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Talk:Races: Difference between revisions
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→The note about these being species is objectively false
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Currently, the page notes "Note: Baldur's Gate 3 does not use the term "race" the way it's used in common English. Races in the game are more akin to species.". That is not objective data for a Wiki. It is objectively false in the Forgotten Realms: '''these Humanoid races can reproduce between each other''', including Elf/Orc for example, you name it (it is not as clear for Halfings and Gnomes though). Dwarf/Human or Dwarf/Orc is also possible, though some older books made them sterile, they are a viable mixed heritage in the Forgotten Realms ([https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Half-dwarf source]). '''Whereas species generally do not reproduce well together and have less "mixity"'''. | Currently, the page notes "Note: Baldur's Gate 3 does not use the term "race" the way it's used in common English. Races in the game are more akin to species.". That is not objective data for a Wiki. It is objectively false in the Forgotten Realms: '''these Humanoid races can reproduce between each other''', including Elf/Orc for example, you name it (it is not as clear for Halfings and Gnomes though). Dwarf/Human or Dwarf/Orc is also possible, though some older books made them sterile, they are a viable mixed heritage in the Forgotten Realms ([https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Half-dwarf source]). '''Whereas species generally do not reproduce well together and have less "mixity"'''. | ||
The company ''Wizard of the Coast'' switched to the term species because the term race is loaded with real-life issues. '''Calling them species is oddly not a progress nor better''' at all: not only is reproduction sometimes impossible between species, or generate children who cannot reproduce, but having only "pure" Elves, in reaction to the fact that the term "half-Elf" can be pejorative, is ironically not a progress. WotC flushed mixed origins in the 2024 revision: how is that a progress? Valuing mixed heritages would be the true progressive approach! The solution to avoid both those terms (race and species) is well known from many RPG games, who instead write heritages, mixed heritages, origins, etc. | The company ''Wizard of the Coast'' switched to the term species because the term race is loaded with real-life issues. '''Calling them species is oddly not a progress nor better''' at all: not only is reproduction sometimes impossible between species, or generate children who cannot reproduce, but having only "pure" Elves, in reaction to the fact that the term "half-Elf" can be pejorative, is ironically not a progress. WotC flushed mixed origins in the 2024 revision: how is that a progress? Valuing mixed heritages would be the true progressive approach! Such as the common Elf/Human mixed heritages (and not using the term half-Elf). The solution to avoid both those terms (race and species) is well known from many RPG games, who instead write heritages, mixed heritages, origins, etc. | ||
Reminder: in real life, there is only one single Human race (Homo Sapiens) and species (scientific consensus). Physical differences between regions are actually called phenotypes as they are superficial. The deeper differences are cultural. | Reminder: in real life, there is only one single Human race (Homo Sapiens) and species (scientific consensus). Physical differences between regions are actually called phenotypes as they are superficial. The deeper differences are cultural. | ||
Anyhow, back to the topic of BG3 : they are logically races of the Humanoid species (not super clearly stated, but we know they can reproduce), though the lore of their origins can be very different. You can therefore imagine why that note should probably be removed. | Anyhow, back to the topic of BG3 : they are logically races of the Humanoid species (not super clearly stated, but we know they can reproduce), though the lore of their origins can be very different. You can therefore imagine why that note should probably be removed. | ||