Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Quick Links
Down with repetitive races!
Kindelnol
Member Posts: 62
I am very tired of the overused races, such as dwarves and elves, adapted mostly from Tolkien’s popular books. I know several people that wish they would just stop being used, at least as often as they are. I also know people that like these various races.
I am curious what everyone here thinks about it.
Should developers try to be more creative and come up with their own races or just reuse that which is already overused?
Comments
Most "medieval" lore type games use dwarves and elves because they're familiar to people. A lot of people know what to expect, and have imagined, or dreamed about these races, or seen them in movies. Sci-Fi MMO's will mostly use whatever races are indeginous to that lore, like Klingons for Star Trek, and Wookies for Star Wars.
Saga of Ryzom uses unique races. CoSB will only have two races, and one is unique. Final Fantasies races are unique, even though a couple resemble the standards a lot. I'm not sure, but isn't Guild Wars pretty much human only?
So there are games with their own specific races lore. It's just a feeling with familiarity as the Tolkien lore is pretty well known.
"Granted thinking for yourself could be considered a timesink of shorter or longer duration depending on how smart..or how dumb you are."
Guidelines?
Don't you mean conventions (euphemistically) or cliches (sarcastically)?
Also, the last time I checked High Fantasy was a genre of Fiction. I suppose if it's become a genre of Non-Fiction since I last checked, then dwarves and elves are unavoidable.
Seriously, and non-sarcastically, there is plenty of fantasy literature in which nary a pointy-eared type is to be found. It's just a lot easier for hacks to sell a knock-off than an original concept. It makes the marketing a lot easier. It's easier to sell the new old experience than the new new experience.
Any game that attempts to implement a race is going to have to have lore to support it. That means a historical arch, theology, social and cultural traits, philosophy, alliances and enmities, and so on. That's a lot of work.
Can it be done? Yes. But it's a massive undertaking which simply adds to the overall development cycle. It's a major risk to take, to rewrite it all and make it "unique". The level of creativity necessary to pull this off with some semblance of believability is massive.
As a developer, you want players to easily identify with their characters. If you give them the chance to play generic races like dwarves or elves, the players immediately know what to expect. You also tap into a player's long-time interest in a particular fantasy race. For example, an RA Salvatore fan might want to play Night Elves because he loves the Drizzt character (it's not a perfect fit, but close). Likewise, a Warhammer miniatures fan who has a huge dwarven army will naturally want to play a dwarf in Warhammer.
The problem with creating your own races is you run the risk of nobody caring - look at how few people play Tauren or Draenei in WOW as compared to more "traditional" races like the dwarves, elfs, orcs, etc. People also want to play races that have a certain pop culture cachet or mostly resemble humans. SWG featured plenty of unique alien races, but I saw far fewer Mon Calamari, Bothans or Rodians compared with Humans, Wookies, or Zabraks (the race of Darth Maul).
D&D Home Page - What Class Are You? - Build A Character - D&D Compendium
WAR does not have Dwarves, it only has Dwarfs.
And it'll have to Elven Races, but one of them are insane Perverts, who haev sexual Orgies daily, on the Streets, and if they don't feel like it, they somewhere steal a Baby and drown it in a Pool of Blood.
Repeat THAT, you other Fantasy Settings
(No Seriously: If you never looked into Warhammer Lore, do it! It's the aboslute Grail of Settings.
Guidelines?
Don't you mean conventions (euphemistically) or cliches (sarcastically)?
Also, the last time I checked High Fantasy was a genre of Fiction. I suppose if it's become a genre of Non-Fiction since I last checked, then dwarves and elves are unavoidable.
Seriously, and non-sarcastically, there is plenty of fantasy literature in which nary a pointy-eared type is to be found. It's just a lot easier for hacks to sell a knock-off than an original concept. It makes the marketing a lot easier. It's easier to sell the new old experience than the new new experience.
