Jump to content

Photo

New Races


  • Please log in to reply
12 replies to this topic

#1 Matty_poo

Matty_poo

    Gigabyte

  • Members
  • 770 posts
  • LocationNew Jersey

Posted 25 January 2013 - 01:32 PM

Will we ever see new races not taken from or at least based on tolkein/D&D? If there are some, feel free to slap them down. If you can't think of any others have made, make em now!

Mighty horse rocks, he rocks the fat ass. 

 

youtube.com/Geekcitypodcast

soundcloud.com/newgeekcity


#2 Affray

Affray

    Knower of things

  • Members
  • 5,753 posts
  • LocationThe Great White North

Posted 25 January 2013 - 01:46 PM

That is the best and worst thing about anything Tolkein.
He defined the genre and made it so mainstream that everything we create is influenced by him.
Everyone has the same image in their heads when they think of what an elf looks like.
Ever notice how everyone of any prominence in the fantasy world tends to have English accents?
Also his fault.

I like creating my won fantasy creatures though, and I try to keep them as original as possible without borrowing from other sources.
But, given that I too have been programmed by our culture to think in fantastic ways (within guidelines), and the massive amount of other world lore kicking about, it is very difficult to remain original.

It is perfectly acceptable to fear and admire a being you could not possibly understand.


#3 Matty_poo

Matty_poo

    Gigabyte

  • Members
  • 770 posts
  • LocationNew Jersey

Posted 25 January 2013 - 01:52 PM

I know it isn't easy, but you'd think SOMEONE could think of at least one. I at first went "Ah! Skyrim, surely they must be the answer!" but most of them are based on Tolkien (not sure about the Argonians and Khajiit, my memory is a bit fuzzy.)

Mighty horse rocks, he rocks the fat ass. 

 

youtube.com/Geekcitypodcast

soundcloud.com/newgeekcity


#4 Affray

Affray

    Knower of things

  • Members
  • 5,753 posts
  • LocationThe Great White North

Posted 25 January 2013 - 02:09 PM

Humanoid animals are not super unique, but I can`t think of many from Tolkeins world.

It is perfectly acceptable to fear and admire a being you could not possibly understand.


#5 Matty_poo

Matty_poo

    Gigabyte

  • Members
  • 770 posts
  • LocationNew Jersey

Posted 25 January 2013 - 02:29 PM

cool so we've got some KINDA new races.

Mighty horse rocks, he rocks the fat ass. 

 

youtube.com/Geekcitypodcast

soundcloud.com/newgeekcity


#6 Wolf

Wolf

    Zettabyte

  • Members
  • 6,487 posts

Posted 25 January 2013 - 02:34 PM

Dungeons and Dragons had a nice array of fantasy creatures and races, although it kinda thrived off it. Many monsters from the monster manual would have "character templates". Using those templates, you could make a ton of playable races with unique traits.

In fact, the Monster Manuals are a good example of people creating tons of new fantasy stuffs. But when it comes down to it, most people stick with the tried and true Elves and Dwarves for their fantasy setting.

#7 SushiKitten

SushiKitten

    Coffee Cat

  • Members
  • 1,916 posts
  • LocationCanada

Posted 25 January 2013 - 02:40 PM

One of my favourite races is the laguz from Fire Emblem, who could shapeshift between certain animals and human forms. I really liked the idea there. There was an unpublished novel I once read where they had a race that lived on the riverside and thrived by fishing there. They were short, had a funny accent that the author wrote in, and could swim really well and breathe underwater. They were so cute and lovable, almost in a hobbit sort of way.

But that is something I dislike about fantasy. I tend to do a lot of research on my novels before I pick them up. I don't really want to read tolkien-esque fantasy where it's a group of sweaty men on a journey to do this or that, and where there's not a lot of diversity of races beyond elf, dwarf, and such. I'd rather read something that strays a bit from that and comes up with their own ideas of a fantasy world.

#8 No-Danico

No-Danico

    Danger Zone

  • Members
  • 1,776 posts
  • LocationGA, USA

Posted 25 January 2013 - 03:51 PM

Skyrim and Tolken? By and far, Skyrim was influenced by real world people and mythology from them. Bretons and their stuff is France, Imperials are U.K. Nords are (You should be able to guess that one) Redguards are south Africans. The light elves and dark are straight out of Nordic folklore, just given new names. Even the dwenmer are a bastardisation of dark elves, or dwarves as they were called in old Asgard. Orcs and the half-breeds are just Fae from European mythos.

The khajiit and argonians are just from furries and scalies (I think I’m coining that term) who had far too much influence on the game. Hircine is the Erlking and Azura is Athena. What’s the trope? Everyone ripped off Twilight Zone, who ripped off Shakespeare, who ripped off Plagirus. (The unknown source of all tropes)

ElectricSevereKatydid.gif

My first novel, Seeds of Magic- Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, Kobo, Sony Store


 


#9 Diabolical_Jazz

Diabolical_Jazz

    Gigabyte

  • Members
  • 959 posts

Posted 25 January 2013 - 05:39 PM

The khajiit and argonians are just from furries and scalies (I think I’m coining that term)


Nope. That's actually the accepted term for them. So good intuition, anyway. =P
I don't think he needs to be immortal. I think all he needs to do is to write the right story. Because some stories do live forever.

#10 Diabolical_Jazz

Diabolical_Jazz

    Gigabyte

  • Members
  • 959 posts

Posted 25 January 2013 - 05:44 PM

I think it's important to remember that everything has sources. Artfully created races draw from many sources, and the author changes things to suit them. Enough so that they are not necessarily quickly recognizable as being inspired by something else.
Tolkien drew heavily from folklore, particularly Norse.

That said, I don't know of too many 'new' races in fantasy. Debateably the werewolves in World of Darkness games, since werewolves were never really considered a race before that. And they end up having a really interesting culture of their own.

One of my favourite races is the laguz from Fire Emblem, who could shapeshift between certain animals and human forms.


YESSSSSS.
The Laguz were my peeps.
I don't think he needs to be immortal. I think all he needs to do is to write the right story. Because some stories do live forever.

#11 Wolf

Wolf

    Zettabyte

  • Members
  • 6,487 posts

Posted 25 January 2013 - 09:05 PM

One of my favourite races is the laguz from Fire Emblem, who could shapeshift between certain animals and human forms.

YESSSSSS.
The Laguz were my peeps.


I hate to do this to you guys

But you might be a furry if...

#12 Diabolical_Jazz

Diabolical_Jazz

    Gigabyte

  • Members
  • 959 posts

Posted 26 January 2013 - 04:24 AM

CTRL + Q to Enable/Disable GoPhoto.it
They turn into people too tho. <___<
:lol: :unsure: :P
I don't think he needs to be immortal. I think all he needs to do is to write the right story. Because some stories do live forever.

#13 Coconut Man

Coconut Man

    Gigabyte

  • Members
  • 798 posts
  • LocationThe latest Smash Major

Posted 26 January 2013 - 09:42 AM

The thing is, with new races, they're....

DIFFERENT! :D
Okay, but really, imagining Lord of the Rings with new, yet unheard of, completely original races is like imagining a new color. Impossible. In fact, any book or story of that genre.

fl9Uov4.gif