Brad Wardell's views about technology, politics, religion, world affairs, and all sorts of politically incorrect topics.

This likely won’t make the final cut into the game because it’s too much for new users. But for those of you interested in the lore of Elemental and how races, factions, and allegiances work under the covers:

image

In beta 1Z and beyond there will only be three included races: Men, Trogs and Urxen.

But for those of you in the current beta, we have it sub-divided out much further.

The race of men long ago were split into two parts – west and east.

The west fought the Titans and lived on the fringes of civilization due constant wars with the much more powerful Titans and their allies. The east served the Titans until Amarian (the Emperor) rose up with the might of his empire in the east and allied himself with the Elas’nir in the final battle. After the cataclysm, the remnants of his empire fled to the west to escape from the wrath of the Fallen and the Krax (men who remained loyal to the Titans).

Amarian’s people aren’t a race per se, they’re really just a collection of people from the east and hence aren’t particularly distinct.

On the east, there are two distinct races.  The Mancers and the Ironeers.   The Mancers are by far the most common with Altar, Capitar and Tarth (once part of Capitar) of that race. In later days, Altar becomes a predominantly Amarian but that story is for a different day.

But like I said, in the actual game, we are going to treat races as species and have just men, Trogs (Fallen), and Urxen (Fallen).

There are other races in the game (Dragons, Trolls, Sions, Darklings, etc.) but they aren’t social or numerous enough to make a playable race.


Comments (Page 1)
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on Apr 08, 2010

So are there any difference between the Mancers and Ironeers besides for their names?

on Apr 08, 2010

I can see how a new player might find the numerous types of Man to be daunting at first, but honestly when laid out in a tree like that it seems very straightforward.   Cool to see that this is how it's broken down in the lore.

 

I second Darkodinplus's question.

on Apr 08, 2010

I honestly don't see why it couldn't make the cut into the final version. Don't dumb down your vision because some people might be too stupid to see the same thing you do. Complexity and Diversity are good things. Also you could just add that picture of the Racial Tree in the manual and everyone would understand

Also, Darkodinplus has a good question there.

on Apr 08, 2010

Well, Elemental will have an Elemental-Pedia right? Just have a lore section there, with Man, and races of men, and then go into the lore about the various races then.

You don't have to go into too much detail during the actual game (or even mention races at all during actual game, just the story part of it), instead it can go in the Lore section of the Pedia.

In any case, it can definitely be in the game, it just doesn't have to be "front and center" where all players will see it all the time. It could be a tad out of the way for players to find it if they know where to look.

on Apr 08, 2010

Suppose the casual player chooses a premade faction and such, he doesn't need to know about the races. They just need to be under the surface. But when a player wishes to make his own faction, then they can fiddle with the race as well, with the customization generator thingie.

I would love there to be more customization, especially regarding races. It would certainly make the game more fun.

on Apr 08, 2010

True. Slight intricacies in choosing Macro Race, sub-race (possibly splinter sub-race as well) ... All under the Species of either Man or Fallen.

In this case we have three Species ... Man, Trog, and Urxen.

Man has Macro Races of Mancers, Ironeers, and Eastern Men

Eastern Men has two subraces, the diverse Amaranians, and the Krax

Mancers have Altar and Capitar subraces (with Altar apparantly cross-breeding with Amaranians??), as well as a splinter sub-race of Tarth.

 

So during Faction customization ... really deciding Species and Macro-Race will always have particular hard-coded benefits, and then its the Sub-Race that your actually picking the Stats/Traits for. (The Sub-Race that you rule over).

 

In any case, with regard to excess lore ... there is no such thing as excess lore. If, during the game, something is briefly mentioned, it should have a link to click on which would bring up its FULL LORE page within the confines of the ElePedia.

on Apr 08, 2010

Why the decision to drop Wraiths and Magnars?

Though I suppose that since the humans aren't too different, it'd be strange if the Fallen were.

on Apr 08, 2010

Tiavals
Why the decision to drop Wraiths and Magnars?

Though I suppose that since the humans aren't too different, it'd be strange if the Fallen were.

It's true you don't see them on the Tree, but you also don't see a few other "Fallen Races" on the Tree. I hope those Races aren't being taken out. I perticularly liked both the Magnar and the Wraith.

on Apr 08, 2010

I personally hope Magnars are kept, I never fully understood Wraiths, and for all I know Wraiths are an alternate sub-race of Trogs or Urxen.

I would kind of hope that Magnars are kept separate and distinct however.

on Apr 08, 2010

Raven X
I honestly don't see why it couldn't make the cut into the final version. Don't dumb down your vision because some people might be too stupid to see the same thing you do. Complexity and Diversity are good things. Also you could just add that picture of the Racial Tree in the manual and everyone would understand

Yeah, what he said!

on Apr 08, 2010

Hiergamenon. That's the name of ElementalPedia

And I second the fact that there is never too much lore. (even if some names are just unpronounceable)

on Apr 08, 2010

I like Tiavals suggestion.  Make it a choice.  Frogboy and others have said it a million times.  Choice is good.

At the very least, I'd like to see it as a moddable thing in the retail release of the game.  If you won't implement it into the normal game, functionality to change and/or create races/sub-races/species/etc., would be a really cool feature methinks.

on Apr 08, 2010

Who buys a dumbed-down strategy game? Please do not take parts out just because 'new users' are not given enough credit to figure things out. Strategy should be complex (to a degree). I've been waiting for well over a dozen years for a worthwhile successor to Master of Magic, and it really pains me to see a potentially great game being stripped to appeal to a possibly larger audience. One of the best things about MoM was the variety of races to choose from. It increases the replay value, and adds more diversity to the world. That being said, I admit I don't know everything about the game currently. I'm not in the BETA (due to being a Mac user). Just my two cents.

on Apr 08, 2010

names are just unpronounceable

Agreed.

on Apr 08, 2010

The amount you said men makes this thread very gay (which is not nessesarily a bad thing).

Anyway

Mancers? Mincers.

Ironeers? Metal heads.

Altar? Cultists.

Capitar? Capacitors. (techys)

Tarth? Tarts. (You already did this one yourself)

Gilden? Dutch Raiding Giuld. (party time in ou gilden ya!)

Amarians? Rastfarians. Ya mon tay be taken it slow but we get em always you sight? Ieire.

Kraxis? HEIN HIN! VOL! HAIL HILTER! (Krout Axis)

 

Just having some fun! I like the (non elf and gnome and dwarf - yay) lore, even though I don't love the names (apart from Iron Ears, which is utterly hilarious).

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