Racial Stereo-typing, What Our Characters Can Do

[SpiralLateralus]

Exactly what I am saying, there should be IC consequences, but not OOC ones. And the IC consequences should depend on what was done during the cross faction drum circle. If they were just seen talking etc, maybe an interrogation? If they were seen lovemaking, perhaps exile or death is in order?

There is a blood elf and night elf couple in this game, and from what I've seen they roleplay as if they can never go back home. They ICly keep their love a secret from most people. That is how it should be. There are people who have tried to kill them over it. As it should be.

What I'm saying is that there should very well be IC consequences for a human man and a girl orc having sexytime, but people should not mudsling at them OOC.

[Miah]

One other thing that is relevent. This stuff happens, with the example of the human and orc, even if it is rare. And people will react to it. But you gotta remember, its all just IC, OOC the player is likely rooting for you two to be happy with it, so just enjoy the RP. IC drama is a lot of fun at times, and it can be fun and exciting in RP to have this kinda conflict. But there isnt a reason to get angry OOC and tell someone to leave you be for IC'y questioning it, especially if your in a public place, like a tavern.

They are not being mean, or getting in the way, they are trying to RP with you, for the fun, and if you don't want your pair interrupted, just like in the real world, you go somewhere where you wont be. If your out for the RP fun, then sure, get to the tavern door, smooch the orc-gal or human guy, then run like hell from the mass of angry humans and orcs. Sounds like huge fun xD

[Rosewind]

I don't speak here often, but now I will.

I don't know if this is a valid way of thinking, but I tend to see an analogy between real life and Azeroth. In my opinion, it's like a goat loving a cow when a draenei loves a tauren. Yes, they look different, but that's not the only difference between them and the other races nonethless. They actually have different natural behaviour, for example humans in real life don't find, say, monkeys sexually attractive. I don't know much about that subject, but I can say that kind of behaviour is extremely rare if such thing exists. So, in my opinion, in order to fall in love with another race's person, your character must be an extremely wicked one.

I dunno.

[JackofBlades]

I find monk- I think I'll stop there. Well technically World of Warcraft and Blizzard, the scheming mastermind that it is, portrays all of its races as hating each other due to the immense amount of bad blood between them.
An example of this?

Draenei almost got wiped out by the Orcs, Orcs enslaved by Humans...its not so much as they can't be friends, I mean there is always a chance. but Romance cross faction especially in times of war, seems kinda frowned upon.

Stereo-typing is just because Blizzard created RTS's before an MMO, most of the characters with names are based off people who used to be common units. The only ones with real backstory are the heroes
And the rest are just...what people think they are. Orcs are strong, war-like, humans are (actually I want to find ONE fantasy world where humans are portrayed as the nature destroying creatures they are) jack of all trades and gnomes are annoying.

[Miah]

The only reason I would disagree, is that, well, simply, I in RL am a human, but hell, I find night elves attractive in RL, and if they had existed in real life, sure, i think i still would be, unless one literally just appeared and I had not grown up in a world where i knew they existed.

But if I met, say, a tauren in real life...ohnononononono way could I find a minotaur kinda guy attractive. That's the only way I base my guesses, by trying to get into the mindset of a character and judging if they are just too different from my own character's race to be at all attracted to them.

Many of the races in wow were designed to be appealing to the player behind the screen so, eh, some matches would have more chances of working than others in my mind. But I wouldnt begrudge any character who found no other character races attractive, could entirely understand it

[Darkneon]

I think we just need to remember to respect each other. The basic problem I see here is not that a majority of the server isn't taking their race's culture into account, but that people are creating OOC drama because they don't like what they see. I'm a bit of an elitist myself, but I try to make exceptions, not force others to behave the way I want them to.

I believe that's the point AM180 is trying to make in the original post: Don't COTH on me, bro.

