And, I said you're overthinking it. I seriously have no problem with orcs being free agents that are evil only because of upbringing, curse, or just overactive adrenaline.
There's also nothing wrong with saying "orcs are evil because they are". They're a made up race and, if that's one of the characteristics of them, so be it. There is nothing immoral in that.
Note: I'm not talking about in-game people saying that. I'm talking about the GM or game designers saying that it's a fact that is true. In that case, every PC/NPC trying to argue that you need to reform the orcs is a fool. Just like, if orcs have free agency, those saying "kill them all" are racists. It really depends on what you want out of your game.
As a game designer/GM, saying all orcs are inherently and irredeemably evil is no more racist/wrong/troublesome than saying demons/devils/angels/werewolves/slaadi are inherently aligned. It a question about game design. I have zero problem with WotC defining orcs as having free agency. As I said, before, that's actually my preference. Pretending like its some moral triumph or righting of past wrongs is pretentious and silly, though. Orcs don't exist. They aren't an allegory for any specific race/ethnicity/religion in the real world. If anything, they're an allegory for the brutishness and evil that is within any of us and a sort of "there, but for the grace of God" type thing, but I wouldn't push any deeper meaning too far. It's like all the emo Vampire: the Masquerade LARPers in the 1990s who though they were making deep commentary about the world.
This keeps being brought up, and it keeps missing the point. So, let us be a little blunt, shall we?
Why are orcs being inherently evil different than Demons/Devils/Angels/Werewolves/Slaadi?
Well, how is a Demon created? Demons arise from the chaotic and malignant energy of the Abyss, fully formed and ready to destroy from the moment they spontanesouly arise from the evil energy.
Devils? A devil is formed when a mortal sells their soul to the Nine Hells, being tortured and bathed in evil energies until they are reborn and branded into the form that the Masters of the Nine Hells desire.
Angels? Much like Demons, angels are formed from energy, specifically the divine energy of the gods. All angels being Lawful Good is a problem if they serve gods of different alignments, but whatever alignment they are makes sense.
Werewolves? A malignant curse that infects those bitten by it, turning them into bloodthirsty beasts, who infect others by the same manner.
Slaadi? Parastic beings created either by implanting eggs that burst forth from the infected or infecting humanoids with a disease that warps and twists them into other such monsters. The first of them were formed from the clash of energy from a device and the chaotic realms.
And how are orcs made? Two orcs have sex and have a baby.
Note something about that? Orcs are the only one on the list that start as an infant. Every single other creature you named, they don't grow up, they don't start as a baby. They are formed, fully mature and ready to fulfill their role. That is why Orcs being inherently evil is a bigger problem than any of the other creatures you listed.
And, as I said before. We've progressed to the point that going back to them being pure evil, is a hard step to take.
So, are you saying that every race in the monster manual that is inherently evil (or just presented in a very negative light), is problematic for the same reason orcs as a race are?
Not really, in the same vein I was just talking about, think about Gnolls for a second. Why are Gnolls different from orcs? Because a new gnoll is only born when a hyena eats the corpse of a humanoid murdered by a gnoll. Again, they are created fully formed, that is a big difference.
Hags? Born by a hag devouring a child and giving birth a few weeks later.
Trolls? Born from bits of a troll being cut off and regrowing into a new Troll.
But goblins... yeah, I've got problems with Goblins being born evil just like I've got problems with Orcs being born evil, or Dragons being born evil. (For Dragons, I've made them more like elementals, which helps me personally, and is way cooler thematically.)
So you can't make orcs a "not-people" unless they were people in the first place. Orcs have never been people, so not possible. They can be LINKED to people THROUGH half-orcs, though.
Sorry, you are wrong. They are people. Have been for decades. Just like Dragons are people.
There is actually no difference.
All three, Aboleths, Mind Flayer and Orcs are fictional constructs made as enemies for an RPG. All three of them have a fictional culture and society. And when Orcs have the always evil alignement they too are alien creatures whos pretend existence depend wholly on raiding and killing.
Following along with my same argument.
Mindflayers are created by attaching a parasite to a humanoid brain, and altering that person into a fully formed mind flayer
I'm not sure how new Aboleth's are created, but I do know that they are "born" with all of the memories of every Aboleth that came before them. They are almost literally the same hive mind and personality born again into new bodies.
All of these are far more alien than Orcs have been for decades.
No. I see a person as all or nothing. You either are or are not a person.
So, is a half-Orc a person?