From what I gather from other people as I've been talking about this subject with them on this website there are differnt types of fantasy. There is High Fantasy and Low Fantasy. High Fantasy includes Elves/Dwarves/Hobbits/Orcs and the like. Low Fantasy has just humans for the most part. Anything other then this would be outside of the Fantasy realm and delves into Fiction and Science Fiction.
I agree with you to a degree, but I also think people are a lot more willing to play simply what looks appealing.
In WoW there are actually quite a lot of people that play Draenei and Tauren, in comparison to some races. Yes, humans and elves top the list, but dwarves and orcs (being considered traditional races) do not. They actually rank among the lowest along with Gnomes and Trolls. (http://www.warcraftrealms.com/census.php)
I think people are a lot more willing to play new races, they just have to be available. I think the appearance factor plays a huge part in it though. Of course, identifying with the race does too.
I also agree that it can be very difficult to create new races or use uncommon ones, but that is not what this thread is about hehe.
I just want to know what people prefer.
Personally, I read stuff on Warcraft's lore, but even when I play WoW, I didn't feel any different when playing any of the race, simply because the game itself isn't immersive enough for me.
SO I guess I rather have a immersive storyline in the game that give players a reason to play a certain race.
Having creative unique races are a good thing.
Current MMO: FFXIV:ARR
Past MMO: Way too many (P2P and F2P)
I was once a Troll. Then, I was Undead. After that I played a Wood Elf, and next a Gnome. Finally, my last attempt at "fantasy" ended with a Dwarf. It was then that I traded in my sword and shield for something FAR more destructive.
One year has passed since INC opened up the Wastelands, providing a little stabilization to an otherwise chaotic world. Much has changed over the past year...but one thing certainly hasn't...
The cowardly bigots that call themselves Humans developed us to eliminate the Mutant population. When the battle became a little more than they could stomach, they hid underground, leaving us to fend for ourselves. Then, in one last deperate attempt, they chose to attempt to remove all life that existed above ground...but again, they failed. Now, they peak their weak, inferior craniums out of their holes to try and stop us from obtaining full efficiency...for that is our destiny...
Come join us...recieve your true calling...
The BioMeks want you!
For example LotROs monster game:
(Side Note: I never played LotRO, and never informed myself much about it, so this all is my impression I got from reading bits of info, and Threads about it here on mmorpg.com)
You have things like Worgs, or Spiders.
And that's great. That's new. But: Spiders and Worgs don't wear items. They don't do Quests. They are Animals.
Or let's take, Zerg, or Tyranids:
They are slimy, evil, crawling, evolving Creatures.
But they, too, don't have Items. They have a Carapace, and Claws, and some spit venomous slime...
So it'd have to be rather different in implementation for those Races.
I'd like to see it done well, too, though.
But, on another point:
Would there be enough Players wanting such races? Seeing as the "beautiful" Races are generally the most played ones as well, Elves, Humans, sort of perfected Counterparts of yourself?
I know I'd play them, but are there enough likeminded players, to make this a profitable idea for a Game, especially considering the extra effort of implementing such a race?
I think that pretty much sums them up.
For example LotROs monster game:
(Side Note: I never played LotRO, and never informed myself much about it, so this all is my impression I got from reading bits of info, and Threads about it here on mmorpg.com)
You have things like Worgs, or Spiders.
And that's great. That's new. But: Spiders and Worgs don't wear items. They don't do Quests. They are Animals.
Or let's take, Zerg, or Tyranids:
They are slimy, evil, crawling, evolving Creatures.
But they, too, don't have Items. They have a Carapace, and Claws, and some spit venomous slime...
So it'd have to be rather different in implementation for those Races.
I'd like to see it done well, too, though.
But, on another point:
Would there be enough Players wanting such races? Seeing as the "beautiful" Races are generally the most played ones as well, Elves, Humans, sort of perfected Counterparts of yourself?
