MrRious
M
MrRious
What makes a custom race fun to play? Is it balance, originality (in gameplay), large amount of spells? Should it use it's own mechanics or be simmilar to Blizzard's races?
-
Listen to a special audio message from Bill Roper to the Hive Workshop community (Bill is a former Vice President of Blizzard Entertainment, Producer, Designer, Musician, Voice Actor) 🔗Click here to hear his message!
-
Read Evilhog's interview with Gregory Alper, the original composer of the music for WarCraft: Orcs & Humans 🔗Click here to read the full interview.
-
🏆 HD Modeling Contest #7 POLL is live! ✅ Vote for the TOP 3 MODELS! ❗️Poll closes April 28, 2025. 🎬Watch the entries on our YouTube channel! 🔗 Click here to cast your vote!
What makes a custom race fun to play?
- Status
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2011
- Messages
- 1,082
Same as default races. No difference.
If you haven't noticed all default races have unique mechanics exclusive to their race only. Begin with resource gathering, building to units and heroes.
If you have stronger/weaker race, than you are definitely doing something wrong. Weak race would mostly lose, strong race would mostly win. It would be always not fun for one of the two players because losing is usually not particularly fun...
Large amount of spells is kind of counter-productive. More spells means more micro management of individual units. If you have noticed default units rarely have more than 1-2 skills/spells and most are auto-cast or passives. Each race has dedicated casters with 3-4 spells, but most other units have 1-2, rarely 3.
Custom races usually provide something new. Something that a player who has played 10000 gameswith the regular races could find oddly familiar while exploring new mechanics and keep them occupied.
regards
-Ned
If you haven't noticed all default races have unique mechanics exclusive to their race only. Begin with resource gathering, building to units and heroes.
If you have stronger/weaker race, than you are definitely doing something wrong. Weak race would mostly lose, strong race would mostly win. It would be always not fun for one of the two players because losing is usually not particularly fun...
Large amount of spells is kind of counter-productive. More spells means more micro management of individual units. If you have noticed default units rarely have more than 1-2 skills/spells and most are auto-cast or passives. Each race has dedicated casters with 3-4 spells, but most other units have 1-2, rarely 3.
Custom races usually provide something new. Something that a player who has played 10000 gameswith the regular races could find oddly familiar while exploring new mechanics and keep them occupied.
regards
-Ned
- Joined
- Jul 27, 2008
- Messages
- 14,361
Think the main problem is that the audience for custom races is small (or was small, was ages since I checked). Those that actually play Wc3 as an RTS usually perfect playing Wc3 melee on small number of approved maps.
But anyway, what do people want from a custom race. Originality, no question there. There is nothing more boring than wc3 human/orc race with minimal gameplay changes and extensive cosmetic change. The four races we have are fairly diffrent and theoretical 5th race should be no exception. Personally I do prefer at least to stick to some common features seen in all races but as long as you are giving new experience I think most people won't mind. But don't add stuff for the saking of adding because quanity for the sake of quantity is not quality, it is just a mess.
Oh also if you can make an actual AI then you are golden because that makes it easier to experience custom race as an enemy without trying to get someone online to play with you.
But anyway, what do people want from a custom race. Originality, no question there. There is nothing more boring than wc3 human/orc race with minimal gameplay changes and extensive cosmetic change. The four races we have are fairly diffrent and theoretical 5th race should be no exception. Personally I do prefer at least to stick to some common features seen in all races but as long as you are giving new experience I think most people won't mind. But don't add stuff for the saking of adding because quanity for the sake of quantity is not quality, it is just a mess.
Oh also if you can make an actual AI then you are golden because that makes it easier to experience custom race as an enemy without trying to get someone online to play with you.
- Joined
- Jul 29, 2008
- Messages
- 9,833
Well, first of all "Fun" is subjective; a qualitative concept that often defies quantitative measurement. So it might be hard to answer your question in a meaningful way.
In part because of that, the answer would be "all sorts of things"; some people find Warcraft-3-style races the most fun (such as moi), others prefer to push the boundaries of creativity, uniqueness & originality... Some prefer to just 'have fun' & do cool things, others prefer the most balanced & thoughtful kind of races, others want to come up with cool combinations...
(A lot of that is tied up in psychology, specifically the psychology of "why gamers game"; I would direct you to a pair of excellent articles; yes it's a different game (MtG), but the guy who wrote it is very knowledgeable about game design generally, and his 'psychographics' concept is almost certainly applicable here as well)
Understanding & answer that will make answering your question a bit easier. : )
- Joined
- Feb 4, 2008
- Messages
- 3,511
Personally?
A map setup around it/them.
I don't find melee matches need more races, I'd rather have a custom maps set up around the custom races. Kinda like a multiplayer campaign map or something. Overcome a boss, survive for x seconds, stuff like that.
Apart from that, balance, and uniqueness. Make the race special, but not overpowered. Give them some unique mechanic, like all the other races has.
A map setup around it/them.
I don't find melee matches need more races, I'd rather have a custom maps set up around the custom races. Kinda like a multiplayer campaign map or something. Overcome a boss, survive for x seconds, stuff like that.
Apart from that, balance, and uniqueness. Make the race special, but not overpowered. Give them some unique mechanic, like all the other races has.
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2018
- Messages
- 342
I'd say you need a "feel". Kinda like combination of gameplay, mechanics, visual style.
Look at the Starcraft Zerg for instance - they FEEL like a numberless devouring horde.
Typical mapmaker takes a bunch of Naga models, puts them together, and has a custom race that fits together visually but is really uninspiring. They don't FEEL like an underwater horrors race, even if you give them giant squid monsters and stuff.
Now imagine you gave them ability reveal any area of the sea and summon horrible monsters there - but only in the sea. Plus, say, an ability to create temporary lakes (terrain deformation + water model + pathing modifier). Enemies stay away from the shores. Enemies see lakes forming and run away or bring ranged heavy-hitters. That would be closer to capturing the feel, even if it would be situational and comparatively weak.
Look at the Starcraft Zerg for instance - they FEEL like a numberless devouring horde.
Typical mapmaker takes a bunch of Naga models, puts them together, and has a custom race that fits together visually but is really uninspiring. They don't FEEL like an underwater horrors race, even if you give them giant squid monsters and stuff.
Now imagine you gave them ability reveal any area of the sea and summon horrible monsters there - but only in the sea. Plus, say, an ability to create temporary lakes (terrain deformation + water model + pathing modifier). Enemies stay away from the shores. Enemies see lakes forming and run away or bring ranged heavy-hitters. That would be closer to capturing the feel, even if it would be situational and comparatively weak.
- Status
