Hello, everyone.
This is going to be one of my unusual views on RPG games.
Well, here it comes :
A few days ago I was fairly surprised to ee Arcanum in a Box for only almost 8 Euro. I bought it and took a look.
After a while, I read descriptions on their offifial homepage. It was about creatures.
What struck me was that all creatures described were more or less evil creatures.
I let my mind roam, remembering all RPG games I know, and came to a weird conclusion :
All creatures a hero meets in the wilderness are "evil" creatures.I was surprised. None has ever had the idea of implementing something else than "evil" creatures - creatures which attack the hero or heroes.
Nothing else than cannonfodder, desingned to give the player experience points.
So here is what I suggest : The opposite. Some , maybe rare,creatures which are actually
helpful.
Why not implement a world, where creatures - dragons, animals, Unicorns <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" /> - are able to give the player experience ? For example spells they know ?
Why not create a world where creatures - animals, for example - actually know and use magic, like we now it from Unicorns, and are able to give this knowledge in some kind of form to the player ? Or animals, for example wolves, knowing knowledge in the form of scrolls hidden in ruins, unable to speak but able to lure the hero into them, thus revealing scrolls of knowledge ?
Or Mummies - if defeated ("crumbled to dust") revealing some sort of protective magic inscripted on their bandages ?
Or birds - singing a song which can be used as a "magic song" ? Or simply as a song to attract other bird willing to help you in times of danger ?
Or a bear, once fed with honey, this animal is coming back when you needs it ?
I don't think an environment which does *only* consist of creatures designed to be the prey of the player is unnatural.
We have seen from the original Hobbit book by Tolkien, that eagles can be helpful creatures. I don't understand how wildlife can be reduced to this simple role - serving as a source of experience points.
Of course, animals in the wildernessess are dangerous; but not neccessarily. Wolves, for example, are rather shy animals, they rather flee than attack, except when really hungry, in stark contrast to their role in RPG gmes. (Except were-wolves.)
I wish the world of Divinity was more diverse; with creatures knowing bits of ancient knowledge, maybe as descendants of house-animals of long lost forgotten high cultures. Or Unicorns (my favourite creatures <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" /> ) , which are known to use magic in some kind of form (very difficult to describe).
I wish there were not only "evil" creatures attacking the hero, but also
helpful creatures.
Alrik.
