New Player Race Possibilities?

Iccotak

Now that you mention that the Kamal may have been reptile like,
It would be interesting if the Ka' po tun and Kamal were actually another group of Khajiit and Argonians from Akavir

karekiz

You will probably never see anything outside of the basic human model. Tails or so are fine, but slugs or centaur like appearances will probably not be implemented due to armor modeling.

TheShadowScout

Iccotak wrote: »

Now that you mention that the Kamal may have been reptile like,
It would be interesting if the Ka' po tun and Kamal were actually another group of Khajiit and Argonians from Akavir

That would be possible, but not as much fun... it might be more interesting to have them somehow different, but there is so little info, the developers could practically do whatever.

karekiz wrote: »

You will probably never see anything outside of the basic human model. Tails or so are fine, but slugs or centaur like appearances will probably not be implemented due to armor modeling.

Agreed.
Rewriting the game to deal with completely different movement and riding animations (can you imagine a lamia on a horse???) or gear positioning/modeling (digitigrade legs or lamia snake tail?) would probably be too much effort for the ones in charge to see it as a worthwhile investment, thus I mentioned that those races would all be somewhat unsuitable...
Same for races that are oversized like minotaurs, ogres, giants... can't have them clip through doorways and stuff, right?

In the end, it is all a question of effort and profit. Can they implement a race with little enough effort to make it profitable for them? I mean, technically all those non-humanoid races would be possible as well, but it would make them spend way too much on programmer time to do it that they could not make any profit from it, because to do so they might have to sell them at a price noone would buy... and thus its not gonna happen, since anyone who would suggest something they would know they'd loose money on gets ignored at best and fired at worst in the capitalist world, yes?

So, therefore the races that might be implemented are those that -are- possible to do "easily" because they can be done to use all the excisting animations, all the existing armors, etc. And that means humanoid and within the already established size range as prerequesite. And add to that what the lore says about who is around in the mid second era and who is not... and you get what I wrote up here...

Irylia

Goblin for racial!

ESO_Nightingale

I would say that snow elves is unlikely as a playable race. BUT i wouldn't rule out a questline with them as they are in pockets. However if they were a playable race id hope that one of their passives is like dunmers 7% fire and 2% lightning and frost except its 10% frost, only.

phantasmalD

Minotaurs are pretty much my second top favourite fantasy race in general so I'm sad that they probably never going to be a playable race, especially after all the teasing about their intelligence, culture and ancient history.

TheShadowScout wrote: »

...would be somewhat possible; they are technically around in this era, though they seem for some reason absent from valenwood in ESO, likely hiding somewhere in a pocket dimension like that vanishing village in greenshade (possibly in Falinesti) from Molag Bal and the soulburst troubles no doubt.

I mean that's straight up the canon explanation, no? That they have gone to 'visit Falinesti'
I'd expect that they would be featured in a Falinesti themed dungeon/story DLC, perhaps someone manages to attune themselves with the Walking Tree and create a portal to where ever it's currently at.
I'd imagine that if ESO launched a year later than we would have had some Imga NPCs around, but ZoS prob wouldn't have jumped the gun just yet by adding a new race.

Interestingly they were actually brought up quite recently, in the Alinor Codex there's a mention of the "Imga Lich-Queen of Meirvale". So we maybe get to see some in Elsweyr?

TheShadowScout wrote: »

Snow Elves

Nice pic but I don't think this is the best example for Snow Elves.
They appear to be in Blackreach, the lady having a slightly yellowish skin complexion (which I think is the canon skin colour for the Dwemer) and very dwemerish hair + jewelry while the male is straight up wearing dwemer armor/has a prosthetic body, tho he does have the pale skin of a falmer.
I'm guessing this is some kind of Romeo-Juliet picture.

TheShadowScout wrote: »

Kamal

Little is known about the "Snow Demons", except that they may have been the bulk of the recent invasion that spawned the ebonheart pact, and that they are rumored to freeze solid during winters - something that would make them a bit iffy when it comes to player characters and questing in eastmarch... however, noone can really say if that is not a mere rumor anyhow, it -might- just be indicating a cold-blooded reptilian race that are sluggish in winter and thus prefer to hide in warm caverns during that time...

...or perhaps more liklely ursine (aka, bear-like) race that hibernates...

...or anything, really, and chalk up the legends to their lands being accessible only through mountaijn passes that are simply snowed shut during winter!
Up to the developers.

Oh dang, Kamal being hybernating bears is a funny headcanon, I endorse that.
Reptilians could also work but the Tsaesci are probably already fulfilling the reptilian quota for Akavir.
If they aren't a beast race they could mayhaps be of daedric origin, maybe a minor realm of oblivion merged with Nirn at one point?
One thing is sure tho, I for one certainly doubt they are human as the Tsaesci are said to have "eaten" the man of Akavir, whatever that really means.

For completeness sake I'd bring up the Bird Men and Sinistral Mer, tho both supposedly went extint long before recorded history.
Water Dreugh also supposed to be intelligent but I guess they fell into the 'monstrous creatures' category.

