New Races?

[BetrayTheWorld]

Since this is a new IP, how about a few extra races who aren't just humans of varying size with/without pointy ears and hairy feet?

 

I feel like many of the playable races in games are simply too human-like. Let's mix it up a little bit. How about intelligent beings evolved from other mammal and non-mammal species? Insectoids? Arachnids? Avians? Reptiles? Amphibians? Crustaceans?

 

I think it would be cool to see how an insect or arachnid society would evolve. They could end up with vastly different values and ethics from their more human-like counterparts.

[Pshaw]

I honestly don't remember if all the races are set in stone yet but I'd like to see this as well if they're not. I always liked playing 'beast' races when available just because they had a bit more flavor than those closer to humans. I do especially like the idea of different morals and values from the differing cultures.

 

That's also how I prefer to see monsters done as well. Rather than just having creatures that are inherently 'evil' and 'good' I like them to just be very alien in their thinking/morals. If a group of sprites and pixies decided to randomly attempt to kill my PC and party I don't want them doing it because they're evil but because they thought it would be hilarious to kill us because we have such laughably short life spans in their eyes anyway that the idea of living at all seems pointless.

[Hormalakh]

They probably aren't going to be too beastial. See the Orlans/Aumaua thread. We did have a "spider-based" race in D&D - they were the drow. But in general, yeah I would like the concepts for these races (orlan and aumaua) to be inffluenced by different animals.

 

It would also be nice to have some races that might not be playable, but to be in-world. Maybe they become playable races later (in the other games, e.g. P:E 2).

[Sacred_Path]

I think it would be cool to see how an insect or arachnid society would evolve. They could end up with vastly different values and ethics from their more human-like counterparts.

 

I think this is interesting even with the resemblance between the races that are in the game now. Orlans seem to have a promising backstory.

[rjshae]

I feel like many of the playable races in games are simply too human-like.

Why is this a problem? Surely you don't complain about games that have nothing but humans.

[Calmar]

To me, insectoid creatures are too alien and avian or aquatic might not be sensitive as the action (I assume) takes place on solid ground.

[Pshaw]

I feel like many of the playable races in games are simply too human-like.

Why is this a problem? Surely you don't complain about games that have nothing but humans.

 

While I can't speak for Betraytheworld I personally I dislike when fantasy/sci-fi games have only humans for a racial option. As much as I love Fallout2 I would have loved to have access to ghouls, mutants, and robots as playable characters. In fantasy games where their are completely distinct races (as opposed to ghouls/mutants having once been human) it seems a bit bland for every race to look like a human variant.

Edited November 15, 2012 by Pshaw

[nikolokolus]

Blame Star Trek

[GhoulishVisage]

There are problems with having a race that's too bestial in appearance.

 

1.) Animations

All of the animations that have been made for regular races would have to be redone for Arachnids etc

 

2.) Equipment

Obviously playing as an Arachnid-alike would severely limit what you are able to wear and use

 

As it stands the Orlans and the Aumaua are the unique races for PE, but that doesn't mean that Obsidian won't expand it's list of playable races in future games where new land-masses are used as the setting.

 

Also, we don't know the tone of PE and it's world quite yet, and having extremely fantastical playable races might not fit that.

[jezz555]

I'm not sure how many times I've said this already, but I really don't to see more animal head-human body races, they are all over the freakin place.

[Hormalakh]

Anyone see District 9 the movie? Those guys were cool. Locusts but humanoid...

[.Leif.]

I would really like to see Obsidian's take on Star-Spawn (Mind-Flayers).

[BetrayTheWorld]

I'm not sure how many times I've said this already, but I really don't to see more animal head-human body races, they are all over the freakin place.

 

I wasn't proposing this. Nor was I proposing the animal body, human torso thing that is so popular in fantasy writing. I'm talking about races that make some sort of evolutionary sense. Like, what would an arachnid who developed further along it's evolutionary timeline to the point of intelligence look like? Act like? Etc.

[Agelastos]

I'm not sure how many times I've said this already, but I really don't to see more animal head-human body races, they are all over the freakin place.

 

I wasn't proposing this. Nor was I proposing the animal body, human torso thing that is so popular in fantasy writing. I'm talking about races that make some sort of evolutionary sense. Like, what would an arachnid who developed further along it's evolutionary timeline to the point of intelligence look like? Act like? Etc.

 

Spiders are among the most ancient beings on this planet and have remained pretty much the same for hundreds of millions of years. They haven't evolved much because they don't need to. So if there's to be a race of sapient arachnids, it should look pretty much indistinguishable from real life spiders (or w/e arachnid it's based on). I hate it when fantasy and sci-fi writers anthropomorphize animals and try to pass it off as "evolution". Note that I'm not accusing you of thinking that's how evolution works, I'm just venting. I actually like your idea. That's how I usually try to go about when I invent new races.

Also, their moral framework and way of reasoning should be completely alien to humanoids.

