Game News Eschalon: Here be monsters

[Vault Dweller]

Tags: Eschalon: Book I

<a href=http://www.basiliskgames.com>Basilisk Games</a> has revealed some <a href=http://www.basiliskgames.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=285>monsters</a> (with in-game shots) that you will have to kill with extreme prejudice.
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<blockquote>Monsters, eh? You're right- we don't want to give anything away, but we can talk about a few creatures we've already shown in screenshots or have previously mentioned in an interview:
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Fanged Salamander - A common menace throughout the land. Dangerous in numbers.
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Bloodsipper - A winged fiend from the underworld. Found above ground near dungeon and cave entrances.
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Acid Grubb - You think they're dangerous when they're alive? Wait 'till you kill one of them...
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Timberland Giant - 600 pounds of berserker rage coming at you! Slow but very lethal.
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Fungal Sludge - A crawling, spitting blob of digestive terror!
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Giant Arachnid - It's a big spider. 'nough said.
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So, there may be a couple creatures here that some of you haven't seen before. The remaining lineup you're going to have to discover on your own!</blockquote>Take a look and post your opinions.
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Spotted at: <A HREF="http://www.rpgwatch.com">RPG Watch</A>

 

[Fez]

Sort of standard fantasy fare.

 

[Rina]

I'm kind of getting sick of killing endless waves of bloodthirsty monsters with subhuman intelligence in every single game.
Occasional encounter with one or two wouldnt hurt, but why every world has to be literally full of them?

 

[Admiral Rimjob POOBUM]

Timberland Giant - 600 pounds of berserker rage coming at you! Slow but very lethal.

Viking giant?
Well, I suppose it guarantees that Manowar will buy it.

 

[taxacaria]

Giant Arachnid - It's a big spider. 'nough said.

I wonder why they always use a Giant arachnid.
I'd prefer a dwarfen arachnid without any poison, but with hairy legs, a slimy voice and enormous psi-powers. That would be a great innovation.

 

[Edward_R_Murrow]

Fanged Salamander - A common menace throughout the land. Dangerous in numbers.

Okay. Every game has to have some sort of generic filler creature.

Bloodsipper - A winged fiend from the underworld. Found above ground near dungeon and cave entrances.

Oh look....a demonesque creature that comes from below the earth. Why can't demons every come from the sky?

Acid Grubb - You think they're dangerous when they're alive? Wait 'till you kill one of them...

An enemy that explodes/bursts/et cetera when you kill it....that's so revolutionary.

Timberland Giant - 600 pounds of berserker rage coming at you! Slow but very lethal.

The Jolly Green Giant?

Fungal Sludge - A crawling, spitting blob of digestive terror!

It's not a slime....it's a sludge! New and exciting!

Giant Arachnid - It's a big spider. 'nough said.

Is it some sort of fantasy RPG prerequisite to have giant spiders?

 

[MountainWest]

I don't wanna rack on an indie developer, but monster/creature design is something that's not limited by graphics. The list looks lazy and it makes me wonder about the game in general.

Compare that to Silent Hill (2), the fucking zenith of monster design. Originality and reason:

Lying Figure - Skulking, humanoid demons trapped in straitjackets made from their own flesh. They attack by spewing a spray of acidic liquid from a hole in their chest. They are slow whilst standing upright, but when knocked down they stay in a lying position and move by skittering very quickly along the ground. They are intended to invoke the image of a patient writhing in agony, a manifestation of Mary Sunderland's pain and suffering from being sick and bedridden. They may also represent previous victims of Silent Hill who were desperately trying to get out, which is possible since at one point it is suggested the player has found someone whose upperbody has been changed but not his legs. They have also been seen as rather phallic creatures (the monsters of Silent Hill 2 are generally rather sexualized, as a manifestation of James's sexual repression and guilt because of his wife Mary's hospitalization due to her terminal illness). The holes in their bodies that they shoot acid from are also said to resemble a vagina.

Bubble Head Nurse - The nurses wear suggestive, low-cut outfits and have heavily distorted and grotesquely swollen faces, that jitter and twitch uncontrollably. The nurses are quicker on their feet than most of the other monsters and wield deadly lead pipes that can do heavy damage. They represent Mary's hospitalization, and their grotesque, sexualized forms once again express James' sexual frustrations.

Mannequin - Headless, armless living sewing dummies which bear a resemblance to Hans Bellmer's Dolls. These monsters consist of a feminine human torso and legs, upon which rest two more legs standing upright. The top pair of legs are used for striking while the bottom pair are used for walking. These flailing legs are said to represent all James saw when suffocating his wife under a pillow[citation needed]. They tend to stand still and in plain sight until the player is about three to five feet away and then spring to life and start to attack. Another symbol of James' sexual frustration and objectification of women, as Pyramid Head is seen attacking two of them early on in a manner that many fans interpret as a rape. They are common enemies that inflict normal damage. Although they are not overly strong creatures, they have the advantage of stealth, as the radio will not emit any static to warn the player of their presence until the mannequin moves. Can be seen jumping off buildings or behind bushes outside, and whilst inside, may suddenly walk out of closets after staying motionless for a few seconds. Out on the town's main road, they will also fly down through the fog from a great height, landing in the distance.

