Will there ever be a new race?

[Calais]

No, PS2 limitations, old game, SE wouldn't do it anyway since they'd keep making money regardless.

 

[Bajaratt]

No one is telling you to switch to the new race, and if you feel compelled to that is quite your own problem. As for altana's story, there are -way- more races then 7, that is simply -our- belief. As we explore newer and newer regions, I wouldn't see it as far fetched to find a new race and allow players to play them. The game has been out for five years, after all.

Um... No? All of the lore I've read said that the crystal shattered into 5 pieces, and each became a different race. The other races from before that point are all dead(zilart, kuluu/tonberry's) or beastmen, neither of which they're likely to let us play as. I've never seen any indication whatsoever of a "sixth race" that we might be able to play as.

All of the other lands are either beastmen-homelands or just other nations that are populated by the same 5 races.

 

[Tim Wakefield]

loyally playing with their character for 4-5 years.

I've been loyally playing with myself for far longer than 4-5 years.

What?

 

[Arctyrael]

no .

 

[strydermonk]

ok well what about character creation? I know people who think the ability to customize a characters physical features makes for more unique characters. My cousin who plays ffxi is going to buy & pay for conan for a month just because he heard the character creation will allow you to customize your characters features much better then any mmo before it. I mean lets be honest how many ppl have you seen with exact same character model as you?

 

[Sanjo Renomitsu]

Um... No? All of the lore I've read said that the crystal shattered into 5 pieces, and each became a different race. The other races from before that point are all dead(zilart, kuluu/tonberry's) or beastmen, neither of which they're likely to let us play as. I've never seen any indication whatsoever of a "sixth race" that we might be able to play as.

All of the other lands are either beastmen-homelands or just other nations that are populated by the same 5 races.

Even if they are dead, with WoTG's theme, there's an opening there. And as I said, it's a pretty big world, they can easily add a race laying around somewhere. Whose to say the Zilart or the kuluu are completly dead? Maybe, just as there are humans everywhere, a small group didn't see the big picture of the zilart or decided ( in the kuluu's case) that it was bad idea to face the zilart.

I find it far more unbelievable that an entire race was present at the explosion and turned into tonnberries. I doubt woman and child ran forth to aid in the fight. Same could be said for the zilart, I suppose.

There are many possibilities, even given the game's current storyline. Like I said, it wouldn't be that hard to come across a continent run by a new race or descendants of the zilart or whatever.

There's also the possibility of hybrid races, a lot of high fantasy does that, or magically created races. I'm probably wrong, but I think the lumeria (or whatever the naga ladies are called) are an example of that.

 

[Pesmerga]

Ive played a few different mmo's in my time and have seen most of them extend there original race selections by adding atleast one new race in every game. New jobs are great and all but dont you ever get sick of looking at the same races? I understand that by adding a new race people are probably not going to create a new character just for the sake of playing that race but what about for those players who play multiple characters. I created a hume for melee and a taru for mage jobs and wonder if they added a job thats stats made a more powerful scholar and dancer? Would you make a new character? That being said here is my question. What race would you want, what would they look like, and what would make them unique. Or if you think "Oh noez! not another race" or "Add female mithra" feel free to drop a line. Just curious.

the way the game is set up, they really cant fairly add a new race because you have to put so much time into missions and rare/ex gear and the fact that we can change jobs just makes it that much tougher. probley the way SE intended it too be. "lets lock them into a char that they have to spend a long time leveling and getting gear so we can keep our client base" though it didnt work out too well once wow came out.

 

[Skaw]

"lets lock them into a char that they have to spend a long time leveling and getting gear so we can keep our client base"

Uh, no. Thats a pretty fucking idiotic way of looking at things.

The job and race system is the way it is so you don't have to start over from scratch to play something different.

 

[Pesmerga]

Uh, no. Thats a pretty fucking idiotic way of looking at things.

The job and race system is the way it is so you don't have to start over from scratch to play something different.

yeahhh you see it your way i see it mine. saying it idiotic is pretty cool though. its a business they built the game too take a long long time to master. plain and simple. go ahead and keep thinking SE is just trying to be nice, and not business smart


EDIT: and im sure only having one char helps keep their server space down. making it more cost effective..not exactly sure how much "space" a char would actually take up though. but hate on because i know thats what you like too do.

 

[Bajaratt]

Even if they are dead, with WoTG's theme, there's an opening there.

