Okay, I've been playing and running DnD since Basic Set (Oh god what uber powergaming kids we were), and 3.* since it came out. I will be converting to Pathfinder when the final version is out.
What this generally entails for me is shifting and modifying my custom races and balancing them all out. But something I've noticed since 3.0 first came out, with very rare exceptions, we've had a fantasy game of humans. Why? Well, lets face it, that extra feat and the skill points is a monsterous bonus, far more in nearly every situation than any of the other racial bonuses. My question:
Why choose a race other than human?
Now, here's what I mean by it. Sure, "Well, elves are cool" or for my character background/vision... ignore those lines of thoughts. I'm talking a numbers crunching logic view... (All my gamers are mathematically inclined in their jobs/lives).
Take human vs. Elven wizards: Ignore the optional Favored class rule in Pathfinder (which I like but truth told makes humans even more favorable) Epic point buy, Planned all wizard.
Human stats: Str 10, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 18, Wis 10, Cha 10.
Elven Stats: Str 10, Dex 18, Con 12, Int 18, Wis 10, Cha 10.
Less hitpoints, 1 more armor, toss up on which is better or worse depending on your philosophy. All in all, in building stat points, they're more or less a wash across the board.
Of matterable/desierable abilities:
Human: Free feat, Skilled.
Elf: Extra 2pts for penetration, Low-Light Vision(not as matterable, but more than the lesser ones IMO)
Lesser materable abilities:
Most of the other benefits from the races, yes sleep is nice, bonus to compulsion nice.. not huge for a wizard as example)
All in all, when under discussion, humans still seem to be and are the chosen race, why? Skill points and Feat.
Suggestions of "You don't know what you're doing" are unhelpful and meaningless to me... 2nd edition and before there were many non humans in all my campaigns.. not so much since 3.0+, and less so in Pathfinder (due to humans getting to add 2 to a stat)
Suggestions/Philosophy/ideas/Insights?
Thanks
Weave