Jiriki9
Honorable
Undefeatable Hero
Altar Dweller
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posted August 04, 2014 10:59 AM |
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Edited by Jiriki9 at 17:15, 15 Aug 2014.
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AoW3-Style HoMM-factions
THis idea came to me because - I am currently playing age of wonders 3 (surprise, eh?^^). In Age of Wonders III, factions are not static, but composed of race and leader class. I now asked myself, could that not be used on HoMM. Here is my idea on it and I'd really like to get some comments on it.
How it works
THe Core-Elite-Champion lineup system is used, more or less.
Now which units a town can produce depends on 2 things which effectively make up the "faction" of the town: The towns race and the players affiliation. At the beginning of a random map and such, btw, the player of course also chooses a starting race!
Important Note: To cover the greater diversity of units in the game, while there are still 7 units per town, heroes will have more slots (8-10, not sure on that yet)
Race
The race is what it seems: the race that lives in the town. The race usually contributes classical humanoid units fitting to it. The races also have specific mounts for heroes and mounted units. To stay close to HoMM, unlike in AoW, a cities' race cannot be converted. Heroes and units have a race as well, of course, and in some cases it has effects, for example racing hating one another and such.
Affiliation
The affiliation means a kind of specialization for the player. There are quite some affiliations I propose here, each coming with unique units and hero classes. The affiliations are also not totally independent from another: some affiliations will like or hate others, and having units of different affiliations in an army can result in morale loss, and heavy one if it's too much difference (for example making an army of units with Sanctity and Hell as affiliations).
Lineup Composition
The lineup basically is composed in the following way.
CORE:
-Race unit
-Race unit
-Affiliation unit
ELITE:
-Race unit
-Affiliation unit
-Affiliation unit
CHAMPION:
-Affiliation unit
However, many affiliations bring units which are also humanoid and thus are effectively a unit of race-affiliation-combination.
War Machines still exist, only the classic ones, btw.: Ammo Cart, Ballista, Catapult and Healing Tent
Hero Classes and the "Focus" system
Now on Heroes, it gets a slight bit more complex. Every hero class has a "focus", which determines the hero's main role and skill probabilities. These focuses are:
-"Black" Magic (essentially a user of offensive magic,good in damage and debuff spells)
-Combat (The hero themself fighting with might)
-Leadership (The hero excells in leading troops)
-Rule (The hero is focused on AM management rather than combat)
-Trickery (The hero is acting mean, using stealth, poison, espionage and similar to achieve the players goals on AM as well as in Battle)
-"White" Magic (essentially a user of "defensive" magic, great in healing and buffing)
Each focus comes with their own basic class - a neutral, affiliation-less class. Neutral heroes can have such a class. A neutral hero joining a player will automatically take the player's affiliation and thus the class will change to the corresponding focus-affiliation-combo of class - unless the affiliation, which sometimes occurs, has no own class for such a focus. The hero will stay affiliation-less and keep the neutral class then. The classes are Adept (Black Magic), Warrior (Combat), Commander (Leadership), Lord (Rule), Rogue (Trickery) and Priest (White Magic).
Notably is that heroes, as mentioned, also have a race. That has few impact besides morale and looks, though.
The Races
Here, I shall present the races I envision in such a HoMM-version, all with the units they give to the lineup and the stat focuses for affiliation-race-combo-units, as well as the specific mounts.
Dwarves
Dwarves are small, but strong, stubborn but loyal and greedy on gold, gems and such, yet generous with everything else. Statwise, they have good hitpoints and defense, but lack speed. Also, they have a natural magic resistance, which reduces the effectiveness and/or duration of both beneficial and harmful spells cast on them, as well as increasing the cost of spells cast by them.
Mounted dwarves will use Capricorns as mounts.
Lineup
-Core 1: Falconer > Gyrfalconer / Royal Falconer (uses the falcon for socuting and attack purposes, with the advantage that he has no "shots")
-Core 2: Hillside Scout > Cliffstepper / Mountaineer (riding a capricorn, armed with a short blade)
-Elite 1: Ironguard > Steelheart / Silverbeard (strong, heavily armed, defensive unit)
Elves
Elves are an ancient and calm race, proud and arrogant, but also kind and wise. Elf units are great in speed and spell casting (Casting spells with a natural mastery) - the downsizes are a low hp and a very low growth.
Mounted elves will use Unicorns as mounts.
Lineup
-Core 1: Blade Dancer > War Dancer / Wind Dancer
-Core 2: Star Sister > Sun Sister / Moon Sister
-Elite 1: Ranger > Warden / <affiliation-specific upgrade>
Humans
A standard race, of course. More or less average stats for combo-units. A special is that they hate no other race.
