LFR News or: How I learned to Stop Worrying and Play a Drow, Genasi, or Swordmage.

[Rechan]

Since we are talking opinions what the hell is a Drizzt type?

There are several things that can constitute a "Drizzt Type".

1) The lone Good member of an Evil, Corrupted, or Bad race. This is synonymous with angst, being "misunderstood", seeking atonement/acceptance in a society that rejects it, and otherwise plays the "Woe is me, I am a victim of prejudice" card.

2) Someone who wishes to be "special". The last (or first) of their race, the lone wolf, or otherwise sticks out like a sore thumb among an adventuring party by playing a rare race or class.

3) Someone who wants to make it all about their character's plight or special little whatever.

4) Someone who wields two scimitars or other gimmicky "Look at me, I'm special" fighting style.

 

[D'karr]

http://goblinscomic.com/d/20050710.html
http://goblinscomic.com/d/20050711.html

Are these supposed to be funny? So a player that wants to play a drow is melodramatic?

Hmm, interesting.

 

[Fifth Element]

As much as that quote is thrown around

What quote? That was all me, baby!

There is nothing about playing a Drizzt clone that automatically means you're a spotlight hog. The dismissal of a character concept (and the mockery of those who play it) because some people abuse it isn't fair.

Players who hog the spotlight do so regardless of the character they're playing.

 

[D'karr]

There are several things that can constitute a "Drizzt Type".

1) The lone Good member of an Evil, Corrupted, or Bad race. This is synonymous with angst, being "misunderstood", seeking atonement/acceptance in a society that rejects it, and otherwise plays the "Woe is me, I am a victim of prejudice" card.

2) Someone who wishes to be "special". The last (or first) of their race, the lone wolf, or otherwise sticks out like a sore thumb among an adventuring party by playing a rare race or class.

3) Someone who wants to make it all about their character's plight or special little whatever.

4) Someone who wields two scimitars or other gimmicky "Look at me, I'm special" fighting style.

I fail to see how any of those are bad, wrong fun. I would hope that players in my game would come up with interesting reasons for why their X race character is adventuring and what makes him special.

In FR specially since "rare" races are the norm.

 

[Rechan]

Are these supposed to be funny? So a player that wants to play a drow is melodramatic?

Hmm, interesting.

While there are many gamers who think "If you want to play a drow, you just want to play a Drizzt clone"...

It is less "If you play a drow, you want to be a melodramatic spotlight hog", so much as "Many who want to play a drow play it in that manner". See the thread about "Elf-hating"; many people who exclusively play elves are generally arrogant and snobbish, and therefore it gives those who play/like elves a bad name.

But the article does come out and say "To play a hero in search of redemption, or one who struggles to rise above the wickedness of his or her people" which is pretty strongly tied to the "Melodramatic attention hog".

 

[Fifth Element]

I fail to see how any of those are bad, wrong fun.

Agreed. None of those imply hogging the spotlight.

 

[Fifth Element]

But the article does come out and say "To play a hero in search of redemption, or one who struggles to rise above the wickedness of his or her people" which is pretty strongly tied to the "Melodramatic attention hog".

No it's not. By that logic any character with more than a modicum of backstory could be called an attention hog. Just because there's something special about the character doesn't mean there's not also special things about the other characters in the party.

 

[ProfessorCirno]

But the article does come out and say "To play a hero in search of redemption, or one who struggles to rise above the wickedness of his or her people" which is pretty strongly tied to the "Melodramatic attention hog".

Bingo.

 

[Rechan]

No it's not. By that logic any character with more than a modicum of backstory could be called an attention hog. Just because there's something special about the character doesn't mean there's not also special things about the other characters in the party.

IMO it depends on the level of specialness.

"I am a princess, rightful ruler from a far off kingdom but I've been disposed an am in hiding" or "I am the last of a race of interdimensional X, hunted down to near extinction by our Evil Twins" different than "I once killed a man in Reno, and I'm on the run from the authorities".

The first two imply "LOOK AT ME AIN'T I IMPORTANT AND SPECIAL", at least to me.

 

[D'karr]

So in a game that is CHOCK FULL of stereotypes. As a matter of fact a game that was created almost completely out of stereotypes. If the publisher puts a description that is stereotypical for an "stereotypically EVIL" race, so that players can play as "not evil" characters; that is going to promote spotlight hogging.

I see.