Abstract Daddy - The Abstract Daddy's appearance suggests rape. It looks like a walking bed, with a large humanoid figure and a smaller figure struggling under the covers. (Some fans have seen the creature as a walking door, dubbing it the Doorman.) It has four legs which are used to approach a victim. The creature lifts its body and reveals a "mouth" that is used to attack. Supposedly, Thomas Orosco, Angela's father, sexually assaulted Angela a great deal, resulting in this monster created out of her own guilt (her mother blamed her for the assaults). After the player fights Abstract Daddy, small versions are encountered which may represent the weaker James suffocating his wife. In some original production documents, the name given for these creatures was "Angela's Papa." They are strong enemies that inflict high levels of damage and usually attack in pairs. Interestingly enough, Angela seems to see Abstract Daddy as her actual father, rather than the monstrous form James sees them as.
Mandarin - Giant-armed monsters which hang from gratings. Similar to the Closers found in Silent Hill 3. They may represent James's anguish and for this reason are not allowed to stand above ground. (The game is full of hanging figures - convicts, monsters, the picture of Valtiel at the historical society, etc. - most abundantly in the prison section.) Usually they will be seen hanging under grating and bite James as he passes overhead.

Creeper - Insect-like creatures that resemble large cockroaches. They attack by nipping at James' feet and then running away. They may represent the generally decaying, filthy and desolate state that the town of Silent Hill has fallen into.

Pyramid Head - (see separate article)

Characteristics (Pyramid Head)
Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.
Of the creatures that appear in Silent Hill 2, Pyramid Head is one of the few that is overtly masculine in appearance, whereas the other monsters generally have feminine features to them, with the exception of the doormen/abstract daddy. Pyramid Head resembles a pale man covered with an off-white, blood-soaked robe that resembles a butcher's smock. His most outstanding feature is a large, pyramid helmet, covering his head completely, which was reportedly designed to appear painful to wear. This headgear appears to protect the creature from all of James's weapons, although they still slow him down. Pyramid Head is usually armed, either with the Great Knife or a Lightweight Spear, but can also attack with a strangle grip, during which a black tongue-like protrusion "stabs" James from a small hole in the side of Pyramid Head's mask. A similar attack is used by other creatures in the game, including the final boss.

Pyramid Head does not speak, but grunts and moans painfully inside the helmet at different times. He displays much brutality, killing monsters and people alike.

Symbolism

Painting of Pyramid Head found in Silent Hill 2.In the additional back story material created by the game's designers [1] it was explained that the physical appearance of Pyramid Head was an effect of James' fascination with Silent Hill folklore. As we may learn throughout the game, Pyramid Head's appearance was a variation of the outfits of the executioners from times past, who wore red hoods and ceremonial robes to make themselves similar to the Valtiel, the angel of the town. He was born out of the towns peoples' idolatrous ideologies.[2] According to documents created for the release of Silent Hill 4: The Room, a sect of the Silent Hill cult, (the "Valtiel Sect") wore the executioner's costume depicted in Silent Hill 2.

His helmet is also a possible reference to Jimmy Stone (a high member of the cult of Silent Hill and Walter Sullivan's first victim), as when performing certain rituals he would wear a red triangular hood, which earned him the nickname red devil, a term constantly mentioned throughout the series. It is more likely that Jimmy Stone and Pyramid Head are visually referencing the same historic individuals.

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.
In Silent Hill 2, his existence is directly tied to James Sunderland's subconscious[3]; James' repressed anger and desire to be punished for the death of his wife are what compels Pyramid Head to pursue him. Pyramid Head functions as both an executioner of Maria, but more importantly, as the constant tormentor of James. Watching Pyramid Head repeatedly murder a highly eroticized doppelgänger of his late wife brings a great deal of grief to James, thus completely satisfying his masochistic desires. Once these desires are fulfilled, Pyramid Head's power over James is removed. This is evidenced in one of the game's final scenes, where just before battling two Pyramid Heads simultaneously, James gains insight into his situation, admitting that he needed them because he was weak, and that he has no further use for them. It is only after James asserts this that the Pyramid Heads become vulnerable to James' attacks before finally impaling themselves and thus freeing themselves of their roles (it's mentioned that they are both punisher and victim of crime).

 

[almondblight]

Well, they did 1) say they were trying to make a game like old games (not innovate) and 2) said this is stuff either from the screenshots or maybe a couple of new things that wouldn't give anything away. Not exciting, but I don't see why this is worse than Avernum/NWN/etc.

