Toadmen

[KroqGar]

Alright, so, I was looking at the concept art for the Toadman, and it really got me thinking about whether or not they will be player characters. Does anyone else hope so? Something similar maybe? I'm really just curious, because I usually end up playing that type of character in whatever game I can. My main D&D character, for example, was a Lizardfolk Ranger and I've played Lizardmen for 10 years in WHFB. I've also started up a Trollblood army for Hordes.

So, my earlier question still stands: Does anyone hope that something along the lines of the toadman concept art will be in game as a player character?

[F0rd]

A "lizardman" or "toadman" would be very cool, but once again bringing it back to game mechanics: if they were to be implemented as a playable race, they would either be half-races with human features but a lizard skin or extremely human-like in how they hold themselves. Assuming the developers are using hit-boxes to determine damage and other combat mechanics, having hit-boxes that are larger for some players than others would be imbalanced, and nobody but the role players and a select few would dare play them for fear of being beaten down by their -- and this is just an example -- unnaturally large or misplaced heads. Halo 2 was a prime example of this with the Elite model being easier to head shot.

[KroqGar]

That's a very good point, and I have nothing really to combat it, other than to say that a variety of character sizes and stuff would be more interesting for the games world and immersion. It gives a better sense of differences between the characters, instead of just everyone being a different colour of human. I've played games like that before, and quit them just because of the visual monotony that you are constantly exposed to.

Unfortunately, you are right when talking about hitboxes. But, there are always going to be those people who are willing to play something just because it looks cool, regardless of the in game consequences. I, for example, am one of these people. I'm one of the guys who plays an Elite in Halo 3, by the way.

Not only that, but I never said they had to be massive like the concept art. Draconians, or the Lizardfolk that I was referring to from D&D, are humanoid in size and appearance, only you can definitely tell the difference between them and humans. That's all I'm really asking for, is a very iconic and unique looking race that's very different from humans.

[Shinzon]

The thing is, this game is already taking a big step foward with twich based combat, that alone will be difficult to balance, especialy if this is the first game that has truly taken a serious jab at it. You can look at other games for inspiration, but that's it, they will only be inspiration; for the actual mechanics, everything will have to be figured out by the developers.

Maybe once they have the whole twich combat down, and other companies notice, they can take a brave new step foward and try something like compleatly asymetric races (That means races big and small, funny and normal lookin') but right now, I am more than satisfied of what has been promised...

[KroqGar]

Originally Posted by Shinzon

The thing is, this game is already taking a big step foward with twich based combat, that alone will be difficult to balance, especialy if this is the first game that has truly taken a serious jab at it. You can look at other games for inspiration, but that's it, they will only be inspiration; for the actual mechanics, everything will have to be figured out by the developers.

Oh, I understand this, and I'm not saying that there has to be a race like this in the game or else I'm not going to play it. I'm merely suggesting that something similar happens. It doesn't even need to be a race like I'm sugegsting. My main point, which I'm just stating here because it wasn't evident in my first post, is that some sort of a variety is needed in the races or else the game might as well only have humans. A good way to balance it would be to give various races different bonuses and stats, much like they already would. It would be much more difficult, but it could work with effort.

Morrowind, for example, had various sized creatures throughout the world, which is what this games combat system will be styled after, if I am correct (Albeit probably much more detailed). The different sized enemies never caused a problem for me, as they were still fairly easy to hit. It wouldn't imbalance the game too much if you had some sort of stat penalties/bonuses for the different sized races that evened things out. Maybe making smaller races weaker. I doubt this would be needed though, seeing as how it wouldn't be that difficult.

[F0rd]

Traceur -- I would love nothing more than asymmetrical races, I just haven't seen any evidence of an asymmetrically designed character model, as all of the supposedly playable races we've seen so far have been half-orc and something in full plate mail that everyone (myself included) assumes is human.

[KroqGar]

Well, we haven't really seen anything on races other than the trailer, so we'll find out when it's announced. If they don't go asymmetrical, then it'll just be too bad. All we can really do is hope they go the adventurous route that leads to visual diversity. Otherwise, it will be up to the environments to make the game visually interesting, which they seem to be doing very well.

[hailzoidberg]

I really hope that they don't have symmetrical races. I agree that they should just make the larger races stronger and more resilient to the other smaller races but they are easier to hit due to a larger hit box. It only makes sense. If you are five feet tall, and you take on an eight feet tall dude, then you will land more punches, but his punches will be more powerful and he will have more defense.

[Traceur]

Originally Posted by F0rd

Traceur -- I would love nothing more than asymmetrical races, I just haven't seen any evidence of an asymmetrically designed character model, as all of the supposedly playable races we've seen so far have been half-orc and something in full plate mail that everyone (myself included) assumes is human.

your assuming the toadman we've seeing isn't a playable race

but yep, i know what you mean. right now speaking about MO races is shooting a dart in the dark.

[Hampo]

Maybe not toadmen , but definently lizardmen.

[Siegfried]

Demi-humans in general are interesting. For some reason I love me some hobgoblins. Toadmen/ Frogmen / Lizardmen would be nice. Really depends if there are any actual differences aside from appearance.

Also in terms of roleplaying.. *ducks from a few spears thrown at him* Demi-humans would probably have a harder time getting along with most societies in general.