Naeralith Reborn: Civ 5 Mod

[TheChanger]

The only fear I have is that some civs are too similar to some of Fall from Heaven (Pirates and Bannor-style especially), but you get the benefit of the doubt that there will be in fact a difference between the mods.

i initially had similar fears to this when i first read Al's concepts, but the civilizations devised by Al really are quite unique, even compared to FfH. and lets be honest, its nigh impossible these days to design a fantasy setting that DOES NOT draw from other fantasy settings at all, even if it is unconsiously done. As we expand the Lore behine each civ in this thread this will (hopefully) become more apparent. in the mean time im curious as to which of the 21 civs you feel are too similar to FfH ones. if we find this out now we can work to differentiate them more if needs be.

 

[Alzara]

i initially had similar fears to this when i first read Al's concepts, but the civilizations devised by Al really are quite unique, even compared to FfH. and lets be honest, its nigh impossible these days to design a fantasy setting that DOES NOT draw from other fantasy settings at all, even if it is unconsiously done. As we expand the Lore behine each civ in this thread this will (hopefully) become more apparent. in the mean time im curious as to which of the 21 civs you feel are too similar to FfH ones. if we find this out now we can work to differentiate them more if needs be.

I can see why people would think that certain civs are like those from fall from heaven. On the surface Minlaya does look a bit like the Lanun and other civs may seem similar.

These civs were designed (at least in part) before FfH was ever made so any resemblence is purely cooincidental and I'm sure that tht community will see each civ for what they are in time

That said, I always admired the efforts that went in to FfH so maybe I have subconciously drawn inspiration from that mod since its creation... without even realising
Like TheChanger said... fantasy is often inspired by other fantasy...

Al

 

[Alzara]

Hi Alzara,

it's great that a first fantasy mod is announced for Civ5, especially with much creativity already invested. Your concept as far as it's revealed sounds good and I'm looking forward to watch your mod evolve.
The only fear I have is that some civs are too similar to some of Fall from Heaven (Pirates and Bannor-style especially), but you get the benefit of the doubt that there will be in fact a difference between the mods.

You'll get my opinion on anything you post, if I've got something to say, just as you request.

Good luck with keeping up the motivation and finding some more people that you can work together with!

Also welcome on board

Glad you like the concept! And don't worry this is definately not FfH although it is a dark fantasy mod. Naeralith also isn't based on any other particular world or system, though as with many things, aspects may seem similar... I think somebody mentioned Aion or something... though I've never played the game

The world of Naeralith also touches on a lot of adult themes that many other worlds dont, so that is potentially another distinguishing trait for Naeralith as a whole.
I'm sure as you watch the mod develop you will learn more about Naeralith and see the angle I am coming from

Your suggestions as I said are welcome and I appreciate that you will give feedback on what you read! Welcome to the mod and I hope u stay to watch

Al

 

[JDexter]

in the mean time im curious as to which of the 21 civs you feel are too similar to FfH ones. if we find this out now we can work to differentiate them more if needs be.

Essyliane: Bannor
Gebashi Highlanders: depending on the flavour it COULD be close to Doviello, but I'm not even into their lore so I could be way off here.
Godembai: Desert people, so Malakim, again it's just the general flavour
Minlaya: Lanun
Ralaeya: Elohim, sans protection of Unique features?
Seelie/Unseelie: Elven nations
Tunive: Rohan, erm no, other lore

All in all I don't want to implay idea copying or anything. Maybe you can make sure that mechanics or pieces of lore are used that differentiate from FfH mythology (which is only so prominent for me because that's almost all the Civ I've played since it first came out).

BTW: I also believe it's quite impossible to create a civ that's not "similar to X" in the fantasy genre. It's not a bad thing anyway - a well made copy would beat a bad new thing. But of course you might just make a new AND great mod.

 

[Opera]

Essyliane/Bannor: lawful good/honor-y civilization
Godembi/Malakim: Desert peoples are quite common in settings (to the max: Dune)
Minlaya/Lanun: huh, pirates?
Ralaeya/Elohim: nice, spiritual people, monks...
Seelie/Unseelie: elves...
Tunive/Rohan/Hippus: nomads/herders

Really nothing similar to FFH specifically.

