Something i always wondered, not just in DA:O. What would happen if someone was pregnant and turned in to a werewolf. Then gave birth in werewolf form. It would be like a wolf man. I remember a codex entry saying that when elves and humans breed they only had human children, because elven blood(or DNA) is more adaptive. So i think that a human child would die, while a elven child would adapt to the lycanthrope.
I think this would be a intersting companion.
New Creatures?
Débuté par
David Gaider
, janv. 09 2010 08:13
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#277
Posté 16 janvier 2010 - 03:40
Hukari
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What I would like to see much more of? Ghosts. There never really was much mention on -how- they came to be. It is assumed, that any spirit for bad or good went right to the Maker or Black City or whatever when they died. Yet, there you have it.
One thing in particular that I would like to see more of, is perhaps interaction with the Dwarven ghosts. Those spirits that remained in ortan Thaig, maintaining defensive formations even in death. One question that always stuck in my mind was; why the heck are they attacking -me-? At the time, I was a Grey Warden, a Prince of House Aeducan. The idea that Dwarves would attack their countrymen, even in death, seems odd to me.
So, all in all, more explaination of 'undead' spirits, so to speak. Perhaps doesn't fit inside the 3 main catagories, but it would be interesting nevertheless. And the idea of the honored dead helping to retake the Deep Roads is quite compelling.
One thing in particular that I would like to see more of, is perhaps interaction with the Dwarven ghosts. Those spirits that remained in ortan Thaig, maintaining defensive formations even in death. One question that always stuck in my mind was; why the heck are they attacking -me-? At the time, I was a Grey Warden, a Prince of House Aeducan. The idea that Dwarves would attack their countrymen, even in death, seems odd to me.
So, all in all, more explaination of 'undead' spirits, so to speak. Perhaps doesn't fit inside the 3 main catagories, but it would be interesting nevertheless. And the idea of the honored dead helping to retake the Deep Roads is quite compelling.
#278
Posté 16 janvier 2010 - 10:47
Upper_Krust
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* Beasts (natural creatures, such as dragons).
With that in mind, do those of you who are knowledgeable of the lore have any thoughts on the sorts of new creatures you'd like to see? I'm not looking for submissions, here, just some thoughts on what sorts of new creatures (or even new types of creatures) that you'd like to see that would still fit into the scheme of things.
Hello there. I've jotted down a few thoughts on potential beasts, I'll maybe add other posts for the other monster types.
In general, I think to avoid a high fantasy feel you 1) Would want to concentrate on Medieval monsters and 2) Avoid steampunk/machinery type enemies.
I think it would be a (fairly obvious) good idea to exploit the beast models (as in different varieties of the same monster) to their logical potentials but without simply creating fire, frost, nature, spirit, lightning and arcane versions of the standard creature.
So what I'll suggest are the basic animal models, three variant monsters and one "King of the Monsters" type boss creature, which would be at least twice as big as the normal monsters - I'm not sure how easy it is to scale up monsters, though I imagine its pretty straightforward.
1. Giant Apes (possible hairy variant of the Ogre model?)
*Wendigo: Frost based hairy Ogre
*Woodwose (Green Man): Nature based leaf covered Ogre
BOSS - PELUDA: Massive porcupine quilled, snake headed Giant with a snake tail, Breath deals fire and nature damage, shoots quills dealing nature damage, almost invulnerable when attacked from front and sides, single strike/bite from tail almost fatal.
2. Bronto (model already exists)
*Bonnacon: Fire based Bronto that leaves a trail of fire behind it (anyone standing beside or in the trail takes damage).
*Catoblepas: Deals massive spirit damage with a gaze weapon. Can stun enemies with its club like tail, and stunned enemies lose all spirit resistance.
*Gorgon: Bronze plated Bronto/Bull which has damaging electical sparks fly from it when its struck in melee.
BOSS - AMMUT: Guardian of the dead. Massive stomping monster breathes out ghosts (you gain no experience for fighting these). Also has skeletons and revenants pinned to its armoured hide which fall off when the creature is attacked (or the creature can shake them off itself).
3. Dragon (model already exists)
*Amphiptere (European version of a Couatl): Limbless dragon with lightning based attacks.
*Dracolich (Skeletal Dragon): Variable breath weapon. Sometimes ridden by Revenant Kings. The steed must be killed before the Revenant King can be injured.
*Wyvern: Dragon with no forelegs, deals Nature damage with its bite and tail sting.
BOSS: JABBERWOCK: Piercing scream stuns and deals damage. Its bite turns you to stone. Lays eggs which hatch into smaller versions of itself if left untouched for 15 seconds. The Jabberwock can eat its hatched young to regain some health.
4. Giant Eagle
*Phoenix: Fire based bird that explodes when slain.
*Thunderbird: Lightning based bird that summons a storm which covers the battlefield until its slain.
BOSS - ZIZ (Roc): I'll edit this one in a bit later.
5. Halla (model already exists)
*Yale: Curved horns can be shot off and boomerang back to the creature, attacking two enemies in the arc (one on the way out and one on the way back).
6. Horse
*Nightmare: Fiery steed that tries to drag opponents off to Hell.
*Skeletal Horse: Decaying undead steeds ridden by Revenant Lords. The steed ust be killed before the Revenant Lord can be injured.
*Unicorn: Teleports between enemies, its horn mimics whatever runes you have enchanted.
BOSS - BICORN: Giant, fat Blue/Black Unicorns with two horns and spikes along its back. Can summon different Ghostly riders (from all those it has killed). When it hits you with its horn it knocks you into the air.
7. Lion
*Chimera: Fireball shooting monster with three heads.
*Griffon: classic monster can pounce and bowl you over.
*Questing Beast: Bite deals constant nature damage until magically healed.
BOSS: TERRIBLE MONSTER: Massive leonine beastie. Drains your energy (adding it to its own) with its bite. Poison sting deals heavy Nature damage. Hide is pierced with four magical weapons which animate when the monster attacks. You can battle these weapons instead of the monster, but destroying them means you don't get them as loot.
Yes there is an ACTUAL monster from mythology called "the Terrible Monster".
http://en.wikipedia....errible_Monster
8. Lizard/Crocodile
*Afanc: Tentacle-legged crocodile (gains additional tentacles like the Broodmother).
*Basilisk: Monster can not only petrify you, but can also turn itself into a statue making it almost invulnerable for a time.
*Salamander: Fire based lizard that deals fire damage to anyone striking it in melee.
BOSS - TARRASQUE (French version, not the D&D version): Heavily armoured monster, regenerates while carapace/shell intact. 50% chance of reflecting ranged attacks and spells back upon their casters while shell is intact. You have to destroy the shell first before you can affect the monster itself, but when the shell is destroyed it becomes far more aggressive and powerful, offensively, but weaker defensively, as if a great weight had been lifted from its shoulders.