Mounted humans will use horses.
Lineup
-Core 1: Spearman > Pikeman / Helberdier
-Core 2: Crossbowman > Marksman / Arbalest
-Elite 1: Cavalry > Jouster / Lancerider
Lizardmen
The lizardman are an old and, to the other races, strange folk. Their hard scales provide them with good defense with no statwise downsize. Yet they also fight best only in hot terrains, while getting significant mali in cold terrain.
Mounted lizardmen will use raptors as mounts.
Lineup
-Core 1: Hunter > Headhunter / Swamp Patrol (shoots (poisonous) darts by a blowgun)
-Core 2: Medicine Man > Snakeling / <affiliation-specific upgrade>
-Elite 1: Wyvern > Lindwyrm / Acidic Wyvern (the secret of taming Wyvern is exclusively known to the lizardmen, who use this ferocious beasts in battle)
Minotaurs
Minotaurs are in as beastman race. Heavy and bulky, they exceed in HP and Damage, but lack in speed.
Mounted minotaurs will use Bulls as mounts.
Lineup
-Core 1: Shaman > Dreamwalker / <affiliation-specific upgrade>
-Core 2: Gladiator > Arena Veteran / Beastfighter (fighting without Weaponds except their Horns and fists. The beastfighter is also used to fight against beasts, as the name suggests, and gets a bonus against them)
-Elite 1: Longhorn > Chief / Maze Warden (bearing the Warhammer, these can inspire fellow units and smash enemies)
Orcs
Orcs are of course quite combatish and aggressive. Combo-units will have good attack and damage stats, mainly, with a down on defense and on Mana, of which they do not possess much.
Mounted orcs will use Wolfs as mounts.
Lineup
-Core 1: Cleaver > Slasher / Axe-Thrower (Cleaver and Slasher are also aremd with axes)
-Core 2: Wolf Rider > Wolf Raider / Wolf Scout
-Elite 1: Ogre > Ettin / Warbringer (The ogre is one of the few examples where a non-race unit comes iwth a race, because in this vision, ogres and orcs are allied for a long long while.)
Troglodytes
These are the H3-style Troglodytes, blind and more or less numerous underground creatures. Their advantage are great number and a considerable bonus on mana, yet their main battle stats, defense and attack, are somewhat low. Also, they are immune to blind, but vulnerable to mind control.
NOTE: I thought and still think about replacing Trogs with an entirely new-to-homm underground spider-humanoid race.
Mounted Troglodytes will use giant spiders as mounts.
Lineup
-Core 1: Crawler > Scrambler / Lurker (Very weak troglodyte Infantry using daggers, capable of stealth)
-Core 2: Prentice > Troglock / <affiliation-specific upgrade> (support unit)
-Elite 1: Cave Spider > Tunnel Spider / White Widow ( a gigantic spider, looking different from the trog mounts: Cave Spiders are paler and thinner and more creepy, while Giant spiders are Bulky and massive)
Race Relations
Affiliations
A
Colours:
Symbol:
Hero Classes
Racial: ...
-Black Magic Class:
-Combat Class:
-Leadership Class:
-Rule Class:
-Trickery Class:
-White Magic Class:
Lineup
-Core 3:
-Elite 2:
-Elite 3:
-Champion:
Ranger upgrade:
Medicine-Man Upgrade:
Shaman upgrade:
Prentice upgrade:
Air
Colours: Light Blue, Silver and White
Symbol: A Moving cloud
Hero Classes
Racial: ...
-Black Magic Class: Stormbringer
-Combat Class: -
-Leadership Class: -
-Rule Class: Skylord
-Trickery Class: Windrunner
-White Magic Class: Air Elementalist
Lineup
-Core 3: Pixie > Sprite / Fairy (more air-flight-magic based and not so natureish)
-Elite 2: Griffin > Griffin Rider / Black Griffin (Griffin Rider is race-combo of course)
-Elite 3: Air Elemental > Wind Elemental / Storm Elemental ( may be replaced by djin)
-Champion: Roc > ? / Thunderbird
Ranger upgrade: not available
Medicine-Man Upgrade: not available
Shaman upgrade: not available
Prentice upgrade: not available
Barbarism
Colours: Orange, Red and Brown
Symbol: Fist
Hero Classes
Racial: ...
