NotaDaedraWorshipper wrote: »

Racism exist aplenty in the world of Elder Scrolls, but some races have a tendency to be more racist in general. Such as altmer and dunmer. It doesn't mean they don't have people who aren't racist, or that the other races doesn't have people who are racist, just that in general they happen to have more.

I would imagine it to be difficult to be otherwise, if you were either an Altmer or Dunmer.

With lifespans reaching into - potentially - the thousands of years, you wouldn't just think of yourself as better. You would BE better. Think about having hundreds of years in the prime of your life to master a skill set or an art form. Can you IMAGINE what it would be like to be a Muhammad Ali or an Albert Einstein with three or four hundred years of prime life? I mean, to be able to engage in a pursuit for multiple centuries before your body and mind even BEGIN to slow down would give you an edge that no one else could keep up with.

And if your entire species is built on self-perfection (particularly in the case of the Altmer), how could your culture NOT have a certain amount of noblesse oblige built into its very fabric?

Not excusing the superiority complex that goes with it, mind you. It's just not difficult to see how certain physical and magical advantages could lead to that mindset.

milesrodneymcneely2_ESO wrote: »

NotaDaedraWorshipper wrote: »

Racism exist aplenty in the world of Elder Scrolls, but some races have a tendency to be more racist in general. Such as altmer and dunmer. It doesn't mean they don't have people who aren't racist, or that the other races doesn't have people who are racist, just that in general they happen to have more.

I would imagine it to be difficult to be otherwise, if you were either an Altmer or Dunmer.

With lifespans reaching into - potentially - the thousands of years, you wouldn't just think of yourself as better. You would BE better. Think about having hundreds of years in the prime of your life to master a skill set or an art form. Can you IMAGINE what it would be like to be a Muhammad Ali or an Albert Einstein with three or four hundred years of prime life? I mean, to be able to engage in a pursuit for multiple centuries before your body and mind even BEGIN to slow down would give you an edge that no one else could keep up with.

And if your entire species is built on self-perfection (particularly in the case of the Altmer), how could your culture NOT have a certain amount of noblesse oblige built into its very fabric?

Not excusing the superiority complex that goes with it, mind you. It's just not difficult to see how certain physical and magical advantages could lead to that mindset.

Bosmer are also mer who can live for a long time, but they are considered one of the friendliest races of Tamriel. Altmer and dunmer's lifespan (which are in general some centuries, not thousands) might have a part in it, but mainly it's their culture.

My main character is an Almter. Honestly, the only reason I picked Altmer was its the race I played the least in previous Elder Scrolls games.

Ryuvain wrote: »

A question then around your point, wouldn't strength also be a good factor to your own point? In that case what would stop an argonian behemoth or giant cat from murdering an elf? Isn't that superiority in strength? Considering that they both can still also use magic...

I mean, I personally love these races because of that. What beats being born with higher agility, strength, and mini-daggers also known as claws? What about night vision, waterbreathing, or regeneration?

Your point was just so interesting that I couldn't resist.

That's actually a fantastic point!

So, I've been doing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for a little over three years, and some very uncomfortable truths have jumped out at me in that time.

The main thing is this: YES, size absolutely DOES matter. All things being equal, the larger, stronger opponent has the advantage in physical combat.

The flip-side of that is that all things are RARELY equal. It is VERY common to see short, skinny guys wrecking bigger, stronger guys. Things like learning style, mindset, limb length, etc. are all factors in high-end grappling, and altering any one of a thousand factors can drastically change the outcome. A lot of folks liken grappling to chess, but that analogy only holds if you're playing a game of chess where the arrangement and composition of the pieces changes every half second. Butterfly effects abound.

But, there are a few general trends that emerge over time. When it comes to intangible qualities, people who put in more time and effort (with the exception of the rare prodigy) are just better. And when it comes to physical qualities that you can measure, most of us seem to have the most difficulty with larger people gifted with longer limbs and more flexible frames. At the risk of gross oversimplification, there's a REASON most of us would like to be a tall, flexible, 6-foot-eight grappler.

Which is why I think grappling masters would be heavily over-represented among the Elven races. Long lifespans lend to more training time. And in the case of the Altmer (who tend to be lean and average 6-7 feet tall, and are known for precision in all things), you have those long, wiry builds that are a NIGHTMARE to deal with in a wrestling match.

I can see Orcs and Nords having huge advantages here as well, simply by virtue of their size.

But, yeah. Great points all around, Ryuvain!

milesrodneymcneely2_ESO wrote: »

Ryuvain wrote: »

A question then around your point, wouldn't strength also be a good factor to your own point? In that case what would stop an argonian behemoth or giant cat from murdering an elf? Isn't that superiority in strength? Considering that they both can still also use magic...

I mean, I personally love these races because of that. What beats being born with higher agility, strength, and mini-daggers also known as claws? What about night vision, waterbreathing, or regeneration?

Your point was just so interesting that I couldn't resist.

That's actually a fantastic point!

So, I've been doing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for a little over three years, and some very uncomfortable truths have jumped out at me in that time.

The main thing is this: YES, size absolutely DOES matter. All things being equal, the larger, stronger opponent has the advantage in physical combat.

The flip-side of that is that all things are RARELY equal. It is VERY common to see short, skinny guys wrecking bigger, stronger guys. Things like learning style, mindset, limb length, etc. are all factors in high-end grappling, and altering any one of a thousand factors can drastically change the outcome. A lot of folks liken grappling to chess, but that analogy only holds if you're playing a game of chess where the arrangement and composition of the pieces changes every half second. Butterfly effects abound.

But, there are a few general trends that emerge over time. When it comes to intangible qualities, people who put in more time and effort (with the exception of the rare prodigy) are just better. And when it comes to physical qualities that you can measure, most of us seem to have the most difficulty with larger people gifted with longer limbs and more flexible frames. At the risk of gross oversimplification, there's a REASON most of us would like to be a tall, flexible, 6-foot-eight grappler.

Which is why I think grappling masters would be heavily over-represented among the Elven races. Long lifespans lend to more training time. And in the case of the Altmer (who tend to be lean and average 6-7 feet tall, and are known for precision in all things), you have those long, wiry builds that are a NIGHTMARE to deal with in a wrestling match.

I can see Orcs and Nords having huge advantages here as well, simply by virtue of their size.

But, yeah. Great points all around, Ryuvain!

Those are all good points too. Another thing that you touched on was experience. That's definitely an important part of it too.

Overall I'd say biggest/strongest wins, HOWEVER a master elf who trained in their arts for hundreds of years would most likely take the win.

For example your average elf who may even live long, but hasn't trained to become a master at magic or combat would get destroyed. I'd say 95% of elves are this. But the distinct special elf who actually used their longer lifespans for an experience advantage would be terrifying.

I admit that thought makes me completely respect the prodigy master elves who reach that level.

Khajiit respects those few.