9. Mabari (model already exists)
*Crocotta: This Mabari can mimic any spells used against it.
*Hell Hound: Fire based Mabari that can breathe flames.
*Yeth Hound: Spirit based Mabari that can employ stealth/invisibility.
BOSS: CERBERUS: Great three-headed Mabari with a giant snake for a tail. Breath weapons deal spirit damage. Tail deals nature damage. Each bite will deactivate one of your magic items for the remainder of the battle.
10. Giant Snake
*Amphisbaena: Giant snake with a head at each end. Like all giant snakes can swallow whole (no revival until he monster is dead and swallowed character takes half damage if the beast is attacked) as well as deal heavy Nature damage with its bites, it just does it twice as good.
*Linnorm: Frost based worms which nullify the use of fire based spells and runes while it lives.
*Naga: Spellcasting arcane serpents can charm heroes into fighting for them.
BOSS either HYDRA: Multi-headed giant snake. Each time a head is slain it rises as a skeleton.
or OUROBOROS: Once first injured a timer starts. When the monster is killed the game is frozen as the timer rewinds. During this time the monster can still attack, but no other characters can move. When the timer reaches zero the monster fades away.
11. Wolf (model already exists)
*Barghest: Darkspawn shapeshifters, able to change between wolf and Darkspawn forms. Always accompanied by a wolf pack. Can only be injured when all the wolves in their pack have been slain.
*Enfield: Arcane monster duplicates itself so that each enemy fights a 'copy', all share the single health total though.
*Winter Wolf: Ice based wolf, shatters (dealing damage to those closeby) when killed.
BOSS - ORTHUS: Great two-headed wolf changes between breathing fire and frost. Anyone hit by the frost has their Fire resistance disabled for the remainder of the fight, and vice versa.
#280
Posté 17 janvier 2010 - 12:16
Chateau Migraine
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Wow. Seeing how thought-out the posts of the people before me are, I'm not sure whether my petty ideas can actually compete...
EDIT: Reconsidering it, the idea of the plant enemy is quite unlikely. The blight destroys the flora of an area in its wake, so the idea of possessed plants is probably ruled out. Other kinds of sentient plants are covered with the Sylvans. Maybe someone has a very good idea of using one.
To pick up other ideas of the posters before, it would really be nice to see a little remnant of the former Warden's glory in form of gryphons. However, I'd prefer to see an undead one. A mage could have resurrected it, or the influence of the taint/lyrium might have made it return from the death. After centuries of decay it will probably have lost most of its glory (including most of the feathers), but its size and the strength given by the power that gave it another life should be impressive, to say the least.
The section with the darkspawn seems to be sufficiently covered by the upcoming sentient ones, but this one is only to be seen as soon as the expansion pack will be playable.
I also agree with the big leviathan-like beast in Lake Calenhad. One could maybe design them to look a bit like gargantuan pinnipeds, maybe resembling the walrus. As it isn't all improbable that seals could live in Ferelden, with the climate being chilly if one may take the information from party banter for granted... It might be possible that a merchant has brought one from the coast to the Circle Tower for studies, but a more benevolent character released it into the lake with interesting results.
(...why do I somehow imagine a twenty-something foot high creature serenading the Circle's Tower in full-moon nights? It was love on first sight...)
When I'm already talking about the Circle Tower, I remember the blight infestation of the very building itself (manifesting itself in the Great Hall and the fourth story) to be very striking. It would add a nice shock element to actually being attacked by some amorphous tentacle that shoots out of these growths.
Another thing that would be very interesting, at least for me, was to have another quest dealing with annoyances in a kitchen. As a direct pun onto the hunger demon, I could imagine a weaker demon possess kitchen appliances. Why not creating a kind of golem that is in the very sense of words pot-bellied, with forks and knives for arms and... whatever, for example ham-bones as legs? I imagine that this would be a nice difference from other constructs and instances of demon possession. It should still be possible to fight the demon itself after taking care of its kitchen riot.
And lastly, to return to a little more serious area, I would love to see more hints of the corruption of the Black City at the core of the Fade. After all, it was hinted at during all the visits in the Fade. Maybe we might catch a glimpse by having to fight some kind off lesser guardians of the city? In honor to one of the posters before who already suggested other Fade creatures than demons, one could model them as conglomerates of iridescent bubbles or giving them other amorphous shapes. Yes, this idea directly channeled Yog-Sothoth...
Okay. This post is probably tl;dr and filled with bad English. I give up.
EDIT: Reconsidering it, the idea of the plant enemy is quite unlikely. The blight destroys the flora of an area in its wake, so the idea of possessed plants is probably ruled out. Other kinds of sentient plants are covered with the Sylvans. Maybe someone has a very good idea of using one.
To pick up other ideas of the posters before, it would really be nice to see a little remnant of the former Warden's glory in form of gryphons. However, I'd prefer to see an undead one. A mage could have resurrected it, or the influence of the taint/lyrium might have made it return from the death. After centuries of decay it will probably have lost most of its glory (including most of the feathers), but its size and the strength given by the power that gave it another life should be impressive, to say the least.
The section with the darkspawn seems to be sufficiently covered by the upcoming sentient ones, but this one is only to be seen as soon as the expansion pack will be playable.
I also agree with the big leviathan-like beast in Lake Calenhad. One could maybe design them to look a bit like gargantuan pinnipeds, maybe resembling the walrus. As it isn't all improbable that seals could live in Ferelden, with the climate being chilly if one may take the information from party banter for granted... It might be possible that a merchant has brought one from the coast to the Circle Tower for studies, but a more benevolent character released it into the lake with interesting results.
(...why do I somehow imagine a twenty-something foot high creature serenading the Circle's Tower in full-moon nights? It was love on first sight...)
When I'm already talking about the Circle Tower, I remember the blight infestation of the very building itself (manifesting itself in the Great Hall and the fourth story) to be very striking. It would add a nice shock element to actually being attacked by some amorphous tentacle that shoots out of these growths.
Another thing that would be very interesting, at least for me, was to have another quest dealing with annoyances in a kitchen. As a direct pun onto the hunger demon, I could imagine a weaker demon possess kitchen appliances. Why not creating a kind of golem that is in the very sense of words pot-bellied, with forks and knives for arms and... whatever, for example ham-bones as legs? I imagine that this would be a nice difference from other constructs and instances of demon possession. It should still be possible to fight the demon itself after taking care of its kitchen riot.
