How many races?

[DaddyDevil]

As the title say can someone tell?

[GrandMajora]

Currently, we gots

Human

Elf

Dwarf

Halfling

Orc

Goblin

Tigran

Rat

Toad

Mole

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Some of the other races which were present in the previous games seem to have been revamped into becoming archetypes that you transform your people into with magic. One example of this is the "Frostling Transformation" spell, which the developers showed off with their Orcs, changing their skin from green to blue, and giving them some arctic related bonuses.

We also know that Demons and Angels are possible transformations.

Undead also seems very likely, but was not outright confirmed at the time of writing this.

[Iguana-on-a-stick]

Originally posted by GrandMajora:

Undead also seems very likely, but was not outright confirmed at the time of writing this.

Undead were confirmed on the Paradox forums.

Originally posted by Lennart:

Races start living and you can turn them undead (various forms) using Shadow Tomes. The art team went as far as modeling bespoke skulls for toads and rats :D

https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/threads/do-we-have-undead-as-a-race-or-a-trait.1565529/post-28728885

[GrandMajora]

Originally posted by Iguana-on-a-stick:

Originally posted by Lennart:

Races start living and you can turn them undead (various forms) using Shadow Tomes. The art team went as far as modeling bespoke skulls for toads and rats :D

https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/threads/do-we-have-undead-as-a-race-or-a-trait.1565529/post-28728885

Great, so we can have undead mole men...

[sandman25dcsss]

Races are purely cosmetic, you can remove their traits and they will become like skins. It is traits and tomes that matters.

[Heron]

Originally posted by sandman25dcsss:

Races are purely cosmetic, you can remove their traits and they will become like skins. It is traits and tomes that matters.

Is that certain yet? I'd be very disappointed if there weren't race specific units (and hopefully race specific modifiers like faster town growth etc).

[sandman25dcsss]

Originally posted by Heron:

Originally posted by sandman25dcsss:

Races are purely cosmetic, you can remove their traits and they will become like skins. It is traits and tomes that matters.

Is that certain yet? I'd be very disappointed if there weren't race specific units (and hopefully race specific modifiers like faster town growth etc).

There are race specific traits, but you can remove them and assign to another race. So they are not actually race specific, there is a pool of traits you can use by any race.

[Heron]

Originally posted by sandman25dcsss:

Originally posted by Heron:

Is that certain yet? I'd be very disappointed if there weren't race specific units (and hopefully race specific modifiers like faster town growth etc).

There are race specific traits, but you can remove them and assign to another race. So they are not actually race specific, there is a pool of traits you can use by any race.

That leaves racial units. I'm sure they'll be in there and different from each other.

[GrandMajora]

Originally posted by Heron:

Originally posted by sandman25dcsss:

Races are purely cosmetic, you can remove their traits and they will become like skins. It is traits and tomes that matters.

Is that certain yet? I'd be very disappointed if there weren't race specific units (and hopefully race specific modifiers like faster town growth etc).

Yes, it's certain. The developers showed off the faction customization option. You can swap out their racial traits and replace them with whatever you want.

On the Paradox website, they stated that in AoW 4, creation will be one of its major themes. In their own words "If Age of Wonders 3 was autumnal, then Age of Wonders 4 represents a new spring."

The return of the Wizard Kings was accompanied by a resurgence of ancient magic and wonders to the world. The races that inhabit the realm are evolving beyond what they were in previous games, and the player has the freedom to guide that evolution down a path of their choosing.

[Heron]

Originally posted by GrandMajora:

Originally posted by Heron:

Is that certain yet? I'd be very disappointed if there weren't race specific units (and hopefully race specific modifiers like faster town growth etc).

Yes, it's certain. The developers showed off the faction customization option. You can swap out their racial traits and replace them with whatever you want.

On the Paradox website, they stated that in AoW 4, creation will be one of its major themes. In their own words "If Age of Wonders 3 was autumnal, then Age of Wonders 4 represents a new spring."

The return of the Wizard Kings was accompanied by a resurgence of ancient magic and wonders to the world. The races that inhabit the realm are evolving beyond what they were in previous games, and the player has the freedom to guide that evolution down a path of their choosing.

Yeah, I've seen all of that. Choose two traits, further modify your race later and so on. That probably replaces race specific modifiers entirely.

Race specific units still haven't been ruled out anywhere to my knowledge and I don't expect them to be. Without racial modifiers (other than those you pick), race would become totally meaningless without race specific units.

[Heron]

After some more research on the Paradox forums: as far as I understand it, "race" is indeed completely, entirely meaningless. It's only visuals and nothing more. Unit selection and stats aren't affected at all. Welp.

https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/threads/are-races-pure-cosmetic.1565793/

LennartGS, Managing / Game Director @ Triumph:
"there are no gameplay properties hard-linked to visuals during customization, just defaults"

[TriumphJordi]

Race in AoW4 is different from Race as it existed in previous games. Race is the combination of Form, Culture & Society Traits. Your Form is the Physical appearance of your Units & Heroes. Each form has two default traits that can modify various aspects but those can be changed out for any of the others. If you don't change any of the default traits then each Form will behave as would be expected based on the tropes.

[Central]

Originally posted by Heron:

After some more research on the Paradox forums: as far as I understand it, "race" is indeed completely, entirely meaningless. It's only visuals and nothing more. Unit selection and stats aren't affected at all. Welp.

https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/threads/are-races-pure-cosmetic.1565793/

LennartGS, Managing / Game Director @ Triumph:
"there are no gameplay properties hard-linked to visuals during customization, just defaults"

thanks for linking that post, its always best if you can read it from the source.
i find all of this to be extremely disappointing, the gameplay reveal said we could change racial traits but i thought there would at least still be some racial traits which where linked to the race at all times, sadly that seems to be untrue.

of course i had my favorites in the previous games but i played all races/factions just to experience the diversity. while i didnt like the looks of all the factions in the game i still had reasons to play them because each one played differently.

now it seems like there is no more incentive to playing any race other than the one you like the looks of best. you can basically change everything.

[GrandMajora]

Originally posted by Heron:

race would become totally meaningless without race specific units.

Probably why they're referring to your people's appearance as their 'form' rather than their race.

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Also, they've mentioned that there will be racial transformation spells. Such as the Frostling Transformation that was showcased in the gameplay reveal.

It would be awkward, not to mention much more complicated to design, if each of the forms had their own racial units in addition to being transformed into a new race.

[Heron]

Originally posted by TriumphJordi:

Race in AoW4 is different from Race as it existed in previous games. Race is the combination of Form, Culture & Society Traits. Your Form is the Physical appearance of your Units & Heroes. Each form has two default traits that can modify various aspects but those can be changed out for any of the others. If you don't change any of the default traits then each Form will behave as would be expected based on the tropes.

Just to 100% clear up any confusion: "form" in itself, disregarding traits, has no gameplay indications whatsoever, right?

[GrandMajora]

Originally posted by Central:

thanks for linking that post, its always best if you can read it from the source.
i find all of this to be extremely disappointing, the gameplay reveal said we could change racial traits but i thought there would at least still be some racial traits which where linked to the race at all times, sadly that seems to be untrue.

Personally, I'm optimistic about the change. Between having the option to customize them from scratch, and the removal of pre-written lore surrounding them, it gives the game a kind of sandbox feel where players are free to design their own interpretation or vision for their characters.

Players are not under any obligation to deviate from the classic tropes if they don't want to. But those of us who enjoy the idea of exploring outside those borders also have the freedom to experiment.