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Writing Group / Re: Get rid of all the elves?
« on: January 30, 2009, 07:11:58 AM »
I think I've changed my mind on this subject quite a bit over the years. At one point I was a huge fan of the traditional elves, but at another I was very much against them. For a while I thought they were only cool if you gave them a twist to make them different. Right now, I'd say I don't really care. I personally don't care to include them in any books I'm writing, but I'm not going to reject a book just because it has elves.
I think that it depends a lot on the situation. In a book, as I said, I don't really care. Include elves, exclude elves, whatever. I play a lot of games, though. I also like to design games (mostly roleplaying games). I have noticed that in fantasy games, the traditional elves, dwarves, etc. seem to work best. They can have twists (for example, the warcraft setting takes a different angle on a lot of them), but I tend to like them more when they stick with what we're used to. In a book, where you have time to learn about and familiarize yourself with unique races, it's different from a game, where you've got to play with a race you are unfamiliar with. Even a well written rpg isn't going to give you as much insight into an original race that they've invented as a few chapters of a book will. (however, I'm going to have to admit that there are exceptions with games, too. At least, I'd hope so, because I realize that none of the races in an rpg I'm working on are traditional. )
Vampires, though. I'm sick of vampires.
I think that it depends a lot on the situation. In a book, as I said, I don't really care. Include elves, exclude elves, whatever. I play a lot of games, though. I also like to design games (mostly roleplaying games). I have noticed that in fantasy games, the traditional elves, dwarves, etc. seem to work best. They can have twists (for example, the warcraft setting takes a different angle on a lot of them), but I tend to like them more when they stick with what we're used to. In a book, where you have time to learn about and familiarize yourself with unique races, it's different from a game, where you've got to play with a race you are unfamiliar with. Even a well written rpg isn't going to give you as much insight into an original race that they've invented as a few chapters of a book will. (however, I'm going to have to admit that there are exceptions with games, too. At least, I'd hope so, because I realize that none of the races in an rpg I'm working on are traditional. )
Vampires, though. I'm sick of vampires.