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[Neonivek]

This is kinda a suggestion... and kinda asking people what they would think...

What if the game removed all "Giant" creatures... and instead included a "Giant Template" that could apply to any creature in the game?

It could increase size by a specific amount (and other stats) as well as having a minimum.

(Semi)Megabeasts don't apply... Giant Giant?

Mng, I realise that this suggestion is incompatable so far with Giant Vermine who have few stats and lack an anatomy

[Derakon]

Various templates, like Giant, Zombie, Skeletal, etc. have been suggested in the past. You'd want the size to increase by a percentage, though - a giant rat is probably only two sizes larger or so, while a giant elf would be a good 4+ sizes bigger.

[Granite26]

This is kinda a suggestion... and kinda asking people what they would think...

What if the game removed all "Giant" creatures... and instead included a "Giant Template" that could apply to any creature in the game?

It could increase size by a specific amount (and other stats) as well as having a minimum.

(Semi)Megabeasts don't apply... Giant Giant?

Mng, I realise that this suggestion is incompatable so far with Giant Vermine who have few stats and lack an anatomy

This is something that could be done outside of DF, with a flatout Raw editor program

[Neoskel]

Most of the important 'giant' creatures are just vermin without the 'giant'-ness. Giant Bat, Giant Rat, Giant Cave Spider and Giant Cave Swallow. Giant Mole and Giant Desert Scorpions don't have non-giant counterparts in game, but a regular mole or desert scorpion would be vermin sized.

Then there's Giant Cheetah, Giant Leopard, Giant Jaguar, Giant Tiger and Giant Lion which were probably what you were thinking of when making the suggestion since they have non-vermin un-giant counterparts. Then there's the Giant Eagle who has no un-giant analogue.

The problem (other than the vermin thing) with your suggestion is that the giant versions of the creatures are of various 'scaled up' sizes (compare Giant Rat and Giant Bat), and more importantly they can have wildly different biomes from the un-giant creatures of the same name. Giant Rats are only found in caves/chasms while regular rats are found pretty much everywhere thats not freezing, Giant Cave Swallows are also bound to caves/chasms but regular cave swallows are found in temperate broadleaf forests.

Theres a lot more going on than just "make it three times as large".


Edit: Dern it, i started typing first!     

[Star Weaver]

This is something that could be done outside of DF, with a flatout Raw editor program

Can already be done. See conditionals and #'s in modbase, and Dr. More-Oh or whatever that's called.

[Mephansteras]

While it can be done with modding, that doesn't mean it isn't a valid suggestion for the core game.

I think it's interesting, but probably needs a bit more work on the rules side before Toady could realistically implement something like this.

[Silverionmox]

I think the various templates offer great opportunities for generating random but unique creatures. It will also give polymorphing/shapechanging magical effects a lot of versatility.

[Cavalcadeofcats]

Moreau.

[Capntastic]

I figured that the basic 'giants' in DF were their own race, like in mythology, and not just 'a big guy'.

[Granite26]

yeah, for giant giants you're right.  I think there's room for a lot of giant-dire-demonic templates a la D&D 3.0. 

I haven't checked out the mod-base yet, but it should be doable to write an application that takes a raw file and does this.

[Tormy]

This is kinda a suggestion... and kinda asking people what they would think...

What if the game removed all "Giant" creatures... and instead included a "Giant Template" that could apply to any creature in the game?

It could increase size by a specific amount (and other stats) as well as having a minimum.

(Semi)Megabeasts don't apply... Giant Giant?

Mng, I realise that this suggestion is incompatable so far with Giant Vermine who have few stats and lack an anatomy

Well "Giants" in DF is a race actually.
Example pict.:

[Skizelo]

So Giants have been seeping with bats?
Gross, yet weirdly unsurprising.

[Sareth]

Various templates, like Giant, Zombie, Skeletal, etc. have been suggested in the past. You'd want the size to increase by a percentage, though - a giant rat is probably only two sizes larger or so, while a giant elf would be a good 4+ sizes bigger.

Oh god giants elves they could swallow you whole.

[sir monko]

are giant dwarves the size of humans?

[Neoskel]

are giant dwarves the size of humans?

Well according to the few 'giant' creatures which have non-vermin sized 'normal' creatures, a giant dwarf would be the size of a grizzly bear.