-Black Magic Class: Not available
-Combat Class: Barbarian
-Leadership Class: Khan
-Rule Class: Thain
-Trickery Class: Reaver
-White Magic Class: Not available
Lineup
-Core 3: Savage > Pillager / Berserker(race-combo unit armed with an Axe)
-Elite 2: Mounted Archer > Marauder / Nomad (mounted race-combo-unit)
-Elite 3: Manticore? > Scorpicore? / Manticore Rider? (dangerous beast, rider is of race-specific)
-Champion: Cyclops > Bonecrusher / Blood-eyed Cyclops
Ranger upgrade: Avenger (Supreme Damage)
Medicine-Man Upgrade: Despoiler (Strong buffs & debuffs)
Shaman upgrade: Bloodboiler (Great in countering enemy Magic)
Prentice upgrade: not available
Heresy
Colours: Black, Red, Purple
Symbol: Burning Eye
Hero Classes
Racial: ...
-Black Magic Class: Heretic
-Combat Class: Pactor (a mortal who made a pact with a demon, letting the demon share their body to gain greater powers. These look ugly!)
-Leadership Class: Hell Knight
-Rule Class: Not available
-Trickery Class: Cultist
-White Magic Class: Not available
Lineup
-Core 3: Imp > Familiar / Nuisance (mix between H3 and H5 Imp-style)
-Elite 2: Succubus > Temptress / Tormentress (flying and seducing ability, looks will resemble the race of the enemy)
-Elite 3: Hell Hound > Cerberus / Blazing Hound (business as usual)
-Champion: Pit Fiend > Pit Lord / Archdemon (Returning to the view of Devil as the big boss, these are a the mightiest demons which are regular units. They can summon lesser demons and possess living units, as well as cast hellish spells)
Ranger upgrade: Soul Hunter
Medicine-Man Upgrade: not available
Shaman upgrade: Souldrinker
Prentice upgrade: Infernal Troglodyte
Sanctity
Colours: White, Light Blue & Gold
Symbol: Sun
Hero Classes
Racial: ...
-Black Magic Class: Not available
-Combat Class: Knight
-Leadership Class: Paladin
-Rule Class: High Priest
-Trickery Class: Not available
-White Magic Class: Cleric
Lineup
-Core 3: Pilgrim > Devoted / Fanatic (very week unit, but with the ability to buff other units of the Sanctity affiliation. combo-unit.)
-Elite 2: Crusader > Templar / Grailseeker (mounted combo-unit. Yes, that means Minotaur Templars ride on an armored Bull (and in my head, it looks simply fabulous!))
-Elite 3: Monk > Zealot / Inquisitor (combo-unit)
-Champion: Angel > Seraphim / Cherubim
Ranger upgrade: Demon Hunter (double damage against demons and undead!)
Medicine-Man Upgrade: not available
Shaman upgrade: not available
Prentice upgrade: Disciple of Light
Technology
NOTE: I know many will feel this is very un-homm-ish but I thought in such a proposal it may find a place.
Colours: Bronze and Dark Grey
Symbol: Gearwheel
Hero Classes
Racial: ...
-Black Magic Class: Not available!
-Combat Class: Machinist
-Leadership Class: Inventor
-Rule Class: Technocrat
-Trickery Class: Disrupteur
-White Magic Class: Not available!
Lineup
-Core 3: Tinkerer > Engineer / Saboteur (race-combo unit trained in aiding/harming machines of any kind)
-Elite 2: Gunner > Rifleman / Flamethrower (race-combo unit)
-Elite 3: Mech-Soldier > Tech-Soldier / Mech-Warrior (race-combo unit with a mechanic armour which compensates most of the stat changes - but not specific abilities (f.e. Troglodytes are still immune to blind, Dwarves still have magic resistance, etc.))
-Champion: Clockwork Dragon > Steam Dragon / Electric Dragon (Huge machine, steered by a unit of the race inside - which makes only a slight look difference, not a gameplay one!)
Ranger upgrade: not available
Medicine-Man Upgrade: Quack
Shaman upgrade: not available
Prentice upgrade: Techlock
Undeath
Colours: Black, White, Teal
Symbol: Skull
Hero Classes
Racial: ...
-Black Magic Class: Reaper
-Combat Class: Death Knight
-Leadership Class: not available
-Rule Class: Death Lord
-Trickery Class: not available
-White Magic Class: Necromancer
Lineup
-Core 3: Walking Dead > Zombie / Ghoul
-Elite 2: Lich > Archlich / Deathlich
-Elite 3: Wraith > Wight / Banshee
-Champion: Bone Dragon > Corpse Dragon / Ghost Dragon
Ranger upgrade: Spectral Ranger
Medicine-Man Upgrade: Voodoo Priest (powerful! can summon few zombies)
Shaman upgrade: Spirit Caller
Prentice upgrade: Deathlock
Work in progress...more affiliations will either follow later today or next week...
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