Yoshi-P admits that the team is struggling with new Hrothgar hairstyles
patch 6.1 has almost arrived, but some elements in the patch are seeing a little bit of backlash. The new Hrothgar hairstyles are one of these elements. Final Fantasy XIV gamers have been longing for more Hrothgar customization. The new Hrothgar hairstyles cover and trim their distinct ears.
The complaints were addressed by Naoki Yoshida, FFXIV lead producer and creative director. His statement began by pointing out that the Hrothgar is unique in terms of the FFXIV race.
Yoshida stated, “I believe it is important that you touch on this section and provide an explanation.” (translated via the Discord‘s Iluna Minori). “You see, Hrothgar’s hair part is real and unique.” This is why Hrothgar didn’t have additional hairstyles like other races. The team has been working to accommodate players’ requests for more hairstyles.
Yoshida stated that hiding the ears was one condition of creating new hairstyles. This allowed the team to easily change existing styles. The growing discussion about the loss of ears was noticed by the team. They are currently trying to figure out the best way to deal with this situation. The process seems to be easier if they cover their ears. However, if they don’t, specific variations of each hairstyle will have to be made, which will take a lot more time.
Yoshida stated, “This is something we are struggling with here, currently.” “We need to take a step back and rethink. This will result in a decrease in the number of [hairstyle] additions, but we might be able to create Hrothgar hairstyles that fit their heads. This will be a very rare possibility. We can’t hurry up to find a solution because it takes time.
Yoshida concluded his statement by asking for feedback via the official forums. He stressed Hrothgar’s difficult situation and requested players’ understanding.
“Once more, I want people to understand that Hrothgar’s head shape is truly unique and custom made here. We created them and implemented them in this way, hoping the furries will love it. He explained that the Hrothgar head shape is completely different from other races in this game.
We will see how this process develops in the future. Although female Hrothgar should still be added to FFXIV at one point, Square Enix may have issues with male Hrothgar so they may look more like other races than their male counterparts.
