Racial Stereotypes - What's up with that?

Just wanted to gather people's view on this topic. Basically I started a Night Elf who lives in the Eastern Kingdoms, and has decided to join a crew of privateers. I've received a -shocking- amount of IC and OOC criticism for such a 'retarded character concept'. However I don't see how it is, we have Night Elves fighting under the Argent Crusade, helping in the plaguelands, hell the Park before its untimely end was essentially a giant embassy to the Night Elves.

I was just curious to gather other people's experience of this, or perhaps you agree? The Night elves have been exposed to the rest of the world for 11 years give or take, and many other races face similar stereotypes.. Anyone ever had to deal with such?

Stereotypes make the world go 'round! \o/

I once got hell for my dwarf not having an incomprehensibly thick dwarven accent


But heck, I even RPed an evil druid obsessed with getting closer to the feral side in service of Zaraj and nobody gave me trouble over -that-!

Melnerag wrote:I once got hell for my dwarf not having an incomprehensibly thick dwarven accent

The heck ye talkin' 'boot, eh? We dinnae 'ave thick accents, ye twit! This be bloody common tongue!

All I do is play weird-ass characters.

I've found that if you can give those people that give you shit a couple of lines on your characters history and/or motivation for being what they are, they'll back off.

And if they don't, then fuck em. Play what you enjoy. *nods*

indeed i have had a couple of situations like this myself Like for example chareshia (back when she was alive) had quite a thick trollish accent.. Most people at first hated that saying you part troll or something humans dont mate with trolls etc so the line or two on history does help.. I even made a macro for it once

ahh... poor charashia.... I do miss her.

On Topic - I find this mostly IC, but usually its due to the Cartel.. or quinian. I remember having him following ol' Domovoi around calling him blackie. The only real case of ooc drama of an IC concept was probably due to Greyclaw, my druid, and that was because I made her follow a stricter, more disciplined version of druidism that used alot of tradition or age-old rituals for certain things. It certainly makes her an amazing character to rp on, though

I guess i'll have to plough through it, it was an experience I had while rping, where a person, in character doubted my character could exist.. I realize it was an IC statement, but it was a thinly veiled cover for what she wanted to say Out of character.

yeah i think many people miss her.. I do regret killing her off sometimes

Mon! To the PM-Machine! We can hatch ideas

Witnessing your character last night, I found nothing directly shocking or "retarded" about her. My theory is that most players on defias come across a terribly high amount of poor roleplay, and almost often-than-not it is embodied in the form of a female Night Elf. Hence, when they see somebody playing the aformentioned race/gender combination, warning bells go off in their mind.

Just politely explain to them that racial stereotypes are - indeed - stereotypes, and that individuals from a race can quite easily deviate from those. It's likely that Queenie (if we are thinking of the same character) has distanced herself from Kaldorei society, as a result of her career path not fitting in with the sociological norm of Night Elven culture.

While this may be more related to "game mechanics," there are quite a few examples of NPCS breaking the mould.
Like this Elf.
Or this Troll.
Or this Elf.
Perhaps these examples are poor and there are better ones available, but off the top of my head they are all I could summon up.

I wish more would create characters based on the lore rather than create characters and then try to find proof they could exist in the lore...

By deviating from the norm you are always in danger of being viewed as a Mary Sue.

Not saying that there is any problem with your character Anaei, it could very well be a well thought out character for all I know (and I have a feeling it is). Most characters that "are a bit special" or "unusual for a X" are not IMHO. So I guess you are kind of starting on the negative scale and have to climb up.

Go go go!

Suck it up darling! I got exactly the same (and still get it) 'cause my blood elf is a pirate god of some sort. "BLOOD ELVES SHOULDN'T DO THAT BLAHBLAHBLAH". I don't give a fuck. If they want to RP their characters with no diversity, let them. They may be elves, but they're quite capable of making their own choices and having their own minds and personalities. It's not just humans who can be badasses. They're so racist.

My bitch is still quite capable of being a superior cow to everyone. She just prefers not to, it's so much hassle only relying on other elves. Especially when they're all holed up in Sillyspoon braiding each others hair.

*Flumiwick walks in and gives every one free gold* As mori said you play the char you want, humans can be all sorts the same should go for all.

