overgeeked
Open-World Sandbox
For the record, you have that backwards, at least with me. I started playing D&D around 1984. Wanted to play the “monster” humanoids from about week 2 of playing on. I remember wanting to play orcs, goblins, and drow. DM brother said no. A few years later (and to this day) his favorite character was Drizzt. It was because I couldn’t regularly play “monster” humanoids in D&D that I eventually picked up WoW. And played all the “monsters” I could.Yup. I'd wager there while removing racist stereotypes is a big part of this push, there is an equally large part that grew up on World of Warcraft and want carte-blanche to play cute gobbos, meaty orcs, and sexy drow without the stigma of playing a "monster" race. The line between what PC races and monstrous humanoids is gone: drow, orc, goblin PCs are now going to be as common as elves, dwarves and halflings.
Besides, humans are boring. I am one in real life. I want to play something else. Not a short and happy human (halfling), not a short and grumpy human (dwarf), and not a short/tall pointy-eared human (elf). I’d much rather play a satyr, changeling, warforged, orc, goblin, bullywug, tortle, minotaur, svirfneblin, or any one of a few dozen more. They’re infinitely more interesting.