Posts from Heroes 5.5 WarGame Edition - Tactical Edition. Auto-translated

This is unnecessary, in my opinion...
P.S.: So, I'm sitting here, watching "Resident Evil: Vendetta," and then this happens... :D :D :D Pharmacists inject some kind of concoction and turn the test subjects into killing machines.

Orcs don't have syringes (for injections) or medical laboratories (in the modern sense); instead, they have potions and ritual daggers, so this kind of pharmacology is quite different from classical medicine and is more akin to magic. Just like dwarven metallurgy is a form of magic. It's something mystical that cannot be understood or replicated by outsiders.
Orcs cannot be portrayed as unintelligent because such a race would not be able to survive on its own. They would simply be slaughtered like animals.
Goblins are also associated with orcish pharmacology; for example, in Age of Wonders, they specialize in poisons (which makes sense, as when you're so small, how else can you take down a larger opponent?). So, it's a great alliance.
Without the support of pharmacology, which enhances speed and agility, shamans wouldn't be able to fight on equal footing with elven dancers or beastmasters because they don't have the strength of male orcs, the agility, or the years of combat training that elves possess. Shamans only have ritual daggers and potions; without them, any militiaman could kill a shaman like a cook with a knife.

I wouldn't attribute everything to pharmacology; perhaps the Orcs have some kind of berserker potion, but I would say their main advantage is their connection with spirits.

"Communion with spirits" - a side effect of taking hallucinogens :)

Actually, it's quite simple, and there's no need for any far-fetched pharmacology – the Factions' descriptions state that the experiments on prisoners involved the blood of different demons. For example, Cyclops were created using the blood of higher demons (I don't know what exactly was meant by the word "higher"). Here's another example: "Goblins appeared as a result of an "unsuccessful" experiment to breed Orcs using the blood of lower demons. After that, they began to reproduce at an alarming rate – despite all attempts by the wizards to get rid of this new scourge." There are several types of demons, at least 11 (if we don't count Succubi and Incubus). These 11 demons originate from these entities: Ur-Vomokh (Lord of Gluttony). Cerberus, these are servants of Ur-Vomokh, the Lord of Gluttony. Also, among his creations is the Abyssal Worm. Ur-Aazeel (Lord of Procreation). The Broodmother, a creation of Ur-Aazeel, the Lord of Procreation, is a thick, pulsating mass of flesh, from the openings of which Imps are constantly born. Ur-Hrag (Lord of Destruction). The servants of Ur-Hrag, the Lord of Destruction, are Ravagers (in Heroes 5, these are fiery, horned demons). Ur-Hekon (Lord of Hatred). Urgash, the Primordial Dragon of Chaos, defeated, wounded, and imprisoned in Sheogh, is full of hatred for his sister Ashen and her creation. Ur-Hikon, the Lord of Hatred, embodies this boundless malice, and the mighty Abyssal Demons are his strongest servants. Ur-Jubal (Lord of Madness). Manics are creations of Ur-Jubal, the Lord of Madness. These demons are spirits of unpredictable, rage-filled nature of Chaos. Like their creator, Manics spread fear and panic everywhere. When attacking, Manics scream and cry as if in pain, and begin to laugh when wounded. Ur-Traggal (Lord of Pain). Sadists are servants of Ur-Traggal, the Lord of Pain. They are nourished by the boundless suffering of Urgash, and they torture their own bodies with incredible torments. And there are three more: namely, the Archdemon (it's unclear where he came from, but as far as I understand from what I read, after the death of a demon, it is reborn in the form of an Imp in the womb of the Broodmother and, as it were, develops from scratch; apparently, the Archdemon is the final version of its development); we also have the Nightmare, and demons from which the Cyclops inherited their unusual eye were also mentioned (some ancient, extinct demons, the "Architects" of Sheogh); the latest information has not been verified

What's the point of listing demons based on the lore of Heroes 6+, a different game with absurd concepts like "breeder matrices" and so on? How will that help understand the origin of the giant leaders? Who are three times larger than ordinary orcs (in weight)? Or, if they came from some special demons, then they are not orcs, but ogres instead? And if there is no pharmacology, then what else should shamans do besides cooking soup? Orcs have no magical abilities. In fact, they have none at all (the lore of Heroes 6-7, where orcs could cast spells, naturally doesn't hold up to criticism). Each race should have its own technologies; otherwise, it is not viable.

