117 réponses à ce sujet

[Tidus]

As far as a human commoner  sounds like Gaider was blowing smoke since there was other ways then using a Luke Skywalker knock off.

 

Why not have a commoner fighting off a small band of bandits in Denerim? The CE killed several guards getting to Vaughan after a wreck marriage so,a human commoner saving a damsel in distress isn't that far off since the CE male was saving Elven maidens including his bride to be.

 

It takes creative imagination and planning to write a story and IMHO a Luke Skywalker farm boy knockoff isn't using any creative imagination.. 

[Andraste_Reborn]

I think the problem with Human Commoner is that by the time they realized what they had was unsalvageably awful it was too late to start over from scratch and make something better. A lot of the dialogue options are still in the files, as people found by poking around with the tool set. It was cut pretty late in development, unlike the Avvar origin which was never actually made as far as I know.

[Tidus]

Andraste_Reborn,That's why said it takes planning. A good writer will chose  his characters and design their back story before writing the main  story.

 

Example:

 

As Talbert Wake a commoner and thief from the slums of Denerim walked the streets  looking for his next mark  he heard a woman's scream etc, etc etc and while fighting off her attackers eyes watched his every move from the shadows. Anyway poor Talbert is arrested by the City Watch for murdering the baddies and is conscripted by Duncan. There would be more to the opening like robbing a mark and successfully  eluding the City Watch as they give chase.

[Navasha]

To me, role-playing is all about taking on a new perspective.   Looking at thing through the eyes of someone else.   Being forced to play as a human... doesn't change much from real life.   News flash... in real life, I am human.   I know all about human qualities, emotions, and ideas.     Being able to play something else, allows one to explore different thoughts, notions on existence, etc.   It allows you to grow and expand the way you see the world.  

 

Not everyone who roleplays likes to view the character as themselves, which is to say just a human in another body.

[vertigomez]

Indeed so. I get the appreciation of cultural variety, but there isn't anything not human about elves and dwarves - and maybe qunari - but appearance. They mate and have children the same way, they co-operate and go to war the same way, their cultures have features any human culture could have, etc. etc.. So as I see it, race selection is a nice feature to have, but the only reason why it's meaningful is that it *also* is cultural background selection. The "non-human-ness" is just cosmetic.

Well, discounting the cultural aspect, sometimes it's just aesthetics. Some people want to play a 7'0" grey dragon-person with horns. Maybe they think kicking baddie booty is cooler when you're a waif-thin elf or a shorty dwarf.

It's like if the only - only - option for hair in the CC was completely bald, but every NPC in the game had long, flowing, Pantene commercial hair. People would be upset that they don't have the option they percieve as better, even though hair doesn't impact gameplay in any way. If I'm stuck with a human protagonist, I'm looking longingly at Varric and Sigrun and Dagna and wishing I could be a dwarf, too.
 

A player character with significant non-human aspects, that would be more interesting. Of course, one could argue that we have that with being able to play a mageborn. Being mageborn sets someone apart from the rest of humanity more significantly than being a non-mageborn elf or a dwarf. Being an elf could be different, too, but only if elves were still immortal.

Being a dwarf who can't have magic can be just as meaningful. It's not just an accident of birth like it is with elves, qunari, and humans - it's a defining feature of the race.

[Gwydden]

A player character with significant non-human aspects, that would be more interesting. Of course, one could argue that we have that with being able to play a mageborn. Being mageborn sets someone apart from the rest of humanity more significantly than being a non-mageborn elf or a dwarf. Being an elf could be different, too, but only if elves were still immortal.

Well, I'm a firm believer that you cannot roleplay truly alien characters, or that it would be extremely difficult at the very least. Maintaining otherness relies too much on distancing a character from the audience. But I guess you can make a human that faces circumstances that are not possible in real life, like you mentioned. But that doesn't really make them less human, without a fundamental alteration of their being. Even if you make a human immortal and give her superpowers, you still only have an immortal human with superpowers. Which can be interesting, don't get me wrong, but it's an entirely kind of interesting from "this thing is most definitely not human."

 

To me, role-playing is all about taking on a new perspective.   Looking at thing through the eyes of someone else.   Being forced to play as a human... doesn't change much from real life.   News flash... in real life, I am human.   I know all about human qualities, emotions, and ideas.     Being able to play something else, allows one to explore different thoughts, notions on existence, etc.   It allows you to grow and expand the way you see the world.  

 

Not everyone who roleplays likes to view the character as themselves, which is to say just a human in another body.

