(11-26-2017, 10:32 AM)Stormblade Wrote: Is a Xaela's strength something mentioned in the lore book? I wouldn't have thought it would be that high, just by looking at them.
It is, yep.
Encyclopedia Eorzea Wrote:In contrast to the brilliant white scales of the Raen, the Xaela, children of the Dusk Mother, take pride in their scales of lustrous black. While their size and stature is almost identical to that of the Raen, their physical strength, hardened by generations of war and conflict, far outstrips that of other races.
As far as RP goes, physical differences and racial stats only really matter when you and your RP partner want them to matter. If it's important to the scene, definitely make use of them! If the focus of the RP is combat on equal footing (roll-based fight tourneys, for example) then racial stats might not come into it unless you and your partner agree on the rules. In lore, a Lalafell lacks the brute physical strength of a Roegadyn, yet both Lalafell and Roegadyn Brass Blades and Amajina miners exist. It's no fun to say that a Lalafell will always lose to a Roegadyn, but a Lalafell might face a particular obstacle quite differently than a Roegadyn. So agreeing with your RP partner how to best apply those racial stats might be more fun for both people involved. A Lalafell is more agile than a Roegadyn, and a Roegadyn would have a harder time striking/defending against a target so low to the ground.
A Duskwight or a Plainsfolk in a bar might overhear a whispered conversation as far as lore is concerned, but involving yourself in another's RP is best agreed upon beforehand, as another example. If a nearby party doesn't really wish to be overheard or is RPing a private scene, then you probably shouldn't RP as overhearing it.
I guess what I'm getting at is: there are noticeable differences between the races and their "stats" so to speak, but it's more important that everyone in a scene communicates how those racial strengths get played out so it's fun for everyone and doesn't come off as power/meta-gaming. Equal, unless otherwise agreed upon.