Well I was always terrible at genetics when I was studying, so hopefully someone can find an example or just correct me. It doesn't seem like a great stretch of the imagination to me that you could have three species a,b,c. A and B can both hybridise with C but not with each other, even if it were science fiction, perhaps they both share a common ancestor in C but are too divergent from each other.
First and foremost I would say forgotten realms draws more from mysticism and alchemy than real world science, we should probably sweep genetics under the carpet right along with physics when dealing with this fantasy.
Well, seeing as BG:EE has been pushed back, I'd like to push for the removal of racial restrictions to romances. Perhaps it could be a feature that has an on/off button, like gore. If you want to keep it traditional, keep it on (default). If you want to play a gnome or dwarf or whatever and still have a romance, hit the off button! It sounds simple enough. Is this something that can be done?
So, speaking of an on/off feature like gore, these are the ones I'd like to see if possible:
Racial Restrictions to Romances: on/off Concurrent Romances: on/off Racial Restrictions to Class: on/off
Is it so hard to believe that romance options like Jaheira can't stand romancing a (example) Gnome or a Half-orc? Or should Jaheira do whatever it takes to please the PC? It's the game you can respect that right?
The future npcs can do it... if they are... so inclined...
Well, seeing as BG:EE has been pushed back, I'd like to push for the removal of racial restrictions to romances. Perhaps it could be a feature that has an on/off button, like gore. If you want to keep it traditional, keep it on (default). If you want to play a gnome or dwarf or whatever and still have a romance, hit the off button! It sounds simple enough. Is this something that can be done?
So, speaking of an on/off feature like gore, these are the ones I'd like to see if possible:
Racial Restrictions to Romances: on/off Concurrent Romances: on/off Racial Restrictions to Class: on/off
So does anyone think these are features that can be implemented?
As long as the weapons are believable to exist in the world... Most rpg out there do not have romances and they do just fine. If having romances is a way to lore holes then better not having them at all. Or leave them to professionals to write.
I don't see how elves and dwarves having sex could create any "lore holes."
@Dragonspear A Half-Dwarf in Volo's Guide to the Sword Coast. And yes, Jalily, you were right, he is a half-Dwarf. So I guess you can breed a Dwarf and a human. Text does say they are rare, though. Muls are different. Bald (most of them) and sterile (at least in 2e, 4e apparently dropped that little restriction) and pronounced "Mule". Now it is apparently the unofficial name for half-dwarves everywhere.
@KouTheMad Elf+Orc=no offspring (not fertile with each other), they are fertile with members of their own race and with humans. (a rephrasing, hopefully, of what LadyRhian said).
i understood what she said, what i mean by it is how can Elves and Orcs not intermingle with each other, but BOTH can intermingle with humans?
i don't see how both races can do that if the 2 races have don't have similar genetic makeups.
Been coming here for awhile, and I've been wondering when I would finally make an account. Thanks for giving me something to add!
It is completely plausible that humans could interbreed with orcs and elves, but that elves and orcs could not interbreed with each other. The concept of species in biology is not as simple as it seems; while the sexual barrier between species makes them seem like discrete and monolithic populations, this is not entirely true. In reality, to a large extent, the concept of species is a construct that we have created to simplify the issue, and it's a useful construct because it generates a lot of (mostly true) predictions.
HOWEVER, consider the following example. Great Danes and German Shepherds can interbreed. So can Shepherds and Poodles. So can Poodles and Pugs. So can Pugs and Chihuahuas. Chihuahuas and Great Danes cannot interbreed, however, because it would be physically impossible for a male Chihuahua to mount a Great Dane. I think it's pretty obvious why the reverse is also impossible.
Similar phenomena occur with other reproductive barriers besides size, and the result of such an event is called "sympatric speciation." The reproductive barriers could be unrecognizable pheromones, extremely different mating behaviors, or genetic incompatibilites. Two classic examples in nature are Heliconius butterflies and Ensatina salamanders.
It can be hard to conceptualize how a single population can interbreed and contain multiple species, especially since most people consider populations as things which exist within a species, and not vice versa. Click the link for a good account of how this is believed to arise.