And lastly, to return to a little more serious area, I would love to see more hints of the corruption of the Black City at the core of the Fade. After all, it was hinted at during all the visits in the Fade. Maybe we might catch a glimpse by having to fight some kind off lesser guardians of the city? In honor to one of the posters before who already suggested other Fade creatures than demons, one could model them as conglomerates of iridescent bubbles or giving them other amorphous shapes. Yes, this idea directly channeled Yog-Sothoth...
Okay. This post is probably tl;dr and filled with bad English. I give up.
Modifié par Chateau Migraine, 20 janvier 2010 - 01:57 .
#281
Posté 17 janvier 2010 - 01:06
abnocte
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ArathWoeeye wrote...
Not sure if it was a reply to my post.
My reasoning with elements is like this:
Fade=Magic Magic=Has primal branch that has elemental spells Then Fade may have spirits somehow related to the elements. Not the elemental archetype we see everywhere though, that would be out-of-place for sure.
Could work for other branches of magic. If it's some foul demons that bring out the blood magic powers (or trade them, or bestow them, etc) and some benevolent spirits that touch you with spirit healer magic; then there may as well be creatures of nightmares, creatures of creation, creatures of entropy. Spirits, that is.
Other people suggested the elemental thing, so my comment was in general
I see what you meant, but this arises some questions in my head!
For what we know the Fade is inhabited by spirits/demons related to humans emotions, and looks like they have some affinity to certain elements ( rage demon has fire based attacks, and the desire demon has ice based ones.... if I remember correctly ), so... if this "elementals" bestow/trade their power with demos/spirits/MAGES wouldn't the whole thing about mages not making pacts with creatures of the Fade be quite pointless? ( you never know if it is a demon in disguise... )
* Beasts (natural creatures, such as dragons).
I have a question here, a dragons fire breath is magic based or just plain chemistry? I mean, the only creatures in Thedas that can cast spells, besides mages, are possesed creatures and tainted/lyrium affected?
....so full of questions, arent I?.........*trying to come up with somenthing actually on topic*...........may be later
#282
Posté 17 janvier 2010 - 01:17
Mikey_205
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1) More Darkspawn abominations (seriously stuff like the Broodmother was awesome). Id much rather they properly corrupted humanoids and creatures into much larger and weirder and looking forms than we saw in this game.
2) Vampires (never as a simple enemy they should be more of a mystery and question over what they rly are (not fit any standard lore)and if they are evil) Why stop at skeletons and wraiths?
3) Basilisk (big snake like unique killing animations) we need another large monster that isnt a dragon and isnt humanoid
4) Dopplegangers (loved these in BG)
5) I definitely agree with the polar opposites of the fade demons. In fact those virtues are vices without perspective or restraint so I'd rather they occupied a morally grey area.
6) Trolls (with a unique spin)
2) Vampires (never as a simple enemy they should be more of a mystery and question over what they rly are (not fit any standard lore)and if they are evil) Why stop at skeletons and wraiths?
3) Basilisk (big snake like unique killing animations) we need another large monster that isnt a dragon and isnt humanoid
4) Dopplegangers (loved these in BG)
5) I definitely agree with the polar opposites of the fade demons. In fact those virtues are vices without perspective or restraint so I'd rather they occupied a morally grey area.
6) Trolls (with a unique spin)
#283
Posté 17 janvier 2010 - 01:18
MatronAdena
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kamakazi Nugs.
yes the Darkspawn have learned to take nugs load them with explosives and set them free.
yes the Darkspawn have learned to take nugs load them with explosives and set them free.
#284
Posté 17 janvier 2010 - 01:54
SalvoDK
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Sorry. Haven't read the entire thread but apologise for repetitions. Here are my suggestions.
Most plausible:
Chimera – Either as the result of possession or maybe a magical/blood magic experiment.
Hippogriff.- If Griffins exist, why not this griffon related creature? Maybe make it a smaller creature. Not large enough to ride. A dog sized Griffin?
Wyvern. - Dragon related, a lesser, smaller species with no forelimbs and a stinging tale. Doesn't have a hoard like a dragon either but is more of an active species so causes more problems then real dragons in their local area.
Basilisk: Wingless Dragon with petrifying gaze. Spends its days basking on rocks and gaurding its nests. Possibly the male of the Wyvern species?
Semi plausible:
Phoenix: Rage Demon possessed bird with fire attacks. You'd have to shoot it down with magic or archery.
Vampires- as blood magic related beasts, maybe a higher form of blood magic. Maybe a specific character rather than a race, or spawned from a patient-zero.
Example: The ritual to make a blood mage tanquil goes awry or is interupted. The Blood Mage is sealed from the Fade but maintains an emotion. Desire. Feasts on blood to power his spells and make him stronger. Possibly a possessed blood mage or cult of possession based around such.
Maybe an ancient Tevinter blood mage who uses the blood of others to give him unnatural long life?
Just for fun:
cockatrice – The ultimate nemesis of Shale.
Troll -Creature that stands around picking fights and starting pointless arguments with town criers and village gossips.
Most plausible:
Chimera – Either as the result of possession or maybe a magical/blood magic experiment.
Hippogriff.- If Griffins exist, why not this griffon related creature? Maybe make it a smaller creature. Not large enough to ride. A dog sized Griffin?
Wyvern. - Dragon related, a lesser, smaller species with no forelimbs and a stinging tale. Doesn't have a hoard like a dragon either but is more of an active species so causes more problems then real dragons in their local area.
Basilisk: Wingless Dragon with petrifying gaze. Spends its days basking on rocks and gaurding its nests. Possibly the male of the Wyvern species?
Semi plausible:
Phoenix: Rage Demon possessed bird with fire attacks. You'd have to shoot it down with magic or archery.
Vampires- as blood magic related beasts, maybe a higher form of blood magic. Maybe a specific character rather than a race, or spawned from a patient-zero.
Example: The ritual to make a blood mage tanquil goes awry or is interupted. The Blood Mage is sealed from the Fade but maintains an emotion. Desire. Feasts on blood to power his spells and make him stronger. Possibly a possessed blood mage or cult of possession based around such.
Maybe an ancient Tevinter blood mage who uses the blood of others to give him unnatural long life?
Just for fun:
cockatrice – The ultimate nemesis of Shale.
Troll -Creature that stands around picking fights and starting pointless arguments with town criers and village gossips.
#285
Posté 17 janvier 2010 - 03:42
BooPi
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There was mention in the lore about human beings becoming "ghouls" or something along those lines to be used as fodder by darkspawn armies. However, we never really got to see that happen, at least as far as I could see.
I think that it could help to spice up the generic darkspawn a bit (i.e., ghoul fodder could make up the chaff that ties you up, while darkspawn can be the real threats), and I'd also like the creepiness of basically being forced to kill what was once a human being (and one that was probably fighting on your side not too long ago).
