These forums have been archived and are now read-only.

The new forums are live and can be found at https://forums.eveonline.com/

Out of Pod Experience

 
  • Topic is locked indefinitely.
 

(Uni project) How do you find races in MMO's to be represented?

First post
Author
Previous Topic Next Topic
adriaans
Ankaa.
Nair Al-Zaurak
#1 - 2013-11-16 20:05:06 UTC
One of the projects for my masters was to choose between a few topics like sex, gender, age, races, bla bla bla, naturally as someone who always does something different to others I decided on focusing on races in MMO's.

As this is a fairly opinionated piece, what better way to get some gamers views than from one of the more opinionated communities Blink

What is your opinion on how races are represented in MMO's? (If you want you can also write about non MMO's, it's a side topic I am covering for a broader view).

Thank you to anyone who takes their time to write something!

----True oldschool solo pvp'er---- My latest vid: Insanity IV
Snagletooth Johnson
Center for Advanced Studies
Gallente Federation
#2 - 2013-11-16 20:10:33 UTC  |  Edited by: Snagletooth Johnson
ah uh...well mu opinion is that I need to run to the store to get marshmallows to roast in the insuin g mega flame war set to begin
ib4l
Ila Dace
Center for Advanced Studies
Gallente Federation
#3 - 2013-11-16 22:45:12 UTC
Response to the title (races represented in MMOs):

I feel they are severely underrepresented. In some cases, all characters run at the same speed, so there's little point racing in the first place. In Eve, they really need to provide more tools for building racing courses. Race gates as deployable destructible structures, for example.

Response to the OP:

Pointy ears are over-represented.

If House played Eve: http://i.imgur.com/y7ShT.jpg

But in purple, I'm stunning!
Jarod Garamonde
Jolly Codgers
Get Off My Lawn
#4 - 2013-11-17 14:13:23 UTC
Ila Dace wrote:

Pointy ears are over-represented.



Did you know that elves in D&D lore are supposed to be the cultural equivalent of the pre-Islam Arabs?

That moment when you realize the crazy lady with all the cats was right...

    [#savethelance]
ISD Dorrim Barstorlode
ISD Community Communications Liaisons
ISD Alliance
#5 - 2013-11-17 20:23:26 UTC
Removed some offensive content. Please keep it on topic and civil. Thank you.

ISD Dorrim Barstorlode

Senior Lead

Community Communication Liaisons (CCLs)

Interstellar Services Department
Sebastor Cane
The Outlet
#6 - 2013-11-18 01:45:22 UTC
Well my race are ex slaves so theres that.

Also there ships are set up for suprise attacks so kill and steal stuff and then run away so theres that as well


Also in the description we are physically intimidating in person.


So thats nice
Snagletooth Johnson
Center for Advanced Studies
Gallente Federation
#7 - 2013-11-18 08:49:02 UTC
Sebastor Cane wrote:
Well my race are ex slaves so theres that.

Also there ships are set up for suprise attacks so kill and steal stuff and then run away so theres that as well


Also in the description we are physically intimidating in person.


So thats nice

And, after all that, that's the race you chose to go with.

That's nice.
Rain6637
GoonWaffe
Goonswarm Federation
#8 - 2013-11-18 11:08:00 UTC
my opinion of most races in video games is they need rabalancing

Help, I can't download EVE

President of the Commissar Kate Fanclub

PLEX: A Giffen good? (It's 1B?)
Khergit Deserters
Crom's Angels
#9 - 2013-11-18 17:00:26 UTC  |  Edited by: Khergit Deserters
[Never mind, was commenting on an avatar portrait. But turned out it was a temporary glitch caused by browser or something. Carry on.]
Sebastor Cane
The Outlet
#10 - 2013-11-18 22:40:41 UTC
Snagletooth Johnson wrote:
Sebastor Cane wrote:
Well my race are ex slaves so theres that.

Also there ships are set up for suprise attacks so kill and steal stuff and then run away so theres that as well


Also in the description we are physically intimidating in person.


So thats nice

And, after all that, that's the race you chose to go with.

