Add black people to the character creation process

[eyerobot 202]

I can see why people don't want to be a different color ingame than they are in real life. It's just plain weird.  Unless your one of those people that likes making toons that are the wrong gender, and everything else. then you might not mind it. +1 for a proper set of character choices.

[Klaa 4,872]

Keep in mind during this whole discussion there's a difference between racist and being prejudice. Not to mention bigotry in general.

[Drayka 485]

Back when there were lots of hand mirrors still floating about, and I was considering an alt for the first time, I checked what skin-tones were available again.

 

My first character, I made look like my caucasian self as much as possible. For an alt, I was considering an X-men-Storm lookalike to be a Mag priest. I thought the dark skin tone and platinum blonde hair would be awesome. Not available with current options.

 

While I can understand reluctance to open up the possibility of race-related debates, I would like to point out that not only those of a darker skin tone would wish to use this option in a positive manner.

 

I have created and role-played a male alt. It is enlightening to be viewed and interacted with as someone different to who you really are. The idea only really occured to me to try out because everyone on chat was assuming I was a guy anyway, but role-playing a male truly highlights what assumptions we make in social interactions.

 

I think those that don't want to be assumed to be black and open themselves up to racism simply won't choose the option. As Wurm is already a place where you can't assume someone's gender based on their character gender, and I still get people assuming I'm a guy playing a girl even in person, why not make it just as difficult to assume you are correct about someone's RL colour ?

 

If the devs are worried that the true dark-skinned player base will be in a minority and get abuse, they should make it known that they all have a dark-skinned alt running around somewhere, so mind your manners. Surely it would be better to promote the fact that you can't make assumptions based on skin-colour, than hide from the issue as if it's an acceptable evil in the world that we all have to live around and be in fear of ?

[GorgonKain 355]

If we were "just Wurmian", yes return everyone to the same weird lumberjack model, or in my case, some weird pasty vampire thing....

 

It is a much larger can of Wurms to exclude, rather than include. As with every other online game, there will be those who will abuse it, and they should be punished accordingly, but beyond that, most people not on the internet have moved away from blatant racism. If you can not handle the consequences of inclusion, you should be exlcuding everyone and indeed making us some fantasy color that everyone thinks is weird and gross, but identifies you as exclusively Wurmian.  

[Kristoff 56]

I think skin tones in game should cover most of the different peoples of Earth. +1

Now, this suggestion could have used less "OMG DO EET NAO" and a bit more explanation such as referring to nationalities or at least you own personal opinion in the OP... That's probably why this thread was trolled..

Edited July 18, 2014 by Kristoff

[Theodis 338]

Yes.  There is seriously no reason not to do this.  Probably would take a few mins to get it implemented.  Was there this much of a ruckus when female characters were added?  Was there fears that suddenly everyone would become sexist misogynistic pricks that weren't already ones?

 

 

I have created and role-played a male alt. It is enlightening to be viewed and interacted with as someone different to who you really are. The idea only really occured to me to try out because everyone on chat was assuming I was a guy anyway, but role-playing a male truly highlights what assumptions we make in social interactions.

Edited July 18, 2014 by Theodis

[MsInformative 86]

And asians, maybe even jewish people?

[Tissotx 217]

Wonder how many that +1 was voting that for pure selfish reasons that they get a much better camouflage on pvp server by have a darker skin tone.

I also want be shorter ingame, so it's harder to hover your mouse over me to click target.

Compare spotting Unicorns in the forest versus Anacondas.

 

A fair solution is that during summer season, every player gets a darker tan skin colour, but at winter everyone goes pale whiter than normal for lack of vitamin-D.

[Youngsoldier 282]

^ That is so convoluted...

 

Spotting anything in the forest is the same for pvpers, we just run and hover the mouse around looking for a red outline... Even if you are "camouflaged" by a tree you see the red outline, mate.

 

Maybe they +1 it because it isnt 1950 anymore...

[Xor 684]

Wonder how many that +1 was voting that for pure selfish reasons that they get a much better camouflage on pvp server by have a darker skin tone.

I also want be shorter ingame, so it's harder to hover your mouse over me to click target.

You realize people PVPing wear armor, which will make their skin color, and any 'camouflage' non-existent right?

 

Compare spotting Unicorns in the forest versus Anacondas.

. . . anacondas!? seriously.. they're a snake, they are under a foot high . . terrible example

 

A fair solution is that during summer season, every player gets a darker tan skin colour, but at winter everyone goes pale whiter than normal for lack of vitamin-D.

Forcing people to be a skin color they haven't chosen isn't fair, regardless of your attempt at a RL excuse

[san_tropez 394]

I'd rather see some racial diversity depending on what kingdom you were "born" in, instead of some hamfisted tan

Edited July 18, 2014 by san_tropez

[Farmerbob 369]

Despite looking a whole lot more European than Native American, I've got a pretty decent chunk of Algonquin and Iroquois in me. I didn't create any of my characters with my heritage in mind, but I wouldn't mind the option of doing so. If I'm not mistaken, there was a bronze-red color available in the mirror, so I think I, personally, might be able to create a Native American skin tone character if I wanted to. I believe everyone should be able to create a self-identifying character, if they so wish.

I simply do not understand how it's possible for anyone to argue against it. Skin color is merely an adaptation to various levels of sunlight. I can see no possible, plausible, negative effect to allowing it in game.

The only possible implausible reasons against it in a game setting are based on a LACK of lore, which can be used to either argue for, or against. I would say that giving people the option to create the characters they want should swing the vote here.

