Mixing
It seems safer to make everyone white then to be accused of 'racism' if I I make any of my pre-written cultures a different race
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I'm writing fantasy stories in different worlds which do not share any history with our own. I was thinking I wanted to move away from the classic 'all white cast' scenario in most games, by picking one of the groups of people and making them a different skin tone.
I had originally thought this would be easy, in a completely different fantasy world with it's own culture there is no reason I can't pick any random skin tone and give it to a group of people, beyond ensuring they live in right geographic location (ie closeness to the equator) for that tone to have evolved. However, when I actually tried to pick a group of people I ran into the issue that I could see someone making claims that a group is racist or that my game has unfortunate racial implications even though the group was created without consideration for race and any race is effectively an afterthought on my part. It puts me in the awkward situation of feeling it's 'safer' to have no diversity then have diversity that someone can complain about how it's used.
To give an example the story where it came up involves one group (group A) being invaded by another (group B). The protagonist is actually jumping between two versions of the timeline, one a generation in the future, so we can see in the future that group B successful conquered group A and is now ruling over the part of the world. How good a ruler group B is over group A depends on who you ask. The first part of the plot seem a clear cut attempt to stop group B from invading in the 'past' timeline. As time goes on it will be learned that the real problem is both sides are being manipulated into conflict by a third party who will be the real villains of the story.
The story has some parallels to the colonization of the Americas, including a preaching of something like manifest-destiny and the fact that diseases spread by the new contact between the races will take more lives then the actual war took, though in this case the diseases ravished both groups about equally. As such I'm afraid that if I don't keep everyone the same race it will bring up claims that I'm misrepresenting colonization or other claims of unfortunate implications. This seems true regardless of which race I make group A or group B.
To give another, less extreme, example I have a different story with two groups in something of a cold war with each other. The Kingdom has a strong central leadership, a very strong military presence, and rules over a larger area; while the republic has a weak central goverment and only militias, but is more technically advanced and owns more fertile lands. Originally the kingdom is depicted as bad guys due to the kings apparent warmongering, but later on both sides are shown to be guilty of questionable decisions and neither side clearly in the right or the wrong. As in the other story there is a bigger villain that plays a role in later parts of the story.
In this case I'm less apprehensive about assigning a race to one group or the other, since neither side seems, in my mind, to fit as directly into one racial stereotype or have as direct a parallel to something that is always going to be bound associated to racial discussion like colonization has. Still I worry about depicting battle between two racial groups (war will be declared during the story) is always going to be a problem.
The countries will not contain a mixture of different races, limited transportaiton technology and other world building reasons mean each group will be made up almost exclusively of one phenotype. Likewise since these are video games I can't realistically do a blending of skin tones across a nation (with southern being darker then northern). I can do a sharp contrast of one group a different race then the other or nothing at all just due to technically difficulties of doing something more subtle.
So my question is, can/should I try to add some racial diversity by having the different groups be different races? Or should I error on the side of caution and just say both groups lived on the same longitudinal line and thus are roughly the same skin tone (possibly with some other differences between the groups like general height or hair color which I think are safer to write)
If it can be safe to have my existing groups different skin tones then how do I do it in a way that prevents people from reading implication into the choice of race when I'm honestly willing to assign any skin tone to either group and wouldn't be changing their characterization? Should I just not worry about it, pick a race at random for each groups, and ignore the fact that some people will always find ways to be offended in what is written?
characters plot fantasy videogame
asked 4 hours ago
dsollen
1163
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add a comment |Â
up vote
3
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I'm writing fantasy stories in different worlds which do not share any history with our own. I was thinking I wanted to move away from the classic 'all white cast' scenario in most games, by picking one of the groups of people and making them a different skin tone.
I had originally thought this would be easy, in a completely different fantasy world with it's own culture there is no reason I can't pick any random skin tone and give it to a group of people, beyond ensuring they live in right geographic location (ie closeness to the equator) for that tone to have evolved. However, when I actually tried to pick a group of people I ran into the issue that I could see someone making claims that a group is racist or that my game has unfortunate racial implications even though the group was created without consideration for race and any race is effectively an afterthought on my part. It puts me in the awkward situation of feeling it's 'safer' to have no diversity then have diversity that someone can complain about how it's used.
