Vote up a Fantasy Setting

[Johnny Angel]

If we are going to do more races...

I think the ones which won the first round should be those which are most commonly encountered. That's not to say that all of them are common, but the collective group represented in the first round picks would be most common.

If we want to add more, I think they should be less common. Things which exist in the world, but are less common than even the least common members of the first group. I'd be ok with maybe 2 more to round out the current selection. To that end, I support either some kind of random drawing from a pool including left over material and (possibly) newly submitted material or a vote in which all of the left over material has to face off in a tournament style bracket which decides the two survivors.

[Edman]

Originally Posted by Johnny Angel

If we are going to do more races...

I think the ones which won the first round should be those which are most commonly encountered. That's not to say that all of them are common, but the collective group represented in the first round picks would be most common.

If we want to add more, I think they should be less common. Things which exist in the world, but are less common than even the least common members of the first group. I'd be ok with maybe 2 more to round out the current selection. To that end, I support either some kind of random drawing from a pool including left over material and (possibly) newly submitted material or a vote in which all of the left over material has to face off in a tournament style bracket which decides the two survivors.

Except we're actually building a world for roleplaying, not for writing a fantasy novel. If we have "rare and mysterious races", then the players will want to play them, so either we make them non-playable, or we don't have frequency ratings, because most players will want to completely ignore them, or maybe even run contrary to them because they think rarity of species makes a PC cooler.

[Johnny Angel]

Originally Posted by Edman

Except we're actually building a world for roleplaying, not for writing a fantasy novel. If we have "rare and mysterious races", then the players will want to play them, so either we make them non-playable, or we don't have frequency ratings, because most players will want to completely ignore them, or maybe even run contrary to them because they think rarity of species makes a PC cooler.

Good point...

Well, then I suppose you can ignore that part of what I said. I suggested the random draw of (possibly) two more because I feel it allows for a random element to be placed into the project. I offered up the second method for those who may not like such an element being so random.

[Ji ji]

Originally Posted by Edman

Except we're actually building a world for roleplaying, not for writing a fantasy novel. If we have "rare and mysterious races", then the players will want to play them, so either we make them non-playable, or we don't have frequency ratings, because most players will want to completely ignore them, or maybe even run contrary to them because they think rarity of species makes a PC cooler.

I think the issue is only about atmosphere, not about game mechanics.
I can build a world where humans are 95% or more of sentient beings, and other sentient much more rare. This doesn't implies that other races are anywhere looked as second class citizens or monsters. On the other hand, I can buil a setting where there's a very common race - in terms of overall numbers - that definitely is considered second class: for example, non-Europeans during colonialism.

So, there's no direct transfer between mere percentages and playability. In D&D, drows are - on the paper - a near unplayable race; but I've seen drows PC in every improbable corner. I think that in a setting can live common races, uncommon ones and very rare and exotic ones. Frequency ratings have not to affect character choice: in every setting I know of, minotaurs are much less common than human, but this doesn't automatically affect this race choosability by players.

[ericthered]

I agree its about atmosphere, not playability. DF often has a feel where every sort of conceivable creature lives in the same cities (And cities, not towns) and the atmosphere becomes something uniquely DF. I suspect the races are the result of having a system that was fairly hard to make unique with just classes and levels, so race was expanded upon. Gurps doesn't need this, it can differentiate just fine.

I think any humanoids that get voted in should either be obviously originating from humans, or very obviously not of human stock. Mostly because I want to go for a "fairy-tale/mythic" feel.

[combatmedic]

My preference is that humans constitute the majority race across most of the world.


I've never noticed any strong trend among players to go for 'rare and mysterious' races. A few guys like that, but I don't see any problem with it.

YMMV

[combatmedic]

Nobody has responded to my question about realm submissions.

I'm thinking of short enyclopedia style entries like this:



Silver-spear Prairie
(Generic names subject to change, if something less generic else better fits the nomenclature of the setting)

Named for native tall grass with distinctive silvery seed clusters that resemble spear points, these broad plains watered by a large river system are home to the largest tribes of ‘Centaurs.’ The ripened grass-seeds and lush blades can be made into a mild stimulant, a bit like mint with a bitter aftertaste. Great herds of bison and elk roam the grasslands, food on the hoof for wolves and Centaurs. Wild horses also roam the plains; it is from these herds that the nomads gather and restock their horses.

The nomads trade with outlanders at camps/towns built in the hilly (direction TBA, when maps are in place) verge of the plains, selling hides and buying forged iron weapons, firewater, or other products of the civilized countries. Exiled nobles, plotting councilors, and ambitious would-be conquerors sometimes come to the trade fairs seeking mercenary cavalrymen.

Deeper in the plains, where another range of low hills rises above the flat ground, lies the only major settlement built by the Centaurs--‘the Observatory’ (will translate name). The sod houses of the town cluster around a high hill topped with obelisk-like standing stones of basalt (which were dragged long distance by horse and travois a dozen generations past). In the circle, the astrologers of the nomad tribes meet at certain times of year to cast horoscopes and make political arrangements or settlements among the tribes.



Note that these entries do not need to include stats, nor do they need to be chock full of plot stuff. Just include a basic description and a couple of hooks or bits of local color. It's probably best to leave some stuff undefined, so that changes may be more easily made to accommodate the overall structure and feel of the setting as it emerges/ to mesh with other realms. We will want, I think, to avoid a patchwork feeling. Leaving things reconfigurable and not too 'nailed down' is thus a good idea at this point. YMMV.