agreeing with your RP partner how to best apply those racial stats might be more fun for both people involved. A Lalafell is more agile than a Roegadyn, and a Roegadyn would have a harder time striking/defending against a target so low to the ground.

 

A Duskwight or a Plainsfolk in a bar might overhear a whispered conversation as far as lore is concerned, but involving yourself in another's RP is best agreed upon beforehand, as another example. If a nearby party doesn't really wish to be overheard or is RPing a private scene, then you probably shouldn't RP as overhearing it.

 

I guess what I'm getting at is: there are noticeable differences between the races and their "stats" so to speak, but it's more important that everyone in a scene communicates how those racial strengths get played out so it's fun for everyone and doesn't come off as power/meta-gaming. Equal, unless otherwise agreed upon.

[Stormblade]

Thanks!

 

I agree, that using the physical differences is best done when agreed by all parties. I was just wondering how often people actually use any differences in their roleplay, or if they deliberately treat the races as on equal ground in terms of strength and hearing and so forth.

 

Your breakdown is really interesting, though - I didn't know that Hellsguard Roegadyn were actually great mages, of all things. I had been thinking about trying out a scholar-type character, and it sounds like that might actually work with a Roe - which would be nice, since you don't see them very often.

[Edric W.]

The way I see it, they're all relatively equal in terms of fighting. Any pros they have are countered by cons that come with them and vice versa. These is just my thoughts, and I'm sure someone will correct me or disagree.

 

Take everyone's favourite race, for example. Lalafell are physically the weakest, but I imagine they're pretty crafty when they have to be. The ones with good hearing would be able to hear any ambushes or charges coming from a while away, so surprises wouldn't really work on them. I imagine trying to hit a moving Lalafell with a bow or spell would be near impossible as well, so if they had something like a crossbow (probably couldn't get a very high draw strength on a bow that small) and a lot of cover, they could do very well with guerilla tactics.

 

Even just in a one-on-one fight though, if they had pretty much any weapon they could hit someone in the shins, break their toes, slip through their legs and put a rapier/spear through a major artery in the legs, or just smack a male opponent in the pills. Defensively, it would be hard to hit them if they were agile enough and had good reaction times, larger weapons being a hindrance when they get close, and smaller ones/fists possibly not being able to reach them even when they're at your feet.

[Akeno Asukai]

[align=justify]Ah, the age-old question... 

For me, personally, I believe in certain scenarios and situations a characters race definitely plays a part. As it's been stated in the original post, there are some races which make sense in being better in certain areas however, the game does offer a bit of a contradiction to that belief with the use of NPC's. Generally speaking, I tend to chalk it up to Square trying to include races in all areas; meaning it is not necessarily a statement of "all races are equal here". 

 

I do like that actual lore statements, made throughout the lore books and the like -- which were listed earlier in this thread, by Sounsyy; however, to take them a bit further there are a few scenarios which would play out very specific in my mind. 

     Such as Hellsguard Magi and a Dunesfolk Magi -- not only would I consider the magics used, but generally speaking (for myself) it makes more sense that the Dunesfolk would likely win the day. I do also think/believe that a Miqo'te would/could give a Duskwight a "run for their money" when it comes to hearing. This kind of "contradiction" to the written lore also holds true for the strength of an Au Ra woman versus a female Roe. I just cannot agree that a female Xaela would win against a female Roe in a game of pure strength. That being said, I do believe a female Xaela would win against a female Raen in a game of physical strength. 

 

For many of the races, I consider an individual characters backstory as they will play the most important role in a characters stats physically and mentally.[/align]

[Valence]

Even just in a one-on-one fight though, if they had pretty much any weapon they could hit someone in the shins, break their toes, slip through their legs and put a rapier/spear through a major artery in the legs, or just smack a male opponent in the pills. Defensively, it would be hard to hit them if they were agile enough and had good reaction times, larger weapons being a hindrance when they get close, and smaller ones/fists possibly not being able to reach them even when they're at your feet.

 

Generally with armed combat (sword, etc), the one with the longest reach have a strong stake on victory, at equal skill. I'm sure a lalafell could get very crafty and roll around to reach knees and whatnot, but someone experienced would probably expect them to do it. Anyway, even if not, this puts lalafells and smaller characters at a great disadvantage.

 

But. Heh. It's FFXIV. It's not like they're not using huge, cumbersome weapons and other impossibly shaped stuff anyway. And do impossible feats.

 

I just cannot agree that a female Xaela would win against a female Roe in a game of pure strength. That being said, I do believe a female Xaela would win against a female Raen in a game of physical strength. 

 

 

Let's keep in mind that pure strength =/= weight though. In any unarmed fight, reach and weight will play a part, strength a bit less.

 

And in any armed fight with swords and shit, at equal skill dexterity will do the deed, even if strength might help you alleviate fatigue or taxing your stamina too much.

 

Especially with ffxiv huge cleavers of doom. I guess.