To give an example the story where it came up involves one group (group A) being invaded by another (group B). The protagonist is actually jumping between two versions of the timeline, one a generation in the future, so we can see in the future that group B successful conquered group A and is now ruling over the part of the world. How good a ruler group B is over group A depends on who you ask. The first part of the plot seem a clear cut attempt to stop group B from invading in the 'past' timeline. As time goes on it will be learned that the real problem is both sides are being manipulated into conflict by a third party who will be the real villains of the story.
The story has some parallels to the colonization of the Americas, including a preaching of something like manifest-destiny and the fact that diseases spread by the new contact between the races will take more lives then the actual war took, though in this case the diseases ravished both groups about equally. As such I'm afraid that if I don't keep everyone the same race it will bring up claims that I'm misrepresenting colonization or other claims of unfortunate implications. This seems true regardless of which race I make group A or group B.
To give another, less extreme, example I have a different story with two groups in something of a cold war with each other. The Kingdom has a strong central leadership, a very strong military presence, and rules over a larger area; while the republic has a weak central goverment and only militias, but is more technically advanced and owns more fertile lands. Originally the kingdom is depicted as bad guys due to the kings apparent warmongering, but later on both sides are shown to be guilty of questionable decisions and neither side clearly in the right or the wrong. As in the other story there is a bigger villain that plays a role in later parts of the story.
In this case I'm less apprehensive about assigning a race to one group or the other, since neither side seems, in my mind, to fit as directly into one racial stereotype or have as direct a parallel to something that is always going to be bound associated to racial discussion like colonization has. Still I worry about depicting battle between two racial groups (war will be declared during the story) is always going to be a problem.
The countries will not contain a mixture of different races, limited transportaiton technology and other world building reasons mean each group will be made up almost exclusively of one phenotype. Likewise since these are video games I can't realistically do a blending of skin tones across a nation (with southern being darker then northern). I can do a sharp contrast of one group a different race then the other or nothing at all just due to technically difficulties of doing something more subtle.
So my question is, can/should I try to add some racial diversity by having the different groups be different races? Or should I error on the side of caution and just say both groups lived on the same longitudinal line and thus are roughly the same skin tone (possibly with some other differences between the groups like general height or hair color which I think are safer to write)
If it can be safe to have my existing groups different skin tones then how do I do it in a way that prevents people from reading implication into the choice of race when I'm honestly willing to assign any skin tone to either group and wouldn't be changing their characterization? Should I just not worry about it, pick a race at random for each groups, and ignore the fact that some people will always find ways to be offended in what is written?
characters plot fantasy videogame
asked 4 hours ago
dsollen
1163
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dsollen is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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Must they be human? For that matter, must they be the same species?
– Monica Cellio♦
7 mins ago
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up vote
3
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up vote
3
down vote
favorite
I'm writing fantasy stories in different worlds which do not share any history with our own. I was thinking I wanted to move away from the classic 'all white cast' scenario in most games, by picking one of the groups of people and making them a different skin tone.
I had originally thought this would be easy, in a completely different fantasy world with it's own culture there is no reason I can't pick any random skin tone and give it to a group of people, beyond ensuring they live in right geographic location (ie closeness to the equator) for that tone to have evolved. However, when I actually tried to pick a group of people I ran into the issue that I could see someone making claims that a group is racist or that my game has unfortunate racial implications even though the group was created without consideration for race and any race is effectively an afterthought on my part. It puts me in the awkward situation of feeling it's 'safer' to have no diversity then have diversity that someone can complain about how it's used.
To give an example the story where it came up involves one group (group A) being invaded by another (group B). The protagonist is actually jumping between two versions of the timeline, one a generation in the future, so we can see in the future that group B successful conquered group A and is now ruling over the part of the world. How good a ruler group B is over group A depends on who you ask. The first part of the plot seem a clear cut attempt to stop group B from invading in the 'past' timeline. As time goes on it will be learned that the real problem is both sides are being manipulated into conflict by a third party who will be the real villains of the story.
