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Twelvecarpileup wrote:
For example, in most RPG's I've seen most people of European decent, generally play someone of European decent (there are exceptions yes) because it's easy to see the world through the eyes of someone you are more familiar with.

Oddly, nearly all our WoD games have been set in America. Either in New York (which after 15yrs and three seperate groups I seem to know quite well even though I've never been there in person) or New Orleans, well near Chalmette just outside, but there where enough visits to the city itself.


As to the Question, I'm like Cannerus, mainly the Dm/ST in most of the games I run, so the rare times I play I tend to go for the more interesting twists and turns for a race, especially as my constant npcing of them, allows me a deeper connection.
Generally I've been complimented as a Player more than once of running convincing non Humans, using a thought process which isn't the same as the typical Human. I've also been told I play females way too convincingly, even down to tone of voice, my wife more than once has looked up and told me to stop trying to freak her out.

From my (Admitedly limited) expereince both Gming and roleplaying, I find most people try to shy away from humans, if im playing a charecter I usually get ladeled with the human character, with the reasoning (From the rest of my game group) That I get to be the smart character.

I just want to say there is a limited precedent for my Character ending up in charge, it is as follows

I play the Rogue Trader for our RT roleplay, 4 sessions in (Several gun fights, boarding actions and ship to ship wars, we havent actually landed on a planet yet) No one, thus far has died.

I play a Wookie in a freind of mines SWRP, the rest of the player characters were dropping like flies, our dark jedi accidentally almost killed a trandoshan bountry hunter by dropping a wall on him, then a rancor, then force throwing him into another wall (All of this being accidental) The Trando, after that incident, goes out for some free planet time, gets delivered unconcious back to the hanger bay with the crap beaten out of him.

In short if you find yourself landed with the human character a lot, it probably means A. Your GM wants to limit the amount of damage you can do or B. Your party has voted you "Least likely to get everyone killed" and put you in charge....

Now I think I'm going to be a bit contrary (and perhaps not all that serious) and turn the question on its head. Why would anybody want to play a non-human in most fantasy or space-ported fantasy settings?

My answer is that they lack imagination.

Ever since the fantasy literary genre was born, non-human species have tended toward stereotypes. Typically, fairly limited stereotypes. In an example above, somebody used the image of a fly landing on someone's hand and their response to it as a way to define difference fantasy species. All those responses are entirely applicable to humans, because they all come from different human stereotypes.

We all have an idea of what elves are supposed to be, or dwarves, or orcs, or whatever. Some fantasy works show broader aspects of the different fantasy species, some really squeeze the stereotyping over your head (D&D being one of the worse offenders here). Some stereotype for practical reasons - in 40k, the different species can all be summed up in few words, using entirely abstact concepts, without inaccuarcy. Does anyboody doubt what playable species I am talking about when mentioning "green, simple-minded war-lovers" in 40k? Or "All-consuming biotech menace"? Or "Doomed, ancient aesthetes"? No. The "aliens" represent exceedingly simple ideas, for ease of identification both in the fluff and on the tabletop. You know how Tyranids, Orks or the vast majority of Eldar are going to behave in advance when you read about them. They behave in simple, fairly predictable ways, hemmed in by their cultural pigeonholing (in the Tyranids case, they're actually programmed to behave like a virus, probably the most extreme example, but one which also has been used by anthropologists to describe human societies on their way to extinction by destruction of their natural habitat and social environment; the Marind Anim before they came into contact with europeans are one example; they were facing extinction or drastic cultural change within a few generations - the latter was what occurred). As noted, this is entirely intentional: they are, after all, just extreme aspects of human concepts stuffed into a pointy-eared (or green, or...mutable) flesh-sack.

Since humans are the baseline, the "jack of all trades" of most fantasy worlds and settings, while the other species tend toward simplifications or extremes of human behaviour, playing humans should actually be more interesting than playing yore ole Ylf or Dwarfe. They offer up an opportunity to play out your character in almost any way, branching out in any direction, going where you like. "Breaking the mold" when playing a fantasy species (think Drizzt Do'Urden) essentially turns them into fantasy humans; the "interesting" part of them is that they behave outside the traditional mold of their fantasy pigeonhole - something the humans have been doing all the while.

Playing a fantasy species is like roleplaying with training wheels. Good for the kiddies.

Kaptajn Congoboy wrote:Now I think I'm going to be a bit contrary (and perhaps not all that serious) and turn the question on its head. Why would anybody want to play a non-human in most fantasy or space-ported fantasy settings?

My answer is that they lack imagination.

Ever since the fantasy literay genre was born, non-human species have tended toward stereotypes. Typically, fairly limited stereotypes. In an example above, somebody used the image of a fly landing on someone's hand and their response to it as a way to define difference fantasy species. All those responses are entirely applicable to humans, because they all come from different human stereotypes.

