I sure as hell ain't going human, but I AM gonna go mage.
My Warden was an elven mage, Hawke was a human mage, so my Inquisitor's gonna be a Saarebas (hopefully there's a Sten-style hornless hairdo, but I'll be happy with Hellboy stumps). I've been wanting a Qunari player character for years, so like hell am I gonna let this opportunity pass me by.
Guest_Faerunner_*
I'm not completely disagreeing with you. In Origins, my favorite playthrough was as a Dwarven Noble. Because out of all my characters, he was the only one I felt ENJOYED being a Warden. It's all about how the races are implemented into the game. I got value out of playing every race in Origins. My Human Noble used being a Warden as a way to become King. My Mage used the Wardens as a way to get close to Alistair in a Jafar like way of influencing him to benefit mages. (Almost like what Morrigan seems to be doing with Celene.) My city elf lost Alistair and ended up going off with Sten to join the Qun. She was a more of a tragic character. My point is that Origins gave you an organization to join that wasn't completely human-centric and allowed some role playing leeway. I don't really now if Inquistion will allow that leeway or not.
The devs have said they wouldn't have included race selection unless it made sense story-wise, and they could give them enough time and attention they deserve to make it more plausible. They've pretty much said full out they wouldn't have included these race options at all if they didn't feel there was room for them in the story or it didn't make sense to have them there in the context of this universe.
What's more, the Inquisition is a rather secular group that's borderline anti-authoritarian. It stands up to organized institutions with a lot of power (the Chantry, Templars, Orlesian nobility, etc.) and roots out corruption within them whether they like it or not, and seems like it's going to kick their butts in gear to actually help with something that needs more attention than just their ill-gotten power.
And since the Inquisition seems to be standing up to human organizations and institutions that traditionally held the most power in the world (Chantry, Templars, Orlesian nobility, etc) I can only imagine someone of another race choosing to weaken them more, or help the shift of balance tip toward the little people (dwarves, elves, etc.), or make the power crisis benefit them (kind of like how the Warden of various backgrounds could end up with a piece of the privilege pie by the end of DA:O), or something. Not just humans.
And as a writer of fiction, I like to use analogues of characters I have created to role play (although after many playthroughs of Origins and DA2, I'm running out of characters). The one I was saving for this game fits best as a human. That's the main reason I'm going human first. But, as I said, I plan on playing every race. I'm certainly not opposed to race selection.
I guess that makes sense.
But then I could also say the character I want to role play for this story fits best as an elf. I want to play a character who wants to serve as the next big example for elves after Shartan, Garahel, and the City Elf Warden, who wants to solve this world crisis to set a positive example for elves everywhere, and use the power struggles everywhere to make the world a better place for elves. In other words, she wants to ease the elves' plight. Since the Inquisition is rooting out corruption with the established powers (and likely serving as a tipping point for people trying to get out from under oppression), the Inquisition can benefit her people.
I haven't come up with a sufficient motivation for my grey giant yet, but I know I'll find one.
Like I said, dealing with human politics is a means to an end. You don't have to be human to feel central to the story or have motivation to deal with what's going on.
Eh, I normally pick Human in these types of games myself. But after playing Origins and 2 as a male, human mage, I'm itching for a drastic change.
Female Dalish Rogue all the way! 
There are a few ways people tend to approach making a character in RPGs.
In the first camp, you have the people who like to portray themselves as the hero. They will almost always pick human and the same gender as they are in real life.
In the second camp, you have the people who like to create a character that belongs in the story. This is a fantasy character wholly separate from the player. Usually the more exotic the better too, so they tend to pick non-humans.
That is basically it in a nutshell.
I don't know that the "story" group is necessarily as non-human as you're suggesting, but beyond that, I think you're missing a potentially even larger group: people who just want to get into the game and will go with whichever is the default or the simplest choice.
When I play RPGs, I prefer being something far removed from myself. I play a human in my daily life. I rather be something different in a game.
Not everyone in the Dragon Age fanbase take part in the forums. There are a lot (and I do mean a lot) of people that don't partake in forums. As a result, they can't contribute to the discussions regarding which race you're going to pick.
Anyway, I think I can confidently say that almost everyone here is going to choose at least a second race to do a playthrough.
I will pick qunaris and humans. Not fan of dwarves, and definitely not fan of elves.
I play human and elf because they're more aesthetically pleasing to me. It's really that simple.
Eh, I normally pick Human in these types of games myself. But after playing Origins and 2 as a male, human mage, I'm itching for a drastic change.
Female Dalish Rogue all the way!
I approve, smart poster tbh. That is my canon playthrough.
I almost always play human when given the chance because I can always relate to a human. I always try to go back and play an Elf or Dwarf in Origins and I never end up playing past the origin story. I guess since I experience the game first as a human, it becomes canon for me. I really want to play as a female mage Qunari on my second playthrough for Inquisition though!
