Process for making monsters list :> How do you do it?

[cuongeke1 37]

Aloha everybody !

Recently, i'm working to create a monsters list for my project.

Firstly, i had just designed some random monsters that i like most, but then i realized they're a mess.

Beside my monster seems so... illogic. Bone mouse, cute monster girls, skeletor.. hmm nothing to say.

Then, i come up with this progress & it seems be better for a logic list of monsters:

Step 1:

- Determining groups

ex: Water Controllers, Magic Users, Undead, Demon, Cute ...

Step 2:

- Give each group unique characteristic

ex: Group "Live in Grave", this group includes "Thirty Bat, Ghost, Demon tree, grave keeper,dusty bone ....etc.."

- group describe: All of they're scary and very guileful, prefer acting alone, slow, not good for melees but have ability to poison enemy.

Low defense but their recuperation is really good.

Step 3:

Create a standard monster first, this monster then become the reference for another monsters in the group.

Step 4:

Everything is easier now, use your favorite software for managing monsters or do it on a paper

 

 

How about you? Are you creating monsters in a random way too? Or you have some good methods but never share?

Come on, i love to hear them Everybody loves to hear them!

So tell us, plz.

Thxs

[SpookyMothman 361]

I just organize by location. There may be enemies from one area that appear in other areas nearby, but it's the simplest way I've found to do things. Besides, it makes balancing an area's battles much more easy and convenient.

[Blindga 144]

I usually organize enemies based on strength/caliber. I like to mix minibosses in with hordes of grunts to keep things interesting, and I sort enemies into power levels accordingly. "Grunts, Toughguys, Big Monsters, Elites, Killers, Supers, MInibosses, Superbosses" Something like that. Then I just pick what I need from the list based on how much challenge I want for the encounters. Just helps me mentally figure out where I need to distribute balance.

 

So in the beginning of a game that features primarily undead enemies, I'll mostly throw in something like a few lost skeletons (Grunt caliber for cannon fodder) with an occasional chance for a zombie to show up (Toughguy caliber that is just a little bit meaner than a grunt but still a wimp).

 

Later in the game a much more powerful player would mostly face things like, say, skeleton knights swarms (Elite caliber enemies that are seriously tough on their own), and multiple grave abominations (Big Monster caliber that sets itself apart from the lessers by being bigger and stronger than the rest) with the occasional chance of a necromancer cultist showing up (Miniboss caliber that requires full attention and all the resources. Borderline bs territory.)

 

I may not have that detailed of a list, but with the way I like to do enemies I do best if I sort them into power levels like this.

[Spectre 829]

I generally have 2 different categories for the monsters:

 

Locale. Where they are located on the map. My Iron Hounds are generally located in the Iron Mesas, whereas Glaives Officers can be found lurking around The Hive in South Hathaway. Have a rough idea of the demographics of people or local fauna, and try to fit them in,

 

Role. In game, you don't just wanna see grindable, soft enemies with one nuke spell. Some can be tanks, some nukers. Try to have a mix of these in each locale; at least 2-3 different types of enemies.

 

There, done. It's really that simple.

[Aria1573 21]

I set them up based on when and were you fight them though out the game, normal enemies are first in the list followed by Sub-Bosses, then Mini-Bosses, then Main-Bosses and finally by the final boss and the side-bosses and super bosses; with the true final boss at the very end of the list.

[+ Retired 274]

Location and role is pretty good method to go about it.

 

I also base it upon a tried but test formula of world map vs dungeon maps.

 

Generally speaking the dungeons with a boss tend to be tougher than wild monsters outside a village for example.

 

As for roles, I think about classes the player may have and reflect it upon enemies so the glass cannon, tank and supporter.