There is New Major Faction Brainstorm here and I found out that there was couple other members, Rudest and Buzzkillington1990, who had similar idea as I about faction which thrives in winter. Rudest had this intresting ideas:

Rudest wrote:


Eventually develop tech that enables a structure that turns their territories into winter-like conditions/climate. Which could be interesting especially if your units don't have drawbacks in the winter.

I think this should be linked to faction Main quest, as maybe somethink they think as altar, but in reality it is small area weather control device. It should be City Improvement and it should become reward too early, maybe mid quest reward.

Rudest wrote:


If it were something barbaric like the orcs, then perhaps they have tech-shamans that don't realize they are operating tech and instead believe it to be magic. A Virtual Endless sealed in some sort of idol might even be manipulating them into thinking it's a god. Your main quest could be centered around recovering the knowledge of how construct "weather control altars" to please your "god".. When you're really just rediscovering how to use weather machines or terraformation devices left behind by the Endless to fuffil that rogue Virtual's goal.

In my idea this race would be some ancient, extinct race from very cold, possible ice age era. They remains were preserved either in frozen tundra or inside ice. Titan Bones could actually be their remains or remains of their ancestors/relative species.



Children of Ice



As the winters of Auriga have become longer and colder, Dust and ancient technology of Endless has awaken race of primordial beasts that did reign last Ice Age. Barbaric and bestial in eyes of other races, huge sized Children have found modern landscape alien to them. Frozen tundras and taigas of old have been replaced with lush forests and plains and hot deserts and lands are rife small people, who seems to thrive in this landscape.



Thriving in cold winters that plague survival of other races, Children have decided to endeavor that their loved winter will last forever.



To achieve their goal, shamans and spirit talkers of Children have fasting and meditated, until they did find answer from ancient ruins. Greater elder spirit has answered their plea, or thus they believed.



As their number rise, Children thrive to build effigy their new god, so the winter's everlasting grip will close over Auriga forever.



Aesthetic: Bit similar as Geldirus, shorter tale with head either similar to crocodile with 4 eyes and lion like mane or head similar woolly rhino with out large horns but smaller around face. Because their natural fur thay don't need much of clothing, but should have pieces of bone armor and some grisly fetishes. Characters could have helmets made out of skulls Drakken Ancients, perhaps? Also units should consist single big creature instead normal



Gameplay: This faction should thrive in colder regions, gaining bonuses from tundras, taigas & other snowy or cold terrain types and penalties from deserts and other warmer terrains. Winter shouldn't give them any penalties, but should have penalty to Science as they view it as magic, as idea of scientific research is alien to them. Have also ability create aura of coldness, which can be used different ways.



Faction Affinity Trait: "Scions of Winter": Children don't take any penalties from winter season. Also gives Winter Immunity to all units.



Other Faction Traits:



"Comfort of Cold": Gain +1 bonus to Food & Industry in colder regions. Could also have small approval bonus.



"Heat's Painful Agony": Gain -1 penalty to Food & Industry in warmer/hotter regions. Could also have small approval penalty.



"Superstitious Ignorance": Either -1 penalty to Science per tile or percent penalty to Science empire wide.



"Massive Appetite": Need more food to gain more population in cities.



"Cellulose Mutation": By their aura of cold, as their buildings are rocks and bones fused together by ice. This could be re-named to something else.



"Honour Thy Ancestors": Gain bonus approval from Titan Bones.



Maybe something else? Suggestions?



As for starting techs, I'm not sure, suggest something. They should have some sort of unique tech, maybe to boost unit stats, or give bonus to approval or Food. One could be City Improvement called Hunters/Gatherers Caves, which could give +1 bonus to food in city tiles where are no Ruins or Anomalies.



Favored Victory Condition: Wonder. Children plan to build huge effigy to please their new god, which in reality is climate/weather controlling device that bring endless winter to Auriga. Their god is actual Virtual Endless...



Main Guest: Main guest should focus around searching religious items, which actually are old Endless tech. There should be some sort small scale climate/weather controller City Improvement as reward tech in somewhere middle of the quest line, that would allow negate effects of hotter regions around settlement.



Units:



Weapons should be simple, so only two-handed weapons, spears and claws. Spears could perhaps have ability us as throwing weapons, if that is possible or there could be new class of of ranged weapons, which should be throwing weapons. Could be spear and some sort club or axe with shield.



Cost of units should be higher than most other factions. All units should have good damage and life, but poor initiative and maybe defense. Movement value could good too, as they run on fours.



Hulking Brute: Starting infantry unit. Two-handed weapons and claws. Icy Breath: Gives enemy penalty to either initiative, defense or attack. This could work bit like Exhaustion, maybe? Could have Beam or Free Counter. Maybe Beam. This unit should be largest in size, with pieces bones as armor and helmet. Combat movement 1 maybe too.



Tundra Hunter: Era I cavalry unit. Spears and two-handed weapons, or those throwing weapon. Icy Breath or similar. Combat movement and Free Counter. Should look leaner than Brutes and with less bone armor.



Winter Shaman: Era II support unit. Weapons could be quarter staffs and mage wands or same as other units. Haven't though their capacities yet. Should have some sort masks and lots of fetishes etc. Size similar to Brutes.



Settlers/Militia: Also single model units.



Heroes: Either Warriors or Support. War-chief or Spirit-talker. Haven't have time to think them yet.



I'm doing rough sketch artwork at the moment and try to scan and post them tomorrow.

Not bad. I highly recommend you check out this thread: /#/endless-legend/forum/6-game-design/thread/3452-brainstorming-session-dark-season-faction&highlight=winter+faction



We had a very long discussion and developed an amazing idea for a winter faction. Starting on Page 2 of the thread until the end, I exchanged ideas with MANoob. We even developed a faction story and found some concept artwork. You may borrow or add ideas as you like cuz I think a winter faction would be awesome no matter who proposes it.



Also, feel free check out out my Water-based faction! (in my signature)

Imaging if Endless Legend had both a water AND winter faction added in the future. How cool would that be?

I really like the idea of a cold-friendly faction . I think it's important for such a faction to benefit from cold environments, but not be bound to them. Start bias can only do so much -- depending on world settings only so much tundra will be laid out each game, and having your territories snaking around the poles will make them far less defensible.



I'm not so much a fan of factions being able to change biomes (e.g. jungle to tundra) as it potentially degrades the value of land to other (conquering) factions. Remember that such a faction would already be growing quite a bit stronger as the game progresses (due to changes in the seasonal cycle).