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Message: <blockquote data-quote="EzekielRaiden" data-source="post: 9466413" data-attributes="member: 6790260">I mean, I have repeatedly and consistently advocated for both PHBs and DMGs that dispense with the absolute bovine feces of "true exotics" and literally straight-up telling players that humans and elves are ALWAYS present in EVERY setting (since, y'know, both of those things are patently untrue). Instead, we should be having core books which show how the extant species in a particular world shape and influence the themes, ideas, tone, and experience of that world. A world where the only playable races are humans, dragonborn, satyrs, and kobolds will feel quite different from one where the only playable races are elves, orcs, tabaxi, and lizardfolk. (And oh, would you look at that, that's Tamriel where you play as a mer-aligned faction rather than a man-aligned faction!)More importantly...it's not like there aren't extremely popular fantasy series that do this. Consider Redwall, where there literally aren't any human characters ever, but somehow people manage to find sapient mice and badgers and rats compelling enough that Mr. Jacques published 22 different books across the series. Or, if we relax the standard to be "humans are important/relevant but not the be-all, end-all," six of the most prominent MMOs today qualify: WoW's Azeroth, FFXIV's Hydaelyn (the world, not the goddess), ESO'S Nirn, GW2's Tyria (the world, not the continent), Star Trek Online's four quadrants, and SWTOR's Republic and Sith Empire.The idea that it is impossible to identify with and feel compelled by nonhuman protagonists or even entirely nonhuman settings is, frankly, ridiculous and always has been. Yes, it requires that the author recognize the consequences of those choices and prepare for/adapt around them. That's true of every artistic choice you could possibly make.</blockquote>

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