I don't know others, but I never play myself. I always "take on a new perspective." But elven/dwarven/qunari qualities, emotions, ideas, thoughts, and notions of existence are identical to those of humans. Playing a human human character with different personalities and ideals to myself is far more effective in "expanding the way I see the world" than just playing a human with pointy ears.

 

The value in race selection, in my opinion, is purely in the possibility of choosing a cultural background. Cultural backgrounds that, by the way, work just as well if instead of dwarves, elves or qunari you just had different groups of humans. Saying that pointy ears make a character different in any way that matters is like changing your hair color and claiming that now you're a different person.

 

Moreover, it's because I'm human that roleplaying humans is not only more interesting, but has better potential and practical uses when it comes to "expanding my view of the world." There are plenty of people who lead lives different from mine, value things different from the ones I do, behave in ways I never would, and experience different challenges. Saying "I'm human therefore humans are boring and there's no reason to get into the shoes of another person" is arguing the human experience is so minuscule that you alone have already covered even a noticeable portion of it. And that's rather implausible, if you ask me.

[Medhia_Nox]

To me, role-playing is all about taking on a new perspective.   Looking at thing through the eyes of someone else.   Being forced to play as a human... doesn't change much from real life.   News flash... in real life, I am human.   I know all about human qualities, emotions, and ideas.     Being able to play something else, allows one to explore different thoughts, notions on existence, etc.   It allows you to grow and expand the way you see the world.  

 

Not everyone who roleplays likes to view the character as themselves, which is to say just a human in another body.

 

You don't know what it's like to be me or any other human.  You can't.  You are limited to your own perspectives - as you stated. 

 

And everything the elves and dwarves of DA have gone through - real people have been through worse.  Why? Simple - because the enormity of emotion real beings feel cannot be condensed into a 150 hour game.  

 

You don't "have" to be an elf or dwarf to "grow and expand the way you see the world" - people far wise than you or eye have never explored what it is to be an anorexic pointy eared fiction... 

 

That being said - enjoy.  It's something you like.  That's reason enough.  All the rest seems like an attempt to make it superior to other people's way of playing.

[straykat]

I like choice too, but it's lame without good story context for it. Just like in Elder Scrolls.. it's got choices up the wazoo.. and I love elves and khajiit as much as the next person... but Skyrim in particular was obviously Nord biased. Going against the grain can be done, but it just doesn't work as well. Strangely, Morrowind and Oblivion didn't feel quite the same for me.

[PapaCharlie9]

Indeed so. I get the appreciation of cultural variety, but there isn't anything not human about elves and dwarves - and maybe qunari - but appearance.

And? Your argument is that you don't understand the passion people have for wanting to play these different human conditions in different disguises. We've tried to explain, but you keep harping on the "elves aren't different from humans" bit. You sound disappointed, but that doesn't make sense for your premise, which is, you want to understand.

If I understand you correctly, you'd be perfectly happy for the game to just have humans -- they can be different colors and sizes and have different cultural norms -- but just quit with the denial and make them all human. Correct?

And, what would you get out of that? Since you said yourself they are functionally equivalent, why do you care if they are called (wink, wink) "elves", rather than a dispossessed tribe of humans with pointy ears that call themselves Dalish? How does this help you understand the phenomenon of passion for playing "others"?
 

A player character with significant non-human aspects, that would be more interesting.

How, exactly? I'd love an example. I don't think I can take your statements at face value any more, because your point is getting less and less clear to me.

[GoldenGail3]

Eh, I play as elves a lot - but not really in DAO - elves looked terrible to me.

[straykat]

Eh, I play as elves a lot - but not really in DAO - elves looked terrible to me.

 

I feel the reverse. They were playable for me there (but especially storywise... especially CE.. best thing they ever did). I kind of had more hopes for elf appearance here when they showed those early concepts of DAI. It looked like DAO again.

[Nocte ad Mortem]

The value in race selection, in my opinion, is purely in the possibility of choosing a cultural background. Cultural backgrounds that, by the way, work just as well if instead of dwarves, elves or qunari you just had different groups of humans. Saying that pointy ears make a character different in any way that matters is like changing your hair color and claiming that now you're a different person.