The story has some parallels to the colonization of the Americas, including a preaching of something like manifest-destiny and the fact that diseases spread by the new contact between the races will take more lives then the actual war took, though in this case the diseases ravished both groups about equally. As such I'm afraid that if I don't keep everyone the same race it will bring up claims that I'm misrepresenting colonization or other claims of unfortunate implications. This seems true regardless of which race I make group A or group B.
To give another, less extreme, example I have a different story with two groups in something of a cold war with each other. The Kingdom has a strong central leadership, a very strong military presence, and rules over a larger area; while the republic has a weak central goverment and only militias, but is more technically advanced and owns more fertile lands. Originally the kingdom is depicted as bad guys due to the kings apparent warmongering, but later on both sides are shown to be guilty of questionable decisions and neither side clearly in the right or the wrong. As in the other story there is a bigger villain that plays a role in later parts of the story.
In this case I'm less apprehensive about assigning a race to one group or the other, since neither side seems, in my mind, to fit as directly into one racial stereotype or have as direct a parallel to something that is always going to be bound associated to racial discussion like colonization has. Still I worry about depicting battle between two racial groups (war will be declared during the story) is always going to be a problem.
The countries will not contain a mixture of different races, limited transportaiton technology and other world building reasons mean each group will be made up almost exclusively of one phenotype. Likewise since these are video games I can't realistically do a blending of skin tones across a nation (with southern being darker then northern). I can do a sharp contrast of one group a different race then the other or nothing at all just due to technically difficulties of doing something more subtle.
So my question is, can/should I try to add some racial diversity by having the different groups be different races? Or should I error on the side of caution and just say both groups lived on the same longitudinal line and thus are roughly the same skin tone (possibly with some other differences between the groups like general height or hair color which I think are safer to write)
If it can be safe to have my existing groups different skin tones then how do I do it in a way that prevents people from reading implication into the choice of race when I'm honestly willing to assign any skin tone to either group and wouldn't be changing their characterization? Should I just not worry about it, pick a race at random for each groups, and ignore the fact that some people will always find ways to be offended in what is written?
characters plot fantasy videogame
asked 4 hours ago
dsollen
1163
New contributor
dsollen is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
I'm writing fantasy stories in different worlds which do not share any history with our own. I was thinking I wanted to move away from the classic 'all white cast' scenario in most games, by picking one of the groups of people and making them a different skin tone.
I had originally thought this would be easy, in a completely different fantasy world with it's own culture there is no reason I can't pick any random skin tone and give it to a group of people, beyond ensuring they live in right geographic location (ie closeness to the equator) for that tone to have evolved. However, when I actually tried to pick a group of people I ran into the issue that I could see someone making claims that a group is racist or that my game has unfortunate racial implications even though the group was created without consideration for race and any race is effectively an afterthought on my part. It puts me in the awkward situation of feeling it's 'safer' to have no diversity then have diversity that someone can complain about how it's used.
To give an example the story where it came up involves one group (group A) being invaded by another (group B). The protagonist is actually jumping between two versions of the timeline, one a generation in the future, so we can see in the future that group B successful conquered group A and is now ruling over the part of the world. How good a ruler group B is over group A depends on who you ask. The first part of the plot seem a clear cut attempt to stop group B from invading in the 'past' timeline. As time goes on it will be learned that the real problem is both sides are being manipulated into conflict by a third party who will be the real villains of the story.
The story has some parallels to the colonization of the Americas, including a preaching of something like manifest-destiny and the fact that diseases spread by the new contact between the races will take more lives then the actual war took, though in this case the diseases ravished both groups about equally. As such I'm afraid that if I don't keep everyone the same race it will bring up claims that I'm misrepresenting colonization or other claims of unfortunate implications. This seems true regardless of which race I make group A or group B.
To give another, less extreme, example I have a different story with two groups in something of a cold war with each other. The Kingdom has a strong central leadership, a very strong military presence, and rules over a larger area; while the republic has a weak central goverment and only militias, but is more technically advanced and owns more fertile lands. Originally the kingdom is depicted as bad guys due to the kings apparent warmongering, but later on both sides are shown to be guilty of questionable decisions and neither side clearly in the right or the wrong. As in the other story there is a bigger villain that plays a role in later parts of the story.
