History Main / NeutralsCrittersAndCreeps

** Prior to the first expansion of III, elementals were neutral, not available to any faction unless temporarily summoned with magic or purchased from randomly-generated dwellings. The ''Armageddon's Blade'' expansion added the Conflux town, which pads out the ranks of the formerly neutral elementals into a fully fleshed-out faction.

** ''[[VideoGames/WarcraftIITidesOfDarkness Warcraft II]]'' has critters that spawn randomly on each map. Each tileset has their own kind: sheep for Forest, Boars for Wasteland, seals for Snow, and demonic boars for the Orc's world. The Mage unit can [[ForcedTransformation transform an enemy]] into a tileset-appropriate critter permanently. Also, [[StopPokingMe rapidly clicking on critters will cause them to explode]].

** ''[[VideoGmaes/WarcraftIITidesOfDarkness Warcraft II]]'' has critters that spawn randomly on each map. Each tileset has their own kind: sheep for Forest, Boars for Wasteland, seals for Snow, and demonic boars for the Orc's world. The Mage unit can [[ForcedTransformation transform an enemy]] into a tileset-appropriate critter permanently. Also, [[StopPokingMe rapidly clicking on critters will cause them to explode]].

** ''Warcraft I'' has a rudimentary version of this, as Dungeon missions contain hostile units that cannot be built or summoned by either faction: Ogres, Slimes, Brigands, Dungeon Skeletons, and Fire Elementals.
** ''Warcraft II'' has critters that spawn randomly on each map. Each tileset has their own kind: sheep for Forest, Boars for Wasteland, seals for Snow, and demonic boars for the Orc's world. The Mage unit can [[ForcedTransformation transform an enemy]] into a tileset-appropriate critter permanently. Also, [[StopPokingMe rapidly clicking on critters will cause them to explode]].
** ''Warcraft III'' has small bands of monsters to act as XP bubbles to grind a {{Hero Unit}}s character level as well as collect loot from before fighting the enemy proper. A full list of Creeps can be found [[http://classic.battle.net/war3/neutral/creeps.shtml here.]]

** ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerTiberianSun'' has a whole Tiberium-mutated ecosystem, featuring [[BlobMonster visceroids,]] veinhole monsters (which resemble the Sarlaac from ''Return of the Jedi'' crossed with [[ToiletHumor a giant, disembodied anus]]), [[ElectricJellyfish floaters,]] [[BewareOfViciousDog Tiberian fiends]], and [[{{Mutants}} mutant humans]]. In ''Firestorm'', the second Nod mission has CABAL tasking you to "persuade" some civillians into angering the wildlife within the "Genesis Pit" to attack the colony and neaby GDI base, which results in the second GDI mission requiring you to HoldTheLine until you can evacuate the civillians. On some maps, you can lose to the environment without ever seeing the enemy.

** ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerTiberianSun'' has a whole Tiberium-mutated ecosystem, featuring [[BlobMonster visceroids,]] veinhole monsters (which resemble the Sarlaac from ''Return of the Jedi'' crossed with [[ToiletHumor a giant, disembodied anus]]), [[ElectricJellyfish floaters,]] [[BewareOfViciousDog Tiberian fiends]], and [[{{Mutants}} mutant humans]]. One GDI mission even involves [[HoldTheLine surviving for 20 minutes]] against nothing but hostile mutants who would like you to go away '''right now, please'''. On some maps, you can lose to the environment without ever seeing the enemy.

Non-faction units in strategy games are placed there as either an obstacle to the player, or as set dressing. These can range from a stumbling block (ex, they block a building footprint) to a mighty BeefGate keeping you from the best stuff. Creeps will attack you (and no, [[HardCodedHostility you can't make nice]] outside of a set of very specific circumstances, although at least they [[HatesEveryoneEqually hate all factions instead of just the players]]), while critters will ignore you, even if you've just parked a tank next to them. Halfway between are Neutrals, who won't start a fight but they'll do their best to finish it (and in rare cases, you can bribe 'em to fight for you). In FourX games, critters are often a capturable resource. ''Sci-Fi'' 4X games have a propensity to make their creeps SpacePirates. Very rarely, there will be entire neutral countries, who don't try to win. Note that creeps are not to be confused with {{slimeball}} characters.

** ''Warcraft II'' has critters that spawn randomly on each map. Each tileset has their own kind: sheep for Forest, Boars for Wasteland, seals for Snow, and demonic boars for the Orc's world. The Mage unit can [[BalefulPolymorph transform an enemy]] into a tileset-appropriate critter permanently. Also, [[StopPokingMe rapidly clicking on critters will cause them to explode]].

* ''Stars in Shadow'' has Star Furies, the shark to the classic SpaceWhale. They're hostile, metallic creatures evolved into something like {{Space Fighter}}s, and have plasma (in the state-of-matter sense rather than biological sense) for blood. They can even form "nests" out of hyperspace bubbles.

