| RavenBlog |
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| Comments on Monday 22 November 2004: |
| Wargames all have the same archetypical things you play as or fight against. First, common to all, is the race of "normal". Most often this is humans, except in historical-setting wargames where it's generally English-speaking nation X. After that, common to most, is the race of "jocks". You'll always play as normals first if there's a plot, and you'll always be against the jocks first. This might be a reflection of the attitudes of game players. The jocks are the stronger, less technical races - your orcs, zerg, Space Orks, and so forth. The meat aliens. If there's more than two, the third sort is always the race of "nerds", generally with insane nonsense-technology and/or psychic powers, and a weak physique. Your elves, protoss, Eldar, etc. The brain aliens. Sometimes, but significantly less often, there is a fourth genre, which is the worst of both worlds. Stupid like jocks, weak like nerds. These are your zombies or robots. Their redeeming feature tends to be numbers. Notably, there is extremely rarely a fifth genre, one which is stronger and smarter, but fewer, than 'normals'. I was fairly pleased by this train of thought, wondering why it is that the archetypes don't get innovated. Then I thought about it and realised the answer - what else would you change? There isn't a lot of scope. Then a few hours later I realised that my own wargame (still in "design in my brain" stage) already has a race which differs from all of these significantly, so obviously it can be done after all. Perhaps we shall see, when I finish it, whether deviating from established archetypes is a good idea or not. [15:18] |
| Digi |
| You've answered your own question before asking it. Why on earth not have a race smarter and stronger, but more expensive to recruit than 'normals'? The Borg with poor assimilation technology. I suspect this is what you're keeping secret for your own game, because while writting this I've been considering what other clear-cut variants there could be, and I can think of none. However you may've been inovative enough to cook something up, which should be quite intresting. Aha! I can think of one, though it's a crap one. Night Elves in Warcraft III. With an upgrade or two, Elvish buildings can be used as 'Jock troops', strong and slow. Though actually as the thought runs through my head I realise the crapness comes from WC3's wanky little food limit - be Elves, get entrenched long enough to be able to build Ancient Protectors at will, and you've got infinite troops. So without the food limit, it could be a fair option. Hmm. |
| RavenBlack |
| Nah, Elvish buildings are more like the nerd troops - they're 'technology', albeit magic psychic technology. My extra race is not really a point on the smartness/strength axes. If were placed on there it'd probably come out similar to humans, but mm, it's proper innovation. |