I also found myself kind of wishing for more variety to the darkspawn. The Broodmother in particular seemed to give off this really chaotic, mutated kind of vibe. If the darkspawn corruption is really supposed to be more chaotic (it reminded of of cancer, except cancer with teeth that is also homicidal), I'd like to see more chaotic variations within the darkspawn (both visually and from a gameplay perspective).
It seems to me that the darkspawn in DA:O were a bit generic, and got stale after a while. The game was so much better in so many other areas that it was one of those things that I let slip by, but spicing them up in the future would definitely be good.
I have to say that I really appreciate your design goal of avoiding "sentient cultures that are okay to kill." Maybe having a heritage from one of those cultures that white Europeans thought was okay to kill a few hundred years ago has something to do with it. Anyway, if it were to come up in the future, I'm glad to know that you guys at Bioware would treat it as a moral choice--a decision with consequences--and not as a guilt-free exercise in stomping indiginous cultures (as in: they're spiky and green, so it's not analagous to imperialism in any way!). I like a game company that's willing to think through its own work, and it's another reason I'm a fan.
I think that it could help to spice up the generic darkspawn a bit (i.e., ghoul fodder could make up the chaff that ties you up, while darkspawn can be the real threats), and I'd also like the creepiness of basically being forced to kill what was once a human being (and one that was probably fighting on your side not too long ago).
I also found myself kind of wishing for more variety to the darkspawn. The Broodmother in particular seemed to give off this really chaotic, mutated kind of vibe. If the darkspawn corruption is really supposed to be more chaotic (it reminded of of cancer, except cancer with teeth that is also homicidal), I'd like to see more chaotic variations within the darkspawn (both visually and from a gameplay perspective).
It seems to me that the darkspawn in DA:O were a bit generic, and got stale after a while. The game was so much better in so many other areas that it was one of those things that I let slip by, but spicing them up in the future would definitely be good.
I have to say that I really appreciate your design goal of avoiding "sentient cultures that are okay to kill." Maybe having a heritage from one of those cultures that white Europeans thought was okay to kill a few hundred years ago has something to do with it. Anyway, if it were to come up in the future, I'm glad to know that you guys at Bioware would treat it as a moral choice--a decision with consequences--and not as a guilt-free exercise in stomping indiginous cultures (as in: they're spiky and green, so it's not analagous to imperialism in any way!). I like a game company that's willing to think through its own work, and it's another reason I'm a fan.
Modifié par BooPi, 17 janvier 2010 - 03:45 .
#286
Posté 17 janvier 2010 - 05:38
Barrendall
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I think I'd like to see some shape-changer mages. Maybe write it in as one of Flemeth's daughter's met and befriended a Chasind who showed magical ability and mentored him/her in the ways of shape-changing before Flemeth took her over. The student fled far away before Flemeth possessed her daughter and started a secret cult in her name. Just a random idea.
#287
Posté 17 janvier 2010 - 10:30
ashez2ashes
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How about dark spawn tainted Griffens?
#288
Posté 18 janvier 2010 - 01:51
Tarante11a
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With the idea that spirits from The Fade like to inhabit corpses, I'd quite like to see some variations on that, so other kinds of possessed animals.
But I wondered if you could break that down a bit to make a kind of Swamp Creature, so all the tiny, dead animals and plants you get at the bottom of ponds and swamps and other places like that , sort of pool together to make a big possessed pile of rotting swamp debris. I suppose it might look like an elemental of some sort.
And as we've got wolves and bears, I think it would be nice to have some felines - I think Sten makes a reference to jungle cats doesn't he? (I know those ones are far away).
And just purely from a spanner in the works pov, I'd like to have flesh-eating horses, please.
But I wondered if you could break that down a bit to make a kind of Swamp Creature, so all the tiny, dead animals and plants you get at the bottom of ponds and swamps and other places like that , sort of pool together to make a big possessed pile of rotting swamp debris. I suppose it might look like an elemental of some sort.
And as we've got wolves and bears, I think it would be nice to have some felines - I think Sten makes a reference to jungle cats doesn't he? (I know those ones are far away).
And just purely from a spanner in the works pov, I'd like to have flesh-eating horses, please.
#289
Posté 18 janvier 2010 - 02:35
Skellimancer
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Seeing how deepstalkers look so damned similar
#290
Posté 18 janvier 2010 - 03:10
IronCladNinja
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A qunari possessed by a pride demon would be really cool.
I'd like to see some awesome lovecraftesque fade creatures, they'd be real fun to smite.
A blight moose would awesome. Getting charged by a blight moose would be epic.
Corrupted moles would be cool.
Cannibal blood mages, or vampire blood mages.
Some sort of puppet master darkspawn would be real cool, it could use blood magic and possess innocent civilians and make them attack you, you'd have to use non-lethal spells to disable them while you focus on killing the pupper master.
Also, blight tigers. From antiva.
I'd like to see some awesome lovecraftesque fade creatures, they'd be real fun to smite.
A blight moose would awesome. Getting charged by a blight moose would be epic.
Corrupted moles would be cool.
Cannibal blood mages, or vampire blood mages.
Some sort of puppet master darkspawn would be real cool, it could use blood magic and possess innocent civilians and make them attack you, you'd have to use non-lethal spells to disable them while you focus on killing the pupper master.
Also, blight tigers. From antiva.
#291
Posté 18 janvier 2010 - 06:40
Brass_Buckles
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Way back when, there used to be lions in the mountains of Europe, hence why the American cougar is also known as the mountain lion (people thought they'd rediscovered this animal). So, how about a European mountain lion (no mane, but big and aggressive), or even a cave lion (prehistoric, also quite large)? Ferelden seems very European to me.
How about a giant weasel of some kind? It could be tainted or possessed, but it would be quick, sneaky, and have a ferocious temper.
Of course, I'm with previous posters in wanting a griffon to appear in some form, but I don't want hippogriffs. Eagle/lion hybrids are unusual enough without adding horse into the mix, and anyway if there were hippogriffs, being vegetarian, horse-sized, and considerably gentler according to the lore (though the idea of hippogriffs I think originated in medieval times, not in mythology, as a symbol of peace because griffins and horses were considered to be natural enemies), one would think the Wardens would have preferred those as mounts over griffons. Speaking of griffin lore--if you guys ever introduce mounts (though I can't really see the need for it, at present), make sure that we can't have both griffons and horses at the same time! Because griffons should eat the horses, or scare them off... But it would be neat even to just have a griffon with damaged wings serving in the same capacity as the Dog, or similar, even if it couldn't be a mount.
