Excerpt: Racial Benefits

[Jhaelen]

All Dwarves? I'm glad I'm not one of your players.

Doh! I totally forgot about dwarves!

Ah, well, since the joke's now ruined, I might as well post something more seriously:
In my current campaign I actually banned elves (because they're fey IMC - one of two major enemy factions) and discouraged playing halflings and gnomes (because of the arctic setting).
However, I've allowed about two dozen other races from various supplements that are a good match for the region and climate.

Once I've decided what setting and overarching storyline I want to use for my 4E campaign (if I ever happen to DM one...), I'll take a good look at everything that is available (PHBx & MMx) and pick whatever races fits best. Then I'll write a little introduction/overview to see if my potential players are actually interested in such a campaign.
This approach worked very well in 3E, so I guess, it'll work just as well in 4E.

 

[Lurks-no-More]

I'm going to guess you hated LBB Traveller and the Hero System...

Never played Hero System, but I have no beef at all with GURPS.

I do hate LBB Traveller, though; it manages to have just enough setting hardcoded into the rules (the jump drive, prevalence of guns, tech assumptions, character careers) to make it a bother to make your own setting that doesn't end up as a variant of the OTU, but not enough to bring things life on their own. It's probably the most overrated RPG ever.