We all have an idea of what elves are supposed to be, or dwarves, or orcs, or whatever. Some fantasy works show broader aspects of the different fantasy species, some really squeeze the stereotyping over your head (D&D being one of the worse offenders here). Some stereotype for practical reasons - in 40k, the different species can all be summed up in few words, using entirely abstact concepts, without inaccuarcy. Does anyboody doubt what playable species I am talking about when mentioning "green, simple-minded war-lovers" in 40k? Or "All-consuming biotech menace"? Or "Doomed, ancient aesthetes"? No. The "aliens" represent exceedingly simple ideas, for ease of identification both in the fluff and on the tabletop. You know how Tyranids, Orks or the vast majority of Eldar are going to behave in advance when you read about them. They behave in simple, fairly predictable ways, hemmed in by their cultural pigeonholing (in the Tyranids case, they're actually programmed to behave like a virus, probably the most extreme example, but one which also has been used by anthropologists to describe human societies on their way to extinction by destruction of their natural habitat and social environment; the Marind Anim before they came into contact with europeans are one example; they were facing extinction or drastic cultural change within a few generations - the latter was what occurred). As noted, this is entirely intentional: they are, after all, just extreme aspects of human concepts stuffed into a pointy-eared (or green, or...mutable) flesh-sack.

Since humans are the baseline, the "jack of all trades" of most fantasy worlds and settings, while the other species tend toward simplifications or extremes of human behaviour, playing humans should actually be more interesting than playing yore ole Ylf or Dwarfe. They offer up an opportunity to play out your character in almost any way, branching out in any direction, going where you like. "Breaking the mold" when playing a fantasy species (think Drizzt Do'Urden) essentially turns them into fantasy humans; the "interesting" part of them is that they behave outside the traditional mold of their fantasy pigeonhole - something the humans have been doing all the while.

Playing a fantasy species is like roleplaying with training wheels. Good for the kiddies.

....
..
Mind = blown.

Kaptajn Congoboy wrote:Ever since the fantasy literay genre was born, non-human species have tended toward stereotypes. Typically, fairly limited stereotypes.

That is because, if you get too far away from any sort of human experience, there's no identification / comprehension by the reader, which makes for a non-immersive experience.

I play a human in almost every RPG (with multiple races that are not human) that I play. The other races really don't grab me as much. I mean, not to regurgitate previous points, but if everyone is some crazy half-drow half-dragon ranger multiclassed rogue then no one is unique. I usually play the only human when we play! I can also more easily identify and play a human (being a human and such) and actually find them to be the most "unique" since they are always described as running the gamet (spelling?) of personalities and doing the most varied of things (Dwarf monk? Elf barbarian? Goliath wizard? Wtf?). It IS true that most other races act within their stereotypes and humans can break free from this (though is it a human stereotype to be unique?). That being said, IG really don't look great to me. I started with Eldar and moved on to Space Mans and now I'm back to rejuvinate my Eldar.

So there's why I personally always play a human.

Why I always use the biggest sword I can is a discussion for another thread...

JohnHwangDD wrote:

Kaptajn Congoboy wrote:Ever since the fantasy literay genre was born, non-human species have tended toward stereotypes. Typically, fairly limited stereotypes.

That is because, if you get too far away from any sort of human experience, there's no identification / comprehension by the reader, which makes for a non-immersive experience.

I can handle an abstract basis for a character personally. Again, I like weird "gak." I'd like to see just a little more variety out there for people on the fringe.

@Kaptajn: I can see where you're coming from with that. As an example, when I create a protagonist in a game, I take one ideal and I run with it. I imagine a situation; let's say someone grew up as an abused servant in a rich, noble community. What choices would they make? How would this effect their end view? What extremes might they jump to and how would they view others? What would they consider valuable or worth dying for (since, honestly, that's what they're there for story-wise)? My "bosses" are never bland. Ultimately they are one aspect of humanity taken to an extreme though. I often pick their race based on what fits the fluff the best. I think there is significantly greater depth in being able to hop completely into the foreign mindset and make decisions based off of it, not purposely breaking the stereotype but most certainly stretching and expanding it. Looking at Star Trek, some of the biggest laughs of the first two series come from Spock and Data, who should be fairly emotionless beings. They add a depth of character that quite frankly could never exist in a "normal" human. I don't define fantasy races by comparing them to humans, but I do have to use human terms to define them. I like abstract morality in gaming though as it really forces the players to think outside the box and entertains them by adding a different flavor to combat, puzzles or social interactions in game.

Edit: And excellent thread, btw!

Reaver83 wrote:Because in a universe o daemons, supermen, Space Elves, and unstopable aliens, being a man in a t-shirt and armed wit a flashlight is so cool - very starship troopers

Exactly this. One of the reasons I enjoy playing the human barbarian in D&D

I NEVER play humans in games unless race really isn't a choice. I'm playing in a sci-fi or fantasy game. I play a human in real life all the time, I'd rather be something else in a fantastic setting.

That is the point of fantasy and imagination, anyway.

My best friend always asks why on earth would you play a FANTASY game and pick humans, when you already are one in reality!(I mean there are lizardmen..)

I only play as either cultist humans, or the punk-gangs roaming the streets, up with the mohawks,down with the law!

Mattlov wrote:I NEVER play humans in games unless race really isn't a choice. I'm playing in a sci-fi or fantasy game. I play a human in real life all the time, I'd rather be something else in a fantastic setting.

That is the point of fantasy and imagination, anyway.

But are you playing as a human wizard?

I vote for CrazyThang's post.

The polls are now closed. I win by 1 vote

CrazyThang wrote:The polls are now closed. I win by 1 vote

For a second there, I thought you were a local!

malfred wrote:

CrazyThang wrote:The polls are now closed. I win by 1 vote

For a second there, I thought you were a local!

Local? If by local you mean live nearby.... than turn around...

Oh, I thought it had my location.

I live in Chica- yikes! How'd you get there?

Objection!