Playing a racist

[Qzzrbl]

I'm pretty much totally okay with that. As long as he's actually friends with the half-elf, and not just some random bystander.

So that dirty halfbreed's human buddy shanking you to the great mantis head in the sky because you said something nasty to said shitblood is a-okay?

[DustMight]

Two more 'sids:

Just because everyone is supposed to be racist doesn't mean racism is "protected." There's nothing special about racism that means other players can't respond negatively to it. In fact, it's pretty much by definition that targets of racism should respond negatively.

If you are doing racism the loud, obnoxious and openly insulting way (and you should! It's fun), and something bad happens to you: that bad thing is happening to you because you were loud, obnoxious and openly insulting.

Maybe.  It seems to me that in a racist culture the minorities would be used to being treated in such a way.  It would be expected and normal.  Maybe it would rise to the level of violence on occasion, but a halfbreed ought to think twice before drawing a blade on a human who is calling them out - maybe the halfbreed should expect that the rest of the humans nearby are going to react negatively to that, and maybe being called out is pretty normal for the halfbreed.  That's what makes him so darn insecure to begin with, right?

Racist behavior shouldn't be a surprise, it should be expected and normal.  Really, the racist should be thinking of calling out or cutting down the halfbreed's full-blooded friend for HIS behavior.  (In this pretty unsubtle example.)  The rest of us should be (IMO) pretty uncomfortable around Muls with weapons, in Allanak maybe dwarves should still carry the taint of slavery (Why they are in House Tor is not something I understand.) and unconsciously racism should be a part of any full-blooded (human or elf) person's personality, generally.  Subtle examples might include not paying as much attention to the lesser races, not worrying so much about giving them their fair share, their feelings or considerations. Treating them as lesser or non-persons (without overt maliciousness) is a more accurate depiction of a culture-wide tendency toward racism.  

We shouldn't fear to call a halfbreed a "mixed-blood, shitblood, mud-blood or half-man," after all, our characters grew up that way.  That' s what those halfbreeds are.   That's what those Muls are - slaves, lions with weapons trained to kill with a tendency to blood lust.  

The whole kill the character for being racist is an overreaction because the player finds the racism insulting to the character. The character called out would have endured such behavior for years - unless they are serial murderers, why would they break just then?  Only because the player of the character can find an IG target.

It shouldn't be special that full-bloods are racist and it should not be a surprise to the halfbreeds and such.  It should be the status quo.

One of the changes that could be made, IG, would be to vary NPC merchant pricing to support a kind of social norm racism.  Half-elves should get shit deals from many full-blood merchants, for example - especially in the cities and maybe humans from elves and vice-versa (and maybe that's already IG).  I'm just saying - the racism is institutionalized, command and should be expected and not necessarily responded to with violence.

[RogueGunslinger]

I'm pretty much totally okay with that. As long as he's actually friends with the half-elf, and not just some random bystander.

So that dirty halfbreed's human buddy shanking you to the great mantis head in the sky because you said something nasty to said shitblood is a-okay?

Yep. I've seen people kill others for less. It's a harsh world. As long as there was motivation... why does it matter what race a person is? IC is IC. It may be a very severe reaction, but well... Welcome to Armageddon.

[Cind]

oppressed minorities do have a significantly higher crime rate. just saying

also: being an elf in the 'rinth is possible one of the hardest roles in the game. its absolutely insane.

but i stopped playing humans for the most part because being human is too fucking easy. its too easy to get to a position of relative power almost anywhere.

coded favoritism is also available in-game, at least to my knowledge. if you're an upstanding citizen, independent or not, of your city-state, at least in one of them, there's at least one significant perk that requires npc interaction. i'm not sure if it extends beyond that, or if they'll hand it to you if you're not human or of human appearance.

[HavokBlue]

I'm pretty much totally okay with that. As long as he's actually friends with the half-elf, and not just some random bystander.

So that dirty halfbreed's human buddy shanking you to the great mantis head in the sky because you said something nasty to said shitblood is a-okay?

Yep. I've seen people kill others for less. It's a harsh world. As long as there was motivation... why does it matter what race a person is? IC is IC. It may be a very severe reaction, but well... Welcome to Armageddon.

The point is that racism seems to be underrepresented because EVERYONE is best friends with that breed.

Just because that breed's your bro doesn't mean he's not dirty half-necker scum.

[Riev]

Hey! I remember this discussion when it wasn't racial racism, but magicker.... magickerism.

[WarriorPoet]

I stopped playing regularly in Tuluk.

In the south, I'm as racist as I want to be. (which is a lot)

Uh huh. This is how I rolls and is why I can't play in Tuluk.

Fuck 'em elves.

[RogueGunslinger]

I'm pretty much totally okay with that. As long as he's actually friends with the half-elf, and not just some random bystander.

