Warning: This is a very long and wordy post, so some time might need set aside to read all of it.

Introduction

With Origin Realms expanding and improving on many systems, players have grown exponentially stronger, and by proxy, when added, villages are likely to be more fleshed out as well. One of these is an issue, as stronger players are no longer faced by challenge when out adventuring, while the other opens up opportunities, for raids that feel… much more involved.

Solution? The Illagers.

To solve this issue, as player armor level and blight boss completion level rises, they are more likely to encounter illager patrols. These patrols are augmented with various illagers to surprise the player, and these encounters can also happen in the middle of other battles.

Key to these changes are the expansion of all illager units with new AI and battle mechanics, and the grouping of illager units into both solo style and Arch army style units.

The Lore

With the rise of the Arch-Illager, the raiders were able to unite their powers and forces, working together to achieve grand goals that they otherwise never could have accomplished on their own.

Unfortunately, with his fall, some illagers have begun to set out on their own once more, developing themselves in the most selfish of manners. No unit better showcases this new dichotomy among illager ranks than the illager most in need of change…

The Illusioner

Like all of these updated Illagers, the illusioner posesses two forms, each with similar, but slightly different behavior. In general, the Illager uses a new weapon called a shortbow (discussed later), and teleports with illusions, allow them to distract and confuse an enemy during combat. Eventually, they wear down their foe. Unlike other illagers, this unit can always see the player and villagers through walls, allowing to execute those who hide from them rather than engage it.

Under the Arch-Leadership

Design:

Under the authority of the larger “Arch-Army”, Illusioners wear purple garb and harsh leather. Left-Handed to a fault, they wield a shortbow with explosive and petrify.

Gameplay:

Using the shortbow, this illusioner will create right handed illusions during battle, alongside teleporting itself somewhere on the battlefield. From there, it and it’s clones quickly knock and fire arrows at the player, utilized the quick fire speed of the shortbow to outweigh the gamble required to pull of it’s enchanted effects.

Purpose:

Noise and chaos, with bigger villagers and heavy armor, much more is needed to make an invasion feel big and impactful. The illusioner is the big impact. With it’s illusions, explosions, and nature to track down targets, you never feel safe during a raid when these guys are around, and no armor will protect you long when you are a sitting duck or facing explosions.

As a part of the army, he forces you to move and pay attention to the illusions, finding him being a turn for the tides in the players favor.

Under Solo Development

Design:

During self development, a blue robe with silver stars emblazoned is worn by the illusioner. Without funding from the larger army, their bow remains unenchanted. However, they now carry a arrow of glowing in their offhand. This form of the illusioner is the one that will spawn in illusioner huts. At least until it leaves of it’s own volition to hunt you in the forest.

Gameplay:

Illusioners who are self taught do not make a scene, making their presence known through singular clones that players will find on the battlefield, staring and doing nothing.

In reality, this illusioner teleports around and leaves clones behind, using it’s vision to locate and analyze threats in a player’s party, as well as other forces like iron golems.

Once they have analyzed the highest threat, they shoot their glowing arrow at them, causing all illager units to prioritize the glowing target, flipping a battle on it’s head near instantly.

Thanks to the clones left behind, players are likely to glance over the real illusioner before it’s too late, playing right into it’s robed hands.

Purpose:

Unlike their armed forces counterpart, this Illusioner is far more deadly, but also less omnipresent threat. More likely to spawn against players in a party or group, they disrupt the flow of battle and force players to prioritize them, dragging out a fight if they can succeed with their shot.

Alongside their ability to see players through walls, and choice to exploit teleportation for movement, their slippery nature is a perfect upgrade to their armed counterpart, and excels in showing their nature as hitman still at the call of the Arch Army.

Thankfully, the counter to them is dealing with them fast and choosing not to ignore the signs, and their nature as a slow moving threat means to test player’s ability to pay attention.

The Shortbow

Introduced by this improved illager, and crafted with twigs in place of sticks, the shortbow has double the drawspeed, at the cost of half the damage and range of a normal bow.

For what it loses in power and threat range, it makes up for in quick firing, allowing enchantments with a chance to trigger to especially shine.

The Evoker (Solo Form)

Without the funding of the illager army, this Evoker has forsaken it’s enchanted golden robes for much more common draperies, it’s newfound freedom has allowed this Evoker to re-acquire forgotten magic.

Design

Wearing a tattered and simple brown cloak, a self-developed evoker fights alongside it’s summon ally, the Irk. It’s lack of enchanted draperies has severely cut into it’s defense and speed, making it very reliant on it’s newfound power. This evoker can naturally be found outside of raids within non-illager archeological sights.

Irk

A large, horned, vex like creature made of stone like skin. Slow, and invincible, it’s heavy fists punch through cobble and wood, tearing apart villagers and ripping open defenses. It does it’s best to keep an enemy between it and it’s frail summoner, as without them, it perishes immediately.

