Which race is the hardest to play and why?

[Synthesis]

The most difficult thing about playing dwarves is that when their focus points them in a direction you know will end in death, you have to let them go.

Not sure this is true.  Dwarves have a sense of self preservation.  Can't finish your focus if you're dead, after all.

It's hard to have a reliable sense of self-preservation when your sense of fear is blunted.  Also, dwarves aren't supposed to be able to think quickly on their feet, so if the situation suddenly changes from benign to dangerous, most of them will continue on to do what they planned on doing.  If a dwarf's focus involves following orders, he will follow orders no matter what, whereas a human has the option to desert.  I doubt this is the thread for a dwarven roleplay debate, though.

[DustMight]

OOC: That NPC will so kill my ass.
Human: "Trying to ride that Roc is probably suicidal and I shouldn't do it."
Dwarf: "ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE IF I JUST TRY HARDER." / mount roc

I hate dwarven foci like this.  I've heard mentioned on the GDB: "fly to the moon,"  "become a dragon" "destroy a city"

And while Ironsword probably had some good fun before he kicked it, there are plenty of mundane foci that are attainable, survivable and fun.
I prefer discrete, easy measurable foci that lead up to larger and larger foci.  "get recruited into the Byn"  "become trooper"  "become the best swords man in my unit"  "make sergeant"  "earn 5 large in contract profits"  "earn 10 large in contract profits"  "kill a mek all by myself."

That kind of thing.  This "flying to the moon" or mounting a roc BS is stupid (IMO, hope I didn't put too fine a point on it).  It seems that a dwarf (judging from what I read in the docs) might be practical, grounded group of folks - more taken with tangible results rather than flights of fancy.

[Vwest]

Dwarf: I've encountered two dwarves in as many years that didn't immediately give me the impression they just wanted to skill up and kill things. Funny enough, both of them are both incredibly badass AND quite long lived.

City elf: Sorry, but other then a certain Byn Trooper and a 'rinther I encountered when I first started playing, I've never met one that really delivered more then a human in an elf body.

As a bit of an aside, to whomever played that wildly skanky 'rinth elf about two and a half years ago, the scrawny blonde elf or scraggly blond elf, something to that effect. You pretty much set the standard in my mind for what elves should be, not to mention helping me figure out how to find the bazaar and how to get back to the Byn compound. Your character had a huge impact on the life of that character, the trials and tribal stuff, so... legacy and such.

I would shower you with kudos but I can't for the life of me remember your characters name. Instead you get a mention in a recently resurrected thread you likely won't even read. It's the thought that counts, right?

PS: She knew you stole the dagger, you just died before she could steal it back. You fooled no one!

[Scarecrow]

OOC: That NPC will so kill my ass.
Human: "Trying to ride that Roc is probably suicidal and I shouldn't do it."
Dwarf: "ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE IF I JUST TRY HARDER." / mount roc

I hate dwarven foci like this.  I've heard mentioned on the GDB: "fly to the moon,"  "become a dragon" "destroy a city"

And while Ironsword probably had some good fun before he kicked it, there are plenty of mundane foci that are attainable, survivable and fun.
I prefer discrete, easy measurable foci that lead up to larger and larger foci.  "get recruited into the Byn"  "become trooper"  "become the best swords man in my unit"  "make sergeant"  "earn 5 large in contract profits"  "earn 10 large in contract profits"  "kill a mek all by myself."

That kind of thing.  This "flying to the moon" or mounting a roc BS is stupid (IMO, hope I didn't put too fine a point on it).  It seems that a dwarf (judging from what I read in the docs) might be practical, grounded group of folks - more taken with tangible results rather than flights of fancy.

Dwarven focus don't have to make sense. They can be wildly crazy and it fit with the docs. In fact, the more bizarre and harder to accomplish the better, because a focus should be almost unachievable. Joining the Byn, making Trooper or 5 large are too easy and short-lived for foci.

[DustMight]

Dwarven focus don't have to make sense. They can be wildly crazy and it fit with the docs. In fact, the more bizarre and harder to accomplish the better, because a focus should be almost unachievable. Joining the Byn, making Trooper or 5 large are too easy and short-lived for foci.

