The Races of Lugaru

[Ralok]

Hello allow me to introduce myself i am John R. Music (this is a pseudonym). I am an extremely active lugaru/overgrowth fan. This is mostly because of my personal history dealing with creatures similar to the ones in lugaru. When i was a child I was deathly afraid of werewolves and i was told the only way to scare one off was with a rabbits foot. This was because the only thing a werewolf was afraid of was rabbits. So when i found out about lugaru/overgrowth my heart soared. I have had discussions with at least one of the developers of this wonderful project. in a recent discussion i was inquiring about the unique attributes of each race. He said I should start a thread in which all fan can give there opinion on how the races should be handled. And that is were you find yourself now. First i shall give my opinions/ideas on the races. Then you should give yours. and if a developer wishes to take any of these ideas and implement them feel honored please do not get angry.


The Rats: a race that is truly at home in the shadows. most of these people live in the darkness for there entire lives. they are incredibly stealthy and have a great sense of smell. because of there subterranean lifestyle many rats on the surface have adopted the practice of keeping canary on ones head. This small bird acts as the rodents lookout warning him/her of any incoming danger.
have a great fear (but not hatred) of cats. this is because cats like live food and canaries are one of those foods.

The Dogs: A tribe of or canines. once young wolves raised by felines these nobles people have taken an oath to purify the name of all canine. To raise themselves above the crude and brutal lifestyles the wolves have created. All canines are incredibly loyal to there friends. Rabbits however do not care for them in particular Turner who would care less if every single dog withered and died

The Feline (cats): think of the cats as you would the english colonizing india. they are a race from across the sea that has come to make a home for itself. This race has a city near the coast. they are typically well dressed and often wear top hats and anything else fitting an old timey type feel such aas bowler hats, monocles, spectacles, the primary deviation in style is that it is all brightly colored aquas, teal, pink aswell. While outwardly they appear civilized and relatively harmless. in battle cats are quiet brutal razor sharp claws and incredible speed . they also have the ability to climb trees much better then any other race. this race also brought with it pests from the old world cockroaches.

Rabbits: gypsy samurai. that seems like an odd combination. but overgrowth is not a typical fantasy. why go for a specific style when you can have hybrid unique style. The rabbits are not the fastest race but they typically have the quickest reflexes and the best jumping abilities. The rabbits are distantly related to the rats. both of these are the original inhabitants of the primary lugaru/overgrowth landmass and thus share a very friendly relationship. rabbits have a long history and shifting culture. because of recent events they have become more nomadic. the rabbits are not a unified people currently. young rabbits will sometimes keep tuataras (google it) as pets. most of the ruins on the primary landmass were built by rabbits.

wolves: those of the were clan. one thing they fear more then anything are the rabbits. it is because they know the rabbits can become more. because the rabbits can change the world. and by extension themselves. brutes strong moderate jumpers. not always the fastest. often tehre weapons hilts and such are made out of the remains of other races. will wear necklaces made out of canaries tuataras and other small creatures. they are very fond of cockroaches(both as a snack and as companions). and will keep them in tightly woven basket type cages.

the whale: he who is alone. and always shall be. his race was destroyed centuries ago by an unknown force. he was only a child when this happened. he will trust no race from the land . He is incredibly powerful.

that is all i have to say concerning the race of lugaru/overgrowth. keep in mind these are only my thoughts. and i would love to hear the thoughts of others. and I am sure the developers would love to hear your thoughts as well. so please speak up fellow fans of overgrowth.

[invertin]

I just realized something, Davidor Jeff or someone said that all mammals were affected, so...

Bats?

[Ralok]

i would prefer that only the races that have been confirmed be discussed. you cant have every single mammal on the planet anthropomorphic. the game would slowly degenerate into animal crossing

[Glabbit]

Dolphins are mammals...

[Ralok]

dolphins are homicidal maniacs that have the nasty habit of murdering there own children.

[BunnyWithStick]

What.

Yes, that was so what that it deserved to be a statement, not a question.

[Ozymandias]

I read through all of that. I just want to clear a few things up however. I don't think it's the wolves that fear the rabbits, but rather the other way around. Keep in mind that these wolves are actual wolves, not the mythical werewolf you read in stories and see on TV.

So basically I'm saying the wolves use rabbits as a source of food, and rabbits don't usually try to fight back gut rather run away (or work for them?). Turner is an obvious exception. I don't think -every- rabbit is like Turner. In fact, not every wolf is like the packs you'd see in Lugaru. There may be outcasts/lone-wolves (hehe) that aren't interested in slaughtering etc.

Anyways, moving on

Rats... Yeah, I can pretty much imagine that. Living in caves and such... maybe even having tribes. They attack in groups by ambushing (judging by the camouflage one was wearing in a concept art). Maybe even attack caravans for food and supplies.

Dogs: I don't think that dogs have any affinity with the wolves. They're separate from them. They are definitely not nearly as bloodthirsty as them, but they are still definitely dangerous. I picture the wolves opting to use weapons of their teeth as weapons.

As for cats, I don't see them wearing "bowler hats and monocles," but maybe something a bit more oriental. Here, let me bring up that concept art.

As you can see he looks a bit more like a samurai than someone who'd wear a monocle and say "ol' chap" He also wears royal colors and tries to look flashy. Peasants would definately not look like this, and you probably wouldn't see cat peasants very often. I imagined that the cities that -do- exist are run by cats, with a few smatterings of other races living in the lower class houses, going about their daily business. I imagine not every creature on the planet is a fighter, and actually does jobs and such.

