[Units] Give Elemental units their own race (race=elemental)

[knyghtmare]

Describe the desired feature

We currently have the following units with the "elemental" trait. More might be added which use this trait as well.

• Fire Wisp
• Fire Guardian
• Fire Wraith
• Jinn
• Mudcrawler
• Giant Mudcrawler

I think it would be good to move them to their own race=elemental instead of being in the uncategorized 'race=monster'

Before you start with your "No...", I will remind you that moving units to their race= from monsters was done before: (The wolf units: 3, which is just half of the number of elemental trait units listed here).

Now, discuss!

[knyghtmare]

• TODO: Impact Analysis Report on this Change in UMC (will do next week)

[Earth-Cake]

I could get behind this one, the monsters race seems too crowded as-is.

In my opinion, this raises another question: should there be a race = animals that would include units like Dragonfly Naiad, Dragonfly, Grand Dragonfly; Ant advancement tree, all types of Scorpions, Nibbler, Caribe, Pigglet, Woodland Boar, and perhaps Falcons?

[knyghtmare]

I could get behind this one, the monsters race seems too crowded as-is.

In my opinion, this raises another question: should there be a race = animals that would include units like Dragonfly Naiad, Dragonfly, Grand Dragonfly; Ant advancement tree, all types of Scorpions, Nibbler, Caribe, Pigglet, Woodland Boar, and perhaps Falcons?

I rather not expand the scope so hurriedly. There are impact analysis reports to do and consider before doing each case.

[spixi]

race=monster can appear in many SUFs, so I would be very careful. You could even go further and have

race=arthropod for spiders, scorpions, ants, dragonflies, scarab
race=mammal for giant rat, cave bear, icemonaces, boars and yetis
etc.

[CelticMinstrel]

race=monster can appear in many SUFs

Solution: define a race hierarchy so that when you write race=monster it also matches race=animal.

[spixi]

race=monster can appear in many SUFs

Solution: define a race hierarchy so that when you write race=monster it also matches race=animal.

Isn’t that paradox? A yeti is a monster, but is a yeti also considered to be an animal? A piglet is an animal, but is it also a monster?

[Earth-Cake]

race=monster can appear in many SUFs, so I would be very careful. You could even go further and have

race=arthropod for spiders, scorpions, ants, dragonflies, scarab race=mammal for giant rat, cave bear, icemonaces, boars and yetis etc.

Alternatively, all Monsters could be separated in Help and sorted into different subfolders just like the Dunefolk are.

[CelticMinstrel]

Isn’t that paradox? A yeti is a monster, but is a yeti also considered to be an animal? A piglet is an animal, but is it also a monster?

Well, I wouldn't call it a paradox, but you'd definitely find weird edge cases that don't quite fit. Certainly it might seem like a stretch to call a piglet a monster. Then again, calling a wild boar a monster isn't so strange, so if the adult form is a monster, naturally the juvenile form would be a monster too.

I would consider a yeti to be an animal as well – it's some sort of giant ape or something, like a gorilla but adapted for the peaks.

[Elvish-Hunter]

• TODO: Impact Analysis Report on this Change in UMC (will do next week)

What would this impact analysis involve exactly? Do you need me to grep the add-ons servers for some specific string/regex?

[knyghtmare]

What would this impact analysis involve exactly? Do you need me to grep the add-ons servers for some specific string/regex?

Specifically, the report will be list of addons and the potential impact of this change on them.
For example, in War of Legends, there exists race=elemental so the change here would be the era's description of the race will be replaced by the mainline race description. Nothing major.

Another example, in Invasion from the Unknown (yet to be ported to 1.18, Come on, Iris, we're waiting): There is a boss unit called "Mother Mudcrawler". So, this unit would have to have a race change: monster -> elemental

and so on.