EXPLANATION: Creature Grouping List

[GodEmperorFlam 3447]

Creature Grouping List Explanation

This thread covers the thought process behind the Creature Grouping List’s criteria.

Creature vs. Descendant

A creature should be something different from a descendant, not something that is a reskinned version of one. The more powerful a creature, the less descendant it should be like. A warped mentally (one that is mandatory) that can be seen in roleplay, an alien physiology, or a completely different (mandatory) culture (that is not easily replicable) are examples of ways that you could differentiate the creature from a descendant.

 

In short, if you want to play a big creature you should be prepared to play it fully and not just act like a descendant with superpowers. 

 

Progression

A creature should not immediately start off with a ton of abilities and new features, there should be a gradual build-up. This allows the player to not be overwhelmed if the creature has 2+ magic’s worth of abilities under their belt. This can be tackled in a few different ways.

Spoiler

• Adding a time limit to the creature is one way of tackling this issue, similar to how a magic has a timer for tiers so someone can’t advance all in one day. So for this instance, you can say the creature can learn how to use x abilities after y time.

• Adding stages/types to your creature is another way of tackling progression. For example, having a starter state for your creature and then having the player need to do certain tasks that prove they understand the creature’s starter abilities before unlocking the next state. This would be a more dynamic way of handling it rather than just time-gating things.

  

Scaling

A big problem with the older creatures is that they had a high level of power, with a relatively low expectation to provide RP to those around them. Please be aware that we will be steering clear of creatures of this nature in the future. Creatures, for the most part, exist to provide the server with unique RP you can not find elsewhere, similar to magics.

 

Scaling Power with RP Potential

In order to properly balance creatures, we will be taking a look at them from their power levels and what they do to provide RP.

Spoiler

• For creatures that are meant to be something that tests the character internally or is some psychological thing that isn’t meant to provide a lot of RP around them (as someone described Striga as), then they should not have high level abilities. Any kind of boons should be kept minimal or come with hefty, mandatory downsides.

• If creatures do not fall into the category above, they should have a purpose that causes them to interact with those around them and provide unique RP that can not be found elsewhere.

  • This should not be “oh look you have a different appearance” RP, which things like Cervitaurs provided, but should be something more substantial.

  • This purpose should not be fulfilled by another group UNLESS the creature is fulfilling it in a much different manner that provides meaningful RP.

 

Scaling Power in General

Creatures should still adhere to the balancing found in our lore submission guides, but they are usually granted more power than one would usually find in a descendant if they are pushing the boundaries. With that said, we have noticed certain issues that have cropped up overtime when it comes to scaling general power.

Spoiler

• Each creature should have some kind of mundane counter that isn’t niche. The creature should not require some special counter and should be able to be dealt with by a group of normies.

• Spectral creatures are a good example of this problem. Spectral entities typically had ethereal bodies that could only be counteracted with gold or magical items back before nerfs were applied. This gives them a distinct advantage over a good chunk of the server who does not carry these items around. So a daeva could be a powerhouse and take out a number of people before being stopped, which obviously isn’t balanced.

• Each creature should be balanced in terms of physical vs abilities. If a creature has strong abilities, they should not also be physically overpowering. 

  • Naz demons is a good example of this as they are capable of summoning larger, physically imposing, demons that also have access to malflame which makes them rather difficult to deal with.

 

Scaling Power with Outside Magics

Creatures are already (usually) powerful in some manner, so when you couple them with powerful magics, the potential for breaking stuff is high. As such, creatures should either have augmented capabilities with magic, such as how druids could use blood magic for thulean, be incapable of utilizing certain magics.