Others want unicorns as mounts; since the halla is already--as David Gaider himself pointed out--quite like the unicorn of European lore, save that it has two antlers rather than one horn--available, I'd like to see elves riding on the hallas. Further into the unicorn lore, how about using the more rhino-like monosceros (though brontos kind of fill that role--maybe it's a relative of the bronto)? Or something more like a goat? If a one-horned unicorn-esque creature is introduced, I'd like to see it be very wild in tone, either something you only glimpse for a moment, something possessed by a virtuous spirit, or something that beats the snot out of your party when cornered. Not picky here, but I just can't see the modern horned horse version fitting into Dragon Age. There are other games where that fits in better, and if we ever get horses (I don't really see the need for them with the way the game is set up, unless they simply made the map-travel go in a somewhat straighter line), why not just put armor on a horse with a horn on the headplate?
Rocs are kind of a must, sooner or later--Flemeth transformed into a giant eagle, so she must have had something to go by. Of course she could have been lying and actually became a dragon to carry your PC to safety. Whether or not you fight a roc is another story. In mythology, griffins and rocs were somewhat interchangeable and sometimes rocs were given lion features. Maybe the griffins were bred by mages, and you might need to seek out rocs in order to produce new griffins?
I'd like to see an apathy demon. It would stray from the Seven Deadly Sins theme, but it would be worse than a sloth demon; however, I have no idea how you'd pull off its dialogue. Something like: "Ah, you have come to stop me. Why do you care so much, anyway? I don't really care. I was just bored." And yet, just as the sloth demons aren't necessarily slothful themselves, maybe it's not as apathetic as it appears. You'd have to fight it or bargain with it, same as any other demon.
Wyverns--according to the codex, this is what the drakes should actually be. Unless I misread, the text in my codex read that male dragons' forelimbs became wings, rather than not having wings at all. Since this clearly got changed somewhere along the way, maybe wyverns are a relative of dragons, and male and female wyverns are more similar than male and female dragons--or maybe they are basically pterosaurs. I do know some people want drakes to be bigger/more powerful, but frankly I like the hive queen/reverse sexual dimorphism idea for the dragons--it reminds one of both insects and eagles. If a larger drake type shows up, then I think it should be a corrupted drake, or perhaps another new, subterranean form of dragon (as opposed to the high dragons and their mates, who do spend some time on the surface).
As for fairy-type beings that others have also mentioned--I'd prefer they be left out, unless they have to do with more neutral spirits. Lorewise, you'd find more "bad" than good, but either way you tried it, you'd just end up with another humanoid creature that can talk. Vampires, I think, could be done more easily to fit in with Dragon Age than fairies could--especially when we're avoiding having a sentient race around that it's okay to kill by default (and I have problems with doing that, too, particularly if my character isn't given an alternative and I'm not given the opportunity to be shown that my character is doing the Wrong Thing--or something that is at least morally grey).
Given the dark tone of Dragon Age, I'd kind of like to see more ghosts. Let's have more haunted ruins and creepy burnt-out shells of places where angry spirits dwell! The haunted ruins and the haunted orphanage were pretty cool.
Whales or sharks. At some point we'll surely go north to the Free Marches, right? While we're sailing, how about a random encounter with an aggressive whale? Since that is not normal behavior (except when they're hunted; I understand that in the 1800s, whales would attack whaling vessels), it could be a Blight Whale. Just when you thought the Blight was contained to the land... Or just a really large, hungry shark would work, too. Furthermore, octopi wouldn't be a bad idea.
I want to see more potentially good/neutral spirits as well as demons, not for the fluff factor so much as to give us the opportunity to decide what our characters' reaction is. For instance, it was hard to decide whether to spare the Grand Oak because my Chantry-raised characters had always been told that spirits possessing anything were demons, and demons are bad and must be destroyed. But the Oak didn't seem evil at all--neither did the Hermit, and he summoned demons if you provoked him. I'd like to see that moral dilemma pushed further--things shouldn't always be as they seem, and not everything your characters were taught should be true.
How about killer flightless birds? They apparently existed once upon a time in Australia, though for game purposes they could look a bit different. Have them ambush the character in some plains- or forest-type area, maybe hunting in a flock. They wouldn't have Overwhelm, but they'd have nasty kicks and lethal beaks.
At the moment, I'm not able to come up with much else, or any particularly spectacular ideas. I'm too sleepy.
How about a giant weasel of some kind? It could be tainted or possessed, but it would be quick, sneaky, and have a ferocious temper.
Of course, I'm with previous posters in wanting a griffon to appear in some form, but I don't want hippogriffs. Eagle/lion hybrids are unusual enough without adding horse into the mix, and anyway if there were hippogriffs, being vegetarian, horse-sized, and considerably gentler according to the lore (though the idea of hippogriffs I think originated in medieval times, not in mythology, as a symbol of peace because griffins and horses were considered to be natural enemies), one would think the Wardens would have preferred those as mounts over griffons. Speaking of griffin lore--if you guys ever introduce mounts (though I can't really see the need for it, at present), make sure that we can't have both griffons and horses at the same time! Because griffons should eat the horses, or scare them off... But it would be neat even to just have a griffon with damaged wings serving in the same capacity as the Dog, or similar, even if it couldn't be a mount.
Others want unicorns as mounts; since the halla is already--as David Gaider himself pointed out--quite like the unicorn of European lore, save that it has two antlers rather than one horn--available, I'd like to see elves riding on the hallas. Further into the unicorn lore, how about using the more rhino-like monosceros (though brontos kind of fill that role--maybe it's a relative of the bronto)? Or something more like a goat? If a one-horned unicorn-esque creature is introduced, I'd like to see it be very wild in tone, either something you only glimpse for a moment, something possessed by a virtuous spirit, or something that beats the snot out of your party when cornered. Not picky here, but I just can't see the modern horned horse version fitting into Dragon Age. There are other games where that fits in better, and if we ever get horses (I don't really see the need for them with the way the game is set up, unless they simply made the map-travel go in a somewhat straighter line), why not just put armor on a horse with a horn on the headplate?
Rocs are kind of a must, sooner or later--Flemeth transformed into a giant eagle, so she must have had something to go by. Of course she could have been lying and actually became a dragon to carry your PC to safety. Whether or not you fight a roc is another story. In mythology, griffins and rocs were somewhat interchangeable and sometimes rocs were given lion features. Maybe the griffins were bred by mages, and you might need to seek out rocs in order to produce new griffins?
I'd like to see an apathy demon. It would stray from the Seven Deadly Sins theme, but it would be worse than a sloth demon; however, I have no idea how you'd pull off its dialogue. Something like: "Ah, you have come to stop me. Why do you care so much, anyway? I don't really care. I was just bored." And yet, just as the sloth demons aren't necessarily slothful themselves, maybe it's not as apathetic as it appears. You'd have to fight it or bargain with it, same as any other demon.