As long as you don't change anything actually physical about them, their mentality can be what you like.

I was planning on making a wannabe demon hunter human, people said "Impossible" - yes, BEING one would be, wanting to be one. Nope.

EDIT: What I mean by this is, although Night Elf culture is quite personal and they don't tend to mix with other races excessively; you can be whatever you like. You could be a Night Elf who believes it is the Lich King and lives on a 10x10ft ice slate off the coast of Northrend, calling it Icecrown - if you really want.

Don't fret over it Ana.

The character concept may not fit into what most people consider to be the established norm, but those that know you, know that you don't make lolworthy characters. The issue is, of course, is that we do have a high volume of ridiculous characters that just shouldn't exist.

It's probably why you were jumped on, since I imagine the presumption was that you were playing a daft character. Do as you want to do, as long as you're happy with it and it makes enough sense to actually exist, who cares?

Ledgic Caan wrote:Don't fret over it Ana.

The character concept may not fit into what most people consider to be the established norm, but those that know you, know that you don't make lolworthy characters. The issue is, of course, is that we do have a high volume of ridiculous characters that just shouldn't exist.

It's probably why you were jumped on, since I imagine the presumption was that you were playing a daft character. Do as you want to do, as long as you're happy with it and it makes enough sense to actually exist, who cares?

Oh Ledgic.. I dunno if it's Matt Smith's warm eyes.. Or your soothing words.. But I feel much better..

Just hold me.. Like you did on Naboo.. Before this war.. Before the fighting..

/cough.

Vaell wrote:You could be a Night Elf who believes it is the Lich King and lives on a 10x10ft ice slate off the coast of Northrend, calling it Icecrown - if you really want.

DIBS

Every society has a class of outcasts, people living on the marge of society. They can be poor, they can be born to the wrong family, they can be orphans abandoned, they can be cast out because they have red hair and freckles or because their parents were Traitors. Such outcasts do not have strong ties to the society and its norms, so would they NOT break the stereotypes?

Why can't a kal'dorei who feels abandoned by Elune seek comfort with the Holy Light or a human disillusioned with civilization itself strive for closeness with nature and a path of druidy?

I think what is important to remember is that a Kal'dorei pirate will be different from a human pirate, realizing this difference and roleplaying it out is what makes all the difference between 'Proper RP' and 'Lolling'.
*Stays on the high horse*

Privateer*.. Private.. Eer..

And yes, I fully realize this. It's gonna be a challenge but one I welcome openly as a new rp chapter in my life! And if it doesn't work out i'll use my sexy Elven charm on Sophyra.. ;D

Hey, you can try that charm even it things DO work out! *wink*

Yeah don't fret over such Anaei as Ledgic says.

The problem with some roleplayers out there is that their view on the lore is law. If you don't fit within that "law" of what a character SHOULD be in their eyes its all "fucking loler". Sure the whole love child of illidan and arthas can be regarded too far but when it comes to the concept of a mentality(God forbid sentient beings get curious and think for themselves as an individual on their paths in life) it's all fine. Heck it was ok for Illidan to do the shit he did cause it was Blizzard's law and foundation lore but try even a less dramatic version of the same shit and there will be some twat who views it as lorelol and in their head the concept of their "law of roleplay".

I don't know where I am going with this and it was probably a bad example but too long didn't read; Fuck entitled thisismylaw roleplayers.

The mentality of some exotic sentient race wants to travel and do something out of culture norms? Oh god the horror. End of the world here guys.

I had a night elf rogue back when I first started out, played her as a bit of a trouble maker. Looking back, I see there was nothing wrong with it and I was well within my rights to RP her as she was. Unfortunately, I let other people make my decisions and listened to them when they said it was not allowed. >.> I'd love to RP her again.

indeed I had thelania as well a draenei shaman.. she got kidnaped tortured and enslaved into a cultist organisation as a mindless assasin.. people didnt like it eather..

even once i explaind that.. they still didnt like

"bur draenei would rarther kill themselves than be enslaved"

yeah she was mentaly and emotionaly distroyed whiped and efectivly droaned up lol some people didnt like it.. thow thelania is now free.. she is in hiding due to the crimes she commited

Squids can't live on land! *Throws Monrena into the sea*