Channeler Customization - 'races'

from Elemental Forums

I don't know if we've discussed this before. I'm sorry if we have.

All pictures we've seen of the Channeler so far is that of some boyish-looking man-child of a human, so I got thinking - Is that all we can play? Ultimately, I'm sure we'll have quite some opportunities to customize our channelers wheter it's in gear, faces, magics or skills. I'm sure of it. But that's not really what I wanted to talk about.

I wanted to talk about races. Not entire races as such, but wheter or not we'll be able to racially customize our channellers. To use an example, I'm sure that a lot of us have played Dominions 3. For those of you that haven't, in Dominions 3 you are a God. Or more specificly, a Pretender to become the next Pankrator (All-Ruler). Anyway, when you start a game, you get to customize your Pretender - first and foremost by choosing what kind of Pretender you want. There's the "Fiery Floating Head" pretender. There's the "Half-Man/Half-Spider" pretender. There's the Dragon pretender. There's a number of undead pretenders. There's human pretenders. There's even pretenders that can't move, like the Giant Stone Head or Fountain of Blood.

Will we have, or should we have, a similar opportunity in Elemental? And if so, what kinds would you like to see?

Personally, I'd like to see an array of human-like Channelers, since we're not actually going to be actual gods (but I'm sure as hell going to act like one). Dragons are already pretty much out of the question. But the Half-Man/Half-Spider, perhaps? Or the Liches. Or a Avariel-like channeler. All able to potentially radically change what kind of channeler you'll be, or what advances you'll have access to as you level.

I'd like my Channeler to be the great Bear-father, able to "shapechange" between a big bearlike but regal man and that of a spirit bear. For no other reason than posing as the god of bears. A druid-that-is-actually-a-civilized-mage. Hell yeah.

Addenum: I don't care how silly that last part sounds. I've always liked the idea of beefy-looking magic wielders contrary to that of the aged man in his study with a mass of books and an oversized head. So ha! 

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Reply #1 from Elemental Forums Top

I love the idea. Although all the armies are going to be predominantly humans or fallen, I think this type of customization for the channeler himself would be awesome! :thumbsup:

Reply #2 from Elemental Forums Top

It does look from recent dev journals like we're going to have human looking channellers. I guess there could be possibilities for changing into something greater as you gain essence? Or, failing that, modding.

The pre-game customization stuff that MOM and Dominions offers does add a lot in my opinion.

Edit: I should mention Stars! I could spend hours just playing with making different races.

Galactic Civilizations IV
Reply #3 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting Nights, reply 2
It does look from recent dev journals like we're going to have human looking channellers. I guess there could be possibilities for changing into something greater as you gain essence? Or, failing that, modding.

The pre-game customization stuff that MOM and Dominions offers does add a lot in my opinion.

Edit: I should mention Stars! I could spend hours just playing with making different races.
Maybe a line of shapechanging magics?

:D

Reply #4 from Elemental Forums Top

I want a boyish-looking woman child of a bear  :P

but seriously, I remember in MoM how the wizards were all human except for 2, which include a dragon and a mystery hooded figure.  In that game there were many races, but you can only play two.    I would like to see this game be the opposite.  Though since that may be unreasonable, my back-up hope is at least one 'theme' of channeler outfit, body structure, and other appearance for each faction

Reply #5 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting landisaurus, reply 4
I want a boyish-looking woman child of a bear :p

but seriously, I remember in MoM how the wizards were all human except for 2, which include a dragon and a mystery hooded figure.  In that game there were many races, but you can only play two.    I would like to see this game be the opposite.  Though since that may be unreasonable, my back-up hope is at least one 'theme' of channeler outfit, body structure, and other appearance for each faction
Definately. Since I want to bump this thread, I started thinking that it'd perhaps be better to call it 'Archetypes' rather than 'races'. Races suggests that there's some kind of collective or any number of individuals while this is a single channeler.

So I came up with some concrete ideas for archetypes.

Half-Man (Half-Spider, Half-Scorpion, etc.), Cyclops, Forge Lord, Crone, Divine Architect, Ecclesiarch, God-King, Frost Father, Master Druid, Great Enchanter, Angelic Virtue, Moloch, Prince of Death, Liche, Vampire Lord/Queen, Gorgon, Lord of the Wild, Divine Emperor, Grand Warlock, Titan, Bearborn.

I could probably do a writeup on all or any of these, but after writing for a while, I just realized that I didn't have it in me today. What's important is that every archetype would have to be functionally and cosmetically different.

Reply #6 from Elemental Forums Top

Personally, I would like to see some that aren't humanoid. Dragons are probably a no-go, but a giant lizard or something? Not just half scorpion, but a whole, giant scorpion. Giant flaming eye of Sauron?

Failing that, I like Luckmann's archetype suggestions.