 

I think it's entirely about culture and the connection the races have to the in game world, not a matter of thought process like some people have brought up, but races allow questions and scenarios that different human cultures really don't in the same way. For example, look at the elves and the suggestions we've heard about them before humans arrived on the continent. Supposedly they were immortal, which they claimed ended because they "caught" mortality from humans. Solas says it was due to the veil, and a lot of his commentary suggests they have some deeper connection to magic and the Fade than other races. I remember in one of the books it was implied humans feel less comfortable in the "place between" the Eluvians than elves do. Dwarves, on the other hand, seem to be the polar opposite. They have some innate connection to Titans, which we have yet to understand, but seem far removed from any connection to the Fade. Qunari, on the other hand, have recently been suggested to have some relation to dragons. 

 

Even the suggestion that these things could be true wouldn't be possible if they were "just humans". Different races allow for vastly different connections of those races to elements of the world. Human cultures might have different aesthetics, different cultural norms, but they're still humans and that means they can't vary much from each other in any way that's genuinely unique. They still have the same biological makeup and the same connections to the elements of the world. Even if a culture finds some way to individually change themselves, like drinking dragon's blood and becoming a Reaver, you know it can be replicated by any other groups of humans. It's not really a "unique" connection in that every other culture could imitate it, if they wanted to. Only by introducing actually different races can you really make those new and different connections that the different races can't necessarily ever replicate for themselves. It doesn't change the way they think, but it does change the way they connect into the world in a way that you can't replicate with just humans.

[straykat]

I think it's entirely about culture and the connection the races have to the in game world, not a matter of thought process like some people have brought up, but races allow questions and scenarios that different human cultures really don't in the same way. For example, look at the elves and the suggestions we've heard about them before humans arrived on the continent. Supposedly they were immortal, which they claimed ended because they "caught" mortality from humans. Solas says it was due to the veil, and a lot of his commentary suggests they have some deeper connection to magic and the Fade than other races. I remember in one of the books it was implied humans feel less comfortable in the "place between" the Eluvians than elves do. Dwarves, on the other hand, seem to be the polar opposite. They have some innate connection to Titans, which we have yet to understand, but seem far removed from any connection to the Fade. Qunari, on the other hand, have recently been suggested to have some relation to dragons. 

 

Even the suggestion that these things could be true wouldn't be possible if they were "just humans". Different races allow for vastly different connections of those races to elements of the world. Human cultures might have different aesthetics, different cultural norms, but they're still humans and that means they can't vary much from each other in any way that's genuinely unique. They still have the same biological makeup and the same connections to the elements of the world. Even if a culture finds some way to individually change themselves, like drinking dragon's blood and becoming a Reaver, you know it can be replicated by any other groups of humans. It's not really a "unique" connection in that every other culture could imitate it, if they wanted to. Only by introducing actually different races can you really make those new and different connections that the different races can't necessarily ever replicate for themselves. It doesn't change the way they think, but it does change the way they connect into the world in a way that you can't replicate with just humans.

 

I don't care about the elven lore per se or elven specific personality traits (if any), but I like the premises of the Dalish Warden story because how down to earth and human it is. Where you and/or Tamlen's curiosity gets the best of you. It's pretty relatable and similar things happen to all of us. Or the City Elf -- I appreciate them because of the lower class status. They're the closest thing to a "commoner" that we can play. And the story is a bit like Braveheart Meets Kill Bill.

 

All of the Elfy stuff hasn't interested me as much. And I've seen the same lost glory theme many times and I've liked it better elsewhere. Even the Elder Scrolls (Sumerset/Thalmor vs Shor). I can't even tell who the good guys are in that version.

[Dai Grepher]

My own reasons, to see different origin stories. That's my main reason in Origins.

For Inquisition, I've only played an elven female mage, and it was just a quick, unofficial run. It was to play the game in a different way. Make different choices.

I also created a female qunari once to see what she would look like, but I didn't do a playthrough with her.

As for other people, I think the main reason I read most often is that humans are "boring". I guess they find pointed ears or shorter stature more interesting. Again, if it's origins then I understand because there are different backstories. For Inquisition it's a little different because most non-human backstories are too similar or have little relevance to the plot.

Some might play a different race just to recreate their Hero of Ferelden and play it in Inquisition.

[BansheeOwnage]

 

But Charlie said something interesting, comparing playing nonhumans to dressing up for Halloween. I've never been much of a fan of costumes, at least not as far as wearing them goes. I like what I am. Why would I want to be anything else? That sounds off-putting. I suppose that's one big reason why I don't relate to those who think multiple playable races is oh-so-important.

Well, I very much like costumes and being something else, and don't much like what I am. But I still like playing humans. Clearly, people are all over the place.

