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McAnally's (The Community Pub) => Author Craft => Topic started by: Lord Rae on December 16, 2011, 01:25:57 AM
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Just a quick question on how people feel about new races being injected into traditional fantasy situations. How do you view books that try to go outside the traditional fantasy races? Orcs, dwarves, elves, etc.... There are different humanoid races that have been created although the ones that aren't completely monstrous don't seem to be very popular. Sure Jim's Codex Alera has the Canim, Marat and Icemen and some games have expanded the possible human/animal combinations like the Elder Scrolls series with the Khajiit (Cat men) and Argonian (lizard men) but I just wondered how do you feel about these additions? Is it trying too hard to be different or do you appreciate having something new to figure out and get to learn about?
I suppose you could go the Eragon route and take the normal tropes and rename and rework them a bit.... but meh. Seems too much like cheating. Do you roll your eyes when something new walks across the screen/page? Or do you appreciate someone not just taking LOTR and putting a fresh coat of paint on it?
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I prefer new ideas over the same old stuff, and can't stand what Paolini pulled. Twisting Tropes like he did never felt right. But that's a personal opinion, he didn't do anything wrong, just something I hate. Writer's should never be afraid of stepping outside the established stuff, they just have to do so in a way that makes things interesting.
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I don't mind the traditional races much. They're like any cliche, they don't really have impact. The author says "elf" and my mind slaps a whole catalogue of traits onto them and we go on. Traditional races, for me, are elves, dwarves, and possibly halflings.
I don't mind new, as long as the author doesn't seem like he's trying too hard. "Um... they're um... people made entirely of... like... salt. Yeah. That's new, right? RIGHT?!" Make them even semi-logical to the setting and I'll play along.
I really, really hate "they have pointy ears and live really long and are big into nature and are great archers and are called re'faji." No, they're elves. Don't do this. Don't ever do this. If you do this and we meet, I will fling things at you. Possibly only invective, what with me not wanting a battery charge, but nonetheless the hatred will be there.
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I don't mind the traditional races much. They're like any cliche, they don't really have impact. The author says "elf" and my mind slaps a whole catalogue of traits onto them and we go on. Traditional races, for me, are elves, dwarves, and possibly halflings.
I don't mind new, as long as the author doesn't seem like he's trying too hard. "Um... they're um... people made entirely of... like... salt. Yeah. That's new, right? RIGHT?!" Make them even semi-logical to the setting and I'll play along.
I really, really hate "they have pointy ears and live really long and are big into nature and are great archers and are called re'faji." No, they're elves. Don't do this. Don't ever do this. If you do this and we meet, I will fling things at you. Possibly only invective, what with me not wanting a battery charge, but nonetheless the hatred will be there.
The only times I don't mind are when the elf not-elves are clearly also akin to faeries. (IE Memory Sorrow and Thorn)
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I don't mind doing the new races in S&H Fantasy as long as they work in the world. As Kali said, beings made entirely of salt doesn't work, unless salt is something entirely different. Look at Dungeons and Dragons, there are tons of races, some old, some new, and some old ones with some plastic sugery. In the end, it all works.
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I don't mind the traditional races much. They're like any cliche, they don't really have impact. The author says "elf" and my mind slaps a whole catalogue of traits onto them and we go on. Traditional races, for me, are elves, dwarves, and possibly halflings.
I don't mind new, as long as the author doesn't seem like he's trying too hard. "Um... they're um... people made entirely of... like... salt. Yeah. That's new, right? RIGHT?!" Make them even semi-logical to the setting and I'll play along.
I really, really hate "they have pointy ears and live really long and are big into nature and are great archers and are called re'faji." No, they're elves. Don't do this. Don't ever do this. If you do this and we meet, I will fling things at you. Possibly only invective, what with me not wanting a battery charge, but nonetheless the hatred will be there.
Heh. Little project I'm half-assedly working on has the standard races but with the race "standards" out the window.
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While there is some comfort in the old established races we are all familiar with, there is also merit in creating a new race that has a proper reality in which it would thrive. If you are going to take a chance on something new make sure you know the culture, religion, and societal structure like the back of your hand, even if they are relatively background characters.
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Yeah I've been working on origins, religion, political structure, fighting styles if any and what possible reasons for them existing in the world before I think about adding them. Its gotten a bit more complex than I initially intended.
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welcome to worldbuilding!
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I don't mind the standard races. It all depends on how well it's done.
And if you've taken the everyday and added a little new to it.
Not beings of salt but the standard with a little addition or twist.
Done well I'm good with it - done bad and I'm with Kali and will be throwing things at you.