 

Edit: Of course, when magic and gods are involved, it doesn't have to make evolutionary sense.

Edited November 17, 2012 by Agelastos

[Labadal]

I'm sure we'll see new races. They have already mentioned 2 playable races that are unique to this world. Remember that there will probably be more non-playable races scattered around the world.

[rjshae]

I feel like many of the playable races in games are simply too human-like.

Why is this a problem? Surely you don't complain about games that have nothing but humans.

 

While I can't speak for Betraytheworld I personally I dislike when fantasy/sci-fi games have only humans for a racial option. As much as I love Fallout2 I would have loved to have access to ghouls, mutants, and robots as playable characters. In fantasy games where their are completely distinct races (as opposed to ghouls/mutants having once been human) it seems a bit bland for every race to look like a human variant.

But why do you dislike only humans? You can get plenty of variety just by introducing unusual cultures.

 

They have already announced multiple races, so are you looking for wierdness? The problem for fantasy then is that oddball races start to make the game too sci-fi like. Or maybe you're just looking for player characters with special powers?

[jezz555]

I'm not sure how many times I've said this already, but I really don't to see more animal head-human body races, they are all over the freakin place.

 

I wasn't proposing this. Nor was I proposing the animal body, human torso thing that is so popular in fantasy writing. I'm talking about races that make some sort of evolutionary sense. Like, what would an arachnid who developed further along it's evolutionary timeline to the point of intelligence look like? Act like? Etc.

 

Evolution doesn't really work that way, but I see what your saying I suppose. I'm all for more races, just idk, give me something different.

[Pshaw]

I feel like many of the playable races in games are simply too human-like.

Why is this a problem? Surely you don't complain about games that have nothing but humans.

 

While I can't speak for Betraytheworld I personally I dislike when fantasy/sci-fi games have only humans for a racial option. As much as I love Fallout2 I would have loved to have access to ghouls, mutants, and robots as playable characters. In fantasy games where their are completely distinct races (as opposed to ghouls/mutants having once been human) it seems a bit bland for every race to look like a human variant.

But why do you dislike only humans? You can get plenty of variety just by introducing unusual cultures.

 

They have already announced multiple races, so are you looking for wierdness? The problem for fantasy then is that oddball races start to make the game too sci-fi like. Or maybe you're just looking for player characters with special powers?

 

I just like visual variety. You're right in that differing cultures from the same race and provide plenty of change, I just prefer those distinction to also have a noticeable difference in silhouette as well. I'm not looking for weirdness or oddballness, just a noticeable difference beyond big, short, different color skin, and pointy ears. If you can't tell the difference between a human and another race based on their silhouette I think they could stand to be a bit more different. It's certainly not a make or break issue it's just simply my preference.

 

Also as far as special powers go I think all races should only have minor game play differences between them. I think people should pick a race they like not just the one that goes with their class the best. I'd certainly rather all of these differences (if included in the game) be non-combat related.

[Mandragore]

Since this is a new IP, how about a few extra races who aren't just humans of varying size with/without pointy ears and hairy feet?

 

I feel like many of the playable races in games are simply too human-like. Let's mix it up a little bit. How about intelligent beings evolved from other mammal and non-mammal species? Insectoids? Arachnids? Avians? Reptiles? Amphibians? Crustaceans?

 

I think it would be cool to see how an insect or arachnid society would evolve. They could end up with vastly different values and ethics from their more human-like counterparts.

 

For the love of gawd no furry stuff please. Some predatory insect people might be a nice change from the usual orc equivalent "evil race" though.

[Haerski]

I don't want PE to become some kind of freak show. Too many and too outlandish races do just that and secondly insectoids and such never make much sense as playable characters. What's the probability that two completely different paths of evolution somehow end up being able to speak same language? And if they don't speak same language, then how could creature evolved from some spider or lizard communicate with humans so it doesn't affect gameplay too much? And how could they live among us in society designed for humans, cause I'm pretty sure no one wants to see humanoids with animal heads anymore?

 

There could be and I'm sure there will be weirder tribes of creatures as non-playable race in some corner of the world, but making them playable would probably just end up to ridiculous mongrel of human and animal features to somehow justify their presence in society and fit them in gameplay mechanics.

Edited November 18, 2012 by Haerski

[Mandragore]

I don't want PE to become some kind of freak show. Too many and too outlandish races do just that and secondly insectoids and such never make much sense as playable characters. What's the probability that two completely different paths of evolution somehow end up being able to speak same language? And if they don't speak same language, then how could creature evolved from some spider or lizard communicate with humans so it doesn't affect gameplay too much? And how could they live among us in society designed for humans, cause I'm pretty sure no one wants to see humanoids with animal heads anymore?

 

There could be and I'm sure there will be weirder tribes of creatures as non-playable race in some corner of the world, but making them playable would probably just end up to ridiculous mongrel of human and animal features to somehow justify their presence in society and fit them in gameplay mechanics.

