Poll: What if an RPG used real races?

[omicron1]

Depends on how serious it is.
For instance, if there is truly a genetic propensity towards a particular attribute in a people-group or nation, it's no more "racist" or similar than if you gave the character models of Chinese people slanted eyes. But if you give all people with dark skin in your game lower health meters, that's most certainly racist.

That said, I'm still waiting for the game that implements the statistical strength advantage men have over women without resorting to some nonsense "counter advantage" like making women inherently more intelligent in the name of balance. You don't need your middle-ages RPG to be a bastion of modern sensibilities! Your Hyborean world doesn't need an even ratio of male and female barbarians! Such things do nothing but break immersion - just as much as an African American playing a hobbit would.

 

[RatRace123]

I say no because the way you described it seems like it would be absolutely over the top and impossible to take seriously.

I'd find it frickin' hilarious, but that's just me.

 

[BarbaricGoose]

Reinforcing stereotypes aside, it wouldn't work, even if it weren't offensive at all. Anyone who rolls a black guy would die as soon as the game begins. It'd be like picking a red shirt in a Star Trek RPG. "Hmmm... I think I'll make an ancillary character who gets killed off immediately."

This is of course assuming the RPG is anything other than Tyler Perry's Diablo.

 

[Pseudohendrix]

Based on Stereotyping it would go something like this.. Using both races and nations.

African-American/Aboriginal

+10 Stamina
+10 Sneak
+10 Lock picking
+10 Pick pocket

"American"

-20 Intelligence
-10 Stamina
-10 Aim/Range
+20 (unwanted) influence on others

Jewish

+20 Wealth
-10 Strength

"Australian"

+ resistance to fire/disease
- susceptible to ice

Asian

+10 Intelligence

 

[silverleaf81]

I would go as a Italian-Irish hybrid, like i am in real life. I imagine my character having a great lover perk and would also randomly screaming out "PASTA!" and "POTATOES!".

 

[Dethenger]

Imagine an RPG that used real races, and gave the character stereo-typical stat bonuses. Say, if you chose Russian you would get an HP bonus because they are notoriously hard to kill. Or if you choose African you could run faster. Americans, could... I don't know maybe shout AMERICA!! and inspire one another (giving a stat bonus). etc.

I guess the heart of the real question is: Is re-enforcing positive stereo-types offensive?

nope, i would find this hilarious, americans could get a fancy shout like "A-MER-ICUHH" (fus ro dah style)

this would be for the lulz and i would probably play this game with great intrigue, but sadly any kind of "ism" group/cult would be all over this and absolutely destroy the game.


hell i'd love to have the "hick redneck" perk, get hp restored for alchohol and any plaid/jeans/boots worn gives you 3x armor protection as usual, and +50 for a john deer hat.

Shouldn't be health restored by alcohol, just endurance or stamina or something.

Also, if they chant anything, they'll most certainly be chanting:

 

[Syzygy23]

Don't get me wrong, activist would be all over this. However, no. It is no different than cultures getting bonuses in Civ or something. The problem is, this would probably be done in the name of fun, which activists don't know anything about.

White people should start out with more money.

I found the stats and starting skills for a level 1 white person from the 1st edition CEO's & Skyscrapers:

White Person
also known as "Real Americans", "Real Brits", "Real Russians" amongst themselves
STATS
STR: 10
DEX: 10
INT: 10
WIS: 10
CHA: 8

Racial Traits and Bonuses:

White People Problems: Turns the effects of negative debuffs into harmless annoyances. For example, if a Level 9 Baby-Mama cast "demand disproportionate amount of child support" on a Black Person, they would suffer 5d100 damage to their current Gold amount. If cast on a White Person, it is instead turned into something like " Drain phone service bars" and the White Person would suffer 1d3 negative levels to their phone's current bars. The White Person will still complain just as loudly as the other races.

White Guilt: All White People (except for the Texan subtype) are of the Chaotic Liberal alignment, and any use of the Guilt Trip skill by another race (especially Black People race) gains a +5 bonus.

White People gain the following starting skills:
+2 Private school education (optional), +4 multiculturalism, +4 diplomacy, 500 extra starting gold

 

[Athlos]

what about resistances and bonuses depending on location?
Australia/New Zealand= increased swimming speed 25%
Africa= heat resistance 30%
Asia/Russia= Cold resistance 30%
Europe= temeprature resistances 10% each
North America= 15% more health
South America= 20% less stealth detection
Middle east= 10% more monetary gain
then just have you classes of warrior/ rogue/mage.
this way have those as background, then class.
you could still pick skin colour with all the caracter customization.

