DRL > Requests For Features

End-Game Enemy Rebalancing

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GrimmC:
My biggest issue with this game, and my only real issue, is that the enemies you face at the end of the game are horribly overpowered. All of them (Revenant, Mancubus, Archvile) can one-hit KO you, more or less, without you even seeing it coming. Moreover, they essentially require specific strategies to defeat or else just cheap tactics. I mean to say, there's no intuitive way to defeat them: you have to structure your build around "killing the damn archvile."

The necessity of structuring your game to kill these suckers is a big turn-off to the average player. Now I know we could get into the whole "causal vs. hardcore gamer" debate. And I'm not suggesting we water down DoomRL to appeal to anyone. But there shouldn't be such gigantic hurdles that the player will simply get frustrated and give up. We should allow as many people as possible to get a satisfying DoomRL experience, no? Since DoomRL considers itself a "coffee break RL", it seems fairly imperative to operate with this goal. With that in mind, some suggestions:

Revenants

1. Actually, in Doom 2 Revenants only got homing rockets 50% of the time. The same thing should be done here. Having the player take a guaranteed rocket to the face EVERY TIME it attacks (unless they pick Fireangel) is fairly ridiculous. When the Revenant doesn't roll a 50%, the normal projectile rules will be followed. The player will still probably get nailed, but at least now there's a CHANCE.

2. Also, the original Revenant behavior was actually to close in and use melee attacks more often than other monsters. Implementing this would further balance the enemy.

Arch-Viles

Oh my friends the Viles. In Doom 2 the Vile's whole "I never miss thing" was balanced by the fact that his attack took 10 seconds to go off. Here there's no such luck. If one targets you while you're in the open, you're screwed. And fighting more than one--nothing but an exercise in frustration.

Is it truly so impossible to work towards a multistage attack? Since enemies can use weapons, and know to reload when they run out, how about some sort of invisible weapon that isn't dropped? Viles can do a toned-down version of their current attack, maybe 3 damage, plasma, for 3 turns or so. And then, at the reload, kablooey! An explosion that's good for 80% damage or so.

It might be complicated/hacky but it'd be entirely worthwhile.

Mancubus

My first encounter with one of these involved getting sniped from off-screen. Pretty frustrating in a turn-based game. But actually, I can't really think of any way to balance them better. Making them truer to the original would actually make things more difficult. Any suggestions?

* * *

The resistance system makes things a littler easier to cope with, but ultimately only hides the fact that the behavior for at least two of these enemies is fundamentally flawed. I'm aware that there may be technical issues