WoTG only goes back 20 years into the past, those races were dead for millenia.

Whose to say the Zilart or the kuluu are completly dead?

The Zilart and the Kuluu.

The Kuluu are technically still alive since they turned into the tonberry, but they're now beastmen so that's out.

I find it far more unbelievable that an entire race was present at the explosion and turned into tonnberries.

So now you're saying that the actual lore is wrong?

There's also the possibility of hybrid races, a lot of high fantasy does that, or magically created races. I'm probably wrong, but I think the lumeria (or whatever the naga ladies are called) are an example of that.

Their origins are actually dealt with in the ToAU storyline, but no, you wouldn't get to play as them because they are beastmen.

They could add another race, mechanically there's nothing stopping them. They'd have to completely re-write the lore though and deal with the outcry of people bitching about the race because of the way the game was designed. It'll never happen.

 

[Sharpe]

My cousin who plays ffxi is going to buy & pay for conan for a month just because he heard the character creation will allow you to customize your characters features much better then any mmo before it.

I mean lets be honest how many ppl have you seen with exact same character model as you?

So your cousin is going to buy a game and pay monthly for it just because he can make a more unique character? I thought people bought games for their gameplay?

Also I don't see that many of my model running around (black top knot hume)

 

[Lanien]

No, I don't think so. Unlike other MMOs, most FFXI players focus solely on one character and take it through all the way. It really wouldn't work out if they added more races.


Not to mention, most of the story is driven by the 5 races :<

This. So much of the story revolves around the 5 races, like the tears of Altana forming the 5 races or something like that, and the places in Sea where each tower represents one of the 5 races. Adding another playable race would basically say the story is a crock of shit.

 

[Neisan]

Not counting Nag'molada and so forth, History of Vana'diel does mention there was one last Kuluu.... who died right after teaching the first Star Sybil, and subsequently all of the Tarutaru (before everyone else got their hands on it) magic. But yeah, other than that they're long dead. Also, all of the magic the players use was derived from the magic the Kuluu learned, and the Zilart are on a 'higher' plane.


I'd argue for more from face selection, but many people don't use the ones we have anyway. Then again, with some of the choices, I'm not surprised.

 

[Sanjo Renomitsu]

WoTG only goes back 20 years into the past, those races were dead for millenia.

I was referring to the time travel theme, not any specific date.

The Zilart and the Kuluu.

The Kuluu are technically still alive since they turned into the tonberry, but they're now beastmen so that's out.

I still find it hard to believe every last one of them went. If president told us we needed to stop russia or the world would end, I promise you america will not be devoid of human life, even if everyone that left is dead or mutated.


So now you're saying that the actual lore is wrong?

No, I'm saying that this "lore", is also highly religious in vanadiel. What the legend says may not of exactly happened. And if the beastmen were created solely to wage war against us like the legend says, I doubt we'd have friendly beastmen. They have free will, which is kind of a bad idea if they were created to fight us and it also means techiniqually they could ally themselves with us one day, setting aside our past differences.

Their origins are actually dealt with in the ToAU storyline, but no, you wouldn't get to play as them because they are beastmen.


Your point is noted and accepted, but I don't agree at all. -MY- point in that situation was that a created race is plausible, perhaps another group of taru somewhere else developed a magical race to serve them much like the cardians, but living. It's not far fetched, the ideas were touched on in ToAU. And perhaps they outlived their masters and are now a thriving race. BAM. New race.

Also, whose to say we can't play beastmen? Give me one good reason why a future beastmen race couldn't ally themselves with us and why we couldn't play them? After, they do have free will and new beastmen races are added all the time. If SE developed the new race correctly, made them have common ideals and goals it could work.

They could add another race, mechanically there's nothing stopping them. They'd have to completely re-write the lore though and deal with the outcry of people bitching about the race because of the way the game was designed. It'll never happen.

They would not have to completely rewrite the lore if they were clever, this is the art of writing. Any number of devices could be used and you could make the current lore work for it. Oh, and people bitch no matter what.

The ultimate truth is there's no real reason why a new race couldn't be added,save for them not wanting to. And there's quite a good reasons why they would. It may be more trouble then it's worth in there eyes, but I for one wouldn't mind.

 

[Sanjo Renomitsu]

This. So much of the story revolves around the 5 races, like the tears of Altana forming the 5 races or something like that, and the places in Sea where each tower represents one of the 5 races. Adding another playable race would basically say the story is a crock of shit.

