Poll: Au Ra and your character, what will you do?

[mongi291]

Let's bump this, now that we know the Au Ra clans: Raen and Xaela. Raen (the ones with a more human-like complexion) have Japanese-like names (so like Yugiri and the ninjas), while we don't know much about the Xaela (the ones with Duskwight-like complexion).

Damn, I prefer the Raen by looks, but I hate the names they use. Let's just hope Xaela Au Ra can have normal skin.

 

To be exact, here's what was said on the forums:

 

"Au Ra Raen and Au Ra Xaela. Au Ra Raen have been closely related to the Domans for long time, so their names are somewhat Japanese-like. The Xaela on the other hand have led a nomadic lifestyle for some time, and they have a unique naming convention."

 

 

So that's a little info to start concept-crafting!

They at least could have told us what are those unique naming conventions the Xaela use...

[Wymsical]

To be exact, here's what was said on the forums:

 

"Au Ra Raen and Au Ra Xaela. Au Ra Raen have been closely related to the Domans for long time, so their names are somewhat Japanese-like. The Xaela on the other hand have led a nomadic lifestyle for some time, and they have a unique naming convention."

 

 

So that's a little info to start concept-crafting!

They at least could have told us what are those unique naming conventions the Xaela use...

 

If only. That will probably get released closer to the benchmark since Au Ra will be in it. At least I now know I'll probably want to be a Xaela.

[WaywardVagrant]

Mine will have reverted back to one in time. Same personality, but probably a different name.

[Dravus]

I'm sticking with my Midlander for the time being. As much as I like Miqo'te there's just too many of them. I fear Au Ra will be the same and with the absolute mess of some people role-playing them already despite knowing nothing about them I'd rather wait for the hype to die down before I even consider making one.

[Lyria Stormdancer]

I'm sticking with my Midlander for the time being. As much as I like Miqo'te there's just too many of them. I fear Au Ra will be the same and with the absolute mess of some people role-playing them already despite knowing nothing about them I'd rather wait for the hype to die down before I even consider making one.

 

 

Yea, I don't plan on playing an Au Ra for the same reason, there's likely to be a whole mess of them. Perhaps some time down the road I'll make one, but I'm keeping my normal characters for now.

[Berrod Armstrong]

I'll likely level one, but I doubt it'll become a fully fledged character until the whole crazy hype phase dies down.

[Wymsical]

with the absolute mess of some people role-playing them already despite knowing nothing about them

 

I fully intend to Fantasia my inactive-RP main to one at launch, but I'm honestly flabbergasted people are RPing them already. Not to pass undue judgment on others' RP, but we know very little about them and only just now do we have a little info on their varying cultures. For a while people still thought they were a product of Shiva's... uh, heretic gallivanting. I'm a little lost on how you could even begin to start RPing a race when we had practically no lore on them. It just seems so hasty and short-sighted.

 

I have a feeling there'll be some retcons once we get more information about them. Oh well, I'm still eagerly awaiting more information!

[Zhavi]

Let's bump this, now that we know the Au Ra clans: Raen and Xaela. Raen (the ones with a more human-like complexion) have Japanese-like names (so like Yugiri and the ninjas), while we don't know much about the Xaela (the ones with Duskwight-like complexion).

Damn, I prefer the Raen by looks, but I hate the names they use. Let's just hope Xaela Au Ra can have normal skin.

 

To be exact, here's what was said on the forums:

 

"Au Ra Raen and Au Ra Xaela. Au Ra Raen have been closely related to the Domans for long time, so their names are somewhat Japanese-like. The Xaela on the other hand have led a nomadic lifestyle for some time, and they have a unique naming convention."

 

 

So that's a little info to start concept-crafting!

 

OMG please say mongolian inspired, please say mongolian inspired

 

;_; dowant

[Kalooeh]

I may change A'Samh since I havn't really rp'd with her so far. Mostly depends on if I end up being able to come up with a look I like or not for what'd work for Samhain.

[Gone.]

with the absolute mess of some people role-playing them already despite knowing nothing about them

 

I fully intend to Fantasia my inactive-RP main to one at launch, but I'm honestly flabbergasted people are RPing them already. Not to pass undue judgment on others' RP, but we know very little about them and only just now do we have a little info on their varying cultures. For a while people still thought they were a product of Shiva's... uh, heretic gallivanting. I'm a little lost on how you could even begin to start RPing a race when we had practically no lore on them. It just seems so hasty and short-sighted.