 

I agree that it makes no sense from an evolutionary standpoint. I was actually thinking they could be demons or other extra-planar folk. I was also thinking more along the lines of getting one anachronistic individual as a party member rather than as a choice for the race of your personally created PC.

[Umberlin]

I like, understand, and, to an extent, even want less Humanoid playable races . . . but, I also understand some of the complexities and issues that come into play with such an addition. I think two of the first games I encountered it in were, "Ravenloft: Stone Prophet" and, "World of Aden: Thunderscape" . . . in Stone Prophet, for example, you could bring a Desert Troll into your party. You could get him gear, and the like, as a normal party member, but, of course, being of a vastly different body type it required its own separate brand of gear. Bert the Troll in Thunderscape, again, had this exact problem and couldn't wear much of anything as a result.

 

So, can you introduce less typical characters into a game? Definitely, no question. It just requires thought and planning, as well as good implementation. Still, from both a development and play standpoint, it's more difficult. Not just in what you have to develop, but in what the player has to do. Some games that have done it, by simple nature of most gear being for more normal types, have made using the less traditional characters more difficult.

 

Again, I love the idea, I even like it when it's well done, but I can certainly understand why some developers shy away from it (even if I'd prefer they didn't, and that the ones who didn't shy away from it would implement such things better). Being a developer sounds like a difficult job to me. Hard decisions to make, and you just know some people won't like what you do, no matter what you do.

[Jojobobo]

I liked the Vodyanoi in the Witcher, so that's how I'd like my beastlike races to be in P:E - not playable and antagonistic. I like races that follow inhuman and inscrutable gods that put them at odds with humanity for reason the PC will never understand.

[Tagaziel]

I don't want PE to become some kind of freak show. Too many and too outlandish races do just that and secondly insectoids and such never make much sense as playable characters. What's the probability that two completely different paths of evolution somehow end up being able to speak same language? And if they don't speak same language, then how could creature evolved from some spider or lizard communicate with humans so it doesn't affect gameplay too much? And how could they live among us in society designed for humans, cause I'm pretty sure no one wants to see humanoids with animal heads anymore?

 

By your logic, eg. Europeans would never be able to communicate with people outside their continent (or even country). And yet they did. Interspecies communication is possible, you just need a comparable level of intelligence. The process wouldn't be easy, sure, but it's definitely not impossible.

 

Furthermore, you honestly fail to see the potential for conflict and interesting writing here? The problem of assimilating non-human species? The interaction between humans and them? I'm working on something similar by now and it's fascinating to explore, the alien cultures, different societies etc.

[Haerski]

I don't want PE to become some kind of freak show. Too many and too outlandish races do just that and secondly insectoids and such never make much sense as playable characters. What's the probability that two completely different paths of evolution somehow end up being able to speak same language? And if they don't speak same language, then how could creature evolved from some spider or lizard communicate with humans so it doesn't affect gameplay too much? And how could they live among us in society designed for humans, cause I'm pretty sure no one wants to see humanoids with animal heads anymore?

 

By your logic, eg. Europeans would never be able to communicate with people outside their continent (or even country). And yet they did. Interspecies communication is possible, you just need a comparable level of intelligence. The process wouldn't be easy, sure, but it's definitely not impossible.

 

Furthermore, you honestly fail to see the potential for conflict and interesting writing here? The problem of assimilating non-human species? The interaction between humans and them? I'm working on something similar by now and it's fascinating to explore, the alien cultures, different societies etc.

You could have read my last paragraph. I'm not completely against every alien races.

 

But...

Humans all around the world have same set of voice formation organs, so every human should be able to speak any human language in existence, which makes learning relatively easy. Then again some insectoid species would most likely do it in some completely different way. For example ants communicate in way that scientist still can't fully understand. Grasshoppers by rubbing their legs into their wings. etc. Just how would those creatures communicate with ordinary people in an era where written language is privilege of scholars and rich? Of course those scholars might be able to learn the ways of their language, but how could some poor peasant or ordinary merchant? That's why they don't make sense as playable race: They just don't fit into society developers are creating. If this was world with modern science and education then it would be much easier to accept, but in medieval era without printing press those races should definitively be outcasts living as their own tribe and in mutual distrust between them and humans as most of them can't understand each other.

 

You can have conflict and interesting writing without making them playable. Making one of them join your party and go adventuring with you usually just breaks the tension of that situation and just makes your party feel like that freak show I mentioned or some Pokemon game. (Gotta catch 'em all!) It's ok in games like Planescape, which was one big freak show in itself, but from what I have heard about PE, devs are aiming for "realistic" fantasy this time and that sets completely different requirements... at least from me.

 

As Mandragore said making that race demons or other spiritual/supernatural beings would be easy way out of those questions, but it doesn't then again have as good basis for drama and conflict.

Edited November 18, 2012 by Haerski