Why are there any Midlanders?

[Jomoru]

I mean there's nothing special about them. They are at best a "Me Too" for any of the nations of Eorzea they haven't built anything they don't have any special culture and to get the same background from any other race option you'd just have to be an orphan or something

 

So why would anyone ever play a midlander when they could play an orphaned Miqote/Elezen/Roe and get the the innate flavoring of orphan status and uniqueness of being torn between two worlds. Why would anyone ever pick something so boring as a Midlander?

[Whittledown]

Because Race isn't character.

 

Character is Character.

[ansemaru]

Familiarity.

 

I'm guessing this is to antagonize the poster of the thread asking about the prevalence of Miqo'te in the rp community. And/or a joke riffing on the theme, rather than you asking in good faith why anybody plays a Midlander.

 

So I'm kind of side-eyeing this entire thread.

[Jomoru]

Its turning the whole thing around, when people comment that someone is just "Playing a Hyur with cat ears" I am here to point out Midlanders have Nothing to make them special.

There is no character concept that is "Midlander" in this game. My point is rather than trying to state the idea that Hyur are baseline(and that's not even true since Highlanders exist) Midlanders have been given nothing to make them stand out. Any concept that could be done as a Midlander can casually be done by any other race, why should one have to justify playing another race to get the same concept? Why shouldn't someone as readily have to justify playing a Midlander orphan raised in Limsa?

[KitKat]

This thread was probably unnecessary. Instead of being vindictive and making a thread to insult the person who made the miqo'te one, perhaps you should post constructive feedback in the other one. Making a thread like this only serves to divide the already splintered player base.

[ArmachiA]

I play ALL THE MIDLANDERS

 

Too be honest, I just felt like it fit the character. There were two races that fit her background - Elezen (Wildwood, since she hung out in Gridania) and Hyur - Midlander. I didn't like the Elezen animations in Beta, so I race changed her to Hyur.

 

I don't think Miqote or Roe or Lalafell would have worked with the character at all, and even a Highlander Hyur or Duskwood Elezen felt off.

 

My Garlean Midlander was easier, just seems to be a lot of those. Rolled it.

 

There, that simple. Just fit with what I wanted in the character.

[Jomoru]

This thread was probably unnecessary. Instead of being vindictive and making a thread to insult the person who made the miqo'te one, perhaps you should post constructive feedback in the other one. Making a thread like this only serves to divide the already splintered player base.

 

I am not insulting the op. There is an assumption that certain character concepts are "Better" done as a Midlander. I want to know why? Midlanders aren't given any thing special. They have no unique culture, nothing to hang a story off of. What makes a Character a Midlander, what makes a concept intrinsically of a Midlander experience.

[Jomoru]

I play ALL THE MIDLANDERS

 

Too be honest, I just felt like it fit the character. There were two races that fit her background - Elezen (Wildwood, since she hung out in Gridania) and Hyur - Midlander. I didn't like the Elezen animations in Beta, so I race changed her to Hyur.

 

I don't think Miqote or Roe or Lalafell would have worked with the character at all, and even a Highlander Hyur or Duskwood Elezen felt off.

 

My Garlean Midlander was easier, just seems to be a lot of those. Rolled it.

 

There, that simple. Just fit with what I wanted in the character.

 

For the second character you are really playing a garlean and game mechanics won't let you is that the case? 

 

As for the first is it you couldn't justify any other race having roots in Gridania?  Is the character tied down to centuries of family hertige or just has "roots" there if so such has been the case for Miquote and Lalafell readily.

[LiadansWhisper]

I play ALL THE MIDLANDERS

 

Too be honest, I just felt like it fit the character. There were two races that fit her background - Elezen (Wildwood, since she hung out in Gridania) and Hyur - Midlander. I didn't like the Elezen animations in Beta, so I race changed her to Hyur.

 

I don't think Miqote or Roe or Lalafell would have worked with the character at all, and even a Highlander Hyur or Duskwood Elezen felt off.

 

My Garlean Midlander was easier, just seems to be a lot of those. Rolled it.

 

There, that simple. Just fit with what I wanted in the character.

 

For the second character you are really playing a garlean and game mechanics won't let you is that the case? 

 

As for the first is it you couldn't justify any other race having roots in Gridania?  Is the character tied down to centuries of family hertige or just has "roots" there if so such has been the case for Miquote and Lalafell readily.

 

Perhaps they just wanted to play a Midlander?  Why do people have to play a race other than the one they are playing?  What's wrong with just playing whatever the hell you want to play?

