Race is a tricky thing. I don’t feel like it should be thrown out of overlooked, but it also shouldn’t be the focus of a game. I get it; be inclusive as you can. Sometimes it gets a little much though. A little too much.
Not only would the workload be bigger than King Kong on steroids, it’ll also be unnecessary. Personally, I won’t be hurt if your race is only an aesthetic thing. There is a time and a place for race. If you were making a game in 1860’s Reconstruction, then if you had the choice of black/white that’s be a big deal. I’m not sure about others, but I prefer race as a little aesthetic point.
I doubt many people would be offended. I could choose one. If you plan to take this path to the end, all the more power too you.
Edit: Middle Eastern. I see you have the different places in Asia, but upper Africa is a little different, and the inclusion of Saudi Arabia and the like
For me personally I never feel things such as ethnicity need to be a choice. Whenever I play, I just imagine what I want the character to look like. I guess it doesn’t really matter just so long as you don’t go overboard, but my recommendation is that there are other more important factors to consider than ethnicity, such as sexual preference since that could potentially affect a story.
In my opinion, I think the best time/reason to put race or ethnicity into a game is if it has historical significance. Say you are making a game set in 1860s America. You could have different reactions with people based on the fact that you’re black, white, Chinese, or Irish. You could feel closer to some characters because they choose to look past your skin color or where you came from and get to know you inside. Even making characters racist or xenophobic adds more depth to them, and in my opinion makes a more interesting experience. If however your race or ethnicity only gets a passing mention in the story it could easily break the immersion. I’ve seen a few stories that kind of hamfist your race into certain scenarios that don’t really add to the overall quality of the story. If you can manage to make your race or ethnicity a part of the narrative and not just used as a descriptor then I say go for it. If not, it seems like a lot of extra work for little added content. Sorry for the long post. I just felt my other posts were a bit off topic and not helpful so I thought I might try to contribute.
yeah but i have to admit that it did contribute to my identity issues and a lack of cultural identity (goddamn 1600s!spaniards and early 20th century americans)