 

Even though DAI didn't have playable origins, as a fan of the setting I know where Cadash or Lavellan is coming from. They have faced unique challenges, have had different expectations placed on them from within their community and without. A non-magical, non-faithful dwarf suddenly having the Fade in the palm of their hand and being lauded as the Herald of Andraste is coming from a vastly different place than an Andrastian warrior Trevelyan.

To emphasize the difference more, I'd have gone with a mage Trevelyan.

[vertigomez]

To emphasize the difference more, I'd have gone with a mage Trevelyan.

Eh, I only said human warrior because Andraste was a warrior. I think a mage Trevelyan comes from a similar place as a non-human Inquisitor. Neither are what they "should" (or are expected to) be.

[straykat]

I think they covered the whole "coming from left field" thing with the previous Inquisitor Ameridan.

 

What would have been more interesting is just giving the whole human element focus in general. One last hurrah in the Southern Lands to tie up loose ends about the war and Chantry and various things. As it is, the game isn't that interesting if I play a human or not.

[BansheeOwnage]

To me, role-playing is all about taking on a new perspective.   Looking at thing through the eyes of someone else.   Being forced to play as a human... doesn't change much from real life.   News flash... in real life, I am human.   I know all about human qualities, emotions, and ideas.     Being able to play something else, allows one to explore different thoughts, notions on existence, etc.   It allows you to grow and expand the way you see the world.  

 

Not everyone who roleplays likes to view the character as themselves, which is to say just a human in another body.

A lot of that is true, but I disagree that playing a human means nothing meaningful is different from real life, even not counting mages/biotics etc. In real life, I'm not a noble whose family is Andrastian. I'm not a refugee fleeing from an eldritch menace who loses everything including family. I'm not a war hero space marine. I didn't get frozen for 200 years and wake up after nuclear fire. I didn't volunteer to leave my life behind and travel to the nearest galaxy.

 

You see what I mean.

 

Yes, playing as different races definitely changes your perspective compared to real life, but playing humans can too.

[straykat]

Even mundane humans can be interesting enough. I made my rogue a relic hunter type (the one who fetches things for people like that sister in Denerim). To say it's boring is like saying Indiana Jones or Lara Croft is boring.... because they're "human". That sounds bizarre. Adventuring archetypes in general are fun.

 

And that's just one possibility.

 

That said, I still don't find the story itself interesting. But our character possibilities are another thing.

[vertigomez]

I think they covered the whole "coming from left field" thing with the previous Inquisitor Ameridan.
 
What would have been more interesting is just giving the whole human element focus in general. One last hurrah in the Southern Lands to tie up loose ends about the war and Chantry and various things. As it is, the game isn't that interesting if I play a human or not.

The point isn't that it's coming from left field. We, the player, didn't get to be Ameridan and experience his story first-hand. Ameridan the Dalish Inquisitor has a different perspective than Inquisitor Adaar / Cadash / Trevelyan, and a unique sort-of connection with Inquisitor Lavellan, and some people are interested in exploring how someone from their favorite culture or race would react in similar circumstances.

Garahel the city elf ended the Fourth Blight. Doesn't mean Tabris the city elf (or a Warden from any other background) can't end the Fifth one.

[LobselVith8]

You don't know what it's like to be me or any other human.  You can't.  You are limited to your own perspectives - as you stated. 

 

I think you're taking it the wrong way. I don't feel like Navasha was claiming that all humans are the same or anything like that; she said she knows what it's like to be human because she's human, and that playing as someone from another race in a particular setting allows for more flexibility in looking through other perspectives that she may not be familiar with, which is understandable given the range that fantasy settings provide. Navasha doesn't know what it's like to be a dwarf who has to deal with living in one of the last Great Thaigs while the darkspawn roam through the remnants of the once great dwarven kingdom, or living as one of the Dalish and trying to stay true to their religion and culture despite the threats they face for their decision. That's the appeal with these other fictional races.

 

Speaking only for myself, being limited to playing as an Andrastian human (as Hawke) was an incredibly boring experience in Dragon Age II. I'm one of the people who doesn't care to play as an Andrastian human in that setting because it doesn't appeal to me; I don't care for the Andrastian faith or their culture. The opportunity to play as one of the more interesting non-Andrastian races is appealing to me.

 

And everything the elves and dwarves of DA have gone through - real people have been through worse.  Why? Simple - because the enormity of emotion real beings feel cannot be condensed into a 150 hour game.  

 

You don't "have" to be an elf or dwarf to "grow and expand the way you see the world" - people far wise than you or eye have never explored what it is to be an anorexic pointy eared fiction... 