Wyverns--according to the codex, this is what the drakes should actually be. Unless I misread, the text in my codex read that male dragons' forelimbs became wings, rather than not having wings at all. Since this clearly got changed somewhere along the way, maybe wyverns are a relative of dragons, and male and female wyverns are more similar than male and female dragons--or maybe they are basically pterosaurs. I do know some people want drakes to be bigger/more powerful, but frankly I like the hive queen/reverse sexual dimorphism idea for the dragons--it reminds one of both insects and eagles. If a larger drake type shows up, then I think it should be a corrupted drake, or perhaps another new, subterranean form of dragon (as opposed to the high dragons and their mates, who do spend some time on the surface).
As for fairy-type beings that others have also mentioned--I'd prefer they be left out, unless they have to do with more neutral spirits. Lorewise, you'd find more "bad" than good, but either way you tried it, you'd just end up with another humanoid creature that can talk. Vampires, I think, could be done more easily to fit in with Dragon Age than fairies could--especially when we're avoiding having a sentient race around that it's okay to kill by default (and I have problems with doing that, too, particularly if my character isn't given an alternative and I'm not given the opportunity to be shown that my character is doing the Wrong Thing--or something that is at least morally grey).
Given the dark tone of Dragon Age, I'd kind of like to see more ghosts. Let's have more haunted ruins and creepy burnt-out shells of places where angry spirits dwell! The haunted ruins and the haunted orphanage were pretty cool.
Whales or sharks. At some point we'll surely go north to the Free Marches, right? While we're sailing, how about a random encounter with an aggressive whale? Since that is not normal behavior (except when they're hunted; I understand that in the 1800s, whales would attack whaling vessels), it could be a Blight Whale. Just when you thought the Blight was contained to the land... Or just a really large, hungry shark would work, too. Furthermore, octopi wouldn't be a bad idea.
I want to see more potentially good/neutral spirits as well as demons, not for the fluff factor so much as to give us the opportunity to decide what our characters' reaction is. For instance, it was hard to decide whether to spare the Grand Oak because my Chantry-raised characters had always been told that spirits possessing anything were demons, and demons are bad and must be destroyed. But the Oak didn't seem evil at all--neither did the Hermit, and he summoned demons if you provoked him. I'd like to see that moral dilemma pushed further--things shouldn't always be as they seem, and not everything your characters were taught should be true.
How about killer flightless birds? They apparently existed once upon a time in Australia, though for game purposes they could look a bit different. Have them ambush the character in some plains- or forest-type area, maybe hunting in a flock. They wouldn't have Overwhelm, but they'd have nasty kicks and lethal beaks.
At the moment, I'm not able to come up with much else, or any particularly spectacular ideas. I'm too sleepy.
#292
Posté 18 janvier 2010 - 05:41
Upper_Krust
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David Gaider wrote...
* Darkspawn (creatures affected by the darkspawn corruption).
Hello all again.
I have a few more ideas for Darkspawn.
Darkspawn: As regards Darkspawn in general, its difficult for us to really suggest too much because we don't really know in what direction Bioware want to take things. We know they don't want other evil humanoid races. So that leaves us with four options.
1. Blight tainted beasts (such as the Bereskarn, Blight Wolves and Corrupted Spiders)
2. Different versions of existing Darkspawn races (Shriek Alpha, Sharlock Shadowmaster, Ogre Obliterator).
3. New 'good/neutral' races that we subsequently then corrupt with the blight.
4. Wholly new Darkspawn we have not previously seen.
Blight Tainted Beasts: I covered Beasts in one of my previous posts. Making a Darkspawn variant of each creature should be relatively straightforward, in fact you could probably consider most of the monsters I listed 'tainted'.
*Blight Dragon: I think Bioware could get away with using the Archdemon model again in a lesser capacity. That of a Blight Dragon, one that wasn't necessarily 'possessed' by an archdemon.
Darkspawn Variants:
*Shriek Alpha: just a powered up (second tier version) Shriek. Possibly with four arms.
*Sharlock Shadowmaster: basically filling the Forgemaster (Genlock) and Ancient Darkspawn (Hurlock) roles, but for the Sharlock. The third tier progression of the Shriek. Looking at the shrieks, they have a sort of spider like quality to them. Perhaps the Shriek Broodmother is a bit like a Spider, rather than a caterpillar, and the more powerful the Shriek, the more spider-like it gets?
*Ogre Obliterator: Again a third tier version of the Ogre. In the Deep Roads you get to fight the demon who uses the Ogre Model but with massive bone protrusions on his arms. This monster looks to be returning in Awakenings (hes in the video trailer). So its possible Bioware is already filling this role.
*Broodmother (Sharlock and Ogre versions): We could imagine the Genlock and Hurlock Broodmothers probably look fairly similar. But what about the Sharlock and Ogre versions? The Sharlock version, could be more like a Spider (than a caterpillar). While the Ogre version might have characteristics more in keeping with a beetle (antlered stag beetle characteristics for instance).
Races...which we subsequently taint: I think what might work is if we had a new aquatic race and an avian race.
*Werewolves - corrupted into Barghests. These might be Ogre sized, but very fast. Capable of pouncing on you and rending you (like a Mabari). They could also have a second form of a typical Hurlock. So that when you first encounter a group of Hurlocks, you won't single this one out. Then it transforms, after you have unleashed your best spells/talents.
New Darkspawn:
*Broodmother - Stage II. It occurred to me that the Broodmother was somewhat like a caterpillar. So how about the idea that they ultimately metamorphose into a hideous moth-like beastie?
*Broodfather: What manner of creature impregnates the Broodmothers? I was thinking some sort of centipedal creature with each segment composed of an Ogre's upper torso.
*Aborted Darkspawn: What kind of terrible thing rips itself from the Broodmother prematurely. Perhaps existing only through force of will. Powerful magicians. Possibly outcast amongst their own kind - even other Darkspawn fear their power.
*Double Darkspawn: Powerful and rare 'Siamese twin' Darkspawn with two heads and four arms. They are champions of their race.
#293
Posté 18 janvier 2010 - 05:48
Doyaldinho
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How about some corrupted plant life? Like a venus fly trap kind of creature with grabbing vines and projectile digestive juices?
Just a thought!
Just a thought!