 

[Alzara]

Essyliane: Bannor
Gebashi Highlanders: depending on the flavour it COULD be close to Doviello, but I'm not even into their lore so I could be way off here.
Godembai: Desert people, so Malakim, again it's just the general flavour
Minlaya: Lanun
Ralaeya: Elohim, sans protection of Unique features?
Seelie/Unseelie: Elven nations
Tunive: Rohan, erm no, other lore

All in all I don't want to implay idea copying or anything. Maybe you can make sure that mechanics or pieces of lore are used that differentiate from FfH mythology (which is only so prominent for me because that's almost all the Civ I've played since it first came out).

BTW: I also believe it's quite impossible to create a civ that's not "similar to X" in the fantasy genre. It's not a bad thing anyway - a well made copy would beat a bad new thing. But of course you might just make a new AND great mod.

Interesting analagies. I don't know much about the bannor but I knew they were kinda holy order people from FfH. Essyliane have a resemblence I think but most of my inspiration comes from a shinier version of Christianity in the dark ages

The Gebashi Highlanders are not like the Dovillo at all Picture them as a spiritual amalgumation between native americans and the Scottish

Godembai aren't desert people they are scrubs people. Newetah are more desert people, though neither really resemble the Malakim... though I know v little about the Malakim lol

Minlaya... Lanun without octopusses? LOL Both are pirate nations I suppose but thats the only similarity I can see

Ralaeya arent really like the Elohim at all. They aren't spiritual in effect and they aren't concerned with world preservation. They are v beaurocratic too... Naeralith's major democratic nation

Seelie/Unseelie... resemblence to Elves I guess... but they really aren't noble and aloof. They have a swarm mentality about them and possess a two-stage cycle of life. If anything, the Glaer are much more like a classical Elven civilisation

Tunive are just horse lovers I guess... their honour is much more oriental in nature than Rohan... very much like Japanese Samurai

But yeah I can see where u are coming from with some of them

Al

 

[Alzara]

Essyliane/Bannor: lawful good/honor-y civilization
Godembi/Malakim: Desert peoples are quite common in settings (to the max: Dune)
Minlaya/Lanun: huh, pirates?
Ralaeya/Elohim: nice, spiritual people, monks...
Seelie/Unseelie: elves...
Tunive/Rohan/Hippus: nomads/herders

Really nothing similar to FFH specifically.

For the record, I LOVE Dune

Al

 

[Alzara]

UPDATES

Basic civilisation descriptions completed and traits added

Al

 

[DioBrando]

I feel so sorry for you, doomed to forever be compared to FfH

Just remember to keep to your original style and prepare to become bothered to death by all the comparisons, it's just something that is bound to happen. Sending a PM to you right now!

 

[Opera]

Sounds good.

Although there's many things in need of clarification:

1) The new resources you're talking about: what are they? What is the pigment yield exactly? (Checked your website, I saw (and find it very cool) the magic based on colors but still want an explanation game-wise)

2) Foreign Trade? For now, there's no foreign trade, although that would be something I'd like to add at some point.

3) On your website, you say the seas are dangerous due to the complex tides, will that be in the mod?

Sidenote: anything on languages?

 

[Voyhkah]

Hey, I just saw this thread and your website, and my eyes bugged out! Because I have my own fictional planet, although mine's sci-fi and has no magic and stuff (I think fantasy's fine, though)! And what's really funny, is that I'm making a mod for my planet too!

Ok, I admit it, you're web site is better than mine, and probably has exponentially more views.

Well I won't have to deal with being compared to FfH, because I have no humanoids. Of course, that spawns a whole world of problems.

Website
\/ \/ \/ \/ \/

 

[Alzara]

I feel so sorry for you, doomed to forever be compared to FfH

Just remember to keep to your original style and prepare to become bothered to death by all the comparisons, it's just something that is bound to happen. Sending a PM to you right now!

Hehe its OK I don't mind the comparisons. Such things are inevitable I imagine

Sounds good.

Although there's many things in need of clarification:

1) The new resources you're talking about: what are they? What is the pigment yield exactly? (Checked your website, I saw (and find it very cool) the magic based on colors but still want an explanation game-wise)

2) Foreign Trade? For now, there's no foreign trade, although that would be something I'd like to add at some point.

3) On your website, you say the seas are dangerous due to the complex tides, will that be in the mod?

Sidenote: anything on languages?