Huh, from " Race restriction for romances " to " Eugenics "
I make this topic simple with my simple english:
1) Some romances have restriction 2) Most people do´nt like that 3) Remove it or replace it by high charisma if race do´nt fit.
Even if you do´nt like this idea you will not be forced have any romance, but WE ARE forced play certain races if we want certain romances and we do´nt like this big restriction.
You don't know pain until you're a half-orc lookin' for love in the BG universe. Because then you can only romance Viconia. Well, actually you can't, because the romance wasn't originally coded properly.
This is fixed by the BG2 Fixpack and will be fixed in BG2EE by extension.
This component allows greater flexibility with the original BioWare romances. Please note that the multi-romance option may cause stuttering when used in conjunction with a third-party mod romance. The player can choose five parameters:
No gender requirements (i.e. Aerie romances females)
No racial requirements (i.e. Anomen will romance a half-orc)
These should provide 24 different variants of the romance options (12 for non-ToB games). The 'Start romances for new games in ToB' option is based, in part, upon the NPC Flirt Pack's version of same (and used with permission), but will also work in conjunction with the removal of gender and racial requirements and multiple romances. If all you're looking for is to start romances for new ToB games, use the Flirt Pack instead, as they provide a much more expansive treatment.
I don't really think we should be changing the requirements for the base game, though.
Possibly an entirely unhelpful opinion, but with a program like near infinity and ten minutes you can remove pretty much any restrictions via .2da files, it'll allow anyone to basically customize the system to work to their specific desire. At least until someone takes the time to make a full purpose mod complete with gender/race neutral dialog.
Comments
First and foremost I would say forgotten realms draws more from mysticism and alchemy than real world science, we should probably sweep genetics under the carpet right along with physics when dealing with this fantasy.
1) It is magic !
2) Time travel !*
3) It is all Bioware fault !
*( also popular as universal answer to anything in Doctor Who )
So, speaking of an on/off feature like gore, these are the ones I'd like to see if possible:
Racial Restrictions to Romances: on/off
Concurrent Romances: on/off
Racial Restrictions to Class: on/off
The future npcs can do it... if they are... so inclined...
No would prolly just "fill in" some holes
Ugh. Sorry, I had to go there >< Was too easy to be left unsaid
Whoa who's this person taking my name? I've never heard of them but they obvious have my name!
It is completely plausible that humans could interbreed with orcs and elves, but that elves and orcs could not interbreed with each other. The concept of species in biology is not as simple as it seems; while the sexual barrier between species makes them seem like discrete and monolithic populations, this is not entirely true. In reality, to a large extent, the concept of species is a construct that we have created to simplify the issue, and it's a useful construct because it generates a lot of (mostly true) predictions.
HOWEVER, consider the following example. Great Danes and German Shepherds can interbreed. So can Shepherds and Poodles. So can Poodles and Pugs. So can Pugs and Chihuahuas. Chihuahuas and Great Danes cannot interbreed, however, because it would be physically impossible for a male Chihuahua to mount a Great Dane. I think it's pretty obvious why the reverse is also impossible.
Similar phenomena occur with other reproductive barriers besides size, and the result of such an event is called "sympatric speciation." The reproductive barriers could be unrecognizable pheromones, extremely different mating behaviors, or genetic incompatibilites. Two classic examples in nature are Heliconius butterflies and Ensatina salamanders.
It can be hard to conceptualize how a single population can interbreed and contain multiple species, especially since most people consider populations as things which exist within a species, and not vice versa. Click the link for a good account of how this is believed to arise.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_species
I make this topic simple with my simple english:
1) Some romances have restriction
2) Most people do´nt like that
3) Remove it or replace it by high charisma if race do´nt fit.
Even if you do´nt like this idea you will not be forced have any romance, but WE ARE forced play certain races if we want certain romances and we do´nt like this big restriction.
Can it be even more simplest ?
But what new subraces ?
When ( if ) you release new subraces will they also suffer by same romance restrictions like "clean" race ?
I can understand if Viconia refuse romance with some pitiful elf, but refusing romance with another drow ?
That sound ridiculous to me...