How Video Games Enforce Racial Restrictions

When the player selects one of the four “Culture” options, an explanatory text box pops up to provide information about it. That information links directly to race, for example: “the Khitani are slender with sharp features and parchment-yellow skin,” and “Cimmerians are a northern race of barbarians, fair skinned and dark haired.” Somatic markers are specified in the text and reinforced by the image of the character displayed in the centre of the screen. The text boxes also detail the class that is not available to any given race: “Aquilonians can never become sorcerers,” while “Stygians can never become soldiers.” The full range of classes available in the game is displayed down the right of the screen. They are grouped into four categories, based on archetypes of gaming – Soldier, Priest, Rogue, and Mage – with three sub-categories in each. The options which are not open to any given race are greyed out, reinforcing the fact that some races are, in this digital world, unable to learn particular skill-sets and act in a particular ways. When a class is selected, a pop-up text box again appears, briefly describing the nature and style of fighting of that type of character, and the armour and weapon types she has access to.