Humans Are Average: Difference between revisions

{{quote|''A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. [[Crippling Overspecialization|Specialization is for insects]].''|'''[[Robert A. Heinlein]]'''}}

 

 

 

Common contrasts with humanity include [[Elves Versus Dwarves|spiritual Elves and phlegmatic Dwarves]] in [[Fantasy]], [[Bug War|mindless Bugs]] and [[Robot War|soulless Robots]] in [[Sci Fi]], and [[Our Angels Are Different|purely good Angels]] and [[Our Demons Are Different|purely evil Demons]] in [[Mythology]].

== [[Tabletop Games]] ==

* ''[[Dungeons and Dragons]]'' is gradually getting away from the trope with each new edition.

** In 3rd Edition, humans get a bonus feat at first level, an extra skill point at every level (four at first level), and they are easier to multi-class because whichever class they have the most levels in is treated as their racially favored class.

** In 4th Edition, humans get +2 to any one stat of your choice (other races get +2 to two fixed stats), +1 to non-armor defenses and an extra feat, trained skill and first level at-will power. That last one can be a major advantage, depending on class.

* ''[[Mass Effect]]'' has peaceful and warlike races, short-living and long-living, highly [[Clarke's Third Law|biotic]]-prone and unable to use it... Humans are average and adaptive, and they become highly respected thanks to it. While physically, they are normally average, they are lauded for their flexibility and perseverance, and are generally regarded as more creative than others. <br /><br />The asari have the best individual fighters, but can't stand up in a firestorm. The vorcha and krogans are incredibly biologically suited and disposed to physical conflict, but have to get technology from other races, who they're no good at negotiating with. The turians and batarians have strong senses of duty and collectivism, but aren't very good at economics (being reliant on other species, and destitute, respectively). The salarians are masters of technology and information, but are short lived and relatively fragile. Lacking [[Planet of Hats|the rigidity of other species]], humans can adapt on the fly to new situations, and employ new tactics and techniques quicker than anybody else.

* ''[[Starcraft]]'' has the Terrans, which rely more on numbers than the Protoss, but less than [[Zerg Rush|the Zerg]]. However, they are also the most specialized to range and the least tied to location, and so their specializations give them the greatest feel of adaptability.

* The third installment of ''[[Star Control]]'', notably as explained by the human representative re the Earthling Cruiser.

* [[Justified Trope|Justified]] in ''[[Fall From Heaven]]'', where humanity is the original race in which all of the [[Fantasy Pantheon|Angels]] had an equal hand in creating. The other races are simply humans whose ancestors who spent a lot of time with a particular Angel, whose presence caused them to become more like that Angel. For example, elves hung out with the Angel of Nature, Sucellus.

* Surprisingly not the case in ''[[Master of Magic]]''. Humans (High Men) are balanced in their stats, but they trade off the ability for building some endgame buildings for a handful of elite units. On the other hand, [[Our Orcs Are Different|orcs]] have no strikingly elite units but can build every town improvement in the game, and their combat stats are also average.

* In ''[[Sword of the Stars]]'', humanity has average industrial capacity, research ability, terraforming speed and population growth. They are almost in every respect the [[Jack of All Stats]], except for their unusual [[FTL]] drive that makes human fleets something of a [[Fragile Speedster]] on a strategic level, and also much more vulnerable to entrenchment. Humans also have a fairly high chance of getting most of the weapons techs, unlike most other races, who tend to favor one or two lines of weapons.

* In ''[[The Battle for Wesnoth]]'', humans have no preferred terrain types (except maybe plains by virtue of no one else being exceptionally good on them), have no special preference for melee or ranged combat, have both lawful (loyalists) and chaotic (outlaws) units, and can learn many different kinds of magic without being racially focused on one specific kind.

* The [[Call a Rabbit a Smeerp|Humes]] in ''[[Final Fantasy XI]]''.

* In ''[[Video Game/The Lord Of The Rings Battle For Middle Earth|The Lord Of The Rings Battle For Middle Earth]] 2'' human infantry and heroes are faster but weaker than the [[Mighty Glacier|dwarves]] but slower and stronger than the [[Fragile Speedster|elves]]. Though it's somewhat subverted with humans having the best cavalry units and having more [[Humans Are Diplomats|heroes with leadership skills]] than other factions.