 

[Balor]

Not to mention that there CAN NOT be 'Giant' arachnids by defintion.

They just would not be able to breathe. And old&stupid 'hey, it's fantasy' excuse does not work - create fantastic, but original and though-out monsters... simply magnifying existing stuff is LAME.

Giant arachid is an equivalent of a land whale who attacks by jumping on it's tail and landing on hapless adventurers, crushing them by it's sheer mass. Yea, exactly that stupid.

 

[Volourn]

"Not to mention that there CAN NOT be 'Giant' arachnids by defintion."

STFU! Take your 'real life' shit out of my fantasy. Thank you, and fuck off.

 

[Balor]

STFU! Take your 'real life' shit out of my fantasy. Thank you, and fuck off.

Quoted for truth.
Take those REAL LIVE spiders (only enlarged) out of my fantasy - how about something ORIGINAL?

 

[User was nabbed fit]

a land whale who attacks by jumping on it's tail and landing on hapless adventurers, crushing them by it's sheer mass.

Fallout 3, final boss.

 

[Higher Game]

Ever since Tolkien created Shelob, giant spiders are simply a part of RPGs now. Interestingly, bugs were much larger when the earth was younger and had more oxygen. Make some assumptions about oxygen, gravity, and other such things and giant spiders don't seem too far fetched.

Now, acid that actually melts through armor would require changing some laws of physics. It simply isn't possible to make an acid *that* potent. The acid slug myth is more ridiculous than the giant spiders, since even the strongest acids in the lab aren't as ridiculous as the stuff in fantasy games.

Real life and fantasy should be separate. I would love to see a giant whale, preferably anthropomorphic and cute looking, and Manowar barbarians.

 

[Roqua]

No Bubble Headed Nurses! This is fucking bullshit! Well, scratch this one off my list.

 

[OSK]

Nothing special.

Hopefully there's some solid gameplay and roleplaying. Originality doesn't appear to be a strong point so far.

 

[Roqua]

Well, every game can't be Oblivion.

 

[Section8]

Well, it's never been built up as anything other than an old-school throwback, which is a little disappointing. I'm all for progressing the genre, but given how regressive game like Oblivion have been, I can be content with a quality retro offering.

 

[Roqua]

I meant to edit but quoted instead. Woops.

 

[Volourn]

I don't know why people are so worried about 'originality' and 'new' 'and 'innovation'. that stuff is fuckin' boring. I simply want good. I don't care if there's NOTHING original about a game; or it's 100% original. If it's good, fuckin' A. If it's bad, fuckin' F.

 

[almondblight]

Volourn speaks the truth.

 

[Dhruin]

Thomas has been clear from the beginning that he just wanted a good ol' fashioned experience and wasn't looking to reinvent anything. Don't have expectations for what it was never intended to be.

 

[Balor]

There is a difference between 'reinventing' and 'just reiterating'.
As long as we are talking LotR - ok, it's like writing something ON PAR with LotR (which is great only due to it's though-out and (by that time, of course) original setting, the story itself is pretty lame... unless you are a hardcore Christian, I guess, or never read a single book before), and writing something EXACTLY like Lot-fucking-R, only with different characters names and, if we're really lucky - slightly different story.

Oh, and one more thing:
Never, ever mess fantasy with fairy tales.

If Volourn is young enough to love fairy tales - that's his problem.
If somebody is naive and... (there can be both expletives and compliments)... to love fairy tales while grown up - it's also his problem.
But fairy tales != fantasy. Period.

Best example - Witcher. Is it fantasy? Sure.
Is it 'fairy tale'? Hell, no. And that's what makes it so good.

 

[Sir_Brennus]

story itself is pretty lame... unless you are a hardcore Christian, I guess, or never read a single book before),

Myth debunked: Tolkien came from a religious background, but his works are full of norse mysticism and germanic nature worshipping religions. C. S. Lewis always critizised him for that.

Never, ever mess fantasy with fairy tales.
But fairy tales != fantasy. Period.

So, in your definition the whole Chronicles of Narnia series is a fairy tale? No fantasy? Period? Serious?

You gotta be fucking kiddin'! Get your Brothers Grimm books from the closet and start reading. These are fairy tales. Tsk....

 

[almondblight]

Yes, but...we know nothing about Eshalon besides some common bestiary that they had in the screenshots...and it's the first game...VD, care to share how hard it is to make a first game? If we can give every fucking other person slack, we can give them slack as they've been honest from the get go.

 

[GhanBuriGhan]

Nothing wrong with a good old D&D style monster park, sounds fun enough to me. You guys really are stinky grumpy grandpas sometimes, sheesh! Although I always hated the slime/blob/jelly style monsters, but oh well.