 An Assembly in my head
  (1 votes)
 May 29 2008, 07:23 AM
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In games, story must always bow to design and balance. Which is good. However, should the Savanna elves ever become playable their story would be completely blown up. For a while I have been avoiding this problem - every time it slipped into my consciousness I would bury it down again.
Their whole culture gravitates around one or two things that completely blow them out of balance and violate player design. And I really like their culture, so I wouldn't like to change it. But I also like them, and if there are elves in a game, players would usually want to play them.
This conflict has made me describe their looks and culture and also of their neighbors, then I started and finished the animals of the Savanna and made a list of the plants. Now it was time to turn to the two sentient races again, and to do that I needed to resolve this problem.
I tried to re-define them. But every time I did it they would become aggressive and not allow it. "This is who we are, you cannot change it!" "Ok, but then you won't be playable..." "Not playable??? But we are ELVES!!! Do you think players won't want to play with us?".
Negotiations began between me and my creations. Several assemblies were held and eventually the other race of the Savanna began participating as well. "If you do that, then our conflict wouldn't make any sense! You need to make sense! (and you can't change us either)".
This night, however, the negotiations were different. A committee of four elves approached. I immediatly recognized two of them, the closest the Katamarai have to leaders. But the others I had never seen. In fact, I had never seen Katamarai like them.
The female noticed my surprise. "Hello, I believe we haven't met yet! I am from the mountains and he," she slided her hand around her partner's hip, "is with me. He is usually more talkative (it is actually quite difficult to make him stop once he starts talking), but meeting with our creator works wonders."
"Oh" I said. I looked to the Katamarai. He was smiling and she was frowning, so I couldn't really figure what they thought of the newcomers. I looked them up. Their outfits were completely different, their hair darker, their skin lighter... But otherwise they could easily pass by a Katamarai.
"So..." I looked to the mountain elves again "From the mountains, you say?"
"Indeed." This time the male answered my question "We are rebels!"
I almost laughed. The Katamarai dressed short skirts, revealing shirts, they danced, were 'spicy', their rituals included murder, sex, drugs, their policy was loose, they were democrats and believed in self achievement. On the other hand, the 'rebels' wore long ceremonial robes, their hair was combed, their face groomed, their manners polite, looking through their eyes I could see a rigid government, a belief in mass rather than individual... They were both beautiful, but the Katamarai were hot, while the newcomers were fair, more like angels or ethereal beings. They could hardly be called rebels.
"Many years ago, after the first few wars with the Merek, some time after the Lock of the Souls and in the antebellum of another war with the Merek, we realized how stupid and shallow our culture was. And we began learning some magic - the world was a chaos, but we knew that Amer and Kaisha couldn't really be against magic, or they would have lock it along with the souls.
At that time the frivolous Katamarai were always celebrating and dancing and didn't really realize how close to destruction our race had come. Already inside our cities a new dark cult was growing, one which our ancestors warn them against, but which they ignored. And now they are having many troubles because of it!"
"He is kind of snobbish too" the female mountain elf said.
"So, we departed and built our great empire in the Mountains of the Twins. We built strong alliances with the people who inhabit the mountains around the Savanna. And, unfortunately, also with the Katamarai. If I was in charge..."
"Which you aren't" the female mountain elf added.
"If I was in charge we would ignore the Katamarai and let them rot. They are just alluring snakes, seeking only to drain our resources!"
"He was once in love with a priestess of mine. She dumped him and then he lost his job as ambassador in our city because of how clumsy he had become. He never forgave her," the female Katamarai said.
"So, there you have. More work for you to do, but now you can preserve our culture and still fit elves within the design without having more than one race of elves. And, despite this introduction, we get along perfectly, so mountain players can call Katamareia their house", the other Katamarai said.
"Yes, and in the mountains there are tons of sentient races for you to toy with, without being worried about overpopulating the Savanna, making it inconsistent with the resources"
We talked for a while and shared a meal. Then I let them libate to their gods and dance for a bit. They finally departed.
"I hope you can see us in the game!"
"Bye!" I said.
And as they exited the room I wondered "Should I talk with my psychotherapist about this?"
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Blog created: Apr 3 2008, 06:13 AM
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