Racial choice versus Origin Presentation

The thing that kind of upset me was that there was only one background per race. And, as someone who's only ever played human characters in any Dragon Age, it also annoys me that every playable human is linked to a noble house. Inquisition's description mentions humans as the most politically and culturally diverse race in Thedas. There are so many other potential origins for a human protagonist, especially considering we're headed to Tevinter, which is pretty much the place that is most surrounded by other foreign nations. Barbarians (Avaar) Qunari Viddathari, Tevinter Soperati/Slaves, Anderfel warriors (perhaps even former Wardens)

So much potential. And I'm going to be really upset if the human option is just another noble.

I certainly think it would be an improvement if they could draw origins into the main story arcs so that while those playing that origin would get something extra from the encounter everyone else would also meet them. I would have preferred Hawen's clan to be the Lavellans rather than relegating them to some faceless set of war table quests.

Agreed. I can understand in Inquisition that people respected the Inquisitor regardless of race because of their title and power, although I still take issue with it, especially with elves, and particularly with Qunari. Choosing anything but human didn't really make sense to me, and when you do play one of the other races, it's on no consequence. 

If Bioware do multiple races again, I want a lot more reaction from it. And I honestly can't see a Qunari making a return as a race option, I don't see them walking around the streets of Minrathous without being constantly accosted, even physically attacked. Imagine a Tevinter mage walking around Par Vollen.  

There are qunari slaves in the Tevinter Imperium.  

Honestly, I'd love to see this kind of reactivity, and I actually think it's a point in favor of race selection. It's like in VtMB, if you choose to play a Nosferatu, you can't bump into random NPCs in the street because you're so monstrous that they'll scream and run away and net you a Masquerade violation. When you talk to plot-important NPCs, they'll constantly remark on your appearance - they think you're a burn victim or deathly ill or something. At least two people have a heart attack and die.

Not that I don't think a qunari could walk around Minrathous mostly unaccosted - there are slaves, and I'm sure they'd come up with some special snowflake diplomatic immunity thing for the PC like they always do (see: Warden, mage Hawke, Herald). But specific encounters or reactions for a qunari/elf/dwarf/soporatus would be interesting.

Whatever they do it'll never be as good as the Origins backgrounds. And the PC will never have as much/more personality than Hawke. Who is the Maker of the games as far as I'm concerned.

Oh definitely it would be amazing! But, if they can't have that sort of reactivity, it really spoils playing the race for me and kinda sucks me out of the experience. As I've said before, if they can't do it right, I'd rather they not do it at all.

To me, it differs. I prefer playable races but I'm not opposed to a protagonist that can only be human. I think what matters to me is which would be interesting to experience the story with? I think it would be best to provide an example to show what I mean by this:

Let's say that there's a revelation further down the line that reveals that the qunari originated from dragons. To whom would this revelation have the greatest impact? Who would be most affected by this discovery? A human protagonist or a qunari protagonist?

Human Protagonist: "The qunari... descend from dragons?"
Qunari Protagonist: "I... descend from dragons?" 

Now let's say that there's a revelation about how the elves originated from spirits. I'd find it much more interesting to imagine and roleplay how an elf would react to and cope with that discovery than I would a human. Therefore, I feel something would be lost were I only able to experience these discoveries from the perspective of a human character.  

To go on perhaps unnecessarily, I don't feel that DA4 would be the time for a human-only protagonist. Inquisition and Trespasser has built its story up to be about Solas and really, the past of the elves. I don't expect the whole game to focus on this but I do expect it to be important to the story. I'd find it very disappointing if I was unable to experience that part of story from the perspective of an elf. For that reason, I'd prefer a slave origin that allows the player the option to play as, at least, either an elf or a qunari. This origin as a slave would additionally provide a good way to explore the Tevinter Imperium its lowest to its highest. 

I'm not opposed to experiencing the Tevinter Imperium from the perspective of a human noble. In fact, I'd find it quite interesting but I'd prefer it if that story focuses only on the life and politics of a noble house in Tevinter.  

Note: I'm splitting my post to make it more manageable for me. 

Ultimately I'm always going to pick Race Choice even if the overall quality of the story telling suffers a bit.

And the reason for that is that I take issue with human exceptionalism in sci-fi & fantasy.

I don't even mind playing as humans when that's an option. My Warden was a human because I found the Cousland story to be the most compelling. But that doesn't impose human superiority when I could have possibly played as a dwarf or an elf and that character would have been just as capable.

Sure, but I still think it's lazy writing. There's nothing new or innovative about writing humans as The Best Most Prominent and Most Average™.