[K'nahli]

This thread was probably unnecessary. Instead of being vindictive and making a thread to insult the person who made the miqo'te one, perhaps you should post constructive feedback in the other one. Making a thread like this only serves to divide the already splintered player base.

 

I am not insulting the op. There is an assumption that certain character concepts are "Better" done as a Midlander. I want to know why? Midlanders aren't given any thing special. They have no unique culture, nothing to hang a story off of. What makes a Character a Midlander, what makes a concept intrinsically of a Midlander experience.

 

That argument isn't to state that Midlanders have a certain background that many miqo'te are running with. Its simply because miqo'te are the closest visual comparative to midlanders(or hyurs) with the addition of the seemingly attractive, cat-like attributes.

 

So as opposed to playing a tribal structure as the lore would dictate, many just came up with some excuse(don't read that as a derogatory plug) to play their miqo'te in a normal setting while simultaneously getting to be "the cat race". Had most miqo'te stuck to the lore then perhaps that statement wouldn't have been presented against the minority that still opted for the non-tribal lifestyle, but because there are rather few pursuing that setting its only natural to assume that some people decided to play a hyur('normal' character) with ears and a tail.

 

 

 

That is my take on what people with that concept meant but perhaps I am wrong.

[Kismet]

There are a number of reasons I could I name for why one of my characters is a Hyur Midlander. A few of them are purely aesthetic. I thought the face I chose was pretty, I liked the hairstyles I could pick from, I liked being able to put moles on her face, I like the Midlander animations, I like the way the armor fits their body. (I tried making her a Highlander at first... Didn't like her aesthetically anywhere nearly as much. I hate the way they stand and their emotes are really weird to me.)

 

As for background/story? Not everyone wants to play something over-the-top and fantastical. I consider myself a medium-heavy RPer, so I like RPing out the mundane day-to-day activities a lot of people would skip. Likewise, I like RPing characters that are mundane themselves. The idea of a more realistic (or "normal") person in a crazy world full of magic and beasts has appeal to me. (It's one of the reasons why I love urban fantasy novels.) I like taking characters with bland and/or humble beginnings and seeing how I can build them up and make them interesting with their personality or their reactions to things.

 

TL;DR Version: It's less about what race I play, and more about what I do with them. The race I choose is not much more than just a pretty outer shell that's being draped around my concept.

 

What is boring to you is not boring to everyone else. *shrugs*

[Jomoru]

This thread was probably unnecessary. Instead of being vindictive and making a thread to insult the person who made the miqo'te one, perhaps you should post constructive feedback in the other one. Making a thread like this only serves to divide the already splintered player base.

 

I am not insulting the op. There is an assumption that certain character concepts are "Better" done as a Midlander. I want to know why? Midlanders aren't given any thing special. They have no unique culture, nothing to hang a story off of. What makes a Character a Midlander, what makes a concept intrinsically of a Midlander experience.

 

That argument isn't to state that Midlanders have a certain background that many miqo'te are running with. Its simply because miqo'te are the closest visual comparative to midlanders(or hyurs) with the addition of the seemingly attractive, cat-like attributes.

 

So as opposed to playing a tribal structure as the lore would dictate, many just came up with some excuse(don't read that as a derogatory plug) to play their miqo'te in a normal setting while simultaneously getting to be "the cat race". Had most miqo'te stuck to the lore then perhaps that statement wouldn't have been presented against the minority that still opted for the non-tribal lifestyle, but because there are rather few pursuing that setting its only natural to assume that some people decided to play a hyur('normal' character) with ears and a tail.

 

 

 

That is my take on what people with that concept meant but perhaps I am wrong.

 

I have no problem with a person choosing based on what they consider pretty looking. I want to know why someone would play a character with no lore hooks. Even the complete rejection of Lore hooks by a Miqote rper.. creates rp hooks to play off of.

 

What especially baffles me is, that for once a game company decided not to use "generic fantasy human" as the players only option to play something human like. Highlanders have Lore, Lore that stands out. Lore that makes them special.

[Folken]

So as opposed to playing a tribal structure as the lore would dictate, many just came up with some excuse(don't read that as a derogatory plug) to play their miqo'te in a normal setting while simultaneously getting to be "the cat race". Had most miqo'te stuck to the lore then perhaps that statement wouldn't have been presented against the minority that still opted for the non-tribal lifestyle, but because there are rather few pursuing that setting its only natural to assume that some people decided to play a hyur('normal' character) with ears and a tail.

 

 

 

That is my take on what people with that concept meant but perhaps I am wrong.

 

Except that the majority of in-game lore and representation of Miqo'te shows they pretty much are Hyur with cat features. The cultures of Eorzea are homogenized. It's a cultural mixing pot that has been around each other for thousands of years.