 

[Whoatemysupper]

There is only one humanoid race on earth, and that is humans. So there would be one race in the game, a little dull perhaps.

Species, genius. Races are a division of a single species.

Also. American may not be a race, per se, but Russian certainly is. Descendants of the original Rus and the nearby territories have a unique build. Nationality and race ARE intrinsically linked. The Irish, for example, are a race. The Scottish are a race. The English are a race. The Welsh are a race. Despite inhabiting the same landmass (not including Ireland here, obviously). Welsh people are generally shorter and stockier than the English, and the Scottish are often bigger. Compare the Bretons and Nords from Skyrim and you have the difference between a Saxon and a Norwegian.

While not everybody fits into these racial builds, they are there, and there's no use denying them. Hell, even Americans appear to be developing their own, unique strand. Americans appear to have softer-looking faces and generally less pronounced features. If it wasn't a race, you wouldn't be able to recognise them on sight.

So yes. Nationality and race are very closely linked. If I can name real differences between neighbouring countries, then the OP has a fair point.



Also, the game would only work if the Welsh possessed the ability to cast 'Fury' with their ridiculous accent.


EDIT: Thought I should mention - North and South Sudan don't count. They're geographically similar and only very recently split, so the Sudanese will remain the Sudanese race until some unspecified point in the future when you can tell the difference from sight alone.

I just count the all as Gaelic, is that wrong? I thought that the modern Scottish gents sailed from Ireland and killed all the Picts and became the Highlanders.

 

[kotorfan04]

First of all, if you consider "Russian" and "American" to be races, you need to look up the word and see what it means.

And yes, reinforcing any stereotype, even a positive one, is racism. Just as any form of discrimination, even positive discriminatin is racist.

Thank you for saying what I wanted to say and also having an amazing avatar... anyways, my thoughts incoming.

I don't exactly buy into race as an actual concept, one you start drawing those lines things get really muddled and it just breaks down into a sliding spectrum scale of stuff, and no matter what model you use there will be 20 other guys saying why your model is bad or offensive or inaccurate or saying your model doesn't exactly represent them. When it comes down to it the overall racial differences just aren't that big...

Now having said that, making the game give you perks based on your nationality could be incredibly fun. Americans could shout American, Chinese people could summon a horde of others to attack their enemies, the British could talk with an accent, and Kenyans could be the best sprinters. Sure I would be on board with that idea and it might make for a good laugh.

 

[kabooz18]

I don't think it would be racist since:

1. Stereotypes exist for a reason
2. for it to be racist you would need to weigh them differently (I mean punish or reward the player for picking a specific race) than the others. In other words the game must be neutral

Also, some might find the game offensive either way.
But then again some find Mario offensive so it really doesn't matter that much.

 

[Savagezion]

Don't get me wrong, activist would be all over this. However, no. It is no different than cultures getting bonuses in Civ or something. The problem is, this would probably be done in the name of fun, which activists don't know anything about.

White people should start out with more money.

I found the stats and starting skills for a level 1 white person from the 1st edition CEO's & Skyscrapers:

White Person
also known as "Real Americans", "Real Brits", "Real Russians" amongst themselves
STATS
STR: 10
DEX: 10
INT: 10
WIS: 10
CHA: 8

Racial Traits and Bonuses:

White People Problems: Turns the effects of negative debuffs into harmless annoyances. For example, if a Level 9 Baby-Mama cast "demand disproportionate amount of child support" on a Black Person, they would suffer 5d100 damage to their current Gold amount. If cast on a White Person, it is instead turned into something like " Drain phone service bars" and the White Person would suffer 1d3 negative levels to their phone's current bars. The White Person will still complain just as loudly as the other races.

White Guilt: All White People (except for the Texan subtype) are of the Chaotic Liberal alignment, and any use of the Guilt Trip skill by another race (especially Black People race) gains a +5 bonus.

White People gain the following starting skills:
+2 Private school education (optional), +4 multiculturalism, +4 diplomacy, 500 extra starting gold

That is hilarious. Please, tell me you made that up. If not, I would so play that game for kicks.

 

[TomLikesGuitar]

Very few things that are deemed racist ever actually live up to the term. If I run around shouting the n-word like a lunatic, then I am a lunatic, not a racist. Even if I scream it in a black person's face it's still not technically racist by definition. In order for there to be any racism involved, I have to insinuate a belief that another race is not equivalent to my own.

A game that jokingly pokes at national stereotypes and doesn't belittle another race is not racist what-so-ever.

