Question about racial abililities?

[SpellAndShield]

Call me crazy, but I think race should be a purely cosmetic thing just like hair and eye color are.

Yep, you're crazy...

 

The races are what essentially decided your early level play based on starting skills and your ability. The racial abilities are designed in a way where they aren't particularly useful at higher levels, but can save your skin at lower ones. As such, like birthsigns were, it really is only a choice which matters in the beginning of the game.

 

Half the replay value is also in trying different races and playstyles. if you make races purely cosmetic, there really isn't much point in playing through the game more than once since it's exactly the same in the beginning unless you purposely limit yourself to just using bows, ect.

 

In many ways, this premise of having race/gender not mean anything other than cosmetics in RPG games is probably the reason why so many of them lately have been overly bland. There is a difference between being merely defined by a race, and using a race as a basis for a character but not being limited by it. Without this aspect, there is no internal challenge to cross, and when handled right, it makes the character seem that much better. RPGs aren't just a game played in a computer, but they're a game played in our heads as we ask ourselves how that character (even if a mirror of us) would respond.

 

Lord Moderator Vagrant,

 

Don't you think that immunity to poison and water breathing are very useful at any level?

[LeopoldCrank]

Call me crazy, but I think race should be a purely cosmetic thing just like hair and eye color are.

Yep, you're crazy...

 

The races are what essentially decided your early level play based on starting skills and your ability. The racial abilities are designed in a way where they aren't particularly useful at higher levels, but can save your skin at lower ones. As such, like birthsigns were, it really is only a choice which matters in the beginning of the game.

 

Half the replay value is also in trying different races and playstyles. if you make races purely cosmetic, there really isn't much point in playing through the game more than once since it's exactly the same in the beginning unless you purposely limit yourself to just using bows, ect.

 

In many ways, this premise of having race/gender not mean anything other than cosmetics in RPG games is probably the reason why so many of them lately have been overly bland. There is a difference between being merely defined by a race, and using a race as a basis for a character but not being limited by it. Without this aspect, there is no internal challenge to cross, and when handled right, it makes the character seem that much better. RPGs aren't just a game played in a computer, but they're a game played in our heads as we ask ourselves how that character (even if a mirror of us) would respond.

 

Lord Moderator Vagrant,

 

Don't you think that immunity to poison and water breathing are very useful at any level?

 

Yes and no...

 

They can both be easily negated by a mid-level mage skill, particularly water breathing. Plus, it is almost impossible to become a vampire or werewolf and willpower, endurance and personality all take a severe blow.

[Vagrant0]

Don't you think that immunity to poison and water breathing are very useful at any level?

Water breathing was usually one of the first things I put on a constant effect... And in Oblivion, they pretty much give you a spell for it just in the beginning of the mages guild questline... Which you have to do to do any enchanting... It was a bigger advantage in Morrowind, but even then, only until you got the spell from somewhere else. Same deal with light/nighteye.

 

For immunity to poison... As far as Oblivion goes, there really weren't any poisons that were used on you and actually did anything. In Oblivion, disease too was also usually little more than an occasional nuisance. Morrowind saw a bit more of these resistances, but one aspect of the main quest gave you disease immunity, so that ended up being mostly a moot point unless you were dealing with stronger undead before this part.

 

And still, cure disease, dispell potions/spells tend to be part of a typical spell book.

 

 

Technically, the only racial ability which made much of an impact in overall gameplay was the magic weakness of high elves (and technically Breton resistance). Both had the potential to lead to a decision about either focusing on magic reflection/absorb, or magic resistence through enchantment stacking. But that's technically closer to being an exploit in Oblivion rather than an intended feature.

[DenMan06]

Call me crazy, but I think race should be a purely cosmetic thing just like hair and eye color are. Why? Because you choose your race at the start of the game before you begin playing. If the differences in race matter mechanically, then you're having the player make a gameplay decision before they've even started the game. A decision they won't be able to change later if they decide they'd prefer a playstyle that their character is poorly fit to execute. Classes were dumped for this reason.

 

Im sorry but i dont agree with you :L

[hector530]

For immunity to poison... As far as Oblivion goes, there really weren't any poisons that were used on you and actually did anything. In Oblivion, disease too was also usually little more than an occasional nuisance. Morrowind saw a bit more of these resistances, but one aspect of the main quest gave you disease immunity, so that ended up being mostly a moot point unless you were dealing with stronger undead before this part.

 

shivering isles all those green man-frog things all have poisons. argonian's poison immunity comes in handly there.

[LadyGodiva]

Call me crazy, but I think race should be a purely cosmetic thing just like hair and eye color are. Why? Because you choose your race at the start of the game before you begin playing. If the differences in race matter mechanically, then you're having the player make a gameplay decision before they've even started the game. A decision they won't be able to change later if they decide they'd prefer a playstyle that their character is poorly fit to execute. Classes were dumped for this reason.

 

This.

 

They shouldn't be just cosmetic but... They should have some bonuses like some are immune to frost, some are immune to fire, some can breathe underwater, some can call animals for help. BUT they shouldn't have it that Nords are better at two-handed and heavy armor because they are "the warrior race". Heck no! What if I want to role-play a Nordic rogue or wizard? The bonuses like I said would be fine, but no stereotypes please.

[LeopoldCrank]

Call me crazy, but I think race should be a purely cosmetic thing just like hair and eye color are. Why? Because you choose your race at the start of the game before you begin playing. If the differences in race matter mechanically, then you're having the player make a gameplay decision before they've even started the game. A decision they won't be able to change later if they decide they'd prefer a playstyle that their character is poorly fit to execute. Classes were dumped for this reason.

 

This.

 

They shouldn't be just cosmetic but... They should have some bonuses like some are immune to frost, some are immune to fire, some can breathe underwater, some can call animals for help. BUT they shouldn't have it that Nords are better at two-handed and heavy armor because they are "the warrior race". Heck no! What if I want to role-play a Nordic rogue or wizard? The bonuses like I said would be fine, but no stereotypes please.

 

It won't stop you from being a wizard or rogue. It just means that those skills received bonuses. I actually liked being a Nordic mage, because it meant I could level up further