Modern values and Fantasy world

[Drul Morbok]

Reading this topic again made me remember some ideas I'd like to share:

Maybe 10 years ago, some friends and fellow roleplayers and me went on a hiking trip, and late at night around campfire, we had a discussion about moral values of Orcs.

I claimed that "the history of Orc and Men is a history of misunderstanding".
I elaborated that Orcs are a bit like wolves...they have deadly weapons, so among themselves they develop a culture of NOT using them lethally.
Survival of the at-least-not-that-stupid...

So the Orcs have developed almost a language of its own in ritualized presentation of weapons. One way of holding a club could be translated as "I accept your claim on this territory, but will pass through it as I please", another gesture as "nobody defies my will".
Unfortunately, the rudest gesture of all Orcish gestures is - waving a bare hand. An Orc will translate it as "I do not consider you a warrior".
Unfortunately for those Humans that thought they'd be polite.

But Orcish reputation for attacking helpless travellers in wild fury has now been established as Human history.

[David Roomes]

I love this. This would make a great short story. 

[sid6.7]

Well I'll make it short and sweet....role playing is like acting if you can't act within the setting you probably shouldn't be involved in role playing. I've played Good, Neutral and Bad PC's its part of the RP world.

[Drul Morbok]

Well, more precisely I'd compare roleplaying to improvisational theatre.
And while I've certainly watched great movies and plays about delicate topics, there are good reasons not to recommend those topics for an improv setting.

After all, acting within the setting requires a consensus about the setting, which is much harder for "evil" or dystopian settings, lest they turn into shallow parodies or "because I can"-actions without in-character motivation.