I know I'd play them, but are there enough likeminded players, to make this a profitable idea for a Game, especially considering the extra effort of implementing such a race? ya, but it wouldnt be all to hard i believe to have new "non-humanoid" items they could use, yanno armor that isnt just pants, jacket, helmet
"NPC Hydralisk says: Kill 10 Space Marines, and I have a new Carapace for you."
You come back to him:
"Ah, fine, here is your Carapace. Pull it from your Inventory onto your "Carapace" Slot to Equip it"
O_o
That thing is grown onto you ffs! You can't just pull it off o_O
"Here is your "Even deadlier slime spitting Mouth"! Have fun with it"
You know what makes us Humanoids so Special? That we use Tools, to produce other Tools with it.
Only thing I could think of would be some sort of "Genetic Boost"-Thingamabobs... something like Tubes with genetic Mutations in it, and as long as you attach it to your Body, it grows a harder Carapace, or more Venom, or sharper Claws or something...
But fitting this into some believable Lore... I don't believe this could happen.
Considering they are aiming for a teen rating, none of that will be even mentioned in the game.....
"The new age is upon us, yet the past refuses to rest in its shallow grave."
"NPC Hydralisk says: Kill 10 Space Marines, and I have a new Carapace for you."
You come back to him:
"Ah, fine, here is your Carapace. Pull it from your Inventory onto your "Carapace" Slot to Equip it"
O_o
That thing is grown onto you ffs! You can't just pull it off o_O
"Here is your "Even deadlier slime spitting Mouth"! Have fun with it"
You know what makes us Humanoids so Special? That we use Tools, to produce other Tools with it.
Only thing I could think of would be some sort of "Genetic Boost"-Thingamabobs... something like Tubes with genetic Mutations in it, and as long as you attach it to your Body, it grows a harder Carapace, or more Venom, or sharper Claws or something...
But fitting this into some believable Lore... I don't believe this could happen.
<-- I would play a zerg
What if the npc would offer you a mutation off some sort? Like once you gain a certain level you can go back to the hive and you will be granted an mutation? That'd be cool i think it needs to be thouight out better but yea....
"The new age is upon us, yet the past refuses to rest in its shallow grave."
yes i also am sick of the sam type of races. noone is ever original anymore.
"NPC Hydralisk says: Kill 10 Space Marines, and I have a new Carapace for you."
You come back to him:
"Ah, fine, here is your Carapace. Pull it from your Inventory onto your "Carapace" Slot to Equip it"
O_o
That thing is grown onto you ffs! You can't just pull it off o_O
"Here is your "Even deadlier slime spitting Mouth"! Have fun with it"
You know what makes us Humanoids so Special? That we use Tools, to produce other Tools with it.
Only thing I could think of would be some sort of "Genetic Boost"-Thingamabobs... something like Tubes with genetic Mutations in it, and as long as you attach it to your Body, it grows a harder Carapace, or more Venom, or sharper Claws or something...
But fitting this into some believable Lore... I don't believe this could happen.
<-- I would play a zerg
What if the npc would offer you a mutation off some sort? Like once you gain a certain level you can go back to the hive and you will be granted an mutation? That'd be cool i think it needs to be thouight out better but yea....
ya a mutation could work, but its fairly egotistical to think that humanoids are the only form that would be able to use tools, it doesnt take a humanoid form to be able to wear cloths/armor/items/enhancementsheres an example (not in the video game sense): think of those coats that people put on their dogs, they arent humanoid in nature, yet they are wearing clothing, or horses which wear shoes, or something of that nature
True, these races are very overused. The Morrowind/Oblivion games had an interesting unique race set. FF11 has unique races. Age of Conan apparently also has unique races though they are all human looking apparently. I love LOTR and all, I have enjoyed the Warcraft games. But now I see the same races EVERYWHERE. o,o
But I guess it's to be expected. Dragons seem to be everywhere too.
And I really dont think playing an ugly race would be a problem, or even a very silly race to play either, just look at the "undead" in warcraft, ugly as hell, silly as hell, still probably the most popular race. Holy undead priest....hah makes my stomach hurt.