I'd personally def not mind if the palette of possible playable races was expanded and ESO is probably the best place for such an extention but I won't hold my breath.

Tommy_The_Gun

Two words:
Power Creep

Seeing how they can not even make a simple rebalance to 10 races and do not meet goals they stated themselves, I can not see adding more races being a good idea.

lolli42

The point is
The whole game, map, story, npcs
Is already separated in the 9 races
Would be hard to bring a new one

Nemesis7884

what makes new races difficult is if they use different body types and all armor has to be adapted...as long as they use the same bodies and just change heads i dont see a huge issue...

i could see a small possibility of them adding a new race in case ever a big akavir expansion launches

xenowarrior92eb17_ESO

@phantasmalD try to make a cow sneak and then we can talk about playable mintoaurs...damn this is just like saying WoW could had Tauren Rogues.

WeerW3ir

You want New races... Pff. For what? They have 10 race and they cant handle them

hyraak

I am fully, whole-heartedly for adding these races into the game! Especially the Akaviri ones. @ZOS_GinaBruno please make this happen!

phantasmalD

@xenowarrior92eb17_ESO

Look at Jarl Skjoralmor being completely oblivious to Domihaus, what's this if not Sneak 100?

In a more serious manner:
1. Sneak in ESO and in TES general already requires a large amount of suspension of disbelief.

2. Why is this even a criteria, certain races being better or worse in certain things is a staple element of RPGs, it's called 'racial traits'. A sneaking minotaur is not any less believable than an orc thief or a nord archmage.
3. Magic substitutes any skill that one might naturally lack. (Muffle spell, invisibilty potions, enchanted clothing)
4. You asked the wrong person cause I actually happen to love the absurdity of the 'Stealthy Colossus' trope.

lolli42 wrote: »

The point is
The whole game, map, story, npcs
Is already separated in the 9 races
Would be hard to bring a new one

There are 10 mainstream races.
And the map is not nicely and cleanly separated, pretty much every province have multiple races associated with it or is continously contested.
The Reach is supposed to be independently ruled by the Reachmen during the second era until they get conquered by Talos.
The orcs famously don't even have their own independent province most of the time. They are like the jews of Tamriel.

Nobody is inventing new races, everything listed in the OP was created by Bethesda.

logarifmik

idk wrote: »

Adding races for the mere reason to add a race does not make sense because it does not add anything to the game itself. We already have a slew of choices for racial passives and really not much to add.

Further, while I certainly did not read over the entire long OP, it did start with many races that are enemies of everyone in Tamriel so it would not make sense to add them. While scrolling down I also saw images of other enemies like sloads which obviously could not be a playable race.

Unless there is a compelling reason to add another race I do not see Zos entertaining the idea.

At least someone with a good reasoning here. No, we do not need more races in this TES game. Considering how middling dialogues reflect player's identity, it would be absurd to add any of those races listed in the OP.
Besides, why do we need new race?
Racial passives? But why not to add some diversity to the current races instead?
Look? Well, there are plenty of stupidly enough looking skins to apply, if you want to be a snowflake. Damn even a polymorphes are available.
Lore? Should I really comment on this one? OP gave a decent info regarding each race, so try to figure out the answer yourself.
Because other MMOs add new races? Who older then 5 consider it a good enough reason?
I know the lore, I'm more than familiar with TES games, and I don't see how a new race can be adequately introduced into the game. I hope ZOS will never listen this part of the community.
Though, it doesn't mean they shouldn't be in the game at all. Quite opposite, I'd like to see all of them one day (some already here, like Sloads), but not as a player race.

Czirne

I would like to be a fox person!

lolli42

phantasmalD wrote: »

@xenowarrior92eb17_ESO

Look at Jarl Skjoralmor being completely oblivious to Domihaus, what's this if not Sneak 100?

In a more serious manner:
1. Sneak in ESO and in TES general already requires a large amount of suspension of disbelief.

2. Why is this even a criteria, certain races being better or worse in certain things is a staple element of RPGs, it's called 'racial traits'. A sneaking minotaur is not any less believable than an orc thief or a nord archmage.
3. Magic substitutes any skill that one might naturally lack. (Muffle spell, invisibilty potions, enchanted clothing)
4. You asked the wrong person cause I actually happen to love the absurdity of the 'Stealthy Colossus' trope.

lolli42 wrote: »

The point is
The whole game, map, story, npcs
Is already separated in the 9 races
Would be hard to bring a new one

There are 10 mainstream races.
And the map is not nicely and cleanly separated, pretty much every province have multiple races associated with it or is continously contested.
The Reach is supposed to be independently ruled by the Reachmen during the second era until they get conquered by Talos.
The orcs famously don't even have their own independent province most of the time. They are like the jews of Tamriel.

