In the December Developer Roundtable Joppa lists the "entity types" that are in Pantheon. Here's the list:
Humanoid
Animal
Plant
Insect
Undead
Incorporeal
Giant
Fae
Lycanthrope
Vampiric
Elemental
Supernatural
Ooze
Construct
Mechanical
Dragonkind
Unmortal
Most of these seem pretty self explainatory, but I do wonder about the distinctions among Undead, Incorporeal, and Unmortal. I know Wraiths are considered Unmortal - why is that different than Undead (or even Incorporeal?)
I can't wait to learn more about these different entity types.
Counterfleche said: Linguistically speaking, I think undead were living creatures that became reanimated while unmortal were never alive to begin with (like a creature created by a curse to haunt you).
I agree. And the third category, incorporeal, do not have a physical body.
I think the real question is how these differences between entity types impact how mobs of that type behave. Undead (sorry doretea: Livingly challenged) vs. ummortal, as the current discussion is going - why are they different enough as entity types to warrant separate entities? Is it about the base character model? Is it about abilities they have in their pool? Is it about the weapon types they're resistant or more vulnerable to?
Would a Stone Golem, in the classic sense be considered "unmortal"? or is it a matter of using the possesive case when referring to an unmortal whatever form it takes? I think a wisp is incorporeal, a flame salamander also where "salamander" is applied bias to describe it, for lack of a better word. Dr. Frankenstein might argue against: "all constructs are not undead".
Manouk: Dr. Frankenstein might argue against: "all constructs are not undead".
Agreed, but constructs of the dead are undead. So I would argue that Frankenstein's monster is undead. Just with a lot more smelly flesh attached than a skeleton. But then you are always going to have cross-overs.
mallocfailure said:Undead (sorry doretea: Livingly challenged) vs. ummortal, as the current discussion is going - why are they different enough as entity types to warrant separate entities?
I would assume that it has something to do with Clerics and Paladins and their vs 'Undead' abilities. These 'Undead' are bodies that were once living and are now risen and given a semblance of life by Necromatic means. Thus the Holy power of Clerics and Paladins can be used against this unholy necromancy to either fear or destroy these 'Undead' creatures.
Unmortal could be something like a Statue that is given intelligence and animated by Enchanted means. This creature would not have ever been alive and gone through a death, and thus Necromancy was never involved in it's existence. Thus the Paladin and Cleric abilities would not have any advantage over these 'Unmortal' beings.
These Unmortal entities also are never really slain, but rather just destroyed. Thus they could never be brought back with Necromancy either.
They also shouldn't be confused with Mechanical entities either which are given intelligence through technology. Or Constructs which would be things created by Magical means and were never an object in the world before their creation.
Also note that Elementals are something else different which are living forms of Elemental energy that take on corporeal form from the specific Elemental type they match. Which means that an Earth Elemental could actually take a similar form as a statue being made of stone, but it would not be 'Unmortal' but rather 'Elemental' in type.
It should also be noted that we don't know if VR plans for creatures to be able to have more than one of these 'Entity types'. Perhaps we could find a Vampiric Giant Insect, or a Gaint Supernatural Undead Fae with Lycanthrope.
GoofyWarriorGuy said:mallocfailure said:[...]
These Unmortal entities also are never really slain, but rather just destroyed. Thus they could never be brought back with Necromancy either.
[...]
I agree and unmortal also implies to me that the essence, or "the thing that gives life/animation/sentience" is transient. It may leave the host, whatever that may be, but it will not ever die. Rather it will reposses or posses something or breed into a group, community, township, culture. Not so much incorporeal but maybe like - in the realm of fantasy-a tangible idea, a defeatable/killable idea. "How do you kill an idea". The perceived disease of religion by some, the lonely Asimovian isolationist utopia from foundation 3? or 4?. Or something that can be discovered, the germ of music that...cannot die.