 

I have a feeling there'll be some retcons once we get more information about them. Oh well, I'm still eagerly awaiting more information!

 

We know they're from Othard, with the Raen specifically in Doma featuring similar naming schemes.

 

Unless you plan on playing Xaela, what more do you need to know unless you overly rely on race to define your character?

[Kismet]

We know they're from Othard, with the Raen specifically in Doma featuring similar naming schemes.

 

Unless you plan on playing Xaela, what more do you need to know unless you overly rely on race to define your character?

 

I've tried to make this same argument in the past and was met with a lot of resistance.  Not to discourage you from doing the same. Just some friendly advisory to tread lightly, lol.

[allgivenover]

Unless you plan on playing Xaela, what more do you need to know unless you overly rely on race to define your character?

 

False dichotomy. There's a LOT between knowing the very basic of naming concepts for one sub-race and rping based on that extremely basic information and overly relying on race to define your character. It's not either-or, it's a million shades between.

 

Thankfully I'm not even RPing at all at the moment, so I don't have to put up with people RPing Au Ra before Heavensward.

[Wymsical]

We know they're from Othard, with the Raen specifically in Doma featuring similar naming schemes.

 

Unless you plan on playing Xaela, what more do you need to know unless you overly rely on race to define your character?

 

Not race, actually, but culture, origin and so on. I do plan on playing Xaela, so that's one thing. But up until today, we didn't even have any real confirmation with their circumstances in Doma. This is our first real tidbit of lore. Before this, we just had their appearance.

 

Yugiri could've been the exception. We literally knew nothing besides 'well there's at least one in Doma and they have some dragon features' until today. There were theories about them being related to Shiva, about some manner of tense standing with Ishgard, all kinds of ideas and we still don't have any real idea about their circumstances and why they're now in Eorzea. A refugee would have a much different mindset than a nomad, for example. Differences in culture, mindset and background could've been (and still could be) as drastic as Highlander and Midlander.

 

I admit this is more of a personal preference thing but sometimes knowing where you've been can really help with deciding where you're going. Especially in a setting like this; most of the playable races have very important context and background.

[Kellach Woods]

We know they're from Othard, with the Raen specifically in Doma featuring similar naming schemes.

 

Unless you plan on playing Xaela, what more do you need to know unless you overly rely on race to define your character?

 

First, IIRC we do not have the Doman naming scheme. It's pretty much assumed to be straight up just Japanese when from what we've seen it's Japanese first name English last name with a Japanese tint in what words would be used for the last name. E.G. : Oboro Moonrise as opposed to Oboro Tsuki(something or other and even then don't quote me on that first part).

 

Second, assuming they're from Othard when we're told that at least the Xaela are nomadic is oversimplifying it muchly. Why are one established and the other nomadic? That may factor in the naming convention.

[Blue]

We should not forget that The Adventurer, whichever the race, is supposed to come from an unknown foreign land. This alone is a very valid excuse to RP a character which does not follow the typical culture of each specific race and clan. If you plan to RP X race hailing from Y land, then yeah, you need to do some research, but otherwise, everything is perfectly legit.

 

Also, I am very happy to hear of the Xaelan Au Ra. It seems a very valid answer to all those seeking to RP non-Doman Au Ra (including Au Ra RPers who intend to have been in Eorzea since before Yugiri and her ship came). I have a friend who intends to RP an Au Ra who is not from Doman (he isn't a fan of japanese/eastern culture), and he was super happy to read this bit about the Xaelan clan being nomadic. I'm glad for him.

 

As for me, I think I'll roll a Raen. Though, you won't find me trying to speak japanese in /say because of it. I'll just resort to "/em talks with the fellow connational in an incomprehensible language to the local Eorzeans.", and keep it classy. <_< I'm also looking forward to cringe at all the japanese slangs mixed with English that people will use (kawaii, senpai, etc.) ugh...!