That's nice.



I did not choose it friend my parents did. Also if you need me to speak in slang as verification of my blackness you should have asked.

But now you ask

Where the Ammarian girls at.
Eli Green
The Arrow Project
#11 - 2013-11-18 22:46:06 UTC
I don't think anyone can really be sure thanks to the whole anonymity of the interwebz, but you could probably go off of the statistics for those who have internet access in particular regions and make some assumptions.

Personally I have no qualms with the way races are set up in MMOs, they typically reflect some real life ethnicity or civilization and people will always go with what they feel comfortable with in the end.

wumbo
Kyseth
Viziam
Amarr Empire
#12 - 2013-11-19 00:40:53 UTC
"How are races represented in MMOs?"

Could you elaborate a bit more on what you are specifically looking for here? Are you asking RL race? In game faction race? How RL races are painted in games (ex. White male mentality = XYZ in game race)? Over-abundance of typical game races (orc/elf/etc) vs not-as-often-used races (Fairy/Djinn/etc)?

Anyway.. what are you looking for?
adriaans
Ankaa.
Nair Al-Zaurak
#13 - 2013-11-19 11:06:15 UTC  |  Edited by: adriaans
Kyseth wrote:
"How are races represented in MMOs?"

Could you elaborate a bit more on what you are specifically looking for here? Are you asking RL race? In game faction race? How RL races are painted in games (ex. White male mentality = XYZ in game race)? Over-abundance of typical game races (orc/elf/etc) vs not-as-often-used races (Fairy/Djinn/etc)?

Anyway.. what are you looking for?


Basically how do you find it compares not just to real life but also to other games and what direction would you want further iterations of it to go in.

For instance, I personally find most fantasy MMO's to be very bland due to the races all being of one culture mostly, usually being just 2 sides, the same things over and over with minor variety (i.e. usually all the tolkien races), in the end it always feel more like just different alignments and 3d models rather than actual different races. Science fiction tends to do it a little better, but given the main player in that field is EvE it's more of an exception really.
I find culture to be underrepresented in most games and it is something that usually defines the various races on earth and sets us apart but also unites us as a species.


Does that explain it better?

----True oldschool solo pvp'er---- My latest vid: Insanity IV
Kyseth
Viziam
Amarr Empire
#14 - 2013-11-19 23:10:09 UTC
adriaans wrote:
Kyseth wrote:
"How are races represented in MMOs?"

Could you elaborate a bit more on what you are specifically looking for here? Are you asking RL race? In game faction race? How RL races are painted in games (ex. White male mentality = XYZ in game race)? Over-abundance of typical game races (orc/elf/etc) vs not-as-often-used races (Fairy/Djinn/etc)?

Anyway.. what are you looking for?


Basically how do you find it compares not just to real life but also to other games and what direction would you want further iterations of it to go in.

For instance, I personally find most fantasy MMO's to be very bland due to the races all being of one culture mostly, usually being just 2 sides, the same things over and over with minor variety (i.e. usually all the tolkien races), in the end it always feel more like just different alignments and 3d models rather than actual different races. Science fiction tends to do it a little better, but given the main player in that field is EvE it's more of an exception really.
I find culture to be underrepresented in most games and it is something that usually defines the various races on earth and sets us apart but also unites us as a species.


Does that explain it better?

I believe so.

If I'm following, it seems like most races and culture are intentionally kept rather Tolkien an flat because it is believed that most players will care more about content (zones, PVP/PVE interaction, and rewards) than they would care about the depth of character. There are likely more people who would say something like "I want to play an Orc because of XYZ racial ability" and couldn't care less about the tribe, continent, GreatFather Badass Bloodline that may be associated with picking an Orc.

Most players of fantasy based games have been led to expect the "typical" Tolkien races. Any changes to that are likely to be received poorly. For Science Fiction, there is less expectation about what the races "should be" since those worlds tend to differ more than fantasy worlds.

That all said, I am one of the people who would like to see more depth in the characters, races, factions, lore.. but because that is a rare request, we normally don't see it.