Principal Investigator: Prof. J. Purrington, Applied Player Behaviour Unit
Publication: Strategic Eorzean Resource Review · Bacon Industries™ Internal Research Archive
This longitudinal study examines why a notable population of real-world male players selects female Miqo'te avatars and how avatar choice subsequently influences social behaviour, fashion, screenshot frequency, role-play, and friendship formation.
1. The Research Problem
The phenomenon initially appeared straightforward: players select an avatar they like. However, repeated observations revealed a second-stage effect in which groups of male players using female Miqo'te avatars form highly coordinated social circles involving glamour, screenshots, emotes, housing visits, and suspiciously intense discussions about tails.
2. Observed Behaviour
- Increased investment in glamour coordination.
- Higher-than-average screenshot production.
- Frequent use of /hug, /pet, /pose, and related social emotes.
- Rapid formation of friendship networks with other Miqo'te players.
- Occasional complete abandonment of the original combat objective.
The Miqo'te Social Convergence Event describes the point at which a group of players stops behaving like a party and starts behaving like a highly organised cat-themed social institution.
3. The Important Distinction
The study does not attempt to assign a single motivation to avatar choice. Participants cited aesthetics, animations, character design, fashion, fantasy, role-play, and the simple fact that “the cat looked cool.”
The researchers consider this answer scientifically sufficient.
4. The Milk Question
A subset of participants reported developing elaborate in-game social rituals involving café venues, domestic role-play, dairy-themed jokes, and other forms of playful interaction. The research team concluded that these activities are primarily examples of social role-play and community bonding, rather than evidence of any universal player preference.
Further questioning produced data that the ethics board described as “not necessary for publication.”
5. Conclusion
Female Miqo'te avatars appear to provide a highly effective platform for self-expression, social interaction, fashion, and prolonged avoidance of the original quest objective.
“We began by studying avatar selection. We ended up in a screenshot album with 4,800 pictures.”
— Anonymous Research Assistant, Final Field Note