Or, if they originated from some specific demons, then are they not orcs, but ogres instead?

Why would that suddenly be the case?
The point is that demons are too diverse, so the result of the experiment cannot be the same when using different blood. Why bring ogres into this?

Why bring goblins into it? They weren't called orcs, were they?

There are only 4 options here:
1) Either level 3 orcs are children, which is why they are three times smaller (therefore, orcs are idiots for sending underdeveloped children to war)
2) Or giant orcs are not orcs, but a separate race, like goblins (let's say, ogres)
3) Or orcs can grow into giant orcs through some artificial and complex method (magic, pharmacology, call it what you want)
4) Or orcs are a crazy species with huge size variability, but in that case, the height of the fighters is no longer 2 meters, but from 2 meters and up, which is a big difference with consequences for balance

Although, even with point 4, the average height of a fighter should still correspond to what is drawn, just like the leader, then we get even wilder proportions:
Orc height 1.5-3.5 m (if the height is 1.5-2.5 m, then these are fighters, if 2.5-3.5 m - leaders).

Well, they brought up goblins, but didn't they call them orcs?

What do you understand by the term "orc"? Is it just a unit on the third level, or the entire faction? The point is that there are no ogres in Haven, and you've invented them out of nowhere. Cyclops, chieftains, shamans, goblins, warmongers – all of these are the result of mixing human blood with the blood of various types of demons, hence the different results.

There are no Ifrits in Ashan, nor are there ice dragons, but that didn't stop them from being introduced.
Here, the lore is separate, at least because the attempts of parts 6 and 7 are ignored.
In general, the last thing I look at when adding new creatures is the official lore and whether such creatures are described in it. I don't care about it.
It is more important to logically connect the creatures: why is a species three times larger called the same as a smaller one? The idea of artificially accelerated growth at least explains this, and pharmacology is a much clearer explanation than the abstract "it's magic!", because in the real world, drugs can significantly increase size (although not to the same extent).
In general, pharmacology originated in antiquity, there is no reason not to use it in a fantasy world, and there is no reason not to give orcs leadership in this area.

Shamans and warriors actually look like the same race, unlike the giant leaders.
A goblin is not an orc. A centaur is not an orc. A wyvern is not an orc. A cyclops is not an orc.

Added after 38 minutes
By the way, dhampirs were also added to the game, and they are not officially present. And also cherubs. Gold dragons. Azure dragons. Marids.

Shamans are generally human women who serve Mother Earth and Father Sky.

Where is that stated? What did people forget about the Orcs? And the visuals don't match Heroes 5 – they all have distinctive horns (they're hidden under the skin in the base).

Added 11 minutes later
By the way, the chieftains in Heroes 5 have 5 fingers on their hands, while the soldiers only have 4. So, pharmacology as an explanation for the transformation doesn't really work here; these are fundamentally different species. It's a shame, the steroid version would have been dramatic. Shamans also have 5 fingers, but that can be attributed to sexual dimorphism.

In the description, you could mention that these are ogres – or a breed of giant orcs (similar to the breed of small orcs – goblins).

What about Kujin?

Kujin has growths on his head, although they haven't developed into horns. But he is definitely not a human, not even close.
Even if orcs had human heroes, these heroes would be immediately removed from WGE as absurd. A human leading orcs is like a chimpanzee leading humans. Absolutely unrealistic (no need to refer to parts 6-7).

The idea of artificially accelerated growth at least explains this, and pharmacology is a much clearer explanation than the abstract "it's magic!"

Well, the blood didn't mix on its own; it was artificially mixed – the mages made it happen.
Okay, let's not dwell on this topic – we have different approaches.
And yes, AstralLein, shamans are not humans!!!