A good reason not to have dragons, trolls, fairies, etc.

[zanzibar]

\"Originality\" isn\'t a good enough reason to stay away from typical mythological creatures.

But it occurred to me today, that there\'s another good reason for it which I don\'t recall anyone putting forward before in this forum.

If you\'re fresh off the farm or have never been outside of Hydlaa before, chances are you\'ve never seen a dragon or troll or orc before, if they were hypothetically in the game.  However, we\'ve all seen these creatures before countless times in movies, books, and games.  We have a very strong sense of how they \'should\' be presented.

However, with clackers, grendols, ulbernaughts, trepors, and so on, new players don\'t have a clue!

Maybe your first encounter is sudden and unexpected.  It has this wonderful sense of \'newness\' to it which you wouldn\'t have if it were something normal.

And there\'s talking to people in the plaza about all the creatures you haven\'t seen yet.  You have only the words of others to go on.  That leaves room for exaggeration and imagination.



And that\'s what I think the real benefit is.  Colour, imagination, player interaction, newness, maybe even surprise and wonder.  It\'s not just to be different - it\'s to create a better experience for people playing the game.

[Kythag]

I couldn\'t have said that better(or even that well)!  Morrowind held much more fun for me when I could get lost between Balmora and Caldera.  The total alieness of a world holds mystery.  If these kinds of creatures were introduced, when you heard someone say Dragon or Fairy, you would have an idea what to expect.  

The first time I heard the term \"Trepor\", I was intrigued.  What kind of creature is that?  How dangerous is it?  So that, the first time I approached one, there was a sense of the unknown, suspense.  Now that I am familiar with them, I am like, O yea, a trepor.  Yeah, I can kill one.

I still have the desire to level and kill an ulbernaught.  Even though I have met one(He decided to give me a free weekend pass to DR), they hold mystery for me because I am thinking:  What will it take to fight one?

That is the single best point I have heard regarding the issue.  Thanks for bringing it up.

[Kiern]

You basically just said you have a reason besides originality, and then gave a reason that defines originality.

And in any case the argument is defeated by the fact that here are humans, elves, and dwarves.

[zanzibar]

Originally posted by Kiern
You basically just said you have a reason besides originality, and then gave a reason that defines originality.

And in any case the argument is defeated by the fact that here are humans, elves, and dwarves.

Sheesh, do you have to disagree with everything?  


First, you can do something for the sake of originality, or you can do something to create a sense of imaginative wonder.  Those are two very different things, two very different goals, even if they are connected sometimes.

As far as humans, elves, and dwarves, those are shown at character creation.  People are aware of them from the get-go.  Therefore, you don\'t exactly learn about them for the first time during your exploration of the Planeshift world.  Even if that weren\'t the case, it doesn\'t really counter anything I said.  It\'s pretty unrelated, actually.  Thanks for the thoughts though!

[Kythag]

I had the impression that the Elves, Dwarves, and Humans are alien here.  I haven\'t found the Planeshift History text, so I can\'t say that with certainty.

[zanzibar]

Originally posted by Kythag
I had the impression that the Elves, Dwarves, and Humans are alien here.  I haven\'t found the Planeshift History text, so I can\'t say that with certainty.

Yup, they\'re alien to the land where things take place, but they aren\'t alien to western literature.  I think that\'s the point he was trying to make, on the surface anyway.

[Nikodemus]

Kythang, you have to click \"story\"  button next to other similiar buttons located just below the tavern image at top. Then at the left you will see additional links.

On topic
All the races are integrated and live long enough in Yliakum that none of them may be called allien, i think. And if you wan\'t to know which races came to Yliakum from other planes. All the races besides Krans and Lemurs. Krans are Talads creations and Lemurs are Laanxs. I gues also Ynnwn count because they are crossing beatwen elf and diaboli and they crossed after both races came to Yliakum.

[Drey]

kiern he goes a little further.

also, xordan is a fairie.

[zanzibar]

Originally posted by Drey
kiern he goes a little further.

also, xordan is a fairie.

I vote that someone models a fairie, just for Xordan to use in-game. :-D

[Draklar]

Originally posted by zanzibar

Originally posted by Drey
kiern he goes a little further.

also, xordan is a fairie.

I vote that someone models a fairie, just for Xordan to use in-game. :-D

They already did that, and called it \"Dermorian\".

Now this whole argument can just as well be taken as a disadvantage. Realistically the creatures should be known one way or another. Otherwise folklore stories would never exist. I mean, do you think any of the people living in the past ever met a troll? No, and yet they were known enough to survive in various stories to this very day. And we are talking about world where such creatures actually exist. One would assume they would be even more known than the ones in real life. But instead, as you say, they are hardly known.
I\'m sure there would be an old man telling his grandchildren about what he had seen during his ventures all over the Yliakum or what he heard about. The tales would be probably pretty common. Told by bards and experienced warriors.

[Kythag]

Nikodemnus:

Thanks for the directions.  My habit of scrolling right to read text has finally bit me...

Very entertaining and informative text.  No wonder Kythag started off with 140 Str and 110 End!

The text backs me up Elves, Dwawrves, and Humans are NOT indigenous to Yliakum.  They can be, at best, labelled \"naturalized\" citizens of Yliakum.

[Pestilence]

naturalized? LOl we are talking centuries here if I\'m not mistaken. If you think of it that way we are all foreigners then as everyone has ancestors that moved at one point in time.

[Kythag]

Centuries?  I think I need to reread the history.  I had the impression that it hadn\'t been very long since this all happened.  I did read it last night while running on Mt. Dew caffeination though(I still am ).

The original point, however, addresses someone saying that Elves, Dwarves, and Humans were indigenous to this world.

[Drey]

the races may not be, but the species (if that is the word) such as dermorian, stonebreaker and what else are.

also, when speaking English you use s\'s not z\'s

[Kythag]

Actually, I just used a spellchecker.  \"Naturalized\" is spelled right.  Is this another UK/America spelling difference?  Like Grey/Gray?  This occurred in another thread somewhere here.

Also, I just read the history, and I distinctly remember the text saying that only Krans and Lemurs are indigenous to Yliakum.  The others were sent by Vodul.  It might be more accurate to say that Krans and Lemurs were created in Yliakum by Laanx and Talad.

Oh, I think I have it.  When I said Dwarves, Elves, and Humans, I was referring to Dermorians, Ylians, etc. coming through portals to get to Yliakum.  These species are indigenous to the overall world, but I am referring to their arrival on the stalactite they currently reside on.