[Kismet]

As for me, I think I'll roll a Raen. Though, you won't find me trying to speak japanese in /say because of it. I'll just resort to "/em talks with the fellow connational in an incomprehensible language to the local Eorzeans.", and keep it classy. <_< I'm also looking forward to cringe at all the japanese slangs mixed with English that people will use (kawaii, senpai, etc.) ugh...!

 

Ugh, I have to agree. I hate that in any MMO I see with an Asian-influenced race. "Random Japanese + Random Chinese = Race X's language." No! It doesn't work like that!

[Steel Wolf]

Unfortunately, there is a precedent to this form of speech--I haven't done much of the quests yet, but the ninja quests so far have had the primary trainer interspersing Japanese words with mostly English.

 

It does lead to the potential for people acting like a hyper-stereotypical Japanese person...but, as with any RP that one doesn't want in their sphere, it's a matter of simply ignoring it, either personally or through in-game tools, and moving on with your life.

 

Personally, I'm looking forward to seeing where people go with the race, particularly the Xaelan. I'm most intrigued about their lifestyle and how it shapes their demeanor, and where people will go with that.

[Spiritual Machine]

We should not forget that The Adventurer, whichever the race, is supposed to come from an unknown foreign land. This alone is a very valid excuse to RP a character which does not follow the typical culture of each specific race and clan. If you plan to RP X race hailing from Y land, then yeah, you need to do some research, but otherwise, everything is perfectly legit.

We never learn anything about that Adventurer's past. So personally, I don't think that makes them a good example for a roleplay character.

 

Often at least, roleplayers like to ground their characters in history and lore, the depth and richness of which depends on how important it is to the character as well as the player.

 

Most definitely though, completely making things up does streamline the process of character creation. I think that's why it holds an intrinsic appeal to some people.

[K'nahli]

We should not forget that The Adventurer, whichever the race, is supposed to come from an unknown foreign land. This alone is a very valid excuse to RP a character which does not follow the typical culture of each specific race and clan. If you plan to RP X race hailing from Y land, then yeah, you need to do some research, but otherwise, everything is perfectly legit.

We never learn anything about that Adventurer's past. So personally, I don't think that makes them a good example for a roleplay character.

 

Often at least, roleplayers like to ground their characters in history and lore, the depth and richness of which depends on how important it is to the character as well as the player.

 

Most definitely though, completely making things up does streamline the process of character creation. I think that's why it holds an intrinsic appeal to some people.

 

It's just a plot device to justify why you need everything explained to you for the sake of being expositional about the story and lore, that's all. No-one should really read into the actual situation of the PC itself. Having said that, I think Blue's point was simply that there are always exceptions to the rule.

[Spiritual Machine]

We should not forget that The Adventurer, whichever the race, is supposed to come from an unknown foreign land. This alone is a very valid excuse to RP a character which does not follow the typical culture of each specific race and clan. If you plan to RP X race hailing from Y land, then yeah, you need to do some research, but otherwise, everything is perfectly legit.

We never learn anything about that Adventurer's past. So personally, I don't think that makes them a good example for a roleplay character.

 

Often at least, roleplayers like to ground their characters in history and lore, the depth and richness of which depends on how important it is to the character as well as the player.

 

Most definitely though, completely making things up does streamline the process of character creation. I think that's why it holds an intrinsic appeal to some people.

 

It's just a plot device to justify why you need everything explained to you for the sake of being expositional about the story and lore, that's all. No-one should really read into the actual situation of the PC itself. Having said that, I think Blue's point was simply that there are always exceptions to the rule.

I don't think that was their point. They were actually rebutting the sentiment that people might be jumping the gun by roleplaying an Au Ra without knowing anything about what they are, where they come from, or even how they are named.

 

When it comes to creating a character, I don't believe making more exceptions necessarily makes a character more exceptional. It goes beyond the traditional history of a race to found a character in their race's lore. Where a character has come from in society, tradition, family and values has an impact on the shape of a character's personality. These elements introduce the avenues and context by which a character relates to others and interprets the world around them.

 

Why nix all that and reduce a character's race to a cosmetic choice?

[Blue]

We should not forget that The Adventurer, whichever the race, is supposed to come from an unknown foreign land. This alone is a very valid excuse to RP a character which does not follow the typical culture of each specific race and clan. If you plan to RP X race hailing from Y land, then yeah, you need to do some research, but otherwise, everything is perfectly legit.