In this case I'm less apprehensive about assigning a race to one group or the other, since neither side seems, in my mind, to fit as directly into one racial stereotype or have as direct a parallel to something that is always going to be bound associated to racial discussion like colonization has. Still I worry about depicting battle between two racial groups (war will be declared during the story) is always going to be a problem.
The countries will not contain a mixture of different races, limited transportaiton technology and other world building reasons mean each group will be made up almost exclusively of one phenotype. Likewise since these are video games I can't realistically do a blending of skin tones across a nation (with southern being darker then northern). I can do a sharp contrast of one group a different race then the other or nothing at all just due to technically difficulties of doing something more subtle.
So my question is, can/should I try to add some racial diversity by having the different groups be different races? Or should I error on the side of caution and just say both groups lived on the same longitudinal line and thus are roughly the same skin tone (possibly with some other differences between the groups like general height or hair color which I think are safer to write)
If it can be safe to have my existing groups different skin tones then how do I do it in a way that prevents people from reading implication into the choice of race when I'm honestly willing to assign any skin tone to either group and wouldn't be changing their characterization? Should I just not worry about it, pick a race at random for each groups, and ignore the fact that some people will always find ways to be offended in what is written?
characters plot fantasy videogame
characters plot fantasy videogame
asked 4 hours ago
dsollen
1163
New contributor
dsollen is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 4 hours ago
dsollen
1163
New contributor
dsollen is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 4 hours ago
dsollen
1163
New contributor
dsollen is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 4 hours ago
dsollen
1163
asked 4 hours ago
dsollen
1163
1163
New contributor
dsollen is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
dsollen is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
dsollen is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Must they be human? For that matter, must they be the same species?
– Monica Cellio♦
7 mins ago
add a comment |Â
Must they be human? For that matter, must they be the same species?
– Monica Cellio♦
7 mins ago
Must they be human? For that matter, must they be the same species?
– Monica Cellio♦
7 mins ago
Must they be human? For that matter, must they be the same species?
– Monica Cellio♦
7 mins ago
add a comment |Â
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
up vote
1
down vote
I feel like your question of "race" based on skin tone is misplaced, though your core idea is a solid one. Take for instance your Group A and Group B. One is the conqueror and the other is subjugated. The color of their skin probably doesn't have anything to do with the situation in the way we think of it in our world. However, each group's sense of "the other" is key to their perspective and how they would interact to someone outside their group. That's the core of racism in our society, and it really has little to do with the particular color of someone's skin; we, as a whole, look for ways to differentiate "us" from "them".
So maybe you can figure out ways to differentiate one type of people from another visually, such as manner of dress, that will work in a very-visual video game setting. Maybe everyone from Group A wears a particular type of hat, and Group B a particular color of coat.
answered 3 hours ago
J.D. Ray
25238
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
Why is it necessary to mention skin tone at all? Can't you let the reader assume whatever they wish to see?
I have written multiple books without mentioning anything about the race of the characters. My narrator never describes them, they are only described by other characters (in thought or dialogue), and that never mentions race either.
The only reason to mention race is if race matters to the story, and if what you want is a story without racism, just be "post-racial" and do not mention the race or "skin tone" of any character, ever. It is not necessary to the story so you shouldn't care, or insist that the reader see the same skin tone you see. If you do insist upon that, then race actually DOES matter to you that the reader see one character as White and another as black or Asian or Hispanic or Indian, you should let go of that. Or, change your mind and have their skin tone matter to the story, since it matters to you.
answered 3 hours ago
Amadeus
40.2k247131
1
Psst, Videogame. Visual medium. The association between race and skin colour isn't as straight-forward as Americans would have it, (for instance, we Jews come in all colours, and are a "race" unto ourselves, if you accept the concept of race at all), but with skin colour right before your eyes, you can't "assume" as you see fit. ;)
– Galastel
3 hours ago
@Galastel Yeah, I missed that....
– Amadeus
56 mins ago
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up vote
1
down vote
Videogame, in a fantasy world that isn't our world. Why not make people blue, red, green? Who says their biology and skin colours have to conform to earth's? In fact, then you'd have a number of "races" (whatever "race" means), but you wouldn't be in any way tied to earth's stereotypes.
You definitely don't want to make all people pale-skinned. You do that, a whole lot of earth's population are going to feel excluded, and rightly so. There's already lots and lots of content that's all-white.
