#(also show us the female Hrothgar but that's another post)

[lesenbyan]

huh, I think this starlight event gives us the very fucking first lalafell that isn't an adult in the game.

[crowdsourcedloner]

so one of my big hangups over Nailah right now is the lack of an ingame model for her, so this post will be talking about how i see her vague cloud self and ideas for how she could look as well as general female hrothgar rambles. (it’s long and all speculative and incredibly self indulgent)

okay so to start, i’m gonna reference this art (from the shadowbringers artbook)

this is, to my knowledge, one of the few images we have for femhroth, outside of the bozja mural seen in a STQ cutscene. it’s concept art for the queen we fight at the end of delubrum reginae, which is a female roegadyn in the final game (due to lack of female hroth models). there understandably isn’t a lot of detail to her, as the artist was probably more concerned with the queen’s throne doodads, but from what we can see she has a more humanoid face than male hroth have. is this intentional? is it just placeholder? why does this image interest me so much? well...

this is a female ronso from ffx. while ffxiv’s hrothgar are distinct from ronso, they were used as inspiration (one of the male faces has a horn option to call back to kimahri as well as the lost’s color palette being similar to ronso palettes). female ronso have less bestial faces than male ronso (to my eyes) and i expect this to carry over into ffxiv’s female hrothgar as well. do i like this hypothetical decision of less bestial femhroth? i don’t know. i don’t have much faith in the developers going through with a full monster girl. i do know that female au ra had a massive shift towards their current more petite appearance compared to some of their concepts (included in the heavensward artbook) and i wouldn’t be surprised if the developers wanted a more cutesy or conventionally attractive model for femhroth. i’m rooting for the more bestial model ideas personally, but i’ve made peace with the potential for something else. i’ll work with whatever they give me. a good example of the more bestial look i’m thinking of is karmaho’s work, check them out here. their scholar design is beautiful! another look that feels likely to me is the below image.

this is fanart of a genderbent kimahri (artist credit here). this image feels closest to what we’re getting for two (relatively arbitrary) reasons: her skin color and ear placement matches the queen in the shadowbringers concept art and she’s quite human compared to kimahri’s original design. the art is also just really cool and i wanted to show it to y’all.

so how does this tie into Nailah?

there is a pretty big difference between the two potentials for female hrothgar, which makes it weird to decide a face for her. i have a few color palettes i’m between though! and no matter what, she will have glorious fluffy hair. i’m not budging on that. her potential color palettes include genderbent kimahri (its so soft! and pretty! and her eyes work so well!) or something like a snow leopard (white fur with dark markings and striking blue/yellow eyes! monochrome color scheme my beloved!) or a dark blue concept (dark blue/purple skin with black hair and golden eyes! close to a panther!) or something like a pale calico (pale markings that you can barely see! she looks so gentle!) or... who knows! maybe the character creator will hit me with something new! there could be fur patterns that capture my imagination! until then, she’s just my vague cloud child of infinite possibilities and i love her.

[tarnera-blog]

This is an ongoing project. I was inspired by some other people who made Warriors of Light for all the Shards (even the lost ones). I had a lot of fun making them, though I haven’t leveled them very far yet. I hope to one day get all of them nice outfits and have even a bit of a backstory for them. I’m aware that I will likely get jossed as more games come out and more lore is given to us, but that’s okay too. They can be AU.

My idea for this one was that I was trying to have as many races as possible, but only one race/gender in the group. So I can have two Elezens but they have to be different genders, if that makes sense. I could also only have one of each Clan for each race.

The Source: Ginko Biloba. I already have a photo on my last post, so we’ll skip this.

1. Ardbert. I didn’t bother making an alt for him; maybe one day? I have enough alts to deal with already lol.

2. Khojin Angura

I struggled with her name for some reason, I’m glad I finally settled on this one. I can pronounce it, unlike the first one she had! This is also the third time I changed her appearance, but again I think I’m happy with this final look.

From the second shard, which was lost in the third Calamity of Fire. I originally was trying to make her look more affected by fire aether, but I’ve pulled back significantly and only made her eyes reflect that. I also cribbed heavily from Avatar: the Last Airbender for ideas on how to design these characters.

3.  Aleidis Thorne

I got lucky with her, when I was designing her to be affected by Earth aether I just happened to make her absolutely perfect. I couldn’t bear to change her in any way, so this is just her now. I especially love her eyes.

From the third shard, which was lost in the fourth Calamity of Earth.

