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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mythlore" data-source="post: 4926232" data-attributes="member: 69463">I actually like the concept presented initially in this thread.To populate an area with two dozen 'commoner' creatures and maybe a few 'elite commoners' (also known as your standard creature with a combat role), and mixing the rest up with minions...  It would provide a more organic feeling to the 'encounter area'.  I think I can draw a parallel to Diablo and Diablo II -- an area is generally populated with no more than 3-4 'species' or variants of a creature -- and there's always at least one or two uniques, exceptionals, champions, elites, and the such.You wouldn't know which ones necessarily take 1 swing to kill (minion, 1 hp) from the ones which might require a slightly more invested effort (minor, 1/4 hp) -- and then there's got to be a few full-level monsters (standard, full hp) to keep the combat interesting, and give the party a reason to use their encounter powers and daily powers.In this case, because you are quartering the creatures' hit points, a scorching burst column (area burst 1) might not clear them all out, even if it hits -- thus providing a good reason to lower the defense scores by 1 or 2 points, if the alternative isn't to just quarter the hit points.  Further, if you miss with a power that does damage on a miss (this concept, to me, strikes me as usefully as 'friendly fire'), since it doesn't follow the minion rule of 'no effect on miss', your power simply cannot be wasted.  This is especially useful if you are going to walk around with 1 or 2 encounter powers at levels 3-4, and rely on tactics like charge, shift, bull rush, and the other modalities which offer you tactical options.  This would enable you to play the 'at-will' game, instead.Now, if you put your creatures into a mostly confined space, with some distance and some logic, you could populate a small cavern-dungeon and reason out that reinforcements may take 2 rounds to prepare arms, gather together, and perform a ramshackle attack -- not counting the time it might take for creatures to come in for movement.  Remember, of course, that even primitive creatures have an alarm system: it's called shouting and death cries.  If you start the battle, you might expect 3-4 waves, or you might find role-play ways to 'play assassin' and encounter only 2-3 of the creatures at a time, dispatching them as quietly as you can.This, I think, might fit the essence of the first post's idea -- that you have a sort of target goal (like a skill challenge might) -- and that you can come up with a plan to tackle it all.  If you get your short rests, then you can take on more things; your leader will have their healing powers, you'll get your second winds, etc.  And, it provides the -option- to take a short break, but not too long -- which might be necessary halfway through: you never knew in Diablo/II when you might have to make another trip back to town for a minute to heal up and such.</blockquote>

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