Hello, since last week, I’ve been able to participate to the beta of Fallen Enchantress. So I apologize if my experience with this game is not as wide and as thorough as other beta testers. From these first hours with FE, what struck me was the fact that a part of the game designs were inscribed into a trifunctionalist approach, but that this way of thinking and balancing the game has not been pushed into a complete transcription of this concept.
But first, I must define what is trifunctionalism. Trifunctionalism is a theory issued from compared mythology based on the works of Georges Dumezil. When he studied the myths, the social structures, the ways of thinking and storytelling of indo-aryans peoples (Celts, Greeks, Germanics, Perso-Iranians, Indians, Slavs, Latins), he remarked that they were sharing common traits that could go back to protohistory: they were organized along three main functions that could be found in the myths, the story-telling structures, the taboos, the social organisation that constituted the mental background of these peoples and the upper organization of their ruling elites. He stated that the visible and invisible ways that are ruling the human world were represented by 3 different types of actions or mental structures that produced combined effects but were not sufficient alone to reach balanced results. These functions are often symbolized by the latin expressions “orant, pugnant, laborant” and “oratores, bellatores, laboratores”.
These 3 functions are:
- The sacred function: the ‘oratores’, whose who pray. This function is linked with priesthood, saints, tales, magic, supernatural, intellectual works, concepts, justice, destiny and oaths. This function is at the core of the beliefs (interdicts, taboos and the social balance of a society). The priests, the magicians, the bards, the great minds are stemmed from this function. Badly exerted, this function is madness, treachery, insanity, oblivion. The associated colours are white or blue.
- The war function: the ‘bellatores’, whose who fight. This function is linked with force authority, order, defence, courage, willpower and wisdom. This function is to preserve the society form outer or inner dangers by upholding justice and protection in honour and wisdom. The soldiers, the warleaders, and the kings are stemmed from this function. To exert a good authority, a king must be recognized and helped by the two others. Badly exerted, this function is violence, weakness and tyranny. The associated colour is red.
- The production function: the ‘laboratores’, whose who craft. This function is linked with fecundity, wealth, trade, fine crafts, prosperity, peace, love and beauty. This function is to shape the material world to create bounty, wealth and good living conditions for the society. The traders, the fine arts crafters, the rich farmers and herders are stemmed form this function. Badly exerted, this function is sterility, laziness, greed, gluttony. The associated colours are green or black.
These three functions are exerted simultaneously by their members who together are between 20 and 30 percent of the peoples. They maintain the group strong and impose their will and powers to guide and protect the majority of the poor, illiterate and feeble members. These functions have been visible in Ancient and Medieval times and are considered blurred at the end of the 18th century with the American and French revolutions that are replacing the older orders by the new concepts of Nation-state , One people, Liberty and Equality, mass-conscription and production.
Now it seems familiar with FE? We have 3 tech trees (civilization, warfare, magic), 3 main ways of winning the game (by wealth and diplomacy, by conquest, by magic), 3 main colours for the screens (green, red, blue), the sovereign by sword and magic is giving life back to the land and shaping the world to his likeness. Unconsciously (or consciously), the designers have put elements of trifunctionalism into the game but have not pushed the logic to its full extension: we must choose only one tech tree and the towns, which are reduced societies, are only building one new development or training one unit, the units are very generic and generic in their use. Each function is exerted sequentially both on the tech trees and the city screens. These monolinear concepts are coming from Civilization-like games that had other simulating constraints and design, but I think that it could be profitable to FE to balance the game design to have permanent trifunctionalist functions in tech, production, units, champion’s path and factions’ balance in this med-fan world.
I think that the adaptation in FE to full trifunctionalism could be minimal. Instead of having one tech researched to will have 3 in 3 different domains. Instead of having one production line by city producing units and buildings you will have 3 coloured production line. The difference between factions could be more visible by the emphasis they have to a particular domain and will have small variations in buildings, units, research. The units and champions should have distinct characteristics and ways of playing.
I will present my trifunctionalist concepts for FE in further posts. But for now I’m open to comments.
