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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Malmuria" data-source="post: 8368067" data-attributes="member: 7030755">Well, but comparing other humans to primates is a staple of real-world racism, and was the context for much of the pulp fiction that informed fantasy literature, including dnd.  So, even if it might make sense from an in-fiction world building perspective, to see such a parallel show up in a fantasy game is extremely off-putting to many.  As discussed in another thread, I think sci fi does a better job, as a genre, of including such elements in a critical way, whereas in fantasy, especially fantasy gaming, the problematic implications of these representations is hand waved in favor of 'just having fun.'So in sum, real world racism relies on the fantasy of essentialist differences between groups of people.  The idea that different cultures in different parts of world have essential, species-level differences--that is the fantasy of the racist worldview.  So when creating a fantasy world, one should be careful that the premise isn't something like, 'what if the racist worldview were actually real?'  I don't know if I'm making sense but hopefully I am</blockquote>