Discussion about this post

User's avatar
G. M. (Mark) Baker's avatar

There are a fairly small number of archetypes. What is a creature of light to be but an elf? A creature of darkness, but a goblin? A creature of fire but a dragon? A creature of earth but a dwarf? A creature of water but a mermaid? A creature of the air but an eagle? Who can be wise but a wizard, who brave but a knight, who fair but a princess, who virtuous but a prince, who dark but a dark lord? Who can rightfully rule but a king?

You can change the names, but the players remain the same. No one is fooled. The archetypes are too ancient and too primitive to be invented; they can only be dressed in the raiment of their offices according to some particular turn of fashion.

How then could the world they inhabit be any but the world they have always inhabited?

Expand full comment
Ester's avatar

Good analysis, as always! I'm currently playing Metaphor: ReFantazio, a game which has been praised for eschewing standard fantasy races and creating new ones from scratch. Personally, I find it mostly confusing to be dropped into a setting with ten or twelve different new races, right in the middle of the capital where all of them are present, and no way to tell who's what or what their general social role is... (The game keeps telling me that four races are considered "lesser", but hardly ever shows it beyond over-the-top racist comments or preachy sermons.) Using standard races would have worked better, I think.

Expand full comment
9 more comments...

No posts