 

I honestly don't think anyone is saying that we should equate the tragedies of real people with fictional people. Some of us simply find it interesting to play as a fictional race in a fantasy setting. No human knows what it's like for a dwarf to be part of a people who are fighting the darkspawn in a seemingly vain attempt to try and reclaim their lost kingdoms back, or to be a Dalish mage and feel connected to their lost ancestors because of their magical abilities. Putting yourself into a fantastical situation is entertaining (for some of us, anyway). That was the impression I received from Navasha's post, at least.

[nightscrawl]

I honestly don't think anyone is saying that we should equate the tragedies of real people with fictional people. Some of us simply find it interesting to play as a fictional race in a fantasy setting. No human knows what it's like for a dwarf to be part of a people who are fighting the darkspawn in a seemingly vain attempt to try and reclaim their lost kingdoms back, or to be a Dalish mage and feel connected to their lost ancestors because of their magical abilities. Putting yourself into a fantastical situation is entertaining (for some of us, anyway). That was the impression I received from Navasha's post, at least.

While the darkspawn and magical elements of those origins are unique to a fantasy setting, you can still equate the inherent struggles and hardships of those people with things that actual humans face. There are humans in the world today living out their lives in war zones, including all of the stress and uncertainty that brings. Is it really so much different because the dwarves face darkspawn, while humans face ISIL or African warlords? Both groups commit seemingly "inhuman" atrocities. Native Americans or other aboriginal people may not know what it's like to be told that they have lost the magic that made them an undying race, but they DO know what it's like to be exterminated, herded into camps, and to suffer the loss of culture and history, which is in danger of extinction even today because there are primarily oral, not written, histories. Just last year I read an article about the death of the last known speaker of some native language. That language is now gone forever, except in various scant recordings that were made of the person.

 

If you consider the depth and breadth of the human experience as it has been over thousands of years, I really don't see how they are anything but cosmetic differences. The struggles are the same, the hardships are the same, the emotional reactions are the same. That one group faces darkspawn while another faces some warlord, or that one group has lost their magic while another has lost the essence of what it means to be Lakota or Cheyenne is immaterial.

 

I don't think there is anything wrong with these being cosmetic differences, but I DO think that is what they are.

 

 

For what it's worth, the dwarves are my favorite non-human culture in Dragon Age and I do hope that we get to see another dwarven city. Frostbite 3 baby!

 

 

[edit]

Let's not forget that these games are written by humans for humans to play. There are always going to be these human elements. There will never be anything that is totally alien.

Modifié par nightscrawl, 06 juillet 2016 - 12:10 .

[LobselVith8]

While the darkspawn and magical elements of those origins are unique to a fantasy setting, you can still equate the inherent struggles and hardships of those people with things that actual humans face. There are humans in the world today living out their lives in war zones, including all of the stress and uncertainty that brings. Is it really so much different because the dwarves face darkspawn, while humans face ISIS or African warlords? Both groups commit seemingly "inhuman" atrocities. Native Americans or other aboriginal people may not know what it's like to be told that they have lost the magic that made them an undying race, but they DO know what it's like to be exterminated, herded into camps, and to suffer the loss of culture and history, which is in danger of extinction even today because there are primarily oral, not written, histories. Just last year I read an article about the death of the last known speaker of some native language. That language is now gone forever, except in various scant recordings that were made of the person.

 

The entire reason I stressed that I didn't think anyone was trying to equate real world tragedies and struggles with fictional ones is because I see little point to it when you're addressing a fictional world that doesn't have the same history as ours. No one is saying that you can't equate the poverty of the elves in the Alienage or the casteless in Orzammar with real people who are struggling in dire circumstances; people are saying that they find appealing aspects to playing as one of the fictional races in a particular setting. The fantastical elements of certain aspects of the story also entertain people, like the dwarves living in these underground thaigs, or some of the Dalish possessing magic like their ancestors did.

 

Also, you're bringing up examples about the real world. None of those apply to what has happened in a fictional world that isn't our own because it has its own fictional history and series of events.

 

If you consider the depth and breadth of the human experience as it has been over thousands of years, I really don't see how they are anything but cosmetic differences. The struggles are the same, the hardships are the same, the emotional reactions are the same. That one group faces darkspawn while another faces some warlord, or that one group has lost their magic while another has lost the essence of what it means to be Lakota or Cheyenne is immaterial.

 

They're fictional races created by actual people, so there will always be elements to them that are recognizable to our own; no one is saying that they're completely alien. All some of us are saying is that these fictional races appeal to us for a myriad of reasons.