Many videogames I see nowadays (the Dragon Age and Mass Effect sagas are the example I most often turn to) have a slider for skin colour - goes from ghost-white to deep black, with all possible shades of brown in between. Both aforementioned sagas sort of ignore geographical realism completely, and just stick people of all colours wherever. I'm quite comfortable with this approach. I mean, why not? And even if it screws realism a bit, we're prepared to suspend our disbelief enough to accept magic, and health made of hitpoints. (Just think of how absurd the last one is.) If we accept that, why shouldn't we accept varied skin colours?
I also believe you are somewhat mistaken when you talk about means of transportation not allowing "racial mixing". Trade caravans existed from times immemorial. As long as you've got some sort of a pack animal, you've got those. Goods were travelling all the way from India to the Mediterranean ~1000BCE. We've got archaeological evidence of that (stones and metals that could only be found in place A, or goods exclusively manufactured in place A, found in place B). If goods travelled, so did people. And if people travelled, they also stayed, and had children. Considering that, a rather mixed population is not entirely unlikely. In particular, while the distinction between Scotland and the Sahara is rather sharp, people in, say, Iran, would have a much higher diversity of skin colours.
answered 3 hours ago
Galastel
17.5k346100
add a comment |Â
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
1
down vote
I feel like your question of "race" based on skin tone is misplaced, though your core idea is a solid one. Take for instance your Group A and Group B. One is the conqueror and the other is subjugated. The color of their skin probably doesn't have anything to do with the situation in the way we think of it in our world. However, each group's sense of "the other" is key to their perspective and how they would interact to someone outside their group. That's the core of racism in our society, and it really has little to do with the particular color of someone's skin; we, as a whole, look for ways to differentiate "us" from "them".
So maybe you can figure out ways to differentiate one type of people from another visually, such as manner of dress, that will work in a very-visual video game setting. Maybe everyone from Group A wears a particular type of hat, and Group B a particular color of coat.
answered 3 hours ago
J.D. Ray
25238
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
I feel like your question of "race" based on skin tone is misplaced, though your core idea is a solid one. Take for instance your Group A and Group B. One is the conqueror and the other is subjugated. The color of their skin probably doesn't have anything to do with the situation in the way we think of it in our world. However, each group's sense of "the other" is key to their perspective and how they would interact to someone outside their group. That's the core of racism in our society, and it really has little to do with the particular color of someone's skin; we, as a whole, look for ways to differentiate "us" from "them".
So maybe you can figure out ways to differentiate one type of people from another visually, such as manner of dress, that will work in a very-visual video game setting. Maybe everyone from Group A wears a particular type of hat, and Group B a particular color of coat.
answered 3 hours ago
J.D. Ray
25238
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
up vote
1
down vote
I feel like your question of "race" based on skin tone is misplaced, though your core idea is a solid one. Take for instance your Group A and Group B. One is the conqueror and the other is subjugated. The color of their skin probably doesn't have anything to do with the situation in the way we think of it in our world. However, each group's sense of "the other" is key to their perspective and how they would interact to someone outside their group. That's the core of racism in our society, and it really has little to do with the particular color of someone's skin; we, as a whole, look for ways to differentiate "us" from "them".
So maybe you can figure out ways to differentiate one type of people from another visually, such as manner of dress, that will work in a very-visual video game setting. Maybe everyone from Group A wears a particular type of hat, and Group B a particular color of coat.
answered 3 hours ago
J.D. Ray
25238
I feel like your question of "race" based on skin tone is misplaced, though your core idea is a solid one. Take for instance your Group A and Group B. One is the conqueror and the other is subjugated. The color of their skin probably doesn't have anything to do with the situation in the way we think of it in our world. However, each group's sense of "the other" is key to their perspective and how they would interact to someone outside their group. That's the core of racism in our society, and it really has little to do with the particular color of someone's skin; we, as a whole, look for ways to differentiate "us" from "them".
