I still say no to this.
Main thoughts can be read
here.
I just don't see anything good coming from it. In all honesty, it's gonna be another one of those silly trend things that everyone goes crazy for 2 weeks, then forgets about. Everyone's gonna make their SPESHUL MISUNDERSTOOD BEAUTIFUL HALF-BRED SNOWFLAKE, then forget about them.
The reason why I'm so against this is because I'd rather have things that encourage actual character development, rather than gimmicky cliche stuff like this. The whole half-breed thing is one of the staples of the Mary Sue archtype,
Now, I know a lot of players will argue that the Mary Sue will "Special Snowflake" character will exist regardless of what we do (and that is a valid point to make), I feel like this will only exacerbate the problem. It'll be like unleashing a flood gate of gasoline on a burning school building. And then detonating an H-Bomb.
The main issue I have with this is that the Half-Bred trope is so gimmicky to a character. It overwhelms the character too much, and is very limiting. There are plenty of narratives that make the trope work (Vampire Hunter D, Blade, even Warcraft itself...), but I think if a writer is skilled enough to make the half-breed "work," then they don't really need
I agree that COTH should probably loosen up some character restrictions to allow for more development. But, this isn't one of them.
I also gotta agree with Anski on the whole notion that we should be wary of the "If you don't like it, don't RP it" mentality. That sort of logic allows for all sorts of screwed up stuff.
Don't like my Ninja Vampire Cyborg Demon Hunter who openly eRPs with animal NPCs? Well, you don't HAVE to RP with him! You can always go somewhere else--you don't
have to participate in his RP!
Plus, the whole "even if it does go horribly wrong, let's just do it anyway!" argument doesn't sit well with me. If we know something is gonna go horribly wrong, why would we do it?
It's like freebasing Draino. Yeah, sure, there's a possibility that you
might get a good feeling from it...but all logic and medical science says that freebasing Draino will most likely result in terrible vomiting and / or DEATH.
Seriously kids, don't freebase Draino. It's bad for you.
So why do it?
Plus, the whole "okay lets do it but have the GM's work SUPER SPESHUL HARD to limit them!" sits ill with me, too.
In my opinion, the biggest problem with COTH is this silly meta-game that all of us players are playing. The social hierarchy, the privileging that people try to do with one another. The constant move to "one up" someone. And there's all this stuff, all this "special profile" bollocks that makes players concentrate more on hoarding "
Special Snowflake Points " than developing actual characters.
I have a Demon Hunter. He's so much cooler, and edgier, and more BADASS than your character.
You have a Demon Hunter? Yeah, well, I have a Demon Hunter too. And he's a Dragonsworn!
You have a Demon Hunter Dragonsworn? Yeah, well, I have a Demon Hunter Dragonsworn too, and he's multi-classed as a Death Knight, due to undeadness!
You have an undead Demon Hunter Death Knight Dragonsworn? Yeah, well, I have an undead Demon Hunter Death Knight Dragonsworn who is also a Night-Elf Blood-Elf half breed!
I see people racking up more of these
Special Snowflake Points than actually developing a character.
And, lets face it, it leads to privileging players over the others. Because some are given a free pass to do these things and let into the
Special Snowflake Club, while other players are brutally scrutinized in the profile / application process. So then this becomes another "The GM's say I can do this so that means I'm a better RP'r than you LOOK AT ALL MY
SPECIAL SNOWFLAKE POINTS I WIN AT RP."
I say this because I feel like I'm part of the
Special Snowflake Club. I'm pretty privileged. Seriously, why do you people put up with all the stupid crap I do / post, you should know better than this.
Having said all of that, I'd like to conclude that,
We should have Steamwheedle Cartel Goblins come Cata.
Also Slam Jam.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnl0jZrYTDA