Standard fantasy enemies- are they the same?

[Shadowfaze]

I just noticed something.

The Darkspawn of Dragon age: origins. They are a lot like orcs, right? What about the Super Mutants of Fallout 3? well, yeah, they also seem... orcish. Green sin, loud voices...limited vocabulary...lust for violence...

then of course theres the waves and waves of ACTUAL orcs we slaughtered on every generic fantasy game ever... bar a couple of odd ones...

Do we need a new type of standard fantasy enemy? post your thoughts, escapists!

 

[Cherry Cola]

I just need some Twi'lek tail.

Of the female variety of course.

 

[Daystar Clarion]

Killing wave after wave of Nazis is a new idea...oh wait.

 

[FallenJellyDoughnut]

Who cares? They're ugly so its ok to kill them! Thats why so many hookers turn up dead!

 

[Cpt_Oblivious]

New monsters are easy to think up, but people are lazy.
I also think some monsters need reinventing; like the dwarves. If they live underground where do they get food from? Where do they get their Vitamin D?

Who cares? They're ugly so its ok to kill them! Thats why so many hookers turn up dead!

It's also why I haven't been arrested yet.

 

[Batfred]

We should exterminate hoardes of Swedish Pizzeria Restauranteers that refuse to pretend to be Italian. That ones for you HUBILUB.

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

Yeah...now that you mention it.

For example: What standard attack element are zombies weak to in nearly every fantasy game?

 

[Daystar Clarion]

Yeah...now that you mention it.

For example: What standard attack element are zombies weak to in nearly every fantasy game?

Cheese?

 

[Shadowfaze]

Yeah...now that you mention it.

For example: What standard attack element are zombies weak to in nearly every fantasy game?

Kill them with fire!!!

 

[GundamSentinel]

And this is exactly the reason why I play a JRPG once in a while... get away from the damn orcs.

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

Yeah...now that you mention it.

For example: What standard attack element are zombies weak to in nearly every fantasy game?

Kill them with fire!!!

We have a winner!
*hands you a "Sword of +42 Fire"*

 

[HollywoodH17]

I was always proud of Oblivion for opening the fantasy doors, at least a little, as far as this is concerned. Gone are the trite conventions of "teh dwarfs live in teh mountains and mine and are short!!1" and "teh elfs live in teh treez" and, for the most part, the main enemies aren't terribly orc-like. There are all kinds of fauna that attack you, and the humanoid enemies are either humans, or demons. Granted, Oblivion didn't get away from demons... but what else are you going to use as baddies, if not demons or orcs? Nazis?

 

[rossatdi]

Do we need a new type of standard fantasy enemy? post your thoughts, escapists!

Because Orcs are broadly defined as inherently evil or at least mean, strong, a bit thick and brutish. Seeing as this is the case its not so much that all fantasy games have Orcs but rather all evil-fantasy races that are thuggish and brutish could be defined as orcs because the concept is so broad.

 

[Ryuk2]

Orcs are good enemies. They are big, strong, violent, stupid and unlikable. I like them only in games where you have to man up before attacking orcs, like in Gothic and Gothic 2 where i was scared of orcs. One orc could kill me with one hit at the start and even at the end i couldn't attack 4 of them at a time.
If a game has orcs in it, make them very powerful, not your only enemies to grind exp.

 

[soilent]

generic fantasy game

someone get Yahtzee in here...

 

[SilvanTyl]

If a game has orcs in it, make them very powerful, not your only enemies to grind exp.

That's why Kobolds and Goblins were invented, wasn't it?

 

[Amethyst Wind]

Who cares? They're ugly so its ok to kill them! Thats why so many hookers turn up dead!

This guy has stumbled upon the point, either sardonically or by accident. Enemies are purposefully made as ugly as possible to make you not so hesistant about killing them. Orcs/super mutants/goblins etc are (from our point of view) misshapen things and therefore lower than us, almost as if we are offended by their presence. When it comes to killing other humans a similar tactic is used, instead of brutalizing their appearance we demonise their personality and actions, hence why so many WW2 games portray the Nazis as moustache-twirling baby eaters.

It's not coincidental that we keep coming across 'grotesque' creatures as enemies and pillars of mesculinity/femininity as heroes.