Humans in rpgs

[kawaiiamethist]

The Dragon Age Dwarves sound American, did anyone else notice? I now have an accent to point to when an American tells me they don't have an accent You are DAO Dwarves!

Anyway, humans tend to be the most balanced because we're more adaptable than other species. We are not Elves at one with the forest, and we're not Dwarves tied to the underground; we're grunts scattered to the four corners, anywhere can be a human's dwelling.

We can also cast magic because in human folklore we are magic users. Even today we have occult practioners...I don't know how successful they've been, but they're out there, and if the book shop is anything to go by, in numerous numbers.

 

[Rhade]

Even if a lot of everything listed so far is true, I found I still generally liked the role and nature of humans in WoW when I was playing it, partly out of good gameplay (at least, after some fixing) but mostly out of the fact that they were humanly flawed and varied. I mean, I know no one on earth cares seems to ever bother knowing/reading/giving any attention to story in MMOs, but we came off not too bad in terms of being well balanced as playables and as heroes-vs-villains-vs-everyday-people and the like.

I will certainly agree with one point raised though, I'm getting really sick of most-all human races in games (WoW included) being white-euro variants. It just gets really tiresome and it's just the same old thing over and over. Diversity is the spice of life, they should probably start shaking some more into most games where there's a real populace of NPCs that are human.

I mean, it's pretty lame when you get a full palate of colours and then like two dozen white-euro faces/frames and then like maybe one or two (usually badly done) ones that aren't. I know any kind of in-human-species racial talk can easily go bad in the context of games, but seriously, I just want my Necromancer to actually look Hispanic, not just have slightly more tanned skin than Sir Paleton Snow.

Then I'll probably call him Caeser and change his player title to "Bone Whisperer" while he raises up some minions to play with. That much be some fun.

 

[Magnalian]

-The fixation on swords is impractical and inaccurate...

...Spears and polearms in general were always better than any other melee weapons(Case in point:Honda Tadakatsu and Tomoe Gozen.).Why the fixation on swords?

I have actually been wondering this for a long time. Why is the ultimate weapon in an RPG always a sword? I can see how it would be more suitable for combat in close quarters, as opposed to lances and halberds, and it's faster and more accurate than axes, but I think the lance has a more herioc, knight-ish charm to it.

As far as humans in RPGs go, it would be nice to see a departure from the standard English/European dude. But if you're going to get people of different races in a game, then doesn't logic dictate that the elves and dwarves and whatever the hell you put in should also have variations for different regions?

 

[number4096]

Lack of natural selection increases diversity?How more awesome can this thread become?This is extremely informative and noted.Thank you.

Swords were mostly used by nobles because they were expansive and therefore used to look cool and rich.Polearms were both cheaper and better against armored opponents,so they were more used by real warriors.

Also,polearm beats swords(unless you have a shield or dual wield swords,in which case it is a tie.).

 

[More Fun To Compute]

How many RPG have you played where the characters win by rejecting power or through a show of humility?

I didn't know that I had to keep a count. :O

Anyway, the current fashion for RPGs is to allow the player to do things either by being noble or by being a cock to allow their free expression of roleplayinglyness without making a judgement in game terms. I'll use a simple example from something that isn't what everyone would always call an RPG. If Bioshock had more guts it might not have rewarded the player with goodies for saving little sisters but the killing little sisters player would have had a really shitty ending that missed the best levels in the game.

 

[Axolotl]

Also,polearm beats swords(unless you have a shield or dual wield swords,in which case it is a tie.).

Why then did the Germans in WW1 try to distribute swords to their troops instead of bayonets?
Why then was the sword invented?

 

[Grampy_bone]

The reason why humans are the mean is because we become the baseline from which all other species diverge. Since the reader/viewer/player is most familiar with humans, it's easy for the author to say a race is "similar to humans but..." and then mix it up. If they made a race that was better than humans in every way they'd *have* to be villains or it would be boring.

If the super race are good guys then humans are pointless, and the super-race becomes the new baseline. In many sci-fi/fantasy worlds Elves tend to fall in this catagory, such as Middle Earth, where the only thing humans have going for themselves is the ability to die.

