Thoughts and Ideas General

[RobG]

I think different races in a character creation tend to be a bit contrived in RPG's. What I mean it I pick elf or dwarf or whatever in probably about 90% of RPG's at the char creation stage, it gives a small usually passive buff, changes my ears or my height and the odd NPC says urgh I hate elves, and that is about the extent of how much it ever matters gameplay wise.

What I think would be cool is if there was just 'human' for the player character, but the small things you change make a difference within the game, ie a very short character, mocked by npc's a bit crapper in combat, but able to squeeze through a gap in a cave no other character can, or an old character being weaker, maybe dulled sense or sight or hearing, but commands more respect from the younger npc's and more worldly wise than a younger, fitter PC somehow. Fatter characters able to drink more ale than most etc etc.

NPC's reacting to the fact you are a woman or being invited into the cult of baldness or join the ginger haired assassins or whatever. Starting with a certain colour skin will mean you start in this certain area of the map maybe stuff like that. I think this would make for more interesting characters and for me at least make replay ability as different variations more appealing, as mostly in an RPG I would just pick whatever race fits with my class the best because it matters so little, and its rare I replay through with different races in most RPG's cause its so pointless.

Hopefully you see what I'm getting at. Exanima is already doing this to a degree what with height strength and weight making such a difference to how you fight, I just hope that kinda thing is expanded on, and more seemingly negative traits or neutral traits, have unexpected (or expected but relevant) perks and maybe even visa versa "Humm you look like a strong young warrior, want to go and kill Xardos the barbarian for us in the tar pits of Certaindeathvale?" kinda thing. I hope for this sort of thing, more than I hope for a 'race button' on character creation anyway. That is my 2 cents.

 

[Baka-sama]

What about dwarves? It would be cool to play as that too.

I don't think that they're going to include cliché fantasy races like elves and dwarves.

 

[Nomad]

I don't think that they're going to include cliché fantasy races like elves and dwarves.

Then there shouldn't be zombies, skeletons or other such cliché fantasy races either.
But proper long beards would be enough for me. Character customising is big fun too, I think.

 

[Pilluminati]

Then there shouldn't be zombies, skeletons or other such cliché fantasy races either.
But proper long beards would be enough for me. Character customising is big fun too, I think.

The skeletons are controlled by necromancers (iirc) so they make sense from a lore perspective. The undead aren't exactly zombies either.

 

[ZaratanCho]

Hah those are not races, what.. Completely different really.

 

[Baka-sama]

Then there shouldn't be zombies, skeletons or other such cliché fantasy races either.
But proper long beards would be enough for me. Character customising is big fun too, I think.

To be fair zombies and skeletons are simply dead humans, not a new race. I agree with the character customization though.

 

[OddSpierce]

Are we just going to ignore the beautiful system RobG just proposed? It would be difficult to optimize, but now I want a game with that included someday.

 

[RobG]

Then there shouldn't be zombies, skeletons or other such cliché fantasy races either

I think that is an interesting point, In that actually both are a stage of human decay and represent something which is cemented in reality, the animation and magic is the fantasy aspect but not really isolated to fantasy fiction gaming or otherwise either. Its more of a natural human thought process about death and its in-animation to come up with a fantastical idea such as a zombie or animated skeleton. I think the read herring is calling a zombie a zombie which turns the concept of an inanimate dead thing, animated, into a cliche.

Actually I wouldn't be against elves and dwarfs if they had some sort of impact on game play either. Magic and fantastical weirdness in RPG's is a big reason why I love the genre, and I doubt I would have the same enthusiasm I (blatantly) have for this game, if it was no fantasy rather than the low fantasy planned for SG. I just am so bored with features that have little or no meaning or thought process behind them. I think that is a gripe of BM too though, from everything I have read and experienced with the game so far, which is why I am such a super fan that I am.

 

[Nomad]

I meant cliché fantasy monsters. If they don't want some, maybe there shouldn't be any? Either is fine with me.

 

[Orlacktherof]

I meant cliché fantasy monsters. If they don't want some, maybe there shouldn't be any? Either is fine with me.

You just really want dwarves..

If all they do is just specialize in metallurgy, beards and being short, there really isn't a point in having them as we could just have human blacksmiths. Zombies and skeletons are cliché, yes but they aren't exactly the most fantasy creatures out there.

 

[Tony]

I meant cliché fantasy monsters. If they don't want some, maybe there shouldn't be any? Either is fine with me.

There really aren't any cliche fantasy monsters that are included at present or planned for the future. Zombies aren't zombies, ogres aren't ogres, etc. Everything has a purpose and a reason behind it and discovering the what, why and how is a major part of the gameplay.

 

[Nomad]

Everything has a purpose and a reason behind it and discovering the what, why and how is a major part of the gameplay.

Sounds good.

 

[Baka-sama]

You just really want dwarves..

If all they do is just specialize in metallurgy, beards and being short, there really isn't a point in having them as we could just have human blacksmiths. Zombies and skeletons are cliché, yes but they aren't exactly the most fantasy creatures out there.