#294
Posté 19 janvier 2010 - 05:50
SphereofSilence
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- Horses (Technically this will be a headache, but I think it's worth it)
- Gryphons
- Eagles
- Halla
- Winged beast (Mount of Nazgul in LOTR)
One possible line of creatures might be that they originated from the Old Gods themselves. Before the Old Gods were imprisoned by the Maker, I'd imagine they were a thorn in the side of the Maker's plan, seeking to destroy his work and trying to usurp the Maker's divine right to 'create.' Perhaps many spirits and creatures - both powerful and weak - were taken by the Old Gods, tortured and corrupted spiritually and physically into terrible beings that served as tools for their aims. These creatures/spirits could be the generals, captains and grunt soldiers in the war against the children of the Maker in a time long forgotten. Some of these creatures could have escaped and survived to this day from the war where Old Gods were defeated and imprisoned, and are still asleep/hiding in the furthest and deepest reaches of Thedas. Occasionally, the protagonist (the player) would stumble upon some of these ancient beings in their travels, or maybe they've come out of their hiding for purposes of no good intentions. Some of these creatures could be still imprisoned in yet unknown parts of the the Fade, or elsewhere in the physical world. And what if these beings of mighty power were found and tainted by the Darkspawn?
As for such possible creatures, it's hard for me to come out with original ideas but I'll try:
- Great grand dad of all spiders, the first of it's kind, ancestor of all things spidery.
- Great grand dad of all werewolves, the first of it's kind, ancestor to all werewolves.
- Great grand dad of all dragons and drakes, first of it's kind, ancestor to all dragons, wingless, huge, great might and speed, breathes fire
- Vampires: big-winged almost humanoid creatures, very bat-like.
- The Great Wolf, the first of it's kind, ancestor to all wolves.
- Hydra rage demons
- Blood demons
- Cerberus
- Saber tooth lions
- Mammoths
- The Great Bear, the first of it's kind, ancestor to all bears.
- The Slumbering One, father of all sloth demons
- Named Balrogs, demons of might, fire, pride and desire, ancestors to all contemporary demons. Differs in form, genderless. Given a piece of power from each of the Old Gods, champions of the Old Gods. Of all the creatures under the Old Gods, only the first dragon is of greater power and majesty.
- Kraken
- Scorpions
- Thorned Sylvan-like evil trees
- Mirage spider
- Lyrium golem
- Shadow demon
- Black wisps
- Ancient Revenants
- Gryphons
- Eagles
- Halla
- Winged beast (Mount of Nazgul in LOTR)
One possible line of creatures might be that they originated from the Old Gods themselves. Before the Old Gods were imprisoned by the Maker, I'd imagine they were a thorn in the side of the Maker's plan, seeking to destroy his work and trying to usurp the Maker's divine right to 'create.' Perhaps many spirits and creatures - both powerful and weak - were taken by the Old Gods, tortured and corrupted spiritually and physically into terrible beings that served as tools for their aims. These creatures/spirits could be the generals, captains and grunt soldiers in the war against the children of the Maker in a time long forgotten. Some of these creatures could have escaped and survived to this day from the war where Old Gods were defeated and imprisoned, and are still asleep/hiding in the furthest and deepest reaches of Thedas. Occasionally, the protagonist (the player) would stumble upon some of these ancient beings in their travels, or maybe they've come out of their hiding for purposes of no good intentions. Some of these creatures could be still imprisoned in yet unknown parts of the the Fade, or elsewhere in the physical world. And what if these beings of mighty power were found and tainted by the Darkspawn?
As for such possible creatures, it's hard for me to come out with original ideas but I'll try:
- Great grand dad of all spiders, the first of it's kind, ancestor of all things spidery.
- Great grand dad of all werewolves, the first of it's kind, ancestor to all werewolves.
- Great grand dad of all dragons and drakes, first of it's kind, ancestor to all dragons, wingless, huge, great might and speed, breathes fire
- Vampires: big-winged almost humanoid creatures, very bat-like.
- The Great Wolf, the first of it's kind, ancestor to all wolves.
- Hydra rage demons
- Blood demons
- Cerberus
- Saber tooth lions
- Mammoths
- The Great Bear, the first of it's kind, ancestor to all bears.
- The Slumbering One, father of all sloth demons
- Named Balrogs, demons of might, fire, pride and desire, ancestors to all contemporary demons. Differs in form, genderless. Given a piece of power from each of the Old Gods, champions of the Old Gods. Of all the creatures under the Old Gods, only the first dragon is of greater power and majesty.
- Kraken
- Scorpions
- Thorned Sylvan-like evil trees
- Mirage spider
- Lyrium golem
- Shadow demon
- Black wisps
- Ancient Revenants
Modifié par SphereofSilence, 19 janvier 2010 - 06:02 .
#295
Posté 19 janvier 2010 - 06:11
Upper_Krust
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Howdy SphereofSilence! 
[quote]SphereofSilence wrote...
- Vampires: big-winged almost humanoid creatures, very bat-like.[/quote]
I like it.
[quote]- Named Balrogs, demons of might, fire, pride and desire, ancestors to all contemporary demons. Differs in form, genderless. Given a piece of power from each of the Old Gods, champions of the Old Gods. Of all the creatures under the Old Gods, only the first dragon is of greater power and majesty.[/quote]
I agree[/quote]
The game does need some big winged demon types.
[quote]- Lyrium golem[/quote]
Darn it! I was going to suggest a Lyrium Golem in my next post. You stole my thunder!
...in fact. theres an idea...Thunder stealers, can absorb lightning spells and attacks.
[quote]- Black wisps[/quote]
Cool idea.
[quote]SphereofSilence wrote...
- Vampires: big-winged almost humanoid creatures, very bat-like.[/quote]
I like it.
[quote]- Named Balrogs, demons of might, fire, pride and desire, ancestors to all contemporary demons. Differs in form, genderless. Given a piece of power from each of the Old Gods, champions of the Old Gods. Of all the creatures under the Old Gods, only the first dragon is of greater power and majesty.[/quote]
I agree[/quote]
The game does need some big winged demon types.
[quote]- Lyrium golem[/quote]
Darn it! I was going to suggest a Lyrium Golem in my next post. You stole my thunder!
...in fact. theres an idea...Thunder stealers, can absorb lightning spells and attacks.
[quote]- Black wisps[/quote]
Cool idea.
#296
Posté 19 janvier 2010 - 08:06
DJ0000
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I just hope there's no flying enemies, That would mean that you might aswell not have warriors as they can't do anything to them, also when you're about to kill them surely they would just fly away, they have survival instincts afterall.
#297
Posté 19 janvier 2010 - 08:44
melkathi
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DJ0000 wrote...
I just hope there's no flying enemies, That would mean that you might aswell not have warriors as they can't do anything to them, also when you're about to kill them surely they would just fly away, they have survival instincts afterall.
I wouldn't mind some blighted carrior crows.
There were so many dead at Ostagar and Denerim, the crows would have had quite the feast. And would they know to distinguish between human, ghoul and darkspawn corpse before it was too late?
#298
Posté 19 janvier 2010 - 09:53
Chateau Migraine
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Upper_Krust wrote...