 

For what it's worth, the dwarves are my favorite non-human culture in Dragon Age and I do hope that we get to see another dwarven city. Frostbite 3 baby!

 

That's cool. I know people who really enjoy the dwarves, and felt slighted because of how Inquisition handled things. Personally, I like the Dalish; I think their culture is interesting, I like how they view magic as a gift, and their perseverance in refusing to surrendering their culture and religion despite the entire home world being against them. It appeals to me much more than playing as an Andrastian human ever would. When I forced to play as Hawke, I was very bored, and I disliked a great deal of the experience because I didn't have it to be fun.

[nightscrawl]

^ Just because the history of the world isn't the same doesn't mean that these people can't have the same struggles. Some people have said that playing humans are boring and seem to think that these races are unique. Why? Just because of those fantastical elements? The struggles that are a part of being from that culture have nothing to do with it?

 

Some players dislike the fact that we have been saddled with the human noble (or related) for every single game and want something different from that. Those players are looking at the cultural aspects of playing a dwarf, an elf, or a Qunari. You can't get those experiences playing as a human in Dragon Age. Not yet anyway.

 

I can agree with the idea that playing the human is "boring" in that there has been little variation across all three games. By that virtue alone the difference provided by the other races must seem refreshing. But that still doesn't make them more unique than short, stout humans who live in a war zone or belong to a criminal enterprise, or lithe, pointy-eared humans who live in a ghetto or are forced to be nomads.

 

 

I don't deny that people like their non-human races, and as I said previously, I am happy that those players got their options for DAI. However, I do take issue with the attitude that some players profess of the other non-human races being "better" simply because they are not human. Yes, I have seen that many times on these forums over the years.

 

You like what you like, and I like what I like. Can't we all be happy with that?

[LobselVith8]

^ Just because the history of the world isn't the same doesn't mean that these people can't have the same struggles.

 

What point is there to equate the struggles faced by real world in the real world with fantasy races in a discussion about why some people prefer playing as one of the fictional races in a fantasy game? It's not like anyone is saying that real people don't face hardships or anything ludicrous like that. There's also the simple issue that the humans in the fantasy setting have an entirely different history than real people in the real world.

 

Some people have said that playing humans are boring and seem to think that these races are unique. Why? Just because of those fantastical elements? The struggles that are a part of being from that culture have nothing to do with it?

 

Some people said that playing as a human is boring for them in Dragon Age. I said this as well. That doesn't mean that we feel that humans are universally boring for everyone; I have friends who like playing as humans in Dragon Age, and I'm well aware some people like it. Quite simply, it's not entertaining to me. That's the reason why I prefer to play as a non-Andrastian character in Dragon Age.

 

Some players dislike the fact that we have been saddled with the human noble (or related) for every single game and want something different from that. Those players are looking at the cultural aspects of playing a dwarf, an elf, or a Qunari. You can't get those experiences playing as a human in Dragon Age. Not yet anyway.

 

I can agree with the idea that playing the human is "boring" in that there has been little variation across all three games. By that virtue alone the difference provided by the other races must seem refreshing. But that still doesn't make them more unique than short, stout humans who live in a war zone or belong to a criminal enterprise, or lithe, pointy-eared humans who live in a ghetto or are forced to be nomads.

 

They look at the whole package. The casteless dwarf who rises up at the Proving and shows their face before an entire audience of nobles, or the City elf who refuses to submit and cuts through a horde of humans in order to rescue Shianni from a rapist noble. The stories, the background, the races are all part of what interested some of these fans.

 

Look at the Elder Scrolls - the mystery behind the death of Indoril Nerevar at Red Mountain, the rise to godhood of Amsivi, CHIM, the schism between the Ashlanders and the followers of the Tribunal, the Great Houses of Morrowind. It's all part of interesting lore that fascinates people. There are fictional races that interest people. Some people simply find playing as a fantasy human boring for a multitude of reasons.

 

I don't deny that people like their non-human races, and as I said previously, I am happy that those players got their options for DAI. However, I do take issue with the attitude that some players profess of the other non-human races being "better" simply because they are not human. Yes, I have seen that many times on these forums over the years.

 

You like what you like, and I like what I like. Can't we all be happy with that?

 

Supposedly, the entire purpose behind this thread is because the OP inquired as to why some people prefer playing as a fictional race, and they are explaining why it's better for them. Some people aren't going to bother writing an entire thesis on why it's better for them, they might simply write a short summary as to why it is because they're taking the OP at face value and think their thoughts might help, even if they're brief.