 

[Zacharine]

but I think the lance has a more herioc, knight-ish charm to it.

Lance is also the only weapon with no redeeming qualities outside of a straight-charge mounted combat. A lance is a big, heavy, unwiedly club with a pointed end that depends on having speed and mass behind it.

Seriously, I'd like to see any RPG hero wield that indoors or on foot.

 

[More Fun To Compute]

Seriously, I'd like to see any RPG hero wield that indoors or on foot.

Nethack. Tis a silly game.

 

[Axolotl]

I didn't know that I had to keep a count. :O

Name 3 then. Even the LotR RPG had you bitchslap Sauron to be victorious.

Nethack. Tis a silly game.

I want it to be on the record that you are an awesome person for saying that.

 

[Zacharine]

Seriously, I'd like to see any RPG hero wield that indoors or on foot.

Nethack. Tis a silly game.

It is also the game where you can wear a sink as a helmet and fall down and die from the weight of it the next time you walk down the stairs. Ah, fun times.

DevTeamThinksOfEverything [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheDevTeamThinksOfEverything]

 

[Grand_Arcana]

-The fixation on swords is impractical and inaccurate...

...Spears and polearms in general were always better than any other melee weapons(Case in point:Honda Tadakatsu and Tomoe Gozen.).Why the fixation on swords?

I have actually been wondering this for a long time. Why is the ultimate weapon in an RPG always a sword? I can see how it would be more suitable for combat in close quarters, as opposed to lances and halberds, and it's faster and more accurate than axes, but I think the lance has a more herioc, knight-ish charm to it.

As far as humans in RPGs go, it would be nice to see a departure from the standard English/European dude. But if you're going to get people of different races in a game, then doesn't logic dictate that the elves and dwarves and whatever the hell you put in should also have variations for different regions?

I've heard that it's because, compared to most other weapons, the sword is the only tool that can only be used to maim and kill other humans. The only other weapons like that are halberds. Guns, bows, and lances can be used for hunting. Axes can be used for firewood and construction. Knives have dozens of uses.

 

[Pimppeter2]

To be honest I didn't read your post. I got tiered half way through. I just got back from a basketball game. I'll book mark and read it later.

I just wanted to throw out that I cannot play any other species but humans in RPG. It looses its immersion. I also find it hard to Role Play as any other.

 

[YoUnG205]

Heres what I think;
You have put too much thought into this...

 

[number4096]

On what grampy_bone said:

i always wondered why elves are seen as better than humans when in reality they just look more effeminate,frailer,less manly,less intimidating and make schoolgirls look like the hulk.

Really,between a seven foot tall barbarian in a black armor and an elf,who would you fight?

 

[JWW]

I blame Tolkien for these stereotypes, and all the stereotypes of dwarves, elves, and other fantasy creatures (obviously). They just give writers/game designers/etc. some cliche to fall back on.

 

[BlackDodongo]

Although I do kinda disagree with your main arguement, I do think humans need to be tweaked from your average RPG. I would like to see humans have more of an advancement in technology than other races. Nothing outlandish, but maybe just primitive firearms or the like. I still think Humans bieng the average race in RPGs is a good idea. You can go into an RPG and pick a human without having to know about any "secret" racial drawbacks and just enjoy the game. Yes I know that you could just read the manual, and I always do with RPGs, but not everybody does. As for the humans bieng primary magic users, I have never played an RPG where humans are the prominent magic using race. It's usually elves or the like. Its kinda stupid to argue that humans shouldn't be allowed to use magic. It is after all, magic. It's rules are made up by the developer so they can technically get away with anything.

 

[More Fun To Compute]

Name 3 then. Even the LotR RPG had you bitchslap Sauron to be victorious.

Only the final scene counts?

Planescape: Torment let you literally kill yourself to win. In Vampire: Bloodlines you pretty much had to reject power to win but that was a sort of reject power by killing everyone deal. Deus Ex and Mask of the Betrayer come to mind as well.

 

[number4096]

As for what axototl said:

bayonets and spears are different.Ask any martial artist.

swords take less space,so the germans used them.