Thoughts on the Au Ra?

[Iex]

Something I said.

 

If you only rely on data then you're cut off from the human element. Feedback has to be taken into consideration because data doesn't have emotions, and more importantly it can't be considered prior to the fact.

 

Otherwise, why bother to seek out feedback for anything, really? Just put it out there! If it's not popular it sucks, right!?

 

Data can tell you how much, but it can't tell you why. That's why feedback's there.

 

Also, it's still not a nitpick regardless of what you think. I'd understand if the Au Ra were given to everyone regardless of whether they get the xpac or not but that's obviously not the case here. It's expansion content. I mean, they're also not giving us expanded Ishgard, and quite frankly the last thing I needed is more Ishgarde.

If you look at the feedback from this forum, main forums, commentary on gaming site articles, and other random sources it seems to be a bunch of both sides of "I like it" and "I don't like it." This situation is why the feedback is problematic. There is no general agreement or disagreement on the race other than it has caused mixed feelings.

 

Since that is the case, the developer really can only go with what they want. If that turns out as it is now, that is what we will get. However, if you voice your opinion saying you would like a more beasty (for example) or pretty male (for another example) race that is all well in good, and perhaps the reaction will encourage the developers to risk a less data conforming race in the future, or maybe the race may flop who knows.

 

As for the given part, sorry to be the dick saying this: if you aren't going to buy the expansion, the content being created frankly isn't for you. If you cannot find something in the preview (race classes... the ability to keep gearing your character) that you like, the expansion might not be something you should invest in. However, basically they are not 'rebuilding' the intro zones (WoW Cataclysm) and instead adding on top of the current content (WoW Burning Crusade). The mechanics of an MMO is that the world keeps growing otherwise people will stop playing; however, I HAVE DONE SO MUCH TO AVOID SAYING THIS... SE is still a business so they have to make money.

 

If you have a problem with paying for content that you might not enjoy in order to get content you do enjoy, you are really in the wrong type of game. I am paying for PVP content I have not even touched.

[Edvyn]

i just hope that one of the machinist weapons is a gun called "The Problematic"

 

it would be a better use of the word than what I have seen in this thread

[Zyrusticae]

Here's a poll: http://strawpoll.me/3247034

 

Thanks in advance for your time.

 

As long as the sample size is large enough we can extrapolate the general reception from there.

 

Even if a few hundred people all voiced their dislike for the race, that is still barely a fraction of the total number of people who either like the race and haven't spoken up, like the race and have spoken up, or just don't give a shit enough to comment one way or the other.

For the record, assuming there are actually 2 million subscribers (there aren't, but there's no point being a stickler on this), you only need about 384 people to have a confidence level of 95(+/-5)%. Hell, for 95(+/-10)% you only need 96 people. Not that difficult.

 

Hence, I am going to do a poll... the problem, of course, being that I can only get players who are enthusiasts and actually post about the game on forums, comment sections, etc., but then again that's not really relevant to whether or not you're interested in a particular race (I'd actually have reason to be concerned about this if we were talking about measuring the number of players doing Coil or something like that) so it shouldn't be too much of a concern.

 

C.) If you are unhappy with all available options already existing, and also don't like the current race... why the hell are you playing this game?

I shouldn't need to point out that there is a range between 'completely dissatisfied to the point of disinterest' and 'jumping for joy'. For example, someone can really, really like the game's aesthetics in general and its content but only find that the racial options are 'adequate', which isn't enough to get them to quit but enough to get them to hope for a better option down the road. For such players seeing something like this can be really discouraging.

 

I, personally, am more concerned with general character creation suckiness (Why can't I mix and match facial features from different face types? Why is there no muscle slider for Miqo'te? Why are so many hairstyles gendered for male or female?) than I am with the race, but I still hold out hope that a new race could get me to ignore that suckiness. Obviously, the Au-Ra are not that race.

 

Also, 'voting with your wallet' is useless. There's a LOT of content in an expansion and not buying it because you disagree with one element out of dozens or hundreds does not make any rational sense whatsoever. Better to allay verbal feedback and maybe, possibly, somewhere down the line get someone to pay attention, yeah?

