Last faction - Sanctuary

[Neidhaart]

Yes, a samurai faction is so fresh...

Well, maybe fresher then.

[ThunderTitan]

Well, maybe fresher then.

Heavily ethnic factions aren't new to heroes (see H5). Adding another one is not my idea of fresh.

[Mirez]

well an asian themed faction with nagas/reptiles is fairly fresh (yes I know rampart in h3 was somewhat asian themed)

[ThunderTitan]

Well a Naga faction was planned for NWC's H5... and as all of Ubi's factions it's way too heavily ethnic, i prefer more subtlety.

[Thelonious]

Well a Naga faction was planned for NWC's H5... and as all of Ubi's factions it's way too heavily ethnic, i prefer more subtlety.

Well hippies and scandily clothed woman aren't really ethnic groups... But yeah, they all did seem to have their own distinct style. But I'd rather have one style which unites the faction than an incoherent faction. I think what is really bothering you is that the units may be more diverse yet they are still to similar for your liking (lots of lizardtaled units and water-spirit/icemaiden are just really one and the same really). Well at least they aren't all the same race...

[ThunderTitan]

Sylvan was celtic with some native north americans thrown in...


While the Dungeon was straight out of WH (with Faerun's matriarchy), so it was actually worse.

[Neidhaart]

Well, maybe fresher then.

Heavily ethnic factions aren't new to heroes (see H5). Adding another one is not my idea of fresh.

But what is fresh then?

[ThunderTitan]

But what is fresh then?

Fresh for HoMM or just in general?

[Mlai]

I don't mind heavily ethnic factions; for example I liked the HOMM5 Mongol-Orcs. That was pretty fresh, and the ethnic connection made sense.

But for the love of God, not another Japan-themed nation/story/culture/army/species!!!

As if we haven't been inundated with the 99,999 Japan-themed mangas and video games out there ever since Nintendo and Saban crashed onto these purple mountains and fruited plains. The last thing HOMM needed is anything with an iota of Japan.

Get it through your head, Mr. Game Developer. If your last name is not Miyamoto, including Japan-anything in your game is not a good thing.

It doesn't even fit. Nagas are not Japanese IRL. Nor were they ever Japanese in the HOMM franchise. They are HINDU. Where's the Hindu Indian theme in your Naga faction? Oh that's right, there isn't any! Your iconic Naga unit looks like a Tau Firewarrior stuck on a snake body, wearing samurai gear. Oh joy, I get to use a Tau with katanas...

Even the Norse-dwarves in HOMM5 are better. At least they're not JPNESE.

Oh, how a Hindu Indian themed faction would have rocked my socks. I long for something innovative and un-Jpnese.

[Slayer of Cliffracers]

Enjoying the abundance of Anti-Japanese racism on this thread. (sarcasm)

[Mlai]

How do you know it's not just too much of a good thing?

[Slayer of Cliffracers]

How do you know it's not just too much of a good thing?

Of the various things I have a problem with in Heroes VI, sanctuary isn't one of them.

[Fewtger]

I don't mind the Japanese setting either, but I agree; a Hindu Indian theme would be awesome.

[Slayer of Cliffracers]

I don't mind the Japanese setting either, but I agree; a Hindu Indian theme would be awesome.

As the nagas are depicted in Heroes IV they are part of the order faction of wizards they were always well swordswomen. The progression from this to the Japanese Samarai is logical enough.

Within a indian themed society there aren't really any powerful well armoured swordsmen for the nagas to fit in (ironically enough given they are an indian creature).

The nagas had always before been in the shadow of the wizards, the real challenge is having broken away from them, which they evidently did at some point in the 'Ancient Age' what kind of society would they create which is fitting with their previous character?

Indeed the key element with nagas is to mantain their status as elite swordsmen and this fits the japanese samarai theme, while japan provides plenty of other mythical creatures to form the footsoldiers of the army.

[Jac]

Enjoying the abundance of Wapanism/Weeabooism on this thread. (sarcasm)

[Mlai]

This man didn't realize only Japan is allowed to have deadly swords.


India does have some of the most "exotic" and cruel-looking weaponry on Earth. Whether or not some of them are practical is another matter, but they certainly look fantastical.


As "snake-men", Nagas should obviously have writhing, undulating, sensual themes. Indian and Southeast Asian aesthetics in weaponry suit them much better than the straight, minimalist, practical themes of the Japanese katana.
VS

This may be a case of Our Nagas Are Different. But in that case, did they have to use JAPAN? The country/culture where every other video game comes from?

[ThunderTitan]

Within a indian themed society there aren't really any powerful well armoured swordsmen for the nagas to fit in.

Bamboo is heavy armour now?

And the Kensei doesn't even have chest armour anyway...

Indeed the key element with nagas is to mantain their status as elite swordsmen and this fits the japanese samarai theme, while japan provides plenty of other mythical creatures to form the footsoldiers of the army.

They looked fine in H4 with curved swords (although the shaved head was iffy).

And are you really implying that japan has more mythical creatures to use with Naga's then India, the place where each god has multiple avatars?

[MattII]

Indeed the key element with nagas is to mantain their status as elite swordsmen and this fits the japanese samarai theme, while japan provides plenty of other mythical creatures to form the footsoldiers of the army.

There is no finer swordsman than the Urumi swordsman.

[Slayer of Cliffracers]

They looked fine in H4 with curved swords (although the shaved head was iffy).

And are you really implying that japan has more mythical creatures to use with Naga's then India, the place where each god has multiple avatars?

They looked fine, but that isn't the problem. The problem is before they were just a unit within the Order faction of Heroes IV. They were not a culture in their own right.

The problem is that nagas are pretty powerful units, they cannot be mere footsoldiers and must be in some sense elite. But for it to be their society they have to be 'in charge' so they have to fit in somewhere.

Japan has samarai which the naga can be, meaning it is their faction but yet they don't have to make up the footsoldiers. It also provides a rich host of mythical creatures which can make up those footsoldiers.

India may have a rich array of creatures of it's own, problem is that nobody knows about them in western culture much and more importantly there isn't a group of elite swordsmen in Indian society equal to the samarai.

[Mlai]

Are you saying that because you're one of those Japanophiles indoctrinated by anime/manga, or do you actually believe what you are saying about India?