I'm new: after reading rules, why play a human character?

[Metroknight]

I've heard of some GMs letting players of human character roll 4d6 keep highest 3 for each stat when creating characters. All other races get the standard 3d6 for character creation.

[Dimirag]

I've heard of some GM using the normal 3d6 roll, and then letting the player to switch the two highest scores two times, the first time the highest score must be on the Class Ability Requirement and the second one the highest value must end on the Race Ability Requirement but humans can choose any Ability.

One problem that carries the use of non-random Ability Score generation is that it makes race and class ability requirement obsoletes. For those generation methods the requirements should be higher than normal.

Other option is to take the Mazes & Minotaurs Ability Requirements which simple makes you put your highest scores on the Class/Race Ability.

[HolyCouncilMagi]

Humans have no real features and are very bad at not dying compared to dwarves and halflings, and the 10% EXP bonus doesn't put them a full level ahead of others of their class until between levels 15 and 16, so... Yeah, there's very little mechanical reason to play one as-written. The elf isn't comparatively very good either, but it has some neat abilities and is at least unique from the halfling/dwarf in that it can be a Magic-User (which it's also generally better at than human).

Pumping up humans' EXP bonus helps somewhat, but not a whole lot; being a level ahead still only puts you on, like, the slightly improved elf's level of saves, and still doesn't give you any unique abilities. It probably puts the human Magic-User a bit ahead of the elf Magic-User, at least, since they're getting their new spells significantly earlier, but the high Save bonuses of the halfling and dwarf (and the halfling's AC) are still better than your small offense and HP advantages for other classes.

I guess the only real balancing factor in most people's games is that their settings are human-centric and their humans are majorly xenophobic, but I get the feeling that would be just as much a problem for humans seen associating with those from other races as it is for said other races, and that still doesn't help them not get murdered in a dungeon the way all those great abilities and Save bonuses of the other races do.

Long story short, humans are best for the type of player who likes bringing in new characters fairly often compared to the others at the table. Much like with the lifespans of their more peaceful brethren, compared to other races, the fire of a human adventurer's life burns brightly but is extinguished quickly...

[Dimirag]

I guess the only real balancing factor in most people's games is that their settings are human-centric and their humans are majorly xenophobic, but I get the feeling that would be just as much a problem for humans seen associating with those from other races as it is for said other races, and that still doesn't help them not get murdered in a dungeon the way all those great abilities and Save bonuses of the other races do.

Although most campaigns are human centric that does not mean they are xenophobic, one of the perks of humans in most campaigns is that they are tolerable or likable by the other races, and sometimes humans are the ones that allows different races to coexist in a party.

Long story short, humans are best for the type of player who likes bringing in new characters fairly often compared to the others at the table. Much like with the lifespans of their more peaceful brethren, compared to other races, the fire of a human adventurer's life burns brightly but is extinguished quickly...

Untrue, the saves bonuses don't ensure character survivability, humans are good character for any player wanting to play a character with no pre-established personality or mannerism and that are able to walk the kingdom with little problems, they are humans in a world of humans (and monsters).

Another common error is to think solely on combat terms, there are more to the life of an adventurer than killing monsters.