*Broodmother - Stage II. It occurred to me that the Broodmother was somewhat like a caterpillar. So how about the idea that they ultimately metamorphose into a hideous moth-like beastie?
While I really like your ideas concerning darkspawn, I have a question about this one. Are you sure you can compare the Broodmother to a caterpillar? I feel that she is more to be compared to an ant or bee queen, which are, like her, gargantuan compared to the workers of their kind. Her breasts occurred to me more as a sign of her extreme fertility, for her only task is giving birth to countless of Darkspawn. The fact that she is able to summon some Gen- and Hurlocks to her defense seems to point further in that direction.
At least that's what I think, but I don't want to simply toss aside your theory at all. What were the signs for you that made you have the impression of a caterpillar?
The ideas of the Broodfather and the... eh...Darkspawn larva... are very nice ones, and creepy too.
While we are at Darkspawn, I remembered David telling some obscure stories of the inhabitants of Kal-Sharok. If I recall it correctly, they were forced to undergo drastic measures in order to ensure their survival. As the city is lost in the Deep Roads which are overrun with the Darkspawn, I guess they somehow have developed abilities which make them cope with the taint of the blight.
I imagine them to be infected, most likely, but not turning into Darkspawn lunches nor really turning into ghouls themselves. Perhaps they have developed a more or less symbiotic relationship with the blight - for the price of mutation, they give their bodies to theblight and in return are left with their mind intact. Furthermore, I guess their housing of the blight makes the Darkspawn largely ignore the Kal-Sharok dwarves, as they probably sense the disease inside of them, which marks them as "part of their forces", so to speak.
Basically, I assume them to be strangely mutated by the blight, with growths bloating and disfiguring their bodies. The children will probably be affected as well, so maybe there will be a greater amount of congenital defects or something alike. For outsiders entering the city (I doubt that anyone but some members of the Legion of the Dead have seen the city since contact has ceased), this will be a very... lasting experience. The dwarves, however, will most likely see the changes more pragmatically, as it makes them see the next day, after all.
Whatever it is, we will only find out if we'll ever visit the location in an upcoming game.
#299
Posté 19 janvier 2010 - 09:56
Johnny Jaded
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David Gaider wrote...
...sentient humanoid "monsters" were to be avoided... meaning we didn't want to rely on tribes of orcs, goblins and bugbears populating every remote area that were okay to kill because they're hostile.
What about some sort of cave-dwelling hominid? Something savage and bestial that lives in groups but not sentient, somewhat like H.G. Wells' murlocks or the "crawlers" in the Descent. Possibly explained as a group of humans who sought refuge in caves during the last Blight and over the last 400+ yrs their descendants (d)evolved into these troglodital creatures.
Of course, if this is done then it would work best if they were encountered in only one area, the way deep stalkers were limited to the Deep Roads (with the exception of the Mage Origin) - ie. a network of caves similar to the Deep Roads, or possibly even in a newly rediscovered section of them
EDIT: I just read the post above and it seems to me, if that is the case with Kal Sharok then this idea may work well with that
Modifié par Johnny Jaded, 19 janvier 2010 - 09:59 .
#300
Posté 19 janvier 2010 - 10:34
Upper_Krust
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Hey there Chateau Migraine! 
Thanks for the kind words.
I definately think some of the Darkspawn have an insectoid feel about them, though certainly its probably my imagination running wild stretching things a bit. I actually thought the Shrieks were big insects for about half the game.
That may have been all the guards she had handy.
I think its the somewhat segmented body shape with the small legs at the side.
Well I love what Bioware are cooking up in Awakening, so far they have shown three new Darkspawn in that game and all of them are very cool.
I also wonder what the heck that big spider monster is on the box art (blood silhouette) of the game. Could that be the big bad of Awakening? Could that be the Broodfather?
Sounds a bit like what you are describing are Half-Darkspawn? For all we know the Architect is one such creature.
I must say I am really looking forward to Awakening...and I suppose I am far from alone on that.
Thanks for the kind words.
Chateau Migraine wrote...
Upper_Krust wrote...
*Broodmother - Stage II. It occurred to me that the Broodmother was somewhat like a caterpillar. So how about the idea that they ultimately metamorphose into a hideous moth-like beastie?
While I really like your ideas concerning darkspawn, I have a question about this one. Are you sure you can compare the Broodmother to a caterpillar? I feel that she is more to be compared to an ant or bee queen, which are, like her, gargantuan compared to the workers of their kind. Her breasts occurred to me more as a sign of her extreme fertility, for her only task is giving birth to countless of Darkspawn.
I definately think some of the Darkspawn have an insectoid feel about them, though certainly its probably my imagination running wild stretching things a bit. I actually thought the Shrieks were big insects for about half the game.
The fact that she is able to summon some Gen- and Hurlocks to her defense seems to point further in that direction.
That may have been all the guards she had handy.
At least that's what I think, but I don't want to simply toss aside your theory at all. What were the signs for you that made you have the impression of a caterpillar?
I think its the somewhat segmented body shape with the small legs at the side.
The ideas of the Broodfather and the... eh...Darkspawn larva... are very nice ones, and creepy too.
Well I love what Bioware are cooking up in Awakening, so far they have shown three new Darkspawn in that game and all of them are very cool.
I also wonder what the heck that big spider monster is on the box art (blood silhouette) of the game. Could that be the big bad of Awakening? Could that be the Broodfather?
While we are at Darkspawn, I remembered David telling some obscure stories of the inhabitants of Kal-Sharok. If I recall it correctly, they were forced to undergo drastic measures in order to ensure their survival. As the city is lost in the Deep Roads which are overrun with the Darkspawn, I guess they somehow have developed abilities which make them cope with the taint of the blight.
I imagine them to be infected, most likely, but not turning into Darkspawn lunches nor really turning into ghouls themselves. Perhaps they have developed a more or less symbiotic relationship with the blight - for the price of mutation, they give their bodies to theblight and in return are left with their mind intact. Furthermore, I guess their housing of the blight makes the Darkspawn largely ignore the Kal-Sharok dwarves, as they probably sense the disease inside of them, which marks them as "part of their forces", so to speak.
Basically, I assume them to be strangely mutated by the blight, with growths bloating and disfiguring their bodies. The children will probably be affected as well, so maybe there will be a greater amount of congenital defects or something alike. For outsiders entering the city (I doubt that anyone but some members of the Legion of the Dead have seen the city since contact has ceased), this will be a very... lasting experience. The dwarves, however, will most likely see the changes more pragmatically, as it makes them see the next day, after all.
Sounds a bit like what you are describing are Half-Darkspawn? For all we know the Architect is one such creature.
Whatever it is, we will only find out if we'll ever visit the location in an upcoming game.
I must say I am really looking forward to Awakening...and I suppose I am far from alone on that.