 

I grow tired of seeing so many people latch onto this misconstrued notion that Miqo'te are still prominently tribal in nature because they aren't. The only tribe of Sunkeepers represented in-game are the exception rather than the rule. 95% of Miqo'te NPC population has nothing to do with tribes, including all prominant Miqo'te NPC's involved with the storyline.

 

So people who play Miqo'te as Hyur with cat ears and a tail. They're doing it right.

[K'nahli]

So as opposed to playing a tribal structure as the lore would dictate, many just came up with some excuse(don't read that as a derogatory plug) to play their miqo'te in a normal setting while simultaneously getting to be "the cat race". Had most miqo'te stuck to the lore then perhaps that statement wouldn't have been presented against the minority that still opted for the non-tribal lifestyle, but because there are rather few pursuing that setting its only natural to assume that some people decided to play a hyur('normal' character) with ears and a tail.

 

 

 

That is my take on what people with that concept meant but perhaps I am wrong.

 

Except that the majority of in-game lore and representation of Miqo'te shows they pretty much are Hyur with cat features. The cultures of Eorzea are homogenized. It's a cultural mixing pot that has been around each other for thousands of years.

 

I grow tired of seeing so many people latch onto this misconstrued notion that Miqo'te are still prominently tribal in nature because they aren't. The only tribe of Sunkeepers represented in-game are the exception rather than the rule. 95% of Miqo'te NPC population has nothing to do with tribes, including all prominant Miqo'te NPC's involved with the storyline.

 

So people who play Miqo'te as Hyur with cat ears and a tail. They're doing it right.

 

Thats precisely the point. The concept is that because both can be found in the civilized world, miqo'te are thought to be chosen rather often simply for aesthetics whereas few people(comparatively) decide to choose the race for the tribal aspect which presents an interesting lore.

 

Again, I can't say this with absolute certainty but I believe that people with this notion weren't suggesting that city miqo'te were 'doing it wrong', but rather they were saddened by the idea that so many people opted for the race purely for aesthetics and just ignored the lore opportunities.

 

 

However, was it stated somewhere that such a large percentage of miqo'te lived in the civilized world? I accepted that I was the minority but I didn't think it to be that grave.

[Naunet]

I grow tired of seeing so many people latch onto this misconstrued notion that Miqo'te are still prominently tribal in nature because they aren't. The only tribe of Sunkeepers represented in-game are the exception rather than the rule. 95% of Miqo'te NPC population has nothing to do with tribes, including all prominant Miqo'te NPC's involved with the storyline.

 

You have no lore to base your random % off of, just so you know. The world is far bigger than the number of its NPCs, especially in XIV where the visible in-game world is pathetically small. There's simply not enough in-game space to have a bunch of different tribes running about. There's no indication whatsoever that the U tribe is the only miqo'te tribe that still persists with its unique culture; rather, take it more as a sample of miqo'te tribes that persist with their own unique cultures, just as you might take an NPC camp of Couerlclaw poachers as a sample of all poacher camps in the Shroud.

[Varianna]

This post kinda makes me a little angry.

 

The great thing about RP is that it gives you the chance to be who you want to be, within reason of course. There isn't much more to it, other than it's the player's choice for whatever reason.

[N'taeyl]

If I had transmutation crystals and slightly different hair, I'd role my hyur midlander in a heartbeat.  He's a fun character I'd like to play.  Less than noble, but manipulative charm with a talent for street magic and pickpocket tricks.  I don't usually play such a conniving character so I'd like to get into it, but laazzzyyyyyleveellinngg.

[Faye]

Hyur--Midlanders included--do indeed have their own culture and race. One reason to play them is familiarity. Another is that, in game, human races tend to be one of the more unique ones. We're all humans in real life. So the majority of people would opt to play a Miqo'te, or a Lalafell, etc. So rather than being mundane, Midlanders are sort of a rarity. Otherwise, some people enjoy playing "normal" races/characters and Midlanders, being a pretty flexible race, are a suitable race change for a lot of characters. (And let's not forget that Midlander may be the best choice for anyone wanting to role-play a full-blooded Garlean).

 

I, personally, chose to main a Midlander because I think they are the best-looking and it was best suited for my character. Personality-wise, I could have made her either an Elezen or a Midlander, and in the end I settled on Midlander because it suited her appearance better. I couldn't get the soft features I wanted on an Elezen and, to be honest, their necks and shoulders are freaking weird.

