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Author Topic: Less goblin assimilation  (Read 1473 times)

Dovale

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Re: Less goblin assimilation
« Reply #15 on: July 13, 2014, 05:48:44 pm »

I don't think there's anything wrong with the "generic" fantasy consideration that certain species are psychologically disposed to certain behaviors. Dogs are outgoing, cats are reserved, mice are skittish. Goblins are like....wolverines. Or tasmanian devils. Their ecological niche has been to expand at any cost, and to exploit the resources of other sentients wherever possible, and their entire society as been built around it and dedicated to it. I can certainly see the possibility of finding an orphan or what have you, but Goblin-kind is the universal enemy of all free people. Their civic duty is to Always Be Attacking. Their culture demands that they attack anyone who isn't actively giving them things, or possibly another goblin. Even if you found a goblin you educated and taught to understand the basics of ethics and moral responsibility, everyone else in your entire city/realm/civilization has only ever seen one, or maybe two kinds of goblins before.

If they're very lucky, and very humble, they've only seen the ones who come to steal their children.

Predisposed shouldn't mean predetermined. Variety is always nice. If all individuals of a kin are similar, there won't be many interesting characters. Not saying goblins shouldn't be evil or mischievous, but would be nice to see them in more roles: reckless marauder, cowardly turncoat, shady merchant, petty thief, shortchanger, street mime,  etc.
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palu

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Re: Less goblin assimilation
« Reply #16 on: July 13, 2014, 09:34:24 pm »

I personally would love to see a goblin that's been raised in a dwarf civ struggle with his evil nature. He doesn't want to become a psychopath, and has adopted dwarven culture, but there's still some of his goblin nature in him, and someday, he might just snap...
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Hmph, palu showing off that reading-the-instructions superpower.
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Aquillion

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Re: Less goblin assimilation
« Reply #17 on: July 14, 2014, 12:19:09 am »

I think that tolerance should be a cultural value that varies from culture to culture; some cultures are ultra-tolerant and become rainbow coalitions of Dwarves, Elves, Goblins, and Kobolds all working together towards a common goal, while others are rigidly xenophobic and treat other races as enemies.

In general more variety is best.  Making everyone xenophobic would be a terrible idea, because it would lead to more same-y, less interesting worlds; but making it a culture value that varies from place to place and world to world would be cool.
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We don't want another cheap fantasy universe, we want a cheap fantasy universe generator. --Toady One
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