New Enemy Ideas

[Bromtaghon]

In the old forums I believe KZ suggested a Ghost Healer.

[KZ]

In the old forums I believe KZ suggested a Ghost Healer.

I believe I have, though I don't remember the specifics.

Having just looked at this thread, since the time I left in early april, not an awful lot has been suggested of much use. Given that Craig does have, more or less, a good idea of where he is heading with the story, methinks the focus should be on a) expanding existing sets if they're found lacking, like ghosts were and animals are b) trying to guess what interesting ideas we can throw in for existing, but yet unseen factions (eg Helenites, the new golem idea, etc) c) just generally coming up with new and inetersting units for side-quest, etc, as well as filling up holes in existsing sets (ghost healer, for instance).  Effectively, anything that adds variety and is worth having a look at is a go- then it will end up in formulated and attempt to tempt Craig to spend this extra bit of taking of incorporating into the game.

Just to give some imput into the actual topic, how about breaking the "unspoken" rule of enemy AI is limited to 3 steps and suggest the following:
Gelf has a bird which he can summon in battle, that little beast has certain stats flashed out in the main mission collab thread, and since both Tigs and Nymphs appear as enemies, why not make this bird available as an enemy as well? The uniqueness can be that it can attack anyone on the map because it's speed allows it to cover the entire map: thus the enemy AI will simply not be limited to number of steps and this will be the omnipresent enemy, in a way? What do you think of this?
Craig, would it be possible/relatively easy, to code in such AI?
And Gelf's bird will have speed, say, 10 (or 11, to practically cover the whole map), to ensure that it can be used for its primary purpose- a deus ex machina support unit which will deliver that extra tiny bit of damage to the enemy in a dire situation (the stats suggested were low attack, say 5, relatively low health, circa 20, and maybe an extra attack that would allow the bird to lunge forth at the enemy).

[Bromtaghon]

What about walls? If there's a big wall in the middle, then technically it shouldn't be able to attack enemies on the other side, since a unit with ~speed (which is probably what the bird is, except for with less coding) wouldn't be able to.

Deadly unit: name a unit 'Sugar High Arman', give him the ability to move anywhere, and give him Mega Stab.  Watch your back!

[KZ]

Well, as with the rest of the enemy AI who can't move through walls, naturally the obstacle part of the enemy AI will be kept the same, but the speed restriction will be lifted, so that the bird will be able to fly anywhere it wishes on the map, as long as no obstacle is truly in the way.


Heh, well, at least he's high on sugar, and that wears off quickly- no need to watch for him  all the time. ;)

[Bromtaghon]

I know there were some concerns about preserving the originality of the Telepath series, but I got the idea of a vampire-like creature.  A Jinn possessing a human body that, instead of drinking blood, Saps Health from Psys (using the Sap attack that Zem uses.)

[Dorgon 5000]

I like the bird idea. Here are my suggestions for stats:

Health: 30

Speed: NaN

Attack: Air strike (10 damage)

Resistance: none

The air strike attack works just like a leap, but it hurts the character it´s used on.

[Bromtaghon]

So it's basically a range two attack?

[Dorgon 5000]

It´s one range, but you move over the target. As I said, it works a bit like a leap, but it deals one range damage at the same time.

What about swamp ghosts (it was posted in the "lost areas" topic at first)?

Swamp ghost:

Health: 10

Speed: 2

Attack: Dark breath (12 damage)

Resistance: Physical

Immunity: Dark

Reinforcement: 5 turns

A very fragile, but incredibly crafty, ghost found in the bog. Invisible, except for in battle.

[SmartyPants]

Why would a ghost be any different for dieing in a swamp?  Why would a ghost have a spriggat attack?

[Bromtaghon]

It´s one range, but you move over the target. As I said, it works a bit like a leap, but it deals one range damage at the same time.

So it's like this?
BPO

Where B is the bird, P is the player it's attacking and O is the square it lands on?
Since it has unlimited movement, why wouldn't it just move to behind the player and attack it there, doing backstab damage and not leaving its back exposed (at least to that player anyways)?

As for the swamp ghosts, I agree with im2smart4u.

[Dorgon 5000]

Why would a ghost be any different for dieing in a swamp?  Why would a ghost have a spriggat attack?

I think bog should have it´s own, unique creatures. it would become more mystical. But maybe another ghost unit is not the best idea.

[Bromtaghon]

I'd agree, we'd need new unique monsters, maybe the Praying Mantis, but it still doesn't explain how a ghost that died in a swamp would be different.  As for Dark Breath, maybe that should also be unique and left to the Dark Spriggats.

As for my vampire that never got noticed, I'm trying to design some stats.  It would have high health (around 50-60), being a spirit reinforced by a physical body, with Shadow Blast and maybe an attack that's like Sap, except it decreases Max PsP instead?

[KZ]

I'm with im2smart4u on the ghost idea. Shadowling loyalists or some other group, say some kind of bandit folk from the north- why not?

On the bird idea, I take it Dorgon 5000 that you took the areal attack from discussion on previous threads for Gelf?
The idea is that the bird physically attacks someone from range 2, then comes back to it's original space. We were toying with the idea of having simple melee equivalent, like "claws" that deals about 5 damage initially (c'mon, a practically omnipresent teammate? Needs to be balanced, methinks) and couple that, possibly, with a ranged attack. After all, the bird is so fast that it can swoop in and out faster than anyone can react and retreat to a safer spot if need be- this will make this a physical equivalent of an elemental blast, but with a uniuqe implication that the bird can put some distance between itself and the enemy unit before the enemy unit can respond. Point of interest, this is.

What do you think, folks, of this idea?

[Zackirus]

I'm fine with it.

Anyway, I have a new enemy idea. I was thinking we needed a trap enemy to expand on the mechanic sector of the game

Energy Cube:

Health: 40
Speed: NaN (nor can it turn)
Attack: Lazer Shot 180⁰ (Damage: 14, Range: Straight Line 180 Degrees)
Resistance: Mental
Immunity: None

Lazer Shot

000X000
000X000
000X000
000C000
000X000
000X000
000X000

It is like Energy Golem but it can't trun it looks like a cube and has moth health and such

Thoughts, Ideas, Comments

[Dorgon 5000]

Still a bit too like the energy golems. But on the other hand, more units always make games better.