Social class banished?

More to do with the story they are trying to tell. They said back in 2020 they wanted Rook to be someone who starts from the bottom and worked up. I have to admit I had started to become a bit tired of the human PC always being from a noble background. It made for a contrast in what you experience compared with other races (although they dwarf could also be from a noble background in DAO) but even so it seemed as though they were shielding the people who always play human from the harsher side of life. The human noble in DAO can become Prince or Queen consort and they did automatically gain a status from being the 2nd most important family in the land after that of the King. Then in DA2 we were told the Hawke was a penniless refugee who raised themselves from nothing but that was not entirely true because once they had bought back the family estate they did have a kudos not available to the average peasant, let alone an elf. Then in DAI once again our family was prominent in the Freemarches with strong ties to the Chantry. It naturally seemed less out of place for them to be leading the Inquisition and they did start with an advantage at the Imperial Ball (or rather other races started at a disadvantage).

I had really wondered how they were going to tell the person who started with no power narrative if they opted once again to make the human background a noble one. I had assumed they might make every race a slave background (which was feasible) However, it seems they have gone with a different option. Whilst we still await full details on how they tie us into the backgrounds we are forced to choose between, on the whole it does seem we are starting off from more humble origins.  

Nevertheless, I wouldn't discount the noble origin entirely yet. Normally those who serve as mages in the Grand Necropolis tend to come from important noble families in Nevarra and it is entirely possible they might do something similar for other human members of the Mourn Watch. Whilst it would be natural to assume our origins were as a poor kid plucked from obscurity to become part of the Crows, it is clear they do seem to have a class system in that organisation that could result in a "noble" background (born into the family of one of the leading Houses).   Even to be a Shadow Dragon does not immediately preclude the PC from belonging from a noble Tevinter family.    Ditto a Lord of Fortune from Rivain, who don't seem to care what family you are from but nevertheless probably do attract the occasional noble born dissatisfied with their way of life.  That could even be true of the Veil Jumpers, since they have human as well as elven members (possibly even qunari) and Grey Wardens, where their members are meant to reject their former life when joining up but may still carry their status with them.

So, I would wait and see what our backgrounds entail before accusing them of ruling out a privileged background.  The rougher accent isn't necessarily an indicator.   Sometimes people adapt their accent to those they commonly associate with so as not to stand out as different.

This was always my reason for not playing human initially. However, having worked through DAO with various other backgrounds, I thought I'd give human noble a try and role played it to the full as a pragmatic, slightly amoral younger son, who always had an eye on improving their status, so naturally bypassed Alistair as King (he'd not shown any of the leadership skills that my Cousland had) and then married Anora, which also gave me a reason for sparing Loghain.

I did try a human mage in DAI eventually, making him more of a Chantry loyalist and beloved of Vivienne as a result but he was so unlike what I would usually role play that I actively started disliking him and gave up half way through.

I definitely don't intend playing human initially with DAV and intend going elf on my first run, so it is unlikely to make any difference to me as they never have the elf PC from a noble background, although technically that is how the Dalish view themselves having descended from the families of the Emerald Knights that fled the country on the fall of the Dales. However, that aspect is not really referenced much in game, only in the lore books.

Oh I know. It's just a personal dislike for that particular fantasy. I would never want to be nobility. Makes you a prisoner in a golden cage. Always on display. Nightmare fuel. So I told Alistair fuck being king, sounds miserable. Stay a warden. In hindsight for his character arc that wasn't the best decision maybe but I found his situation very relatable. Few things look as unappealing to me as being queen. Would never do it if I had a wish to make. That's the worst possible kind of rich I can think of.

That's all. Two things combined I don't care about. Judging by how popular human noble has always been, I'm in the minority.

This is part of the reason why when I choose to play human, it's as a mage. Amell doesn't even remember her origins and doesn't find out about her former nobility until some time after she already saved Ferelden, I imagine when her cousin stopped the qunari takeover in Kirkwall. I play Trevelyan as being rejected by his family when his magic manifested and so very much noble in-name-only. It did nothing to protect him from the dark side of the Circle, so he only concerns himself with it when others force him to.

I haven't decided yet whether Rook will be a human or an elf. It will largely depend on whether I can play them as somehow being directly impacted by the events of Inquisition.