Edited July 18, 2014 by Farmerbob

[KunAlt 844]

You say 'Jewish' like they are a race. 'Israeli' would be more correct and that's still white. Look a little East from Israel and you'll go into brown tans of Syria and Iran, etc.

[Leroy 315]

+1

I look forward to the first ban for offensive name.

while we are at it, where is the lgbt handicapped little person with the sunny disposition option? totally unfair.

[MsInformative 86]

Jewish is a religion, israeli is a nationality just saying.

Edited July 18, 2014 by MsInformative

[AndreC 48]

I think this would be good. Kind of disappointing when i couldn't be black. Just sayin'.

 

I mean, if you have customer characterizaion, skin color is a pretty basic part of it. It never bothered me to not have it, but its good if we do.

[Stormblade 614]

-1

 

Based on that I don't need some in game avatar to reflect my skin tone and who I am as a human being.

Edited July 19, 2014 by Stormblade

[Farmerbob 369]

Ah, I guess the phobia settings could be adjusted to make everyone look white, for the people who seem to have a problem with the idea of black characters.  Or purple or green characters for that matter.  If they aren't the color of over-proofed pizza dough, they are scary!

 

The art team is consistently FAR ahead of implementation.  Having them work on some additional skin tones wouldn't hurt a thing, and could only help.  While they are at it, a few more customization options, as suggested above, certainly wouldn't hurt.  Except glasses.  Because there is no glass in Wurm.  Except spyglasses, of course.

 

The arguments against skin tone additions are meaningless.  That doesn't mean it has to happen, but people, please stop trying to create some sort of meaningful argument where none can possibly exist.

 

If Rolf chooses not to ask the art team to devote resources and time to create more skin tones, then that's his decision, but there's no existing lore or out-of-game reason why it shouldn't happen.  There are only three things that should be considered here.

 

1) Does it go against game lore?  No

2) Is it something that some players want? Yes

3) Does Rolf want to devote the resources to make it happen? Unknown.

 

Any other reasoning is bunk, trolling, ignorance, or racism.

 

The only argument I've heard that comes anywhere close to making any sort of sense is that people might make "funny" characters with "funny" names.   To those people, I have to ask, have you ever been around a group of newbies when they discover the fart emote and local begins to sound like a bean-powered symphony orchestra?  If you can deal with that, you can deal with an offensive name long enough to report it.

[Spolmit 620]

I think that the request will happen eventually, however, I would much rather have the coders / designers working on bridges and things that would improve the experience of Wurm rather than some giving me more avatar options. To be honest, I have not even used my mirrors to alter my avatar(s)- I have never seen what Spolmit looks like and I don't care what I look like- but I would like to connect my little island to the mainland.

[Youngsoldier 282]

It really is not alot of work, the system is already in place... Im not too shocked by some of the responses here, hopefully the devs aren't of that mind...

[Cunk 45]

Change all the player textures to have NO skin color.  Everyone's skin is transparent.  All you see are layers of muscle and fat and veins.

[Elen 1,013]

I would certainly support a realistic cross section of earthly races ... if I had a reason to think it was earth.

If it is, so be it. If not, same deal.

[Mordraug 2,542]

Modify player avatars to have long ears, call us all Elves, and end this silly debate.  Can always add Drows too wth.

 

This can only degenerate into a frenzy of people being racist, overly sensitive, and harassment flying back and forth in-game over skin color because, let's face it, this is the internet (both in and out of game).

 

This is where I have to give kudoes to "little people" and disabled people for not demanding irl-accurate avatars, unlike everyone who wants their ethnicity represented in games (don't ask me about my ethnicity, would be a bit of a text wall).  Hell, I have to congratulate the overall Wurmian vegetarian population for not demanding that meals that use no animal by-products be coded into the game.... Kudoes to Jews and Muslims also, for not demanding that a "(non)Kosher/Halal" label being added to ingame food items.......

 

In short, play the game, keep the racial and religious arguments for anybleepinwhere else BUT games.  This is a place to get away from real life, or I'd be posting threads encouraging players to make sure that stuff they buy in game doesn't come from a player living in ((((country violating this or that international law)))) 

[Othob Rithol 700]

Sorry, logic failure on that part.

 

Your argument might hold true if everyone was purely nordic white (like it used to be) but already alternate skin tones were added. Unless there is some huge problem on a server with racism towards people using the tan skin, you're making it up as you go.

 

Of the common human skin tones, one was omitted. It should be added.

 

There is no accusation of racism here, just pointing out an oversight.

[Tiu 160]

I don't understand why this needs to be such a massive issue here. Almost every other game in which you can customize your character, you can pick from many skin tones. Hell some give you a whole colour wheel (okay maybe sci-fi games mostly). This must be the only game in the world where people will argue against something so bloody ubiquitous everywhere else.

 

In my opinion, this is nothing to do with "real-life" prejudices or any of that silly rubbish. It's a simple fact of biology. The amount of melanin in your skin cells determines your skin colour, simple as. Wurm has deserts, people living in hot arid places tend to have been naturally selected to produce more melanin. It's not rocket science to come to the conclusion that there might actually be some natural variation involved here.

 

Racism is already covered under the current ruleset, if a minority of small minded individuals CHOOSE to break a rule they should be dealt with accordingly. The small minded attitude of a few potential people should not be a factor in this in the slightest.

 

A knee-jerk reaction to prevent a possible future problem which is already covered by the game rules is no justification not to implement this.