So that dirty halfbreed's human buddy shanking you to the great mantis head in the sky because you said something nasty to said shitblood is a-okay?

Yep. I've seen people kill others for less. It's a harsh world. As long as there was motivation... why does it matter what race a person is? IC is IC. It may be a very severe reaction, but well... Welcome to Armageddon.

The point is that racism seems to be underrepresented because EVERYONE is best friends with that breed.

Just because that breed's your bro doesn't mean he's not dirty half-necker scum.

Shrug. Never seen that in-game.

[Evil]

I remember one of my first elves got there asses kicked by the Byn for well being a elf. It was good times and there needs to be more of it. I think there should be more in your face I dislike you and want to slit your throat and throw the body in the rinth or sneaky racism as in up north where feelings aren't worn on your sleeves.

[Fredd]

So. Here's a fun one.

It's in documentation that certain races (i.e. elves, humans) are racists. Very. Racist. Humans hate the crap out of elves, elves hate the crap out of humans.

I have yet to see a good example of this in the game world. Ever.

Why? Why are people so afraid to play racists? This isn't America, this isn't hugandkissthas. This is Zalanthas. Yet all I've seen are people sucking up to elves, elves sucking up to people, people in general sucking up to other races and kissing ass and really making it hard to get properly immersed.

Racism is bad IRL, I get it. Unfortunately, in Zalanthas, it's not bad, and you should start playing racists and stop playing carebears.

Yes, this is a dig. Yes, I'm very annoyed. So, here's the discussion part:

How many people play racists here, and how do you do it? Are you in your face "you suck you stupid necker" racists? Or do you just say "Yeah, I don't deal with your kind" or are you more of point and snicker type?

In the north north it's more of a in private thing.
In the south it's a straight up "screw you necker" thing

[askaran]

Best racism moment ever.. First half-elf. First day in the Byn.. Getting slammed into the wall and tossed into the latrine.. Became routine. Love it.

[Barzalene]

My favorite racist moment(s) was a Arm Sergeant who, upon finding the bar full, would just demand that some undesirable give up their seat.

[MeTekillot]

You don't even need to be an Arm Sarge for that, Barz. Just make sure your wear list is longer than that breed's. Everybody knows the length of wear-list directly correlates to level of badass-ness.

[Barzalene]

Yes. He's just the first person I saw do it.

[musashi]

You don't even need to be an Arm Sarge for that, Barz. Just make sure your wear list is longer than that breed's. Everybody knows the length of wear-list directly correlates to level of badass-ness.

And then the breed removes his gloves and has 10 rings on and you're like ... awwww shit.

[Zoan]

My favorite racist moment(s) was a Arm Sergeant who, upon finding the bar full, would just demand that some undesirable give up their seat.

That might have been me. Except most times I'd just make them move even if the bar wasn't full. Just to be a petty dickweed.

"You're on my stool, neck."
"Plenty of other stools, soldier."
"Then fuckin' sit on one of 'em."

[brytta.leofa]

I once--cheerfully!--asked an elf to give up his seat at the bar for my militia private.  He did so.  Then me an' my buddy decided to sit at a table instead.

[Mazy]

Unfortunately, I've never taken the breed's spot at the bar or moved the elf. I have tried to be racist before, honestly, with some success and failure.

From a very kind character's perspective, I see can still see racism like this: "I hate it for the breed, but I'm not going to put my neck out there and stand up for him, because then I would be ridiculed."

A sympathetic Zalanthian character is a conundrum, I know, but humor me. Even though a character might not overly racist, they pressured into the social norms and choose to ignore/hurt while around a crowd to protect their social standing.

[X-D]

I love playing the better then you racist.

The one that has no need to be violent or even all that mean. More like playing a noble but with race. I am human/elf/dwarf You are not...

My last one was an elf, he treated all non-elves more like you would treat a pet, A clumsy and stupid pet.

Oh, don't worry about Amos, he cannot help it, being human and all. We will train him, it will just take a while.

Of course then you have breeds, far below the other races, something showing that somebody bred with an animal.
Eeeeww....
Still, with this style they tend to be more treated as "unclean" types and you ignore they exist.

[Tarx]

Good point, X-D.  Your character might be considered a linguist, but maybe he or she thinks "no, I'm a dog whisperer.  How else would I communicate with these creatures and be sure they understood me?" 

There are extremes you can go to in terms of prejudice and racism in-game.  With enough political power, clout, ballsiness, stupidity, or a proper mix of the above, you can actually say and do things that would get other people killed if they had done them.  You never know if what you do or say is going to be the straw that broke the gwoshi's back until after the fact.  Despite racism, people of different racial origins make alliances and agreements of convenience anyway.  I don't think there's anything wrong with that.