* ''VideoGame/Warhammer40000Gladius'' has [[ReligionOfEvil Chaos]] and [[HordeOfAlienLocusts Genestealer]] cultists ([[HardCodedHostility who are]] ''[[HardCodedHostility still]]'' [[HardCodedHostility hostile]] if you're playing as factions that can canonically ally with them. Understandable for Chaos Marines, who are, of course, AlwaysChaoticEvil and revel in violence and strife to entertain the Dark Gods, but not so much for the Tyranids, who are the {{Greater Scope Villain}}s behind a 'Stealer cult's shenanigans), psychneuein wasps, catachan devils (X-Box huge scorpions who can eat tanks for lunch and then eat your soldiers for dessert), [[KillerRobot Kastelan robots]] (plus heretek caretakers), ambulls, Traitor Guardsmen, and insane Necrons. Crazy Necrons are usually only spawned by quests, however, since they're so damn difficult to put down. It also has paddocks of Grox (imagine a lizard the size of a cow, and treated much the same way), which increase food/requisition. Certain [=DLCs=] introduce a Daemon Engine, and Vaul Sentinels, ([[PreCursors Old One]] tanks that look just like the Artefacts dotted around the map), and a tyranid splinter.

** ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerTiberianSun'' has a whole Tiberium-mutated ecosystem, featuring visceroids, veinhole monsters, floaters, tiberium fiends, and mutant humans. One GDI mission even involves [[HoldTheLine surviving for 20 minutes]] against nothing but hostile Tiberian wildlife who would like you to go away ''right now please.'' On some maps, you can lose to the environment without ever seeing the enemy.

** ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerTiberianSun'' has a whole mutant ecosystem, featuring visceroids, veinhole monsters, floaters, tiberium fiends, and mutant humans. One Nod mission even involves [[HoldTheLine surviving for 20 minutes]] against nothing but hostile mutants who would like you to go away ''right now please.'' On some maps, you can lose to the environment without ever seeing the enemy.

** The original ''Tiberian Dawn'' has wild visceroids.

** ''Warcraft III'' has small bands of monsters to act as XP bubbles to grind a {{Hero Unit}}s character level as well as collect loot from before fighting the enemy proper. A full list of Creeps can be found [[http://classic.battle.net/war3/neutral/creeps.shtml here.]] The game also has a [[https://wow.gamepedia.com/Critter_(Warcraft_III) number of critters that wander the map]]. These can also be made to explode with rapid clicking, but unlike the previous game they won't deal damage when doing so.

** Neutral units in the series mostly belong, appriopriately, to the neutral category. They will not make any moves to attack any of the players, but when approached they will start a battle and do their best to finish it, unless the player's army is vastly superior or the commanding hero gets lucky with their diplomacy skill. Neutral units in the fourth installment are the exception, as they will actually move to attack the players given enough time.

* ''VideoGame/GalacticCivilizationsII ''has the requisite fleets of SpacePirates (either spawned during galaxy creation or due to the "Prison Break" event), as well as a fleet of {{Living Ship}}s piloted by AbusivePrecursors who broke out of their [[SealedEvilInACan Can of Evil]]. Furthermore, there are Minor Civilizations, who can show up randomly on that juicy new planet you had your eye on (or, if you're especially unlucky, a few of your old ones). These are usually neutrals.

* In ''VideoGame/TheBattleForMiddleearth II,'' there exist goblin caves and troll dens, which certain Evil factions (Mordor, Goblins, and, if you have the ExpansionPack, Angmar) can take over with the "Untamed Allegiance" {{Support Power|s}}.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Perimeter}}'s'' Story Mode, the Scourge take this role (they're strictly Harkback {{Attack Animal}}s in Skirmish/ multiplayer). Borne of the interplay between the unique noospheric conditions on each planet and human emotion, they range from tank-eating {{Giant Spider}}s to structure-ruining [[OurDragonsAreDifferent wyrms]]. There are several missions that involve surviving long enough to power up another [[PortalNetwork stargate]] and escape. The Harkbackhood [[SuffucientlyAnalyzedMagic actually studied them enough]] to weaponze them.

* Certain ''VideoGame/HaloWars'' maps have [[ZombieApocalypse Flood]] nests (guarded by spore launchers and tentacles), others have [[BenevolentPrecursors Forerunner]] fortresses (guarded by [[AttackDrone Sentinels]]), and still others have rebel camps (guarded by rebel militiamen). These usually guard capturable structures, such as base sockets, resource extractors, {{Mook Maker}}s, or power plants.

* Certain ''VideoGame/HaloWars'' maps have [[ZombieApocalypse Flood]] nests (guarded by spore launchers and tentacles), others have [[BenevolentPrecursors Forerunner]] fortresses (guarded by [[AttackDrone Sentinels]], and still others have rebel camps (guarded by rebel militiamen). These usually guard capturable structures, such as base sockets, resource extractors, {{Mook Maker}}s, or power plants.

* ''VideoGame/AliensVsPredatorExtinction'' has docile, cow-like Oswocs, scorpion-like krilitics, and neutral, wolf-like kurn. Humans can largely ignore all of them (unless they piss off a pack of kurn for some reason or want to deny enemies resources), while the others use them to generate resources in their own way (infestation or trophy hunting).

* ''VideoGame/AliensVsPredatorExtinction'' has docile, cow-like Oswocs, scorpion-like krilitics, and neutral, wolf-like kurn. Humans can lafgely ignore all of them (unless they piss off a pack of kurn for some reason or want to deny enemies resources), while the others use them to generate resources in their own way (infestation or trophy hunting).

* ''VideoGame/AliensVsPredatorExtinction'' has docile, cow-like Oswocs, scorpion-like krilitics, and neutral kurn. Humans can ignore all of them (unless they piss off a pack of kurn for some reason), while the others use them to generate resources in their own way (infestation or trophy hunting).