Well, maybe. The docs (that I just checked) do support some near-impossible (bring down Luir's) and silly-ass (insult everyone in the known world) foci, but I do remember getting a note from staff thanking me for having a reasonable foci (become a sergeant in the black moon - if you recall way back when) and that likely encouraged me to stay practical.

That said, most of my characters play practical, so it is probably just my taste.

The point about the foci that I mentioned (get in the byn, become sarge, earn 5k in contracts) are small foci that are achievable (making it enjoyable for the player - cause you know you're never going to fly to Lirathu - and build up to an amazing foci.  Something like maybe the dwarf who started the Byn had in mind.   

[Bogre]

I like foci that can be accomplished in game but may be exceptionally difficult and/or far-fetched. Things like: commit every crime in spectacular fashion or creating a salt-worm ranch in Gol-Krathu. Technically, you could find some way to accomplish bits and pieces of those. I generally go for things with coded support rather than needing immortal intervention.

[Zoan]

A long time ago I played a dwarf whose focus was 'Don't let anyone ever forget you're a dwarf'. Personality and emotion-based foci are fun and easy to do, and don't require any Imm help at all!

[Fujikoma]

Breeds are easy mode for me. 

[PriestlySiren]

A long time ago I played a dwarf whose focus was 'Don't let anyone ever forget you're a dwarf'. Personality and emotion-based foci are fun and easy to do, and don't require any Imm help at all!

If I ever make a dwarf, maybe my foci should be to make a dwarf brothel.

[Vwest]

If you make it happen, I'll roll a dwarf to work there.

[Bogre]

Focus: Collect all the human midgets in the Known and instruct them in the proper ways of dorfs and mirrukim.

Alternate point challenge: Make them tdesc beards and use chopping weapons.

Bonus +++ points: Make them journeyman+ stonecrafters.

[Korgoth]

   I remember one of my first characters was a dwarf. I actually liked the idea of a focus to guide me.  I made him with a focus to become a master armor crafter and picked the armor crafting sub-guild. At the time I didn't know I could not master the skill either, so it become kind of interesting when he knew he hit a brick wall and could not make the perfect creations that he imagined. He eventually rationalized that he would experience armors in the most direct way possible that not many other crafters could attempt. He thought by personally testing his armor creations against as many blows, cuts, stabs and beasts imaginable would allow him to finally understand the perfect recipe for padding, flexibility and where to reinforce the armor. Fortunately for that character, his stats were the once in a hundred sort. Taking down all those dangerous beasts was definitely fun.
   But yea, I think you just have to try your best to pick focus over OOC benefit/whim and you will probably play a decent dwarf. Like, hey chance for easy coin by taking this Byn Sergeant promotion, or taking on that recruit crafter position in Salarr. Whats that? Crafting? Salarr? Yes please.

[Asche]

The only non-human I've played in my short career as an Arm player was a half-elf ranger. I wanted to learn about racial roleplay, and figured this archetype would fit that role well. The absolute last thing I think anyone would describe my character as, though, was weak-willed. She was outgoing, loud, brave to a fault, especially given she was only a little skilled. But, I don't think I played against my race, or tried to be 'the exception to the rule.' In fact, I don't think the docs should imply I should be angsty at all.

Half-elves, to my understanding, were independent, and if they were known breeds (I chose to appear as a half-elf, because why play another race if you want to be treated like a human?), they would be WELL used to discrimination by then. But should I be expected to whine about it? Fuck no. I'm not some entitled teenager in first world America. I'm a well-hated (but clearly not the most-hated) minority who simultaneously seeks the approval of both races, but also keeps them a bit at a distance. That means, given that no one particularly likes me, and I'm independent, I am by NECESSITY a strong enough person to overcome the challenges of Zalanthas to live to adulthood. Its perfectly legitimate for a half-elf to be the loudest person in the group, always taking the opportunity to prove themselves. I shouldn't be moping in the corner of the bar, looking around expectantly for people to chat with me, then giving some monologue when someone ignores me. Is this my first time meeting ANYONE in this world? Or course I'm being ignored! I don't know where the angsty half-elf stereotype comes from, or how justified it is, given that I'm a new player, but it seems a silly way to play any breed. Anyone who reaches the age of thirteen or greater in this hell hole of a world and thinks they're going to challenge racism with a terrible speech everytime they're treated like they always have been DESERVES the throat-slitting in the dark alley later that day. And that should apply to EVERY race.

