World is Flooded with Special Races - READ THIS PLEASE

[Leanthar]

Hello there folks. The world is absolutely flooded with special races and subraces and we are putting a hold on all of them for a while--at least several months.
  Until further notified the ONLY races that will be approved are as follows:  Human Elf Dwarf Gnome Halfling Half-Elf Half-Orc  This takes affect as of 8/31/2006 at 9:15am PDT. Any character submitted prior to this time will be grandfathered in and could be approved.

[Talan Va'lash]

Are half-orc's included in the subrace hold? As they are a "standard" nwn race?

[Dorganath]

Yes. Half-orc and Half-elves are on hold.

[Frendh]

I had an Aasimar character approved as either monk or paladin,
but since I couldn't make up my mind it was removed from
submissions after awhile. Does it count as an exception?

[Leanthar]

Anything that was approved before that post is still approved. If it was being worked on (actively worked on) it will be an exception.

[Tabax]

Why are half-orcs restricted? They're D&D Core and have been for a *long* time.

[Weeblie]

But they are an extremly rarity on Layonara...

[lonnarin]

Unless one enters a tavern, then the local population is about 80% half-orc...

[Dorganath]

Tabax - 9/17/2006  12:52 AM  Why are half-orcs restricted? They're D&D Core and have been for a *long* time.

 Primarily because Leanthar wants them restricted. Half-elves are also restricted, which have been a staple of D&D longer than half-orcs. The more "standard" races may loosen up before the custom subraces, but for the time being, they're not permitted.

[defender7]

As a newcomer it seems a bit unfair to see you suddenly close off so many basic subraces.
Why didnt you somehow alter the flow earlier before it became such a great a problem requiring this much of a ban?
Now you have an elitist situation. Will anything be done to adjust this beyond the basic ban?
Crikey, all I wanted to try was a wood elf.

[Nibor21]

It is a question of balance Defender. There was a period a little while ago when the majority of Hlint (the starting town in Layo) appeared to drow. Once the correct proportions are applied again i would guess L will slacken the rule

I would guess that given time the rules will slowly be relaxed - ie the next satge is sub-races permitted for people who already have at least two chars of a basic type etc

[Talan Va'lash]

Nibor21 - 9/26/2006  5:00 AM
I would guess that given time the rules will slowly be relaxed - ie the next satge is sub-races permitted for people who already have at least two chars of a basic type etc

I doubt this particular option will be chosen.

It is more likely that first the more basic subraces will become available, while the one that were most over used will be held closed for a longer period (most notably drow and half giants.)

Defender7 - The current closure of subrace applications is by no means a permanant situation. Wood elves will surely be open again at some point in the (probably near) future. I don't recall wood elves in particular being over populated nor are they supposed to be as rare in the surface world as some of the other subraces. I imagine they will be opened up in.. probably the second wave of re-openings (half-elves and half-orcs being in the first.)

Note: This is my educated speculation about how the situation will likely be resolved in time and is not based on any special information that I am privy to.

[Dorganath]

defender7 - 9/26/2006  4:53 AM  As a newcomer it seems a bit unfair to see you suddenly close off so many basic subraces. Why didnt you somehow alter the flow earlier before it became such a great a problem requiring this much of a ban? Now you have an elitist situation. Will anything be done to adjust this beyond the basic ban? Crikey, all I wanted to try was a wood elf.

 Just to kind of put things in perspective.....
  First of all, there are no "basic" subraces in NWN.  Every single subrace we support is custom. There are only 2 basic races  that were limited, and those are the "half-" races. It's a little presumptuous to ask why we didn't do this or that.  Fact is, we have done such things in the past, but ultimately we try to put the responsibility in the hands of the community rather than putting down more rules to enforce. Unfortunately, we were disappointed.
  Layonara has also entered a new age.  During the last age, player characters were "Dragon called", and as such they were called to a duty based on criteria that only the dragon knew.  The result was that very unusual characters were called, many of whom would not normally be tolerated.  We're now in the Dark Ages, and it is a time of strife of a different kind, the Dragon Called having completed their task.  The troubles facing the world not are more mundane.  Trust is very hard to come by.  There is hunger, crop failure, etc.  Drow would not be welcomed.  Wood elves aren't likely to leave their forests for the world of Humans, etc. When everyt 5-10 submissions is a drow, and that drow is a friendly, happy drow, things have to change.  When people pick their subraces for maximizing their bonuses rather than for RP value, things have to change.  This is why things were restricted.
  So yes, at some time,  we'll relax the restrictions, but for right now, the only really important reason right now is that Leanthar wants those races restricted.  It's not elitist, it's to address a problem that despite our requests was not adequately addressed by the community itself.

[The Vampire Pandora]

so when can we use sub-races again?
can i put in a request now so when the time comes i am on the list allready?
will that work?

[Leanthar]

If you put it in now it will be ignored and deleted after a few days, sorry.

I will slowly open them up over time. No time table yet.

[Lilswanwillow]

well, I'll be the one to say it

THANKS!!!   I agree that special races took over, and I think this is a great thing

[bahdom]

Whats the problem with people having sub races? Isnt limiting the people's choice also limiting the RPing? Anyhow, i was kind of excited with my sub raced character, even made it a cool story.... >.< Guess ill have to make a filler meanwhile....wont be the same though

[Tanman]

Bahdom, the main reason why there is a hold on these races is because previously the character submissions were primarily all the subraces, and therefore there was an imbalance. If there is too much of an imbalance this can detract from what Leanthar has described the world to be.

[bahdom]

Hmm, but what difference is there if i make an elf than if i make a wood elf? Stats/society are different true, but an elf is an elf ^^

[Dorganath]

People were taking subraces for stats, not their RP.
  Subraces by their very definitions should be much rarer than the standard races, and yet they outnumbered any of the normal races.
  To take the perhaps most abused one, the Drow...when one could not count to 10 between Drow submissions, there's a problem. Drow on the surface should be outcasts, but also very rare, as most who become outcasts don't live long enough to make it to the surface. They should at least attempt to act like dark elves, but instead, they were portayed as "elves with suntans".
  Half-giants were chosen to be fighters because of their strength bonuses. Tieflings and halfling subraces were chosen for rogue submissions. Aasimar paladins of Toran/Aeridin/Rofirein were about as common as coffee at Starbucks.
  Simply put, the community took it too far, and so we put down limits.
  At some point in the future, those restrictions may relax, but for now, we have very good reasons for doing as we have done.