So maybe you can figure out ways to differentiate one type of people from another visually, such as manner of dress, that will work in a very-visual video game setting. Maybe everyone from Group A wears a particular type of hat, and Group B a particular color of coat.
answered 3 hours ago
J.D. Ray
25238
answered 3 hours ago
J.D. Ray
25238
answered 3 hours ago
J.D. Ray
25238
answered 3 hours ago
J.D. Ray
25238
25238
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
Why is it necessary to mention skin tone at all? Can't you let the reader assume whatever they wish to see?
I have written multiple books without mentioning anything about the race of the characters. My narrator never describes them, they are only described by other characters (in thought or dialogue), and that never mentions race either.
The only reason to mention race is if race matters to the story, and if what you want is a story without racism, just be "post-racial" and do not mention the race or "skin tone" of any character, ever. It is not necessary to the story so you shouldn't care, or insist that the reader see the same skin tone you see. If you do insist upon that, then race actually DOES matter to you that the reader see one character as White and another as black or Asian or Hispanic or Indian, you should let go of that. Or, change your mind and have their skin tone matter to the story, since it matters to you.
answered 3 hours ago
Amadeus
40.2k247131
1
Psst, Videogame. Visual medium. The association between race and skin colour isn't as straight-forward as Americans would have it, (for instance, we Jews come in all colours, and are a "race" unto ourselves, if you accept the concept of race at all), but with skin colour right before your eyes, you can't "assume" as you see fit. ;)
– Galastel
3 hours ago
@Galastel Yeah, I missed that....
– Amadeus
56 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
Why is it necessary to mention skin tone at all? Can't you let the reader assume whatever they wish to see?
I have written multiple books without mentioning anything about the race of the characters. My narrator never describes them, they are only described by other characters (in thought or dialogue), and that never mentions race either.
The only reason to mention race is if race matters to the story, and if what you want is a story without racism, just be "post-racial" and do not mention the race or "skin tone" of any character, ever. It is not necessary to the story so you shouldn't care, or insist that the reader see the same skin tone you see. If you do insist upon that, then race actually DOES matter to you that the reader see one character as White and another as black or Asian or Hispanic or Indian, you should let go of that. Or, change your mind and have their skin tone matter to the story, since it matters to you.
answered 3 hours ago
Amadeus
40.2k247131
1
Psst, Videogame. Visual medium. The association between race and skin colour isn't as straight-forward as Americans would have it, (for instance, we Jews come in all colours, and are a "race" unto ourselves, if you accept the concept of race at all), but with skin colour right before your eyes, you can't "assume" as you see fit. ;)
– Galastel
3 hours ago
@Galastel Yeah, I missed that....
– Amadeus
56 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
up vote
1
down vote
Why is it necessary to mention skin tone at all? Can't you let the reader assume whatever they wish to see?
I have written multiple books without mentioning anything about the race of the characters. My narrator never describes them, they are only described by other characters (in thought or dialogue), and that never mentions race either.
The only reason to mention race is if race matters to the story, and if what you want is a story without racism, just be "post-racial" and do not mention the race or "skin tone" of any character, ever. It is not necessary to the story so you shouldn't care, or insist that the reader see the same skin tone you see. If you do insist upon that, then race actually DOES matter to you that the reader see one character as White and another as black or Asian or Hispanic or Indian, you should let go of that. Or, change your mind and have their skin tone matter to the story, since it matters to you.
answered 3 hours ago
Amadeus
40.2k247131
Why is it necessary to mention skin tone at all? Can't you let the reader assume whatever they wish to see?
I have written multiple books without mentioning anything about the race of the characters. My narrator never describes them, they are only described by other characters (in thought or dialogue), and that never mentions race either.
The only reason to mention race is if race matters to the story, and if what you want is a story without racism, just be "post-racial" and do not mention the race or "skin tone" of any character, ever. It is not necessary to the story so you shouldn't care, or insist that the reader see the same skin tone you see. If you do insist upon that, then race actually DOES matter to you that the reader see one character as White and another as black or Asian or Hispanic or Indian, you should let go of that. Or, change your mind and have their skin tone matter to the story, since it matters to you.
answered 3 hours ago
Amadeus
40.2k247131
answered 3 hours ago
Amadeus
40.2k247131
answered 3 hours ago
Amadeus
40.2k247131
answered 3 hours ago
Amadeus
40.2k247131
40.2k247131
1
Psst, Videogame. Visual medium. The association between race and skin colour isn't as straight-forward as Americans would have it, (for instance, we Jews come in all colours, and are a "race" unto ourselves, if you accept the concept of race at all), but with skin colour right before your eyes, you can't "assume" as you see fit. ;)
– Galastel
3 hours ago
@Galastel Yeah, I missed that....