 

ITT: people who play pretend on internet video games claim to be worthwhile critics, game designers, cultural analysts or whatever delusion fits their particular argument 8-)

It is so, so, SO very hard to resist the urge to tell you off for making this utterly worthless post.

 

Instead I will simply point out that this post contributes nothing at all to the thread and you should really refrain from posting entirely if this is the extent of what you can do.

[Aldotsk]

They should be beast race-like (mamool ja, goblins, qiqirn, etc.)

 

 1 vote (13%)

 

I laughed a bit whoever voted this.

[Warren Castille]

It's fairly unsporting to call someone's post useless. If you don't like the content, don't pay any mind to it.

 

Do I have to frame my comment about SE monitoring metric data just like they always have in insults and buzzwords to get some attention to that fact?

 

Fine.

 

The neckbeard misognysists at SE need to stop being so problematically toxic and check their privilege when it comes to defining gender roles and identity in their new race. Monitoring metric player data for use in their census doesn't address the issues transethnic otherkin might face and their ableist attitudes towards the playerbase is toxic. And problematic.

 

There, that's gotta be BINGO for someone's card.

[Gegenji]

The neckbeard misognysists at SE need to stop being so problematically toxic and check their privilege when it comes to defining gender roles and identity in their new race. Monitoring metric player data for use in their census doesn't address the issues transethnic otherkin might face and their ableist attitudes towards the playerbase is toxic. And problematic.

 

I have no idea what you have just said but I feel I need to be offended by it, and loudly so.

[allgivenover]

I suspect that the dimorphism has more to do with the race being a reskin of the Elezen male and female Miqo'te models as a practical requirement demanded by the PS3 rather than a pure design choice.

 

It was just another memory efficient way to make them more different from the existing races.

[Iex]

I suspect that the dimorphism has more to do with the race being a reskin of the Elezen male and female Miqo'te models as a practical requirement demanded by the PS3 rather than a pure design choice.

It was just another memory efficient way to make them more different from the existing races.

 

Aren't they discontinuing support of the PS3 with the expansion?

 

I honestly don't know, I play on the PC so I don't pay attention to the console versions.

[allgivenover]

No, 4.0 at the earliest. They're sticking with it through Heavensward.

[Warren Castille]

I suspect that the dimorphism has more to do with the race being a reskin of the Elezen male and female Miqo'te models as a practical requirement demanded by the PS3 rather than a pure design choice.

It was just another memory efficient way to make them more different from the existing races.

 

Aren't they discontinuing support of the PS3 with the expansion?

 

I honestly don't know, I play on the PC so I don't pay attention to the console versions.

 

PS3 is supported through this expansion, no promises for future ones.

[Zyrusticae]

It's fairly unsporting to call someone's post useless. If you don't like the content, don't pay any mind to it.

 

Do I have to frame my comment about SE monitoring metric data just like they always have in insults and buzzwords to get some attention to that fact?

 

Fine.

 

The neckbeard misognysists at SE need to stop being so problematically toxic and check their privilege when it comes to defining gender roles and identity in their new race. Monitoring metric player data for use in their census doesn't address the issues transethnic otherkin might face and their ableist attitudes towards the playerbase is toxic. And problematic.

 

There, that's gotta be BINGO for someone's card.

I don't see why I need to be 'sporting' when someone is just throwing out crap left and right with zero respect for the subject at hand or its participants. If there is to be a discussion there has to be some common ground and shit posts like that only serve as mudslinging.

 

And I don't know why you are so gung-ho on this anti-SJW bent, but this shit is also entirely irrelevant and I wish you'd just stop.

[Tiergan]

Can we just... agree to disagree?

 

This is an absurd amount of heat over an imaginary fantasy race. It's okay for people to like the Au Ra and it's okay for people to not fancy them so much. If you feel very strongly either way, you can also talk about it without sounding like you think the person with the opposite opinion is an idiot.

