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That's a valid question. There are two concerns here, one IC and one OOC.
The IC one is this - in TP MUD, the appearance of high elves and dark elves is an outer representation of the Light or Darkness within them, which is there because of the Gods. So in effect, the Gods have made you a high elf or dark elf. And with that comes X, Y and Z expectations.
If you veer from that path, you are technically no longer a high elf or dark elf, because your inside (personality, beliefs, etc.) doesn't match your outside. Thus the Gods change your outside -to- match your inside. So if you're a "waffling high elf" it's likely you'll be turned into a human, since humans within their personalities are given much greater latitude.
So it may be possible for a character to veer down a "non-stereotypical" path, but ICly they will be punished for it, by the Gods. Being turned from a high elf to a human (or dark elf to human) would be an awful, gut wrenching experience. That in and of itself can lead to some excellent RP, if the player is willing to take up that challenge maturely.
Note: Characters should and do also punish characters for veering off the accepted path. For example, TP MUD has Dark Elven Houses (not designed as traditional fantasy ones), and for a dark elf -not- to be in a House is unnaceptable to the dark elven community and they will get you. High elves -do- snub their noses at other high elves who have neutral tendencies or promote non-traditional high elven values. And this is something, on a whole in the game, we are promoting heavily (we don't just want it to be the Gods stepping in).
Most players that do veer from the "stereotypes" do it from the very first day, since it would seem they do not have a full and proper grasp of how the race should be played. These are also the people who do not see the potential opportunities in the IC punishment of a race change.
The OOC concern is this -- if one person is doing it, suddenly everyone else wants to as well. That's a bit of a mentality that I think is natural amongst people. What may have at the outset been considered unique suddenly becomes the norm. What once may have been undertaken by an exceptional RPer is suddenly being done by people who don't yet have the capacity to handle the challenge.
RP is an interesting beast - some would argue that "good RP" means you have to be unique, others would argue the complete opposite; play the role *precisely* how it was defined or else. I think it's fair to say that you can be somewhere in the middle and be successful. To me, uniqueness is something that has to be more subtle, and developed over time due to experiences, not something you come full throttle with at the beginning. If you start out as a "good dark elf", that's not going anywhere. If you end up doubting things as a dark elf down the road, after serious, intense character development, while I don't think you would go "good" per se, there's a possibility for uniqueness. We don't want drones. We want mature RP which to me in one way means understanding and developing the nuances and depth of a character's personality. That's where uniqueness in a sense can shine through.
I hope that answers your question, and once again, thank you for asking it.
Pleos
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