– Amadeus
56 mins ago
add a comment |Â
1
Psst, Videogame. Visual medium. The association between race and skin colour isn't as straight-forward as Americans would have it, (for instance, we Jews come in all colours, and are a "race" unto ourselves, if you accept the concept of race at all), but with skin colour right before your eyes, you can't "assume" as you see fit. ;)
– Galastel
3 hours ago
@Galastel Yeah, I missed that....
– Amadeus
56 mins ago
1
1
Psst, Videogame. Visual medium. The association between race and skin colour isn't as straight-forward as Americans would have it, (for instance, we Jews come in all colours, and are a "race" unto ourselves, if you accept the concept of race at all), but with skin colour right before your eyes, you can't "assume" as you see fit. ;)
– Galastel
3 hours ago
Psst, Videogame. Visual medium. The association between race and skin colour isn't as straight-forward as Americans would have it, (for instance, we Jews come in all colours, and are a "race" unto ourselves, if you accept the concept of race at all), but with skin colour right before your eyes, you can't "assume" as you see fit. ;)
– Galastel
3 hours ago
@Galastel Yeah, I missed that....
– Amadeus
56 mins ago
@Galastel Yeah, I missed that....
– Amadeus
56 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
Videogame, in a fantasy world that isn't our world. Why not make people blue, red, green? Who says their biology and skin colours have to conform to earth's? In fact, then you'd have a number of "races" (whatever "race" means), but you wouldn't be in any way tied to earth's stereotypes.
You definitely don't want to make all people pale-skinned. You do that, a whole lot of earth's population are going to feel excluded, and rightly so. There's already lots and lots of content that's all-white.
Many videogames I see nowadays (the Dragon Age and Mass Effect sagas are the example I most often turn to) have a slider for skin colour - goes from ghost-white to deep black, with all possible shades of brown in between. Both aforementioned sagas sort of ignore geographical realism completely, and just stick people of all colours wherever. I'm quite comfortable with this approach. I mean, why not? And even if it screws realism a bit, we're prepared to suspend our disbelief enough to accept magic, and health made of hitpoints. (Just think of how absurd the last one is.) If we accept that, why shouldn't we accept varied skin colours?
I also believe you are somewhat mistaken when you talk about means of transportation not allowing "racial mixing". Trade caravans existed from times immemorial. As long as you've got some sort of a pack animal, you've got those. Goods were travelling all the way from India to the Mediterranean ~1000BCE. We've got archaeological evidence of that (stones and metals that could only be found in place A, or goods exclusively manufactured in place A, found in place B). If goods travelled, so did people. And if people travelled, they also stayed, and had children. Considering that, a rather mixed population is not entirely unlikely. In particular, while the distinction between Scotland and the Sahara is rather sharp, people in, say, Iran, would have a much higher diversity of skin colours.
answered 3 hours ago
Galastel
17.5k346100
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
Videogame, in a fantasy world that isn't our world. Why not make people blue, red, green? Who says their biology and skin colours have to conform to earth's? In fact, then you'd have a number of "races" (whatever "race" means), but you wouldn't be in any way tied to earth's stereotypes.
You definitely don't want to make all people pale-skinned. You do that, a whole lot of earth's population are going to feel excluded, and rightly so. There's already lots and lots of content that's all-white.
Many videogames I see nowadays (the Dragon Age and Mass Effect sagas are the example I most often turn to) have a slider for skin colour - goes from ghost-white to deep black, with all possible shades of brown in between. Both aforementioned sagas sort of ignore geographical realism completely, and just stick people of all colours wherever. I'm quite comfortable with this approach. I mean, why not? And even if it screws realism a bit, we're prepared to suspend our disbelief enough to accept magic, and health made of hitpoints. (Just think of how absurd the last one is.) If we accept that, why shouldn't we accept varied skin colours?