Sure, we have a bit of a Quaker infestation, but that's just the way it is. It may change, it may not. It's not a giant problem that's downgrading the entire quality of the server, and it's a lot better than some of the things we see on retail. Cross-faction role play is role play. Unless Orcs start sodomizing their human counterparts in the middle of Durotar, this shouldn't be a big enough issue to start any OOC drama.

Take it for what it is, leave it In-Character. That's my opinion.

Spoiler:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbud8rLejLM[/youtube]

[Jason]

I'm only half surprised to find this subject arrived here, so;

I think if people used solid logic more than clinging to wowwiki for examples, this wouldn't be a problem. I would kindly ask any of you to search your sources and tell me how much evidence of interracial couples you find. Very little. Very, VERY little. I have seen, to this day, only three different examples of such a thing. A draenei/orc child (Garona - was in fact ONLY in existence due to forced impregnation), a high elf/human child, and a human/orc child(Me'dan, and was also part draenei, being the love-child of Garona and Medivh). Two of these accounts were in accordance to Velen's Prophecy. A prophecy. Honestly, unless YOU are planning on giving birth to the prophetic savior of Azeroth, I'd stay away from ridiculous teenage romances with other races. Also, please don't say "Oh, well if Medivh did it, and Me'dan turned all Champion of Tirisfally, I can do it too!" because that's illogical and stupid with hints of mary sue.

Now that I've said that, the topic of uniqueness. Everyone is unique, somehow. Likewise, every character is unique. In no way does your character need to be extremely different from everyone else. If you hadn't noticed from real life, those that are extremely different are generally not accepted. There are many ways to stay true to your racial heritage and still have a unique character. It doesn't require engineering goggles, a funny accents, or some sort of mental illness. These are a crutch in order to give your character interest, and I personally think you get a lot more out of a character if they make sense.

I know I tend to rant incohesively, so I apologize for being such a nub and I hope I got my general point across.

Inbe4MiahandDarkneon.

[Grakor456]

To be fair, there's another. There's another orc/draenei (who's also a Blademaster) that you do quests for in Nagrand. I know the Horde talk to him during the quest chains from the Mag'har.

It's possible. It's just rare, and should be done intelligently.

[JackofBlades]

Lantresor of the Blade I believe

My own kind are a rare breed. Most having been killed decades ago... I live because of my strength of will.
I have heard of your kind, but I never thought to see the day when I would meet a half-breed

Things like this just give me the idea that they are hated by their own kind, unless very quickly they bring somthing to the table

[Jason]

To be fair, there's another. There's another orc/draenei (who's also a Blademaster) that you do quests for in Nagrand. I know the Horde talk to him during the quest chains from the Mag'har.

It's possible. It's just rare, and should be done intelligently.

Oh yea, I remember him now! I also remember hearing of a kaldorei/human child. Well, apparently there was a rumor of one of the parents being a troll, but was also noted to have probably been an insult. So yes. It's not as if orcs and draenei ever really warred until the whole incident with the fel-corruption, but neither did they mingle, save for bits of trading, so you know it's got to be ridiculously rare.

Also, on a more humorous note, did you notice how ugly humans and orcs think each other are? Imagine what an orc thinks of a tauren, or a tauren thinks of a human. Or a tauren thinks of anything, really. Draenei as well.

"Ew is...are those FINGERS on your feet? What the- I don't even..."

[HownDoog]

Yeah. I'm guilty of becoming agitated at people straying too far from their races.
It's not the actual differences that bother me; it's the fact that now being different is normal.
It's more rare to see a character that sticks to old beliefs than new ones.
Granted, Azeroth is bigger than just our characters. So in ratio to actual population, perhaps it isn't so bad.
But like it was mentioned by Jason, just use logic.

[Piroska]

We've had the discussion of how prevalent halfbreeds are in the Warcraft universe are. We've discussed their numbers, their examples, their physiological possibility, and, phew, everything else under the sun. We know they're possible and that they're far more common the World of Warcraft tells us. There are over 8,000 half-elves in Stormwind City alone (out of a population of 200,000. 4% of the population); there are more half-elves in the city than there are gnomes, draenei, and night elves combined. And rubbing shoulders with them are half-orcs.