Nobody is inventing new races, everything listed in the OP was created by Bethesda.

i forgot the imps right

what i mean is
the whole game is already set
im not talking about the lore
lets say, they bring a new race

not a single person of this race would be part of the mages guild, the fighters guild, a trader, a barkeeper
they would just be left out
or they have to replace a lot of npcs in the game, to make it feel right
or they bring some race, that is living very seperated from society
i dont know
i would like a new race
im just not sure, how to implent it into the game

Skander

Half of those races are subtypes, too stupid to be playable by humans or extinct

Red_Feather

I didn't know there were so many. Every elder scrolls game I played has the same races.

mxxo

Overall adding a new race is a good idea. A rather exotic race could motivate a lot of old & new players.

starkerealm

phantasmalD wrote: »

I mean that's straight up the canon explanation, no? That they have gone to 'visit Falinesti'

Correct. The Imga went to Falinesti right before it disappeared. It's not clear if this was strictly to remove two of the most difficult to represent parts of Valenwood, (the walking city, and an entire NPC race that would require unique rigging), or if it has storyline implications.

Urvoth

starkerealm wrote: »

phantasmalD wrote: »

I mean that's straight up the canon explanation, no? That they have gone to 'visit Falinesti'

Correct. The Imga went to Falinesti right before it disappeared. It's not clear if this was strictly to remove two of the most difficult to represent parts of Valenwood, (the walking city, and an entire NPC race that would require unique rigging), or if it has storyline implications.

Imga as a playable race would be awesome.

TheShadowScout

phantasmalD wrote: »

I mean that's straight up the canon explanation, no? That they have gone to 'visit Falinesti'

Soret of canon at this point, there is some roundabout references to this, but... hey, it makes a great deal of sense, they were -supposed- to be in valenwood at this era, we have all those valenwood regions, and they are not here. What else is missing from valenwood? Falinesti! Logic would indicate those two dissapearances are somehow connected... (possibly because they might have been more effort to do then everything else back at that time during ESO development, as was mentioned) and it -would- make for a decent DLC, right?

phantasmalD wrote: »

Nice pic but I don't think this is the best example for Snow Elves.

I tried to avoid the ones from Skyrim, but... there is not really much in the way of decent snow elf art for elder scrolls series, for obvious reasons considering how long they have been extinct as a race...

phantasmalD wrote: »

If they aren't a beast race they could mayhaps be of daedric origin, maybe a minor realm of oblivion merged with Nirn at one point?

Well, the akaviri are supposedly all beast races at this point, so...
...but yeah, I agree the "bear race" idea (which I only had for the second incarnation of this discussion) would be nifty!

phantasmalD wrote: »

One thing is sure tho, I for one certainly doubt they are human as the Tsaesci are said to have "eaten" the man of Akavir, whatever that really means.

Exactly. The last "human" akaviri are supposedly fled to tamriel a while ago, were involved in the empires formation, and are responsible ofr all the akaviri influences in the imperial culture...

phantasmalD wrote: »

For completeness sake I'd bring up the Bird Men and Sinistral Mer, tho both supposedly went extint long before recorded history.

Exactly. And are not even mentioned except in the most obscure of texts, so...

phantasmalD wrote: »

I'd personally def not mind if the palette of possible playable races was expanded and ESO is probably the best place for such an extention but I won't hold my breath.

True enough. Still nice to brainstorm about it, and as people -would- pay for the option... and then pay some more to refit it to their existing characters when rebuilding them as they get a better idea... well, I could see it happening. Thus the discussion

lolli42 wrote: »

The whole game, map, story, npcs
Is already separated in the 9 races
Would be hard to bring a new one

One word: Imperials.
JUST like that.
They are also not fitting into the "divided by the nine alliance races" scheme, they also are sometimes the bad guys, and they also make sense lorewise as individual "exile" or "deserter" fighting for the alliances as mercenary...
Also, some of the races discussed -are- already in the game... as hostile NPCs. Maormer, Gobbos. Reachmen, IF the powers that be were to depict them as seperate race and not just a breton-subculture.
And the others are at least mentioned in the lore somewhere. So... they -have- their place in tamriel history... and thus could be player races. Rare ones - the rarity depicted by an added cost in crowns of some sort...

logarifmik wrote: »

Considering how middling dialogues reflect player's identity, it would be absurd to add any of those races listed in the OP.

As mentioned, -just- as absurd as some already possible combinations. Play an imperial and get the trusting smile from all the questgivers... in bangkorai or reapers march where other imperials are invading? Play a DC race during the "Covenant invasion " storylines of EP and noone wonders if you might be a spy and responsible for all their suffering? Play an AD race in Shadowfen while your fellos altmer, bosmer and khajiit are busy killing hatchlings and no argonian bats an eye?
All pretty absurd, right?
(and yeah, I wish the game had been set up to throw extra "build trust" obstacles to some races in some places, but alas...)

logarifmik wrote: »

Besides, why do we need new race?

We need new races as much as new crafting styles.
Not at all.
But we want them nonetheless!

lolli42 wrote: »

what i mean is
the whole game is already set...

...so they should never have added new classes, new crafting styles, new regions, new mounts, new enemy abilities, new anything???
Really???
After all that, new races would be a pittance!
And they DO sometimes refit stuff, you know? I do, I saw new NPCs and new costumes for NPCs appear occasionally over time... its just a matter of how much they choose to find "worth it"...

ookami007

Once they can ACTUALLY balance the existing races, we can talk about a new one.

So... Never.