I also believe you are somewhat mistaken when you talk about means of transportation not allowing "racial mixing". Trade caravans existed from times immemorial. As long as you've got some sort of a pack animal, you've got those. Goods were travelling all the way from India to the Mediterranean ~1000BCE. We've got archaeological evidence of that (stones and metals that could only be found in place A, or goods exclusively manufactured in place A, found in place B). If goods travelled, so did people. And if people travelled, they also stayed, and had children. Considering that, a rather mixed population is not entirely unlikely. In particular, while the distinction between Scotland and the Sahara is rather sharp, people in, say, Iran, would have a much higher diversity of skin colours.
answered 3 hours ago
Galastel
17.5k346100
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
up vote
1
down vote
Videogame, in a fantasy world that isn't our world. Why not make people blue, red, green? Who says their biology and skin colours have to conform to earth's? In fact, then you'd have a number of "races" (whatever "race" means), but you wouldn't be in any way tied to earth's stereotypes.
You definitely don't want to make all people pale-skinned. You do that, a whole lot of earth's population are going to feel excluded, and rightly so. There's already lots and lots of content that's all-white.
Many videogames I see nowadays (the Dragon Age and Mass Effect sagas are the example I most often turn to) have a slider for skin colour - goes from ghost-white to deep black, with all possible shades of brown in between. Both aforementioned sagas sort of ignore geographical realism completely, and just stick people of all colours wherever. I'm quite comfortable with this approach. I mean, why not? And even if it screws realism a bit, we're prepared to suspend our disbelief enough to accept magic, and health made of hitpoints. (Just think of how absurd the last one is.) If we accept that, why shouldn't we accept varied skin colours?
I also believe you are somewhat mistaken when you talk about means of transportation not allowing "racial mixing". Trade caravans existed from times immemorial. As long as you've got some sort of a pack animal, you've got those. Goods were travelling all the way from India to the Mediterranean ~1000BCE. We've got archaeological evidence of that (stones and metals that could only be found in place A, or goods exclusively manufactured in place A, found in place B). If goods travelled, so did people. And if people travelled, they also stayed, and had children. Considering that, a rather mixed population is not entirely unlikely. In particular, while the distinction between Scotland and the Sahara is rather sharp, people in, say, Iran, would have a much higher diversity of skin colours.
answered 3 hours ago
Galastel
17.5k346100
Videogame, in a fantasy world that isn't our world. Why not make people blue, red, green? Who says their biology and skin colours have to conform to earth's? In fact, then you'd have a number of "races" (whatever "race" means), but you wouldn't be in any way tied to earth's stereotypes.
You definitely don't want to make all people pale-skinned. You do that, a whole lot of earth's population are going to feel excluded, and rightly so. There's already lots and lots of content that's all-white.
Many videogames I see nowadays (the Dragon Age and Mass Effect sagas are the example I most often turn to) have a slider for skin colour - goes from ghost-white to deep black, with all possible shades of brown in between. Both aforementioned sagas sort of ignore geographical realism completely, and just stick people of all colours wherever. I'm quite comfortable with this approach. I mean, why not? And even if it screws realism a bit, we're prepared to suspend our disbelief enough to accept magic, and health made of hitpoints. (Just think of how absurd the last one is.) If we accept that, why shouldn't we accept varied skin colours?
I also believe you are somewhat mistaken when you talk about means of transportation not allowing "racial mixing". Trade caravans existed from times immemorial. As long as you've got some sort of a pack animal, you've got those. Goods were travelling all the way from India to the Mediterranean ~1000BCE. We've got archaeological evidence of that (stones and metals that could only be found in place A, or goods exclusively manufactured in place A, found in place B). If goods travelled, so did people. And if people travelled, they also stayed, and had children. Considering that, a rather mixed population is not entirely unlikely. In particular, while the distinction between Scotland and the Sahara is rather sharp, people in, say, Iran, would have a much higher diversity of skin colours.
answered 3 hours ago
Galastel
17.5k346100
answered 3 hours ago
Galastel
17.5k346100
answered 3 hours ago
Galastel
17.5k346100
answered 3 hours ago
Galastel
17.5k346100
17.5k346100
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
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Must they be human? For that matter, must they be the same species?
– Monica Cellio♦
7 mins ago