What about the zilart and kuluu?

What about a playable beastmen race that has chosen to ally themselves with us?

What about a planes traveling race whose world was consumed by atomos previously who using their magical mastery came to warn us and find a new home?

What about a magically created race that has outlived their masters and now thrive?

What about the legends just flat out being wrong and there was another god, the god of gods, who created one race (somehow) before vanish or splitting into altana and promethia (or however it's spelled.).

What about that race that defied the gods and led to the disaster that created the 5 races? (Or where they the zilart?) And even if they were, who created THEM and why wouldn't there maybe not be more then two races at that time (zilart and kuluu) and why might not their descendants still be alive somewhere in the world?

Not the best examples, but still, I'm sure their writers could come up with a great reason why we'd have a new race. It doesn't seem -that- hard.

 

[Bajaratt]

The lore is wrong or it's just subjective and they could change it effortless if they wanted to to fit any inclusions into the game.

No, no, no. The ENTIRE PURPOSE of lore is to establish a "factual" account of the world, to set rules and explain why things are the way they are. It's pretty stupid to say that the entire backstory is wrong and that you are correct in contradicting it.

Beastmen having free will doesn't disprove the lore in the slightest by an insignificantly small number of beastmen not wanting to fight the 5 races; it actually adds to the credibility of the lore in that they are an actual race. If they didn't have free will, they'd be the borg.

There is no easy change they could do to add in a sixth race, especially not after all of the mechanics they've built into the game centered around there only being 5 races. They'd be feeding a lot of bullshit to try to make it work, along with completely redesigning maps, missions and quests to make that sixth race fit in. It's never going to happen, get over it.

 

[strydermonk]

well baj they could always add another playable race as a sort of alien race. I mean lol remember the ufo's in like every ff?

 

[Sanjo Renomitsu]

Personally, I see plenty openings for adding a new race. Any writer worth his salt could come up with this particular storyline in my opinion. Regardless, I wouldn't change my race and ultimately I don't care. I can't see from a gameplay view why anyone would care so much about a new race being added, and storywise I can only see a weak argument.

My main desire, should a new race be added, would be a new lowbie zone because as we all know dunes sucks ass. A new continent with lowbie xp zones, kind of like the new high level ToAU zones, would be grand as sand.

No, no, no. The ENTIRE PURPOSE of lore is to establish a "factual" account of the world, to set rules and explain why things are the way they are. It's pretty stupid to say that the entire backstory is wrong and that you are correct in contradicting it.

Beastmen having free will doesn't disprove the lore in the slightest by an insignificantly small number of beastmen not wanting to fight the 5 races; it actually adds to the credibility of the lore in that they are an actual race. If they didn't have free will, they'd be the borg.

There is no easy change they could do to add in a sixth race, especially not after all of the mechanics they've built into the game centered around there only being 5 races. They'd be feeding a lot of bullshit to try to make it work, along with completely redesigning maps, missions and quests to make that sixth race fit in. It's never going to happen, get over it.

You're right, it may never happen, but it's never going to be because of story. Sorry. A writer created that story, and a writer can add to it. Trust me, all it takes is a pen and some paper. You don't know everything about this world because it simply isn't your story or your world. I stated a few examples, bad as they were, that could add a new race without effecting the storyline much. Its called a plotline twist, or a fill in, and it happens a lot.

And you're right, there is no easy change. Coding a mmo is a nightmare enough without worrying about game and story balance, but the same could be said for any expansion.

 

[Pompidou]

I think of all the beastraces, only goblin would be a plausable player race, because they're the race that plays on both teams to any significant degree. I still don't think it will happen, though. I don't think SE would be against it for story reasons, as there certainly are beastmen who aren't against Altana's races. I think SE would be against it because it would, to some extent, screw over the longtime players with well developed characters. They won't do anything that requires starting over. What they could do, and I hope they do, is offer the barber/cosmetic surgeon npc and include some new faces and hair. I'm totally content with the five races we have, but the chance to run into clones of myself less often than I do now, would be welcome. I doubt it'll happen until PS2 is totally phased out because of the new PS2 and harddrive incompatabilities. Eventually wear and tear on old style ps2s will force people to upgrade to newer systems.

 

[Grandphoenix]

SE's stated they aren't going to do anything that'll make someone have to start all over.

I think not xD