There's nothing wrong with wanting dwarves, I also think having a wide variety of well thought out races would be pretty fun. Character customization has always been my favourite part of games. As RobG said, if the races actually have an impact on gameplay then that's fine, great even!

 

[RobG]

if the races actually have an impact on game play then that's fine, great even!

exactly, however how often is building and customizing the aesthetic of a character like a completely alien, basically irrelevant part of a game. To have say 6 different races with the level of depth and interest, game play wise seems like it would be a totally huge amount of work to implement, and probably unreasonable to expect from a game like this.

The potential for one race (human) to have so much depth and variety size, height, skin tone, age, weight, sex, alive, (un)dead etc etc all these variables just within one race, which could potentially, all directly affect game play in one way or another, is a far more interesting concept to me, than having 4+ races with really nice looking "skins", a generic buff to something generic, but essentially with no real consequence game play wise which is a really common feature in RPG's which I always feel is an illusion of depth, rather than actual depth.

But yeah totally agree, nothing wrong with wanting dwarves, just maybe unreasonable to want the best of both these worlds. I for one love dragons, I collect figures of them, pictures, love them in films and tv. I wouldn't want a dragon just plopped in the middle of SG though just for the sake of having a dragon because its an RPG and.... dragons....roar. Real genuine depth must take a fuckton of work and thought process for the dev's, especially with a small team like they have, so i think its inevitable and acceptable to have some amount of compromise in a computer game.

 

[Orlacktherof]

exactly, however how often is building and customizing the aesthetic of a character like a completely alien, basically irrelevant part of a game. To have say 6 different races with the level of depth and interest, game play wise seems like it would be a totally huge amount of work to implement, and probably unreasonable to expect from a game like this.

The potential for one race (human) to have so much depth and variety size, height, skin tone, age, weight, sex, alive, (un)dead etc etc all these variables just within one race, which could potentially, all directly affect game play in one way or another, is a far more interesting concept to me, than having 4+ races with really nice looking "skins", a generic buff to something generic, but essentially with no real consequence game play wise which is a really common feature in RPG's which I always feel is an illusion of depth, rather than actual depth.

But yeah totally agree, nothing wrong with wanting dwarves, just maybe unreasonable to want the best of both these worlds. I for one love dragons, I collect figures of them, pictures, love them in films and tv. I wouldn't want a dragon just plopped in the middle of SG though just for the sake of having a dragon because its an RPG and.... dragons....roar. Real genuine depth must take a fuckton of work and thought process for the dev's, especially with a small team like they have, so i think its inevitable and acceptable to have some amount of compromise in a computer game.

What he's saying about skins is what I meant, If they really don't change much other than having some role that humans can preform, why have them?

 

[Iscandar]

If you want to be a Dwarf, make the shortest person you can, put his/her physique as muscular but slightly fat, dress up in Viking or Russian inspired clothes and armor, and fight only with hammers and axes. If beards become a feature, those are mandatory. Never use magic unless it is in the form of an artifact. Ranged attacks are for faerie boys!

If you want to be an Elf, create a tall, slim character with long, luxurious hair, a slim body, pale skin, and only wear decorated, expensive clothing. Heavy armor, shields, axes, and maces are for brigands and brutes! Eor naem muste be spael'ed az-suche. Fight only with curved swords, bows, and especially magic. Always act superior to others and abuse magic for any fallacious reason you can come up with. Be a fop and a hypocrite.

See, nothing is stopping anyone from roleplaying an Elf or Dwarf. This also highlights how shallow and a trope those races have become.

 

[Orlacktherof]

If you want to be a Dwarf, make the shortest person you can, put his/her physique as muscular but slightly fat, dress up in Viking or Russian inspired clothes and armor, and fight only with hammers and axes. If beards become a feature, those are mandatory. Never use magic unless it is in the form of an artifact. Ranged attacks are for faerie boys!

If you want to be an Elf, create a tall, slim character with long, luxurious hair, a slim body, pale skin, and only wear decorated, expensive clothing. Heavy armor, shields, axes, and maces are for brigands and brutes! Eor naem muste be spael'ed az-suche. Fight only with curved swords, bows, and especially magic. Always act superior to others and abuse magic for any fallacious reason you can come up with. Be a fop and a hypocrite.

See, nothing is stopping anyone from roleplaying an Elf or Dwarf. This also highlights how shallow and a trope those races have become.

THIS, THIS. Do what this man says, and you don't need a special button to choose your damned race just because you want that.

 

[Conkids]

This guy just solved all your problems give him a cookie NOW!

 

[Baka-sama]

B-B-But that wouldn't be *sniffle* wouldn't be r-real! *sniffle*

 

[Conkids]

B-B-But that wouldn't be *sniffle* wouldn't be r-real! *sniffle*

You can always make a mod for it make pointy elf ears or big noses for dwarfs by the way did they say they will release a mod kit.