4. Edmelle Norbettaux

I belatedly realized I designed them after Alana the Lionness. They are a guard in whatever city they live in, and go by the nickname Ed.

From the fourth shard, which still exists.

5. Savvel Djt-bidit

His last name apparently means ‘tempest’ in the Viera language, which is why I chose it.

From the fifth shard, which was lost in the first Calamity of Wind.

6. Kazan Buhen

I also ended up changing his last name, I like this a lot better. Kazan apparently means volcano, which is hilarious to me as it was a random pick.

From the sixth shard, which was lost in the fifth Calamity of Ice.

7. Tsimh Dolabnha

Yet another one where I designed her to try and look like she was affected by the aether, but I’ve since decided she’s perfect the way she is. I think her hair makes her look like a calico, and I love her green eyes.

From the seventh shard, which was lost in the seventh Calamity (astral-aspected).

8. Betula Pendula

She ended up looking like a character from a show I like (Roswell Conspiracies: Aliens, Myths & Legends) which I’m not mad about. Furthermore, I’ve decided she’s actually in her late 50s/early 60s. She may be new to the adventuring life after several decades of running a farm and having little to keep her busy now that her children are grown and gone and her husband has passed on before her, but she’s no slouch and easily leaves the younger Adventurers in her wake. Most of the WoLs on this list have names suiting their race, but I made an exception for Betula. She’s named after the silver birch tree.

From the eighth shard, which still exists.

9. Tutulao Kokolao

I am very dissatisfied with his name and will try to change it soon, not sure what to yet. My main idea for him is ‘basically Batman’ only his dad is still alive and a jerk. Maybe throw some Robin Hood in there too? Idk.

From the ninth shard, which still exists.

10. Piane Yapih

From the tenth shard, which was lost in the sixth Calamity of Water.

11. Maev Alba

No picture yet, though I do have this character already made. I’m waiting for them to release female Hrothgar, and then I will fantasia her into a Lost Hrothgar woman. Right now she’s a generic lady Midlander. I have no idea how I’ll design her yet.

From the eleventh shard, which still exists.

12. Clementain Dubeltaire

I don’t like his lips, I definitely made a mistake there. I’ll fix it later. I was trying to make his lips look like they had color but it just looks ridiculous.

From the twelfth shard, which was lost in the second Calamity of Lightning.

13. Whispering Abyss

This is the only character I ended up keeping with the idea that she was slowly being corrupted by aether, because it’s the only one where I managed to find the balance I was trying to achieve with the others. I really love her a lot.

From the thirteenth shard, which was lost to the Void.

Azem

Naturally I have to include my idea for what Azem might have looked like. I modeled them after what Apolo is supposed to look like, and tried to make the eyes look like they glow a little by picking a really light shade. I might change their hair eventually, but I did try to make them look enby and the long hair is important for that. I gave them the name Aegletes Azem.

[tiergan-vashir]

yoshi-p confirmed in an interview it was due to asset strain as to why neither of the two have their full genders. I wish they would've done this at the announcement of Hrothgar, but it tl;dr confirms that they're coming eventually. He also confirmed that (apparently) to access the shard, it requires the echo. Once again, makes me a smidge nervous since.. a lot of characters don't have the echo, unless it turns out to be a thing that's just.. there. They said we'll find out during patch!

I was coincidentally about to go post this link.

[Tokyo Fan Fest] Day 1 Media Interview with Yoshi-P

The two questions of interest are:

Q: Why were you so insistent on adding a beast-like race, the Hrothgar

A: The great thing about MMORPGs is that people from around the world with different values and tastes can all come together and play. FF games have good-looking men and women, but FFX is an example of a stronger look. Guin Saga may be a better example, but at any rate, since we’re creating a fantasy, I want to shine a spotlight on that aspect as well. Even if we added another handsome race, it felt like the only real difference would be the ear shape. Back when we showed off a basic sketch of a wolfman, a lot of players around the world voiced their desire for a wolf race in 4.0. At our current patch rate, with that much equipment data being released, and adding a new race multiplying the amount of work required, we could probably only add one more race with our current workflow. We agonized over which race to add, and ended up with what you see now, and the lion T-shirt I’m wearing now *laughs*

Q: When did you decide to implement the female-only Viera and male-only Hrothgar?