[Harmless]

Not a bad post at all, Asche. The whole community may not agree with everything you said but I generally do.

One thing I'd add about human-appearing half-elves: they are often not "treated like a human." Maybe on first glance, but the way I make my human-appearing half-elves, I think everybody tends to at least think of the possibility very early on. The confirmation may never come, but just being suspected of being a half-elf immediately ticks off a lot of opportunities a full-blood would have, like joining military organizations besides the Byn. Moreover, these PCs should have extreme difficulty passing even the first interview for such careers if they're staying IC, and if a human-appearing half-elf were to somehow make it to higher ranks in a military group... then they must have designed the PC especially for that, and they are bordering on snowflake status.

In other words, I agree with a lot of what you say, but I feel that it applies quite well to human-appearing half-elves as well. At least, the way I have played my human-appearing breeds. Good post.

[Delirium]

Two thumbs up for Asche's post.

[Morrolan]

One thing I'd add about human-appearing half-elves: they are often not "treated like a human."

Both this post and the one it's responding to are very good.

But, yeah, hidden half-elves that are codedly half-elves aren't all that hidden. Even when the characters around you don't know, or only suspect, assume that the players around you know, and are playing along for the sake of your story.

Thank them, and move on, ya crazy halfbreed! 

[Doublepalli]

I've always seen Mul's as having -extreme- cases of bipolar disorder. Now being said, I have bipolar disorder, so maybe that's why I don't think Mul's would be -that- hard to play. From playing all the non-karma required races (hehe  ) I'd say a dwarf is the hardest. Getting into that obsessed mindset...so difficult.

[little chicken woman]

Its easy for me to play an obsessed person... yeeaah.

I say mul, for sheer lack of flexibility, <redacted>, glass ceiling that's worse than it is for dwarves (I think), the inability to get a *Job* with anyone other than Kurac, and the fact that whether you ever did anything bad or not, you will be wanted forever, and there's nothing you can do to change that. You could take a thirty IG year break, come back, and you will be still wanted by the pc population. With virtually anyone else, this isn't necessarily the case.

Edited to remove reference to IC things that aren't documented

[Fujikoma]

I would say Nakki and rinthi city elf looks pretty challenging to play correctly (not that I'd know what that entails). You don't see many elves in Nak, but shortly after you do you usually end up seeing them on the body pile. "OMG gotta steal everything oh I died." Is that really how it's done?

[Quell]

I would say Nakki and rinthi city elf looks pretty challenging to play correctly (not that I'd know what that entails). You don't see many elves in Nak, but shortly after you do you usually end up seeing them on the body pile. "OMG gotta steal everything oh I died." Is that really how it's done?

You do have a point. There does seem to be a disproportionately large number of elves that end up on the pile in comparison to how many are played.

Related Sidenote: I think answer to this thread should be empirically determined solely through the metric of how many of each race end up on the corpse pile (normalized against how many are played).

[Morrolan]

I believe part of the reason it is hard to play a well-played, long-lived city elf is that those other elves are out there ruining it for you.

you (chuckling)> "I have a long-laid plot that will bring the city to its knees..."
dude (punctuating poorly)> "I just stole three large in weapons from people's belts in the Gaj. But they didn't see my face. Just that I'm an elf, duh!"
you> (lips pressed together, with a pained look in their eyes)"..."

[Wastrel]

jokes aside rinthi city elf is pretty hardmode

[Marauder Moe]

I would actually have thought that a non-'rinthi Allanaki city elf would be harder.

[Morrolan]

Or a city elf that doesn't go around collecting coins like Arm is some text-based Mario Bros. game.

[Riev]

Or a city elf that doesn't go around collecting coins like Arm is some text-based Mario Bros. game.

But its so fun when you bop them in the nose and they shrink down to the size of a dwarf.