Agree with your points completely. I dislike originality for it's own sake - that usually results in rubbish. I'd rather see something done well, regardless of how much of its inspiration that has been drawn from other sources.
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In a way, I detest originality. There's a thin line between being original and being a flaming attention whore.
What do you like about them in particular?
(I think the Lanun are cool, but if GW is right about no serious naval combat then a seafaring race wouldn't be that fun.)
Oh, c'mon. Lanun has
Guybrush Threepwood as a hero unit. What more do you need?
On the flipside, though, Kuriotates and Lanun aren't really my favourites by far, nor do I find them very original. That's not to say that I find anything -wrong- with them, but I'd much prefer Doviello, My Order-worshipping Calabim, or Amurites.
In which case we shouldn't limit our ideas. I'd really like to see a seafaring race. Whatever the details of the magic system, Water magic has got to be more interesting when rivers, lakes, seas and ships are involved.
Yeah, I know it looks like I'm picking on you here, quoting you over and over again. Sorry for that. But I'd actually like to see a seafaring race who DOESN'T employ massive amounts of water magic. And Imperial Seafaring nation with an affinity for Fire and Wind, perhaps? Or Life?
Most "seafaring nations" tend to be some spawn of Umberlee, or Pirates, worshippin' da seee, arrr. From what we know, sure, seafaring will most likely be fairly limited. But if there's going to be one, I'd love for them to mix it up a bit. Like Late Age Marignon, in Dominions 3 (which suck, but that's beside the point).