A: It was during Return to Ivalice, around 3 months after 4.0. Viera was confirmed then, and Hrothgar came about at the same time when we were discussing plans with Matsuno-san. We were deciding whether to make a Hrothgar female or a Viera female, and after selecting Viera, work began right away, because otherwise we wouldn’t make it in time. As mentioned before, the face parts are special and Hrothgar has big differences between its faces, like a lion face, wolf face, leopard face. It became a fixed model relatively recently. Viera was done right before Paris Fan Fest, and Hrothgar was done recently.

This sounds like they were torn between two highly requested races and didn’t have enough time to do both so they gave us the classic Viera everyone already knows and a Hrothgar dude.  While that sucks for a lot of folks who were excited for Viera males, this does leave open the possibility that if folks request hard enough, they will create Viera males and Hrothgar females once they are no longer balls-deep in Expansion Crunch Time.Hopefully this helps folks feel a little better. There’s been a lot of tension and high emotions over this.  Just continue to POLITELY and RESPECTFULLY request what you want on the appropriate channels without being a harassing dingus to the devs.

As for Echo being a requirement to get to the First Shard - just find other who also would like to RP the same thing you do and go for it.  

Recall that just a few months ago, the RP Community almost shat itself over a fucking tomestone phone. People are always going to find reasons to hate on each other. You can’t appease all of them, so the best thing to do is find your crew that wants the same thing and RP it anyway.  

Whether that means making a First Shard AU Character or bullshitting up some dimension-hole-puncher that lets you RP over in the First Shard anyway.  RP is for fun, so you should go pursue that fun as you wish.  Besides, those new zones look fucking hot. 😎

[thomasroach]

5 Games We’re Looking Forward to in July

Summer is here, and the release calendar shows no signs of letting up. On that note, we at Gamers Heroes take a look at 5 games we’re looking forward to in July. Oh, and we won’t make you click through five pages to look at the entire list.

5 Games We’re Looking Forward to in July

Dragon Quest Builders 2

Developed by Omega Force and Square-Enix, Dragon Quest Builders 2 once again combines the world of Dragon Quest with the world of sandbox games. The story focuses on the nefarious Children of Hargon, whose ultimate goal is to make sure all builders are eliminated and that no one be allowed to create anything. As either the male or female hero, you escape their clutches, and must improve your building powers with the help of Malroth.

New to this release is fast travel, gliding, dashing, swimming, and a first-person perspective. We’re looking forward to exploring the Isle of Awakening, especially with up to three other Builders.

Dragon Quest Builders 2 will come out for the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch on July 12.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order

After a long hiatus, Team Ninja and Nintendo are bringing the Marvel Ultimate Alliance series back with Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order. Heavily inspired by the Marvel Cinematic Universe, characters hailing from the Guardians of the Galaxy, the Avengers, the Spider-Verse, the Inhumans, the Defenders, the Marvel Knights, and the Midnight Sons will all make their appearance.

We’re especially looking forward to experiencing its original story, which features both Thanos and The Black Order.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order will come out for the Nintendo Switch on July 19.

Wolfenstein: Youngblood

MachineGames, Arkane Studios, and Bethesda Softworks are gonna take you back to the past with the release of Wolfenstein: Youngblood. Set in the 1980s, players will take control of Jessica and Sophia Blazkowicz as they seek out their father B.J. Blazkowicz in Paris.

Players will be able to take on missions in a non-linear order, and can also and can also unlock new abilities and gear as they progress. We’re looking forward to playing this one in co-op.

Wolfenstein: Youngblood will come out for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC on July 26.

Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers

The next saga of Square-Enix’s MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV, the expansion pack Shadowbringers is almost here. Players will be whisked away to the First, which is one of thirteen reflections of the Source that is being consumed by a Flood of Light.

The Viera and Hrothgar races will be playable, and the Gunbreaker and Dancer jobs will make their way to the title as well. We’re looking forward to experiencing all of the content this expansion has to offer.

Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers will come out for the PlayStation 4 and PC on July 2.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses

The sixteenth entry in the long-running Fire Emblem series, Intelligent Systems and Koei Tecmo Games are bringing the strategy RPG series to the Nintendo Switch with Fire Emblem: Three Houses. Taking place on the continent of Fódlan, it is populated by three rival nations that are now at peace. Players will follow the story of Byleth, who begins to see Sothis, a mysterious girl only they can see.

We’re looking forward to diving into its world and seeing where the story takes us.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses will come out for the Nintendo Switch on July 26.

What we at Gamers Heroes are looking forward to the most:

We at Gamers Heroes are looking forward to Fire Emblem: Three Houses the most. The series has been on a roll lately, and this title looks to be another worthy entry in the series’ lineage.

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