 

Also, you could probably just e-mail SE about it as they're the ones who can actually do something about it either way. Vent out all of your love/hate in an e-mail, and then come back here to talk like good people about a game we all enjoy playing and having fun times over.

 

[EDIT: I should add Zyrusticae - even if you feel someone is being a huge turd, don't use it as an excuse to sink down into the mud too. It just makes this thread that much more combative and unpleasent.

 

REMEMBER GUYS. FANTASY RACE. FUN TIMES. AN MMO WE ALL PLAY FOR ENJOYMENT. It's not really worth this much anger over.]

[Warren Castille]

It's fairly unsporting to call someone's post useless. If you don't like the content, don't pay any mind to it.

 

Do I have to frame my comment about SE monitoring metric data just like they always have in insults and buzzwords to get some attention to that fact?

 

Fine.

 

The neckbeard misognysists at SE need to stop being so problematically toxic and check their privilege when it comes to defining gender roles and identity in their new race. Monitoring metric player data for use in their census doesn't address the issues transethnic otherkin might face and their ableist attitudes towards the playerbase is toxic. And problematic.

 

There, that's gotta be BINGO for someone's card.

I don't see why I need to be 'sporting' when someone is just throwing out crap left and right with zero respect for the subject at hand or its participants. If there is to be a discussion there has to be some common ground and shit posts like that only serve as mudslinging.

 

And I don't know why you are so gung-ho on this anti-SJW bent, but this shit is also entirely irrelevant and I wish you'd just stop.

 

Yes, I'm the one bringing ideology into this discussion. Still no rebuttal, though, I see. If you missed my point, it was nestled directly in between the parts of my post you deigned to reply to.

[Kage]

No, 4.0 at the earliest. They're sticking with it through Heavensward.

To be honest I think they might discontinue it earlier than 4.0, or in my mind they should but perhaps not. Then again, they haven't talked about I much either way...

 

Other than "we will support it 3.0 but it is finite."

[Aldotsk]

Does everyone remember when 1.0, people complained that nothing new was being added, but now we are complaining about how new stuffs are being added because of how they look?

 

I surely wanted a pony for Christmas, but Santa gave me a box of candy canes. At least the thought counts and I am damn satisfied. Candies for life.

[Warren Castille]

Does everyone remember when 1.0, people complained that nothing new was being added, but now we are complaining about how new stuffs are being added because of how they look?

 

I surely wanted a pony for Christmas, but Santa gave me a box of candy canes. At least the thought counts and I am damn satisfied. Candies for life.

 

But sometimes people enjoying things are wrong, so we have to destroy what they think is acceptable and speak down to them about why what they like is actually a problem.

[Havoc Snow]

For the record, assuming there are actually 2 million subscribers (there aren't, but there's no point being a stickler on this), you only need about 384 people to have a confidence level of 95(+/-5)%. Hell, for 95(+/-10)% you only need 96 people. Not that difficult.

 

I know I said I wasn't going to post in this thread anymore, but I just wanted to come in and point out how for as much as you want to try to make it seem like everyone on the internet hates the Au Ra based on your own cursory scan of posts and comments online (which you probably only went about looking for the negative ones anyways because they share your views), your own poll proves otherwise as the top two choices are "I like them" and "they're perfect."

[Zyrusticae]

I wanted to bring up how the scales look so out of place on that smooth skin, and it hit me - there really should be more of a gradient between 'regular skin' and 'hard scales', with the scaly parts gradually growing finer until they dissipate into the skin instead of ending on a hard line.

 

As it is, they look like cosplay additions or something along those lines, not a natural part of their bodies.

 

Yes' date=' I'm the one bringing ideology into this discussion. Still no rebuttal, though, I see. If you missed my point, it was nestled directly in between the parts of my post you deigned to reply to.[/quote']There's nothing to respond to. Of course SE has metrics. If this all works out for them then, wonderful, good for them.

 

That doesn't change anything at all about what I've said about underserved markets and the like.

 

Does everyone remember when 1.0, people complained that nothing new was being added, but now we are complaining about how new stuffs are being added because of how they look?

