Fix the thralls

[Khaletohep]

Regarding the balance between factions, I want to add that they are not identical with “races” or larger cultures - except for the Darfari for some reason.

The Forgotten Tribe isn’t Cimmerian, but copies Cimmerian culture. A Cimmerian can be a member of the Black Hand faction, and non-Cimmerians are part of the Forgotten Tribe.

Only the faction determines their strength, not their heritage. A Cimmerian in the Exile faction is very weak, a Zamorian from the Forgotten Tribe is very strong.

There is little ingame explanation for that in my view. Maybe, the NPCs “advance” through the Exiled Lands just as a player: Exiles are recent arrivals with little combat skills. And the most hardened Exiles are recruited by the Forgotten Tribe and Votaries. But that’s all head canon.

Anyhow, one shouldn’t mix up racial and cultural differences in Hyboria and the differences between factions in the Exile Lands.

If “racial” or cultural background would make differences in NPC strength, it would be connected to their race or culture, not their faction, e. g. all Cimmerian NPCs get +100 HP across all factions, Zamorians +10% agility weapon damage and so on.

But it’s not like that. In the game, race/culture seems to play no role at all.

The Darfari Cannibals are the sole exception, which leads to questions as to what that faction is all about. Where they exiled as complete tribes? Do they only accept Darfaris into their faction? Are they natural inhabitants of the Exiled Lands? I assume the latter, but there’s no definite answer to that in the game afaik.

Darfari in other factions, though, behave just like other members of their faction, so their strength (or lack thereof) seems to be faction specific, not caused by genetics or culture.

[DanQuixote]

Excellent points. Yes, it very much appears that their strengths and weaknesses are faction-based not race-based. The Darfari, as you say, remain an outlier, but given that there are individual Darfari in other factions, we can again take the primary factions traits as being based on that faction rather than the race.

@Khaletohep

Where they exiled as complete tribes? Do they only accept Darfaris into their faction? Are they natural inhabitants of the Exiled Lands? I assume the latter, but there’s no definite answer to that in the game afaik.

I don’t believe that they are native to the Exiled Lands (opinion, not fact) - the old difficulties of placing the Exiled Lands within a physical location make me feel that is a limited possibility. I think far more likely is your other suggestion - that they only accept Darfari into their faction. Of all the factions, the Darfari Cannibals are the only group that is fully based around their religion. Other factions follow religions, but the Darfari Cannibals focus their existence much more firmly around that religion - it’s even there in the name, they are cannibals by religion. (If the game had the sophistication for it, it is likely they would focus on capturing other exiles for food, rather than simply being hostile to outsiders - we even see examples of this in the game ‘story’ - Razma’s journals and Salaceo’s map).

This also fits with the appearance of the Darfari in the stories - they are slaves in another land, but they maintain a group identity and kidnap unwary travellers to consume. Filing ther teeth to points and maintaining their own specific cultural identity separate from that of others around them, even in theory other groups of slaves.

Therefore, it seems reasonable that it might perhaps be possible for an unusual outsider to join the faction, if they were determined enough, but they would need to fully embrace the cuture and even that might not be enough - they might well be killed and eaten before they ever got the chance to prove their dedication…

[stelagel]

Thank you .

A small reminder that darfari females use to have low sized chest. It took some years of complaining to see them with all the sizes which was absolutely correct.

Don’t get me wrong, it has nothing to do with sizes or whatever. All i want is to see equality to the only African tribe we have in the game. I love and respect this Mother Continent a lot.

It’s only out of love and respect for Africa , nothing else .

[Khaletohep]

@DanQuixote

Of all the factions, the Darfari Cannibals are the only group that is fully based around their religion. Other factions follow religions, but the Darfari Cannibals focus their existence much more firmly around that religion - it’s even there in the name, they are cannibals by religion.

Good point. One may also add that other, non Darfari-Exiles might be reluctant to join a demon-worshipping cannibal cult. Although it’s all just speculation, your theory seems the most plausible to me.

[Tephra]

@Khaletohep

If “racial” or cultural background would make differences in NPC strength, it would be connected to their race or culture, not their faction, e. g. all Cimmerian NPCs get +100 HP across all factions, Zamorians +10% agility weapon damage and so on.

This was originally planned for the game, but almost all of the racial bonuses have been removed. For some reason, not all of them were. Shemite and Hyrkanian thralls still get a +50% ranged damage bonus.

[Khaletohep]

@Tephra

Shemite and Hyrkanian thralls still get a +50% ranged damage bonus.

They do!?

You learn something new every day… That might explain why some thralls of the same faction have weirdly different stats.

Still, probably a leftover. Overall, stats are faction-based.

@ Stelagel

Some racial differences are still there. Darfari members of other factions are taller than their comrades afaik. Weird that their… uhm… positive character had differences, though. Maybe human flesh wasn’t good for their… health? It’s weird.

[stelagel]

Oh you should see the surge ones sister . On Siptah my favourite Sourge waa always the South one , except the fact that they have a permanent tattoo, they are tough as hell.

One thing that must be noticed for darfari however is that before the change of the attribute system, all Darfari fighters had huge advantage and growth on the survival. I use to drag them with me on volcano missions since they didn’t die as easy as Berserkers on lava. Then poisoning from snakes was not so severe to them, but Berserkers were killing it so fast that it wouldn’t matter anyway.

Of course aa soon as you were getting a volcanic thrall , especially Spinas, then both Berserkers and Darfari were useless. Volcanic thralls had both endurance on lava , better hp from Darfari and hit hard as Berserkers.

Lesteret was the go to for me since he had all these bonuses plus humongous HP, but really rare find on purges.

Good days and beautiful memories, apologies for derail .

[Ardenaso]

@Khaletohep

Only the faction determines their strength, not their heritage. A Cimmerian in the Exile faction is very weak, a Zamorian from the Forgotten Tribe is very strong.

isnt’ the Forgotten Tribe literally all Cimmerians ?

Also I like to think Dono’thelpup was separated from his Cimmerian comrades in the deserts from a Darfari ambush and he was made into a mule slave instead of being eaten/sacrificed