Gameplay

The self-taught Evoker only has one ability, to summon the Irk. Once summoned, the culmination of it’s research is used to flatten terrain and open attack opportunities for other units.

The Irk itself works in tandem with the evoker to keep itself between it and a target, dealing heavy knockback and damage with it’s strikes. Despite it’s best efforts however, the fae remains even slower than it’s summoner in return for it’s power.

The player is resultingly rewarded for dragging the evoker and it’s Irk into the open, casually jogging around the stony menace to strike down it’s summoner.

Purpose

With larger villages mean bigger walls, and more obstacles for the AI of entities to navigate. This becomes very exploitable by players, and can ruin the challenge posed by these new threats.

Not only does the Irk allow new paths and destruction to be created, preventing cheese, but it also presents a new combat situation to the player, forcing them to get personal with a deadly and invincible threat, if only to strike it’s weak summoner.

This gameplay requires the player to put themselves at risk in the open, but rewards them for this risk by closing off paths of attack that other units may have had access to.

The Witch (Arch Army)

A high quality leather outfit, warped from it’s search for potion ingredients, some witches have joined the Arch-Army in return for better material, protection, and funding for their experiments, and their capacity for both harm and help has increased as a result.

Design

Funded by the greater Army, affiliated witches wear plague doctor inspired leather garments, and keep lingering potions on their belt. It is safe to say that after all this time, the dragon slain by the Arch-Illager would no longer go to waste.

It’s outfit has been tarnished despite it’s quality due to the nature of witches to be more hands on in ingredient gathering, much to the dismay of it’s fellows. Not that they can complain however, this Witch is the only medic.

Behavior

Much like their unaffiliated counterpart, these witches toss potions depending on the health state of themselves and the player. Unlike them however, these potions set up lingering deathtrap walls.

These walls allow the witch to separate injured illagers from attackers, wear this witch will toss regeneration clouds to keep them in the fight.

Defeating these witches is as simple as building over the clouds. Poor witch.

Purpose

These more vile witches are natural upgrades inspired by newer potion types and their appearance in both Dungeons and Earth. With this updated behavior, it now locks down parts of the battlefield and heals allies, making them actual threats rather than familiar faces during an invasion.

Iceologer (Arch Army)

Now well integrated into the rank and file, these “Chillager” units wear heavier robes, both slowing them down and bolstering their defense. In return, their attacks have become less precise, and therefore disruptive, truly molding the battlefield if left unchecked.

Design

Forgoing blue for the rank and file black leather, their robes are layered with ice silver fastenings and armor.

It should be noted that the outfit makes their eyes and blue skin really pop, making them the most standout unit on the field.

Behavior

These illagers stand behind most other units, summoning large ice spikes that launch friend and foe, blocking off enemies, sealing alleys, while also destroying terrain and covering the surroundings in thick snow and frost.

When an enemy gets close, they cast a frost cloud that freezes and slows the player, allowing them to reposition with allies to once again rain down spikes of ice.

Purpose

Much like the evoker, Iceologers make an invaded village far more tattered through summoned structures and snow cover, making clean up much harder after a battle.

Though they don’t really do much for the fight, they add much more to the environment after the battle, making a repair of the village feel much more impactful and rewarding than simply replacing a few blocks.

Vindicator (Solo Form)

(Image pictured above is a placeholder, but similar enough)

Wilding a mace and shield, these Vindicators have discovered in their travels their old ways as warriors, finding once again the importance of honor in battle. Whether friend or foe, ignoring the sanctity of the duel is at your own peril.

Design

Wearing robes with minor defensive features that closely mimic villagers, and armed with a shield and mace, these Vindicators look far more human and player like that most other entities.

Behavior

Self-Taught Vindicators will bang on their shield to get the attention of their opponent, challenging them to a duel when they are already engaged. When this occurs, the AI of the vindicator changes, and a few things happen.

Most illager units will back off from attacking the player and form an arena circle if they are already engaged. Those that fail to are then smote by the Vindicator.

If the player decides to keep fighting other units, the Vindicator will pathfind to a high place, and attempt to one shot the player. They will blow a warhorn before jumping however, as a second warning to the player.

Should the player or other entity face them and relieve engagement from other illagers, a one on one duel will commence between the player and the illager. It’s fighting style is very similar to players, going for critical hit jumps and shielding heavy blows and projectiles.

Upon victory, the other illagers are momentarily petrified, allowing a player to quickly prepare before returning to the assault.

Purpose

With how hectic these new battles get, keeping the player engaged, focused, and more importantly, entertained is vital.

This illagers break the rhythm of the both the enemy and player, and allows them to mentally reset before re-engaging with a raid or structure.

I will come back later with a part 2, covering the Raiders as members of the illager army, alongside an updated Enchanter, and explanation of a new difficulty balance system!