 

[Laser Priest]

Then that would suck?

Aside from the inevitable "Storm de la Shit" as some call it, I'd be screwed as I always play the Beast-type races whenever I can.

 

[TH3Adv3rs4ry]

As a black man I think that, as long the game was lampooning the stereotypes and not the people then I wouldn't mind.
it would be cool to see groups of people from different races/ethnicities/nationalities have to come together to quest and fight super-huge monsters then I'd be up for it. In fact can I suggest a dungeon called the 'office'? - You'd fight call caetre mobs and then a head of department sub-boss, followed by "CEO" - the final boss who, could use moves like 'beauacracy' which, would lower your movement speed and cause confusion as well as 'unpaid overtime' which would leave your Hp and Mp at 10% of max value and can cause instant death if used in conjunction with 'contract term enfocement'.

It might get awkward though when you need to kick someone from the group because you have their traits covered. (ooh sorry dude, but no more blacks) or when you need a party member member and you put "LF Indian" in to the chat bar.

End of the day, we all have predjudices - some crazier than others... But, if we can't all come together and make fun of these things then how will we ever learn to get over it and grow?

 

[Thyunda]

There is only one humanoid race on earth, and that is humans. So there would be one race in the game, a little dull perhaps.

Species, genius. Races are a division of a single species.

Also. American may not be a race, per se, but Russian certainly is. Descendants of the original Rus and the nearby territories have a unique build. Nationality and race ARE intrinsically linked. The Irish, for example, are a race. The Scottish are a race. The English are a race. The Welsh are a race. Despite inhabiting the same landmass (not including Ireland here, obviously). Welsh people are generally shorter and stockier than the English, and the Scottish are often bigger. Compare the Bretons and Nords from Skyrim and you have the difference between a Saxon and a Norwegian.

While not everybody fits into these racial builds, they are there, and there's no use denying them. Hell, even Americans appear to be developing their own, unique strand. Americans appear to have softer-looking faces and generally less pronounced features. If it wasn't a race, you wouldn't be able to recognise them on sight.

So yes. Nationality and race are very closely linked. If I can name real differences between neighbouring countries, then the OP has a fair point.



Also, the game would only work if the Welsh possessed the ability to cast 'Fury' with their ridiculous accent.


EDIT: Thought I should mention - North and South Sudan don't count. They're geographically similar and only very recently split, so the Sudanese will remain the Sudanese race until some unspecified point in the future when you can tell the difference from sight alone.

I just count the all as Gaelic, is that wrong? I thought that the modern Scottish gents sailed from Ireland and killed all the Picts and became the Highlanders.

This is very true. However, the Scots tribe that left Ireland and eradicated the Picts were physically different to the other clans in Ireland (they all had differences, obviously) and the modern Scot is the result of those differences. So, while you would technically be correct (they are both known as Gaelic - Irish and Scottish Gaelic respectively), it's akin to noticing the differences between, say, a Leicester accent and a Grimsby one. They ARE there, but you'd be forgiven for mistaking one for the other.

 

[Thyunda]

-cut-

Y'know, there's a layman's term for the language you've used for this post.
It's called bullshit.

Basically, you've attempted to use a rational theory to deny empirical fact, and it just doesn't work that way. Your friend is what you would call a racial hybrid. Nothing wrong with that, but your example doesn't exactly destroy my evidence. Sorry. Try again.

I love replies like this.

It totally validates my argument without me having to say a word.

Go ahead, quote any peer-reviewed Biology or Medical journal in the past decade that uses the words "racial hybrid" in relation to humans.

I'll be waiting.

Would you also like me to quote a few journals telling you that my keyboard is black and the sky is blue? This is what's called 'empirical' information, and no amount of theories can reject this. Fact is, the environments of different countries create differences in the people born there. For different reasons. Poland and Germany are neighbouring countries, yet I've never mistaken a German for a Pole, or a Pole for a German. Clearly, you don't know what you're talking about.

 

[SextusMaximus]

It could work, but the game would only be good based on the game not the stats. I don't care much for the idea personally, though.

EDIT: No, it's not racist.

 

[mellemhund]

I don't think it would be racist since:

1. Stereotypes exist for a reason
2. for it to be racist you would need to weigh them differently (I mean punish or reward the player for picking a specific race) than the others. In other words the game must be neutral

1. Yes, they exist because of the way the human brain works. If you start looking into real people, you'll find that hardly any would fit in anything but very broad definitions.

2. It's racist to assume a person is a certain way based on the color of thier skin. Simple as that.