We never learn anything about that Adventurer's past. So personally, I don't think that makes them a good example for a roleplay character.

 

Often at least, roleplayers like to ground their characters in history and lore, the depth and richness of which depends on how important it is to the character as well as the player.

 

Most definitely though, completely making things up does streamline the process of character creation. I think that's why it holds an intrinsic appeal to some people.

 

It's just a plot device to justify why you need everything explained to you for the sake of being expositional about the story and lore, that's all. No-one should really read into the actual situation of the PC itself. Having said that, I think Blue's point was simply that there are always exceptions to the rule.

I don't think that was their point. They were actually rebutting the sentiment that people might be jumping the gun by roleplaying an Au Ra without knowing anything about what they are, where they come from, or even how they are named.

 

When it comes to creating a character, I don't believe making more exceptions necessarily makes a character more exceptional. It goes beyond the traditional history of a race to found a character in their race's lore. Where a character has come from in society, tradition, family and values has an impact on the shape of a character's personality. These elements introduce the avenues and context by which a character relates to others and interprets the world around them.

 

Why nix all that and reduce a character's race to a cosmetic choice?

 

Actually, I was exactly making that point. If you don't want to wait for the lore, you can RP an Au Ra even now just by saying you're an adventurer from an unknown land. Exceptions are possible and very well allowed, it's not impossible.

[Spiritual Machine]

We should not forget that The Adventurer, whichever the race, is supposed to come from an unknown foreign land. This alone is a very valid excuse to RP a character which does not follow the typical culture of each specific race and clan. If you plan to RP X race hailing from Y land, then yeah, you need to do some research, but otherwise, everything is perfectly legit.

We never learn anything about that Adventurer's past. So personally, I don't think that makes them a good example for a roleplay character.

 

Often at least, roleplayers like to ground their characters in history and lore, the depth and richness of which depends on how important it is to the character as well as the player.

 

Most definitely though, completely making things up does streamline the process of character creation. I think that's why it holds an intrinsic appeal to some people.

 

It's just a plot device to justify why you need everything explained to you for the sake of being expositional about the story and lore, that's all. No-one should really read into the actual situation of the PC itself. Having said that, I think Blue's point was simply that there are always exceptions to the rule.

I don't think that was their point. They were actually rebutting the sentiment that people might be jumping the gun by roleplaying an Au Ra without knowing anything about what they are, where they come from, or even how they are named.

 

When it comes to creating a character, I don't believe making more exceptions necessarily makes a character more exceptional. It goes beyond the traditional history of a race to found a character in their race's lore. Where a character has come from in society, tradition, family and values has an impact on the shape of a character's personality. These elements introduce the avenues and context by which a character relates to others and interprets the world around them.

 

Why nix all that and reduce a character's race to a cosmetic choice?

 

Actually, I was exactly making that point. If you don't want to wait for the lore, you can RP an Au Ra even now just by saying you're an adventurer from an unknown land. Exceptions are possible and very well allowed, it's not impossible.

Yeah, that's my mistake. You're right--you weren't actually arguing in favor of people playing Au Ra with the limited knowledge we have about them, because you still advocate for doing research. There wasn't even anything to research at all until very recently.

 

I apologize for attributing that to you.

[Aaron]

That Au Ra at grindstone last night was fantastic to watch

[Martiallais]

While I haven't started rp'ing him yet I have been working on some backbone background/backstory for my AuRa with Steel's awesome help. I'm really looking forward to it considering it's a big difference from my current main, Zarek.

 

And hopefully (as long as no lore comes out to say otherwise), it should make for a fun and largely easy way to get involved with other RPers, AuRa and not.

[Blythe]

Since I am fairly new to roleplaying on FF and MMOs in general, I am actually waiting for more information before really getting nitty-gitty with information. I have ideas in my head for what I could do with my character for such things as how she got where she was and reasons her 'used' (one everyone RP and non-RP can see) name is different than her given Au Ra name. (Since she's going to be Xaelan, I've gotta wait a bit... ;-; )

 

Overall, it's too early to say what else I can do with my character currently besides things like personality and a tiny bit of history. : S