 

I surely wanted a pony for Christmas, but Santa gave me a box of candy canes. At least the thought counts and I am damn satisfied. Candies for life.

They're not free. You're paying for them. Remember that.

 

For the record, assuming there are actually 2 million subscribers (there aren't, but there's no point being a stickler on this), you only need about 384 people to have a confidence level of 95(+/-5)%. Hell, for 95(+/-10)% you only need 96 people. Not that difficult.

 

I know I said I wasn't going to post in this thread anymore, but I just wanted to come in and point out how for as much as you want to try to make it seem like everyone on the internet hates the Au Ra based on your own cursory scan of posts and comments online (which you probably only went about looking for the negative ones anyways because they share your views), your own poll proves otherwise as the top two choices are "I like them" and "they're perfect."

Sure, the data has proven otherwise and I will own up to it. There's still a significant number of votes saying they should be more bestial, however, so I would think that that's an avenue worth pursuing (even just making scaled skin a character creation option would go a long, loooong way).

[Aldotsk]

For the record, assuming there are actually 2 million subscribers (there aren't, but there's no point being a stickler on this), you only need about 384 people to have a confidence level of 95(+/-5)%. Hell, for 95(+/-10)% you only need 96 people. Not that difficult.

 

I know I said I wasn't going to post in this thread anymore, but I just wanted to come in and point out how for as much as you want to try to make it seem like everyone on the internet hates the Au Ra based on your own cursory scan of posts and comments online (which you probably only went about looking for the negative ones anyways because they share your views), your own poll proves otherwise as the top two choices are "I like them" and "they're perfect."

 

You'd be surprised that rate is completely wrong since 2ch and JPN players are excited about Au Ra race. Niconico video comments were explosively excited about the new race. 

 

Again, it's Japanese players favors over Westerners. Since westerners are always grumpy a lot.

[Aldotsk]

Does everyone remember when 1.0, people complained that nothing new was being added, but now we are complaining about how new stuffs are being added because of how they look?

 

I surely wanted a pony for Christmas, but Santa gave me a box of candy canes. At least the thought counts and I am damn satisfied. Candies for life.

They're not free. You're paying for them. Remember that.

 

Excuse me, I'd like to at least hope that I was not pretending myself that I was Santa Claus to buy myself Candy Canes. I'd like to believe that Santa existed and gave me those amazing box of candies.

[Clover]

Looking at the bright side, the less people play the race, the more unique our characters will be! (Though I actually have the feeling that everyone and their mother is going to make an Au Ra. Tumblr will explode).

[Faye]

I wanted to bring up how the scales look so out of place on that smooth skin, and it hit me - there really should be more of a gradient between 'regular skin' and 'hard scales', with the scaly parts gradually growing finer until they dissipate into the skin instead of ending on a hard line.

 

As it is, they look like cosplay additions or something along those lines, not a natural part of their bodies.

 

I could agree with that. But then again, I don't think FFXIV really has very good/detailed character models in general.

[Aldotsk]

I could agree with that. But then again, I don't think FFXIV really has very good/detailed character models in general.

 

Despite that it doesnt have detailed character model set up, it's still pretty damn good graphics. Amazing sexy graphics since 2010. Stay warm, FFXIV.

 

We can talk about Boobs and Soul and Black Desert Online. Then we will talk about good/detailed character models. (see that underlined and italicized?) 

 

From Clover's response in terms of:

"Lesser people play, more unique it'll be" 

 

EXACTLY. Like Femroes and some Lalas. - Which is why I love them so much.

[Iex]

I suppose the detail of the scales all depends on the origin of the scales... which we don't know yet. They could be more of 'hard' plates on the body rather than scales, maybe they are born like that but the plates don't change so as they grow. But who knows.

[Aldotsk]

I suppose the detail of the scales all depends on the origin of the scales... which we don't know yet. They could be more of 'hard' plates on the body rather than scales, maybe they are born like that but the plates don't change so as they grow. But who knows.

 

You know what's funny? Some people are already complaining from 20-30 second trailer where they only showed one part of the designed models.