Rabbits. As I said before, not all of them would be fighters. Of course, they're pretty competent, most of them might not stand a chance in a one on one fight with a wolf (or more) but a group would probably be able to take one down. They use weapons to try to get an advantage over those who have natural weapons (claws, teeth).

Wolves: Wolves are higher on the food chain than rats and rabbits. Mmm, mm, KFB (B for bunny) tonight bebeh.

Whale: Squish.

I would normally go into squirrels, but those haven't been confirmed (yet... )

[Aleol]

Okay, I can do this. Maybe

Rats: Mostly, EXACTLY what everyone else has said. Generally tend to stay in groups. Lurk in the shadows, camouflaged. The weakest and worst equipped of all animals, they must use other methods of survival. Great at espionage.

Dogs: Much more varied then wolves, as they range from tiny (chihuahua) to GIGANTIC (most mastiffs). Very strong and noble beasts, they can probably be the strongest on the game, although have much worse natural equipment than a wolf or a cat. Their teeth and claws are more dull, but their strength more than makes up for it. Even though they are strong, they are still soldiers. they use common soldier's weapons and armor (swords, spears, maille, scale, Leather), except for the leaders. Are hired by

Cats: They have by far the sharpest claws and teeth, although lack strength and tend to be on the timid side. Their class is really the only thing giving them confidence (much like many ancient and modern leaders) And though they are brave and competent when surrounded by their guards, in a one on one fight, they begin confidently, maybe a little arrogantly, but when they start to lose they grow in fear and eventually run away. Competent fighters, Possibly the fastest, and definitely the most agile, and can jump better than any other race this gives them a great advantage in fighting. Their quick attacks make them hard to follow. Use more gentlemanly weapons, such as rapier and dagger.

Rabbits: second most timid race after (most) rats, they are the worker class. They are the most common race of the entire land (multiplying like rabbits, hehe). There are a few fighters who have mastered the arts of war, and that's pretty much it. All of the rest are afraid of cats (being high class), the dogs (being soldiers), and wolves (being... yeah, this is obvious)

Wolves: reckless raiders. Though they can be less powerful than dogs, they have sharper claws and more powerful jaws. Have less regrets about their actions as.... well, anyone except cats, they are better at using their abilities because they lack restrictions. They are not beyond making a deal for their own benefit. and are absolutely capable of killing everything in their path... except Turner, and maybe dogs. These guys are crazy motherfudgers. Eat other races for sustenance. (i'm not too big on cussing)

Whale: The oldest and wisest of all of the animals, only appears to impart wisdom. Can destroy and entire town with no effort. Nothing can kill this thing

That is all

[Count Roland]

Rats: I somehow imagine rats as being the ones running the trades caravans, being pack rats carrying supplies and such. rely largely on knifes and other sharp weapons, varied fighting styles. excellent at jumping long distances. largely nomadic but sailed over to the island and mainly populate the coasts. naturally enemies with the cats though they don't engage in open conflict with them. and none too good of relations with other species, rabbits being the exclusion

Dogs: well I suppose I'd have to agree with everyone else on dogs being noble warriors and whatnot. I see them with a western fighting style, relying largely on quarterstave, and longsword combat. populate the mountains and coasts. travelled to lugaru following the cats. natural enemies are cats and rabbits, though they don't fight the rabbits as often or with the same amount of hate as they do cats.

Wolves: small numbers of wolves who populate certain areas largely nomadic, attack whatever they can find rely on their natural superiority for fighting. slightly stronger than dogs. enemies with all the species of the island

Cats: highly territorial greedy warlords, populating mainly the center of the island staying away from coasts. prey on rats, fight each other quite often, sieze large amounts of land, manipulate other species into fighting for them, came to lugaru fleeing the dogs. naturally enemies of dogs and wolves.

Rabbits: native to Lugaru, live mainly in the grasslands to the south, but populate whichever areas they can. get along relatively well with rats though distrustful of them have a practically in bred fear of wolves due to long centuries of being hunted by them. often fight for cats to keep their land but dislike them and occasionally fight against them. hateful of dogs due to their similarity to wolves.
Edit: would love to hear from the dev team on this.

[Glabbit]

You forgot:

Whale: Squish.

[Count Roland]

as near as I can tell whaleman isn't completely confirmed.

[Glabbit]

Does that even matter?

[Groveller]

I don't think cats would be cowardly. Or rather, I think that their vanity and pride would more than make up for it. If one ran away from a fight, it's peers would never mention the fact, that would be far too crass. But they'd know, and he'd know that they knew. And that would be unbearable.

I imagine them much like the Tsurani...

Tsurani culture places a high value on tradition, family values, and honor. The Tsurani always strive to appear and act honorably, though shady dealings including murder and sabotage are not uncommon and are condoned so long as there is no proof of wrongdoing. However, public revelation of dishonorable behavior, such as discovery of plans to assassinate another Lord or cowardice on the battlefield, can force a ruling Lord to commit ritual suicide (or even obliteration of their entire family) to retain their House's honor.

...only the appearance of honor, etc, is far more important than the actuality, and loyalty only goes so far as is convenient to each individual cat. A cat may commit seppuku if word got around he'd fallen out of a tree, but he'll happily sell out everyone he knows for a bowl of milk if he thinks he can get away with it.

[Jimmy Jazz]

I just realized something, Davidor Jeff or someone said that all mammals were affected, so...

Bats?

bats would be awesome. but uhh.... moles?... i think it would be awesome to go up against a
star-nosed mole.

[Glabbit]

Moles must have digging ability. Must.

Maybe even just limited to the cpu-moles popping out of the ground sometimes.

But moles must DIG!