We've discussed this to death. We really have.

It's important to be logical when engaging in these kinds of relationship. And, if people don't consider the consequences, it's up to the other players to do so. Sending the staff messages about it will not solve much, since we don't restrict players from these sorts of roleplay (as it can be very viable). However, as Grakor mentioned, there are in-character repercussions for these kinds of actions and they're rarely taken! Putting aside for a moment people's dislike for this kind of roleplay, I'm moderately amazed that people don't seize upon the potential for roleplay that is generated by these kinds of actions.

And, as always, take the effort to communicate with your fellow player when you're going to do something that might spark conflict. A simple, "Hey, as a heads up, my character is going to react to your relationship in a not-so-nice way!" suffices. Maybe they'll welcome the potential interaction as well.

[Wuvvums]

And, as always, take the effort to communicate with your fellow player when you're going to do something that might spark conflict. A simple, "Hey, as a heads up, my character is going to react to your relationship in a not-so-nice way!" suffices. Maybe they'll welcome the potential interaction as well.

I think this is what the big problem stems from. I think it's perfectly fine to play the racist or get up in someone's grill about their cross-faction snuggling ICly. However, you should still respect the other player, and not be so hell bent on ending the type of roleplay they do. I would feel much better if someone was just trying to roleplay their characters having a believable reaction to the neutral characters and just that. It's the OOC drama that bothers me.

As a note I did a neutral rp once and my blood elf was invited into Ashenvale after having been cured by a benevolent priestess. We didn't play this up too much, and we avoided guards and watch towers, and the gates. I returned to Barrens alone, and what happened afterward?

There was an orc who told my character that she knew she went into Ashenvale and not to do it ever again.

What was the problem?

1) That orc player wasn't even online at the time of this rp. I am guessing someone was using an alt.

2) There was no evidence except that my character apparently "smelled of night elf lands."

In the end it was a pretty meta-gamey way to ICly reprimand me for a cross faction roleplay. And even though I tried to talk to the orc player, she didn't respond much in general. At least she decided to let my character off without punishment, but I think the neutral roleplay doesn't worry me so much as OOC reactions. People should be polite enough not to force their way around neutral roleplays just because they might not like it.

[Avitz]

To start off, i'll admit that I have in the past been annoyed greatly by those that go outside what their racial tendencies should be - namely with the Draenei. I have since decided that getting into OOC bother unless it is one of the said...tedious examples where the flaws (in the event of a interacial that is the reprocussions of being in one) are just completely ignored is what gets me raging right now.

For instance...i'll use the Draenei here. Seeing as the Draenei population is gravely low, there is pressure mounted on each Draenei to try and get the population back up, say you Draenei fell in love with one that wasn't a Draenei and others found out, then they'd likely be exiled or looked down upon in such a extent that it'd be almost like being exiled...just as a example.

By all means, do the rp that you enjoy...but remember the magic line.
Every IC action, has IC consequences.

[Beltharean]

The Holy Light is explained as every -good- feeling that a person has, feels, or sees. That fuzzy feeling the you get when you look at a person you love? That's the light. If anything, the Draenei would be the most open to cross faction romance since you can't just -choose- who it is you love. It's a feeling given to you by the light, and the light is the ultimate deciding factor for the Draenei. At least, that's how I see it.

One thing that REALLY bothers me though, is trolls and Blood Elves getting along... Even though the Elves have been fighting forest trolls for thousands of years, there would be quite a bit of racial tension because of it still. Also, a troll would most likely be disgusted by the fact that they're small, thin, don't have the layer of fur on their skin, and then most of all, how they SHOULD be nearly hostile to a troll to begin with. The only blood elf that one (My other -hates- him) of my trolls gets along with is Taelyn since he aided Jabtok and him in a job or two.