 

Miqo'te aren't everyone's cup of tea, especially since there are such a large amount of them, and even more so if you factor in how many of them are furries, weeaboos, and/or perverted dudes trying to act out lesbian cat-girl fantasies scaring away others from playing the race. Lalafell are sort of a niche thing for people who want to play something cute and silly. Not everyone is into the tough, ripped aesthetic of the Highlanders and Roegadyn. As for the Elezen, many people don't want to play elves, and a lot of those who do are turned off by the weird giraffe necks.

 

In short... imo, Midlanders make for some of the best looking characters, and the history/lore/culture of them allows for the race to fit just about any character type. You should make your character interesting, not just depend on her race to set her apart from other characters. As for Midlanders not building anything, I suggest reading up on your Gridania lore. Hyur settled Gridania with the Elezen and created the Order of the Twin Adder. Also, Midlanders are seemingly the most likely race to become Padjal (assuming Padjal are not exactly a separate race in themselves).

[Illira]

I agree with the general assesment, that the main reason someone might want to play a midlander is that they are kind of the 'blank-slate' race. They have the least lore behind them, are young in feature, and don't have any notable handicaps or abilities. Hence they are easier for some people to mold into a character. Which might explain their widespread use? But different races work better for different characters, including the Midlander clan.

 

Lalafell are sort of a niche thing for people who want to play something cute and silly. 

 

Would just like to comment that Lalafells aren't really meant to be a silly / cute race. There are examples of that in-game, of course, because this is Square Enix, but that isn't representative of the race as a whole. Some of us do RP them in a real / serious manner. They really aren't that niche, or at least don't have to be. But... then again, you seem to be filing all the races into very niche / specific boxes, Fae. Using your own words, "You should make your character interesting, not just depend on her race to set her apart from other characters", its best to not judge a race on its playerbase, and instead on a character to character basis.

[Kieron Lohengrin]

do not make light of the middies, they will cut you

 

[Faye]

I don't believe I did anything of the sort. Lalafell are very tiny, unsexualized, with round faces, giant eyes, and tiny noses and mouths. They don't bend their knees when they walk and they swing their arms a lot in their cute little waddle. If that isn't silly and adorable, I don't know what is. I'm not saying Lalafell can't/aren't/shouldn't be RPed seriously and to assume that's what I meant is just being presumptuous. I'm talking solely about their physical appearance. I've RPed with several Lalafell with serious, developed, adult personalities and greatly enjoyed it, and my boyfriend and RP a serious, married, middle-aged Lalafell couple.

[Kismet]

The issue stems from how Square Enix has treated the race themselves, honestly. They give Lalafell obnoxiously "cutesy" animations, then try to have serious portrayals of them personality-wise in the game's story. The Japanese love to have things that are "stupid and adorable, but can still be really adult!" for some reason.

[Dubs]

Fact of the matter is that there is not a lot of concrete racial defining lore in this game. I've searched high and low for Roe specific lore to no avail and even have an LS of wonderful Roe RPers to keep their wary eyes out for it. Though most times the % of discussion is on how many faces Denn punched or who's the new guy/girl in Hornet's harem:P Even with the concepts of what constitutes "tribal" culture within each race/tribe you're going to get a myriad of opinions that don't necessarily align with one another. That's what causes conflict, maybe people are just addicted to it for the sake of attention, who knows.

 

So are these types of threads really just people wanting to find pedestals for being lore police and dictating to other people how they should RP their character by thumbing down a list of criteria check boxes for their approval into their niche club? If that's their perogative fine, who am I to say no you're not aloud to do that, you're stepping out of the lore box neener neener. *shrug*

 

Could you imagine someone of your same race coming up to you on the street and attempting to define your "whiteness" or "blackness" or "insert whatever racial or cultural" stereotype without getting a rolling of the eyes if not a fist in the face?

[Tobias Nightbringer]

They don't bend their knees when they walk and they swing their arms a lot

 

And you know who else walk without bending their knees and swing their arms a lot?!

 

NAZIS! AND COMMUNISTS! 

 

If that doesn't scream evil, I dunno what does  

 

We'll just forget about the cute little waddle bit But yeah, what Faye said.

 

 

 

 

 

Dirty Communists...

[TheLastCandle]

Since we're playing a Final Fantasy game, I'll put it this way. To me, asking this question is a lot like saying, "Lol? What's the point of Basch, Balthier et al in FFXII? Boring! Why wouldn't you want to play a Moogle/Bangaa/Seeq?" When in reality, literally nothing would have been enhanced by their being any other race. (Well, Vaan might have been a little more bearable. /tongueincheek)

 

In the end, it's an aesthetic choice: the creator decided that these characters best fulfilled their given roles as a Human character. The beauty of this game is that we get to make the very same decision for our own characters.