Are the Lalafell too darned cute for joo? :p

One problem, it's not because something looks like FFXI that it's going to be just like it. They've stated that they won't do the same things as before even though the game will be 'familiar'. I'll bet character stats won't affect you at all anymore, not that it does in FFXI now, what with all the gear you can get to counter your base stats...

Who does the onion type body shape apply to? as far as I can tel the only one that really fits that bill is the fallafel (... lalafell or whatever) The miqo'te still are slick and attractive by most modern standards, and the galka knockoffs are your lumbering powerhouses, large brute body types. The humans are just that. generally fit looking.

You have all the body types you want. Are you actually going to slight other people their choices? you get to play what you want, why can't someone else?

You seriously don't think FF XI & XIV Human's are onion/pear/whatever shaped relative to MMO and FF conventions?

This:
Massively gallery - http://www.massively.com/gallery/ffxiv-first-races-and-classes/2188359/

vs

Tidus - http://uk.stars.ign.com/dor/objects/14212110/tidus-ffx/images/ffx_eng_026.html
Aion - http://images.mmosite.com/feature/news/2007_07_05/aion/big/aion_m001.jpg

FF XI & XIV Humans have markedly 'off' head & upper body proportions relative to the fantastical norm.
It bugged me about XI, and I'm expecting it'll bug me about XIV too.

Aion is ripe for the picking then. Nobody is forcing you to play a game with "onion-shaped" characters.

And Tidus just has a big head.

I'll be sure to break out my 'skill up' paperweight.

Woah woah there buddy. Noone said anything about there being no grind, just no levels.

My guess is it's going to be skill based. You pick a particular weapon and the more you use it the more skillful you become with it which allows you to deal more damage and use more powerful abilities. Similar to how Darkfall and Mortal Online systems are. If they can make a game similar to those with meaningful and achieveable PvE as well as make progression only possible by actually playing the game as it was intended then they'll have something worth playing.

I agree though, a Sphere grid system would be pretty badass.

Dagonis is probably on to something that we've been discussing on Killing Ifrit forums. I forget at the moment, but believe it was FFIV that didn't have leveling and you rather chose specific skills to increase. They have said nothing about the accumulation of some type of points. It's entirely possible that what we are going to have is the FFXI merit system for the entire games "leveling". Fights, quests, etc could earn a player points, and then the player exchanges the points for an increase in a particular skill or purchases new job abilities, weapon skills, etc with those points.

Change your weapon and your skills change. i.e. If I equip a sword I would be able to use points toward an increase in accuracy or strength, where as if I were to equip a staff for a mage job I could use points to increase my mana points cap.

Crafting would be the same way. I equip a hatchet and I can put points toward an increase in logging skills.

The only downfall I see here is that FFXI had a decent amount of options in the weapon types any job could use, whereas it appears that FFXIV jobs will be limited to fewer weapon choices since the weapon essentially determines the job.

I am eager to see how ranged jobs work. I would love for them to get rid of ammo in the way it was used in FFXI. It became entirely too pricey. Possibly the equipping of a bow simply allows ranged attack without the need for using up ammo.

"I forget at the moment, but believe it was FFIV that didn't have leveling and you rather chose specific skills to increase"

Final Fantasy II actually (though it might have been released as IV in the states). Stats and spells increase depending on how you fight and what abilities you use. Concentrate on melee attacks and get hit a lot? Strength and stamina go up. Use cure every battle? After enough time it will rank up to the next more powerful version. I've been going back and playing through the Final Fantasy chronologically and it is interesting to see the FFXIV designers potentially reaching back to the series' roots. Everything old is new again.