Current Events > In fantasy/Sci fi settings what advantage do humans haves.

(+) Yeah! (+)

Like with your Lord of the Rings and DnDs and stuff like that. I seems that Humans don't stand out. Like Elves are most times made to live for ever compare to humans, Drawfs are stronger then Humans. Heck even in Start Trek.

Vulcans-Smarter, Control Emotions better, Longer lived, have damn Super Mind Powers.

Romulans-Vulcan lite with the addition of being assholes.

Klingons- Stronger have like a life backup system.

Betazoids-Humans that can read minds.

Mass Effect

Krogan-Stronger and die and come back to life. Without Genocide would have wiped out everyone.

Asari Space Vulcans.

There in all of these media there are some races that just stink for some reason or another. But Humans never stand out as remarkable.

Well in star wars, humans are considered the dominant species

Biggest penis

Cobra1010 posted...

Well in star wars, humans are considered the dominant species

Except maybe the Chiss, those bros are full of themselves.

In most fantasy settings, humans are the dominant race, despite their lack of immediately obvious perks. I think they justify this by claiming humans have a bigger spark for adventure, and a strong will or something

Cobra1010 posted...

Well in star wars, humans are considered the dominant species

I didn't even know those were humans until it was used to excuses a genocide lol. But you are right it does seem like Humans get the best force powers because there are so few Yodas around.

In the Star Ocean games, humans are usually one of the most advanced species with some pretty good tech. They are beat out by a few others, but are pretty advanced overall. That and some can do magic.

In the dnd type lore, isn't it usually that humans have few disadvantages, rather than that they have advantages

Zikten posted...

In most fantasy settings, humans are the dominant race, despite their lack of immediately obvious perks. I think they justify this by claiming humans have a bigger spark for adventure, and a strong will or something

I see this a lot. Basically the traits that make humans stand out is their tenacity, aggression, ambitious nature, and a never back down attitude, and being innovative and adaptable and stuff of that nature.

They arent necessarily the strongest or fastest or anything, but they have a bunch of the more intangible traits and thats enough to at least make them competitive.

buddhamonster posted...

They arent necessarily the strongest or fastest or anything, but they have a bunch of the more intangible traits and thats enough to at least make them competitive.

I grit really doesn't help. Like when the DS9 crew tried to play baseball (lol)

By far the most common one I've seen is that humans are more adaptable than other races. Dwarves might make better warriors. Elfs might make better mages. Halflings might make better rogues. But humans are the only race that do all three reasonably well.

In D&D, for instance, most races get two or three extra points to add to their ability scores. Humans get an extra point in all of them.

Well if we're bringing in FFXIV they mostly don't have any advantage however, MAJOR ENDWALKER SPOILERS:

The ancient ascian beings were humans who gained too much power for their own good. Emet Selch, Venat, Hythlodeaus ect. They had powers to create reality itself, and was much more powerful than the inferior races that were brought into creation after the great sundering caused by Hydaelyn.

Normally something about creativity or adaptability, sometimes learn new things more quickly

In my sci fi series, humanity's comparative advantage is the field of linguistics.

marthsheretoo posted...

In my sci fi series, humanity's comparative advantage is the field of linguistics.

Something you are writing our self or what you are reading?

I've seen cases where the advantage the humans have is their numbers. The longer living races might not be able to procreate or do so more slowly than humans.

GBH713 posted...

I've seen cases where the advantage the humans have is their numbers. The longer living races might not be able to procreate or do so more slowly than humans.

This is another common one. I've seen the comparison to rats more than once.

pegusus123456 posted...

By far the most common one I've seen is that humans are more adaptable than other races.

GBH713 posted...

I've seen cases where the advantage the humans have is their numbers.

These.

Jack-of-All-Trade. Master of none.

Humans are basically a well-balanced species with no real downsides, whereas other species have very potent advantages in a few areas but glaring weaknesses in others.

In other words, humans are basically a species of straight 7 traits while other species are a mixture of 10s and 1s which drag their averages down.

So, Star Trek example:

Vulcans are stronger and smarter, but also tend to be way too slow-acting, not very creative, their organizations being too rigidly hierarchical, and have a self-imposed culture that shuts down their emotions due to total lack of emotional balance otherwise. Klingons are stronger and more durable, but arent as smart, arent as emotionally balanced, and are particularly unable to tolerate cold temperatures.

Oh, also, if you're more interested in niche fictions, r/HFY is a subreddit devoted to writing where we've vastly overestimated other aliens. The most popular interpretation is that Earth is actually much deadlier than other planets that host sentient life, making us the "Klingons" of the universe.

Also a good dose of us just being way more spiteful than other species.

And one where we just have the best cooking.

cjsdowg posted...

Something you are writing our self or what you are reading?

Wrote it. The linguistics thing doesn't really come up in the book though, it's more background for why the political situation is the way it is.

GBH713 posted...

I've seen cases where the advantage the humans have is their numbers.

VampireCoyote posted...

Normally something about creativity or adaptability, sometimes learn new things more quickly

Usually one or both of these.

Thanks all for the input so far. Very neat to hear others takes.

pegusus123456 posted... Oh, also, if you're more interested in niche fictions, r/HFY is a subreddit devoted to writing where we've vastly overestimated other aliens. The most popular interpretation is that Earth is actually much deadlier than other planets that host sentient life, making us the "Klingons" of the universe.

Cool would be the best. Kind of like how just speaking about on Earth Humans are pretty base when think about it.

marthsheretoo posted...

Wrote it. The linguistics thing doesn't really come up in the book though, it's more background for why the political situation is the way it is.

That is neat. I am trying to write a short story but I don't have the time. It is about Superhero and his criminal girlfriend. She is like a catwomen type criminal so not going to kill anyone but would get arrested in real life. He has a moral code where he only stops people from hurting others . People stealing from a Bank or Diamond store doesn't brother him. People hurting someone or stealing from someone's home gets him in action. So like the opposite of batman lol.

Humans are the Batman of the races

Flauros posted...

In the Star Ocean games, humans are usually one of the most advanced species with some pretty good tech. They are beat out by a few others, but are pretty advanced overall. That and some can do magic.

*symbology

In the Galactic Civilization games, humans are strong diplomats that got no problems to fight a war if somebody tries to attack them, which both surprise and scares the other races.

Humans always seem to breed like rabbits... and have the knack of welcoming other races into their society.

In other words, humans outfuck every other race. (Except maybe orcs.)

gunplagirl posted...

*symbology

They use different names for it in different games. In 6 its Semiomancy and iatrimancy.

I just call it magic to save words.

Flauros posted...

They use different names for it in different games. In 6 its Semiomancy and iatrimancy.

I just call it magic to save words.

Wait really? I still need to play it. Must be a reason why they changed it.

SpiritSephiroth posted...

Wait really? I still need to play it. Must be a reason why they changed it.

Not really a spoiler but

Ray (the MC) points out that it is called symbology where he comes from, but they have different names for it on that planet. They also use "orbs" to assist with their brand of magic. You find a little robot called DUMA to help you in combat, and they just pretend it is a semiomancer orb to help blend in.

A good handwave

Zikten posted...

In most fantasy settings, humans are the dominant race, despite their lack of immediately obvious perks. I think they justify this by claiming humans have a bigger spark for adventure, and a strong will or something

I mean it's kinda like that in real life. We dominate despite I don't see how we survived past the cavemen days.

I thought it was funny in the fps shadowrun humans park was they started with more money