Fallout, particularly Fallout 2, was full of pop culture references. As Arcanum is of the same lineage as Fallout does it have any references? The only 1 I can think of off the top of my head is the Tulla Fallout reference. The guy turns up wearing mech plate (power armour) after collecting a water crystal (water chip) and he is told he is no longer welcome.
Discussion isn't that old of a forum. The entire game is a conceit for the industrial revolution in America. The orcs of course being the Irish, because both groups are stupid and only fit for beating things to death or lifting large crates.
Half Ogres can be seen as a representation of the Nazi experiments to 'Aryianise' the 'lesser races'. So I suppose that the full blooded ogres are an addition that was mainly added to give the whole half ogre angle more basis.
Not really... the Gnomes are typically seen as the Jewish bankers in America during the industrial revolution, and your line would turn Jews into Nazis. Irony it is.
The Jewish angle definitely fits. Even compare the look of gnomes to anti-jew propaganda. Small, chubby, money grabbing with a big nose. It's as if the gnomes have been lifted straight from a fascist / olde Russian sketch. As for the nazi angle...not so sure. If it was an aryanisation project surely that would involve breeding the ogres with gnomes as in that scenario gnomes would be the 'master race' and I don't think the gnomes would want to dilute their perfection. I think the gnome breeding program owes more to fantasy and imagination than to real world inspiration. Orcs as Irish...Greenish skin, supernatural regeneration in a fight, only able to communicate in grunts, fondness for Guinness...yes it all seems to fit. If the Irish are only fit for beating, where do the Scots fit into this?