1) I will be putting up a section describing the resources eventually. I need to pull together a concise list with descriptions and that may take a day or two once I start
Pigments will be a separate yield based on terrain. They will determine how many pigments you accumulate for use in the construction of magical devices, items and potentially the training of sorcerers. Also sorcerer (and sorcerer-like units) will be directly affected by the pigment yield of the terrain surrounding them. Pigments are like the amount of "colour" locked up in the terrain, which in turn determines the effectiveness of magic in that particular area

2) The foreign trade will be a difficult one, though myself and TheChanger plan to introduce something to mimic its effects. It might be a challange but we will see what we can do!

3) Yeah the seas of Naeralith are very dangerous. Sea exploration will be a difficult, somewhat arduous task. However, the benefits of sea exploration will be multiple, including the use of foreign trade once it has been implemented

Also, nothing on languages as of yet. Just certain words and names for various civs. I plan on working on some linguistics at some point however. When I do, you'll be the first to know

Hey, I just saw this thread and your website, and my eyes bugged out! Because I have my own fictional planet, although mine's sci-fi and has no magic and stuff (I think fantasy's fine, though)! And what's really funny, is that I'm making a mod for my planet too!

Ok, I admit it, you're web site is better than mine, and probably has exponentially more views.

Well I won't have to deal with being compared to FfH, because I have no humanoids. Of course, that spawns a whole world of problems.

Hehe cool tis always nice to talk to a fellow world builder! I'm glad you like my site
It is still in development but more lore will pop up from time to time when I take a break from writing prose for my novels

Also... no humanoids...? That has to make for an interesting mod

Al

 

[TheChanger]

@ AL: the final descriptions are good and the traits are all good too

i just want to add a bit (turned out to be more than a bit) to your explanation of some civs for clarification

Seelie/Unseelie: Elven nations

one thing id like to point out is that the Fae in Naeralith are sentient humanoid plants (thus the 2 stages in their life cycle that Al mentioned) and not animals, that is one huge difference between them and the elves from FfH. (i know this alone will differentiate them significantly).

As Al says the Glaer are far more similar the the traditiona lelf stereotype, but even then they are technically half plant half animal from the Fae/Sapid hubridisation (although the plant traits are apparently suppressed by animal traits physically)

Essyliane: Bannor

Bannor are VERY strictly law oriented, I believe Essylian are much less so. they seem to be the religious fanatics of the world, (from what ive gathered) think the spanish inquisition against undead and daemons.

Godembai: Desert people, so Malakim, again it's just the general flavour

Godembai have actually taken a LOT of inspiration from the Indigenous Australian hunter/gatherer society. they are not particularly desert oriented and just thrive in the poorer regions of the world than other nations due to their hardy nature and ability to find food *everywhere*. the only coincidence is that they currently inhabit a large desert (its more like the Australian Deserts than the Sahara)

Even then the Newetah are veryyy different to Malakim in that they live in deserts and thats where similarities end. Malakin to me seems more like an arabic inspired nation, whereas Newetah is inspired more by Egypt. also Newetah arent religious fanatics, they are however deeply spiritual and worship the spirits of their ancestors. if youve ever heard of Warhammer, they are more like the Tomb Kings of Khemri before Nagash cursed them to undeath (even though they get their ancestors spirits to aid them in dire needs)

 

[Makkah]

Yes... I definitely got a Khemri vibe from the Newetah. That's a good thing

 

[TheChanger]

What are peoples impressions from the traits in the second post? are they too OP, are they balanced?

 

[Tasunke]

What I'd like to know ... is why having 21 civs is so popular

 

[TheChanger]

What I'd like to know ... is why having 21 civs is so popular

haha ive been wondering the same thing

 

[Alzara]

Yes... I definitely got a Khemri vibe from the Newetah. That's a good thing

I guess now I think about it that Newetah does have a bit of a Khemri feel to it. I used to play WH a little when I was younger, but I never really learn't much about those mummy people. I might look them up out of curiosity now?

What I'd like to know ... is why having 21 civs is so popular

Lol good question Originally there were 23 civs but two have been scrapped as civilisations and moved to barbs and such.

Al

 

[Alzara]

Hi guys. Just letting you all know it is my birthday tomorrow so there wont be any updates till Monday. I intend to party like a mad Scarthian this evening so I imagine that tomorrow will be a sluggish and painful day

Look out for updates on Monday! In addition, if anybody has any thoughts on the civ information presently posted, or about the traits belonging to each, then please give me your opinions

Al

 

[TheChanger]

I intend to party like a mad Scarthian this evening

Oh dear... i hope you have enough pain killers for the day after also happy Bday