If you people believe that playing a human is due to a "lack of imagination" then you don't have any idea what you are talking about. It's funny because thinking that shows how much you lack youselves. If you are so limited as to imagine humans in a fantasy setting as what you see in the mirror then I'm sorry for you.
And that's only the tip of the iceberg. Most people I've seen on topics about roleplaying and "how will your inquisition be" are just listing their characters and can only deal with in game directions that are provided for them. "My inquisitor will be an elf human hater that cares about elf supremacy". "My inquisitor will want to kill any companion that is killable". How imaginative. You played an elf that likes elves. Wow. Generic characters that the game doesn't support and end up becoming a frustrating experience.
There are better questions to ask yourself when you make characters. Like for example, how much will my character change after he becomes a grey warden. Will he continue valuing his people more, or he will decide that his newfound duty is more important than the rest troubles of the world? What are the things he values and how they limit him? Family? Sacrifice for the greater good? Or power at any cost without sentiment, ready to betray anyone to achieve his goals. What is his reason to do what others ask of him? What are his demons? How strong is his will? I don't want to play a leader but the game forces me to be one. At least kotor 2 explains that you have no choice in the matter because of who you are. You can argue that you are not one but you make force bonds and everyone will always see you as a leader whether you like it or not. These things have nothing to do with race because race is just fluff that usually just adds nothing.
I get frustrated even when I'm playing humans because the choices I have available are completely uncharacteristic of what I represent with most of my characters. Playing a race that has inferior support from a developer standpoint would require a level of commitment that I just can't care about. After all I want to play the game, not create the game in my head. I don't even like the setting that much.
There is a conscious decision that every player makes as to how much he wants to be involved. He either considers the character his own, he just decides how the character behaves or he decides on an alignment and automatically presses the corresponding choice. There is nothing inherently inferior in any style. But it can be inferior if the writing is of lower quality. Kotor 1 is a fine example of this. You get light/dark points based on the immediate ramifications of your actions. If you let him live you get light, if you kill him you get dark. It's like playing dnd and your dm forces an alignment shock because you play an evil guy and you didn't kill a mugger cause you wanted information. Obvious lack of understanding.
And that's pretty much the reason I don't want multiple races in video games, because that way they can focus on one race and make characters that make sense. Hawke makes sense. He can be sentimental or he can move on. He can be diplomatic or intimidating. He can judge the others or don't bother and this is reflected in the game. My Hawke is a pragmatist and a chameleon. No sentiment, no altruism, just accepting things as they are and making a joke about it. The experience is totally different if I play something else cause it gets reflected in his behavior and the reaction from his companions. I actually remember that the hardest choice I've done in this game was answering Varric's question about what my plans are for the future. It's a totally irrelevant question with no effect at all yet it's pretty much the best question because there is no obvious answer.
DAO characters don't make sense. They are either bricks, brats or forced into emotions. There is nothing noble about a human noble. He is hardly any different than playing an elf in most of the story. And it works both ways. Just like a human noble doesn't know how to speak, an elf doesn't really have any difference than a generic human. Doesn't have any different grasp of aesthetics and religion. Just a different backstory and a few side quests. We never experience why elves think of the fade differently than humans. We don't feel that the human world treats us different just because we are elves.
The bad moments in DAO are so painful that made me hate my character. Like how he deals with Morrigan when she says that we should let the circle fall. Of all the simple things he can say, like "they are important for the war" for example, he instead can call her a harpy with exclamation mark. Some noble skilled in persuasion...
He can't charm his companions. He can't make a simple deal. There is nothing extraordinary about him.
There are games that do this way better. Mask of the Betrayer is the ultimate example for me. You can charm people, intimidate people, be good, neutral or evil, talk down devils and make deals with them, decide how to deal with your newfound power and be strong enough to control it or become addicted and having to deal with it. Also the game allows you to understand what it means to be persecuted and feared. No one in the game cares about the real you and you either have to accept it or prove them wrong. You can romance a character that is a fragment of a thousand year soul which is directly responsible for your bad luck and no one really cares that she is bald or whatever because she makes sense and there can be an attraction that transcends simple looks or even personality. You are linked and you need each other to figure it out. You know that awesome thing that is called magic and every goddamn modern rpg tries to streamline.
Alpha protocol is another great game where you can do whatever you want. Feel how it is to be betrayed and having to find proof to clear your name. Are you out for revenge? Will you suppress your instincts and not kill policemen and innocents? Will you allow a known terrorist to go free because he may be the only one that can help you set things right? Also it empowers the player because it allows you to judge the characters and influence them.
Anyway I'm probably ranting right now so I'm going to stop. My point is that better if it's one race and it makes sense than multiple with gimmick backstories and sidequests. Either go all the way or don't go at all.
Reading over this, I'm a bit surprised how many people think there's this line where people can either only play a cutout of themselves, or they can play literally anything with no preference for race/gender/sexuality/morality/etc. I'm pretty sure that for a lot of people, maybe even most people, there's a lot of wiggle room between those two points. I like to play characters with my gender and sexuality, because those stories are the ones I relate to the most and they're not something I see much anywhere else. I like to play attractive characters, which basically limits down to humans and elves, for my preferences. I tend not to cross moral lines that would make me dislike the character. Otherwise, I play characters that are very different than me and very different than each other. Sure, there are similarities that I hit, but they're vague and leave an incredible amount of possibilities on the table. I've never played a character in a game thinking it was an equivalent to fantasy world me.
Well most people are sheep. Maybe that should be a character option...
Guest_Act of Velour_*
Like some others have said, I don't know why I or others choose humans. In most games that let you make a character and include some non-human races, I've always gone for human in them too. I'm not sure if it's just the familiarity, or if I can just identify most with playing as a human, or if it's just the type of character I like; stat-wise, humans are typically the most balanced race selection in most RPGs too, so that may be another reason I go for them. Versatility.
Reading over this, I'm a bit surprised how many people think there's this line where people can either only play a cutout of themselves, or they can play literally anything with no preference for race/gender/sexuality/morality/etc. I'm pretty sure that for a lot of people, maybe even most people, there's a lot of wiggle room between those two points. I like to play characters with my gender and sexuality, because those stories are the ones I relate to the most and they're not something I see much anywhere else. I like to play attractive characters, which basically limits down to humans and elves, for my preferences. I tend not to cross moral lines that would make me dislike the character. Otherwise, I play characters that are very different than me and very different than each other. Sure, there are similarities that I hit, but they're vague and leave an incredible amount of possibilities on the table. I've never played a character in a game thinking it was an equivalent to fantasy world me.
I really relate to that sentiment, though I find the qunari intriguing enough that I can break my typical reticence for them.
Personally I find being a human in a game where you can choose your race to be boring. I always play a non-human if the option is there. My canon Warden is Dalish. For Inquisitor canon I'm struggling to pick between Qunari and Dalish.
Because why not? I don't lack imagination what's wrong with me choosing a human?
Was it worth to include all these different races when most people even on this forum where the hardcore
fans are will pick human ?
What do you think? Why do people pick human?
I picked human noble in DA:O only because it made the most sense to me storywise (motiviation for joining grey wardens, arl howe main villian in the story..)
I'm definitely planning on picking Qunari this time but if the story is better if you are human (DA:I in the beginning :human only) then I will reconsider
So what do you think?
It is quite simple for me:
1. I hate being a second-class (hell, not even that: third-class or fourth is more like it, as human beggars and drunks are treated better IMO) citizen (which being an elf boils down to)
2. I play mages only (well, almost only - did a few runs with non-mages in DA:O...but never in DA2...probably because I think a mage Hawke would have had a closer connection to his/her father) so that takes dwarfes out of the running
So it comes down to playing a human (at least on the first run, after that it will probably be an elf (I still like them, but they are - as stated above - not my first choice) and after that a qunari...after that will probably be my first non-mage-run and I will probably be a dwarf (magic-resistance is always nice to have for a melee-character!))
Note: In other games (without the race-prejudice - at least not the overwhelming one that DA seems to have, were most people don't treat elfs fairly...remember one of the first things that happen in the army camp in DA:O, when you talk to the quartermaster as an elf...need I say more?) I normally never play a human (!)...that's why I wanted the race selection back in Dragon Age (because I wanted to be someone else at least on my second run...I am human, so why play a human? (at least that is my normal reasoning when I play games...unless the selectable races are treated badly without anything making up for it...I mean if humans treat you badly that's ok, but as far as I remember the dwarfs and elfs don't treat you better or worse...
greetings LAX
Guest_john_sheparrd_*
I thought about this topic a bit more and:
My biggest reason for playing as a human would be that they are neutral spectators in the conflicts
Like the Human Noble in DA:O he visits all these different places the Dalish camp, Orzammar but he isn't really personally involved in them
Its more like a clean slate in most matters where there are several parties involved and he gets to know both of them on a neutral basis
In contrast by choosing a Dalish Elf you have this huge backstory and you basically have to hate humans and like the Dalish or as a Dwarven Noble you have to give a **** about Orzammar and the politics there and as a Qunari Vashoth you also have this whole culture history
and If you play them more normal like a Human well whats the point then( meaning that as a Dalish Elf you don't give a **** about the Dalish)
Hell even as a Human Mage you are deeply invested in the Mages vs Templars conflict
I suppose thats why I always pick a human warrior, Picking a Human Mage is basically like another race with way too much baggage
So a Human Warrior or Rouge (it doesn't really matter in terms of story) is the right choice for me
I know that again like in Origins (where I always picked human noble I tried the others but never even went to Lothering) I will miss much of the replay value but what can you do?
I always pick something OTHER than humans.
Vanilla tastes good but gets BORING.
IN Dao i only picked Human Noble so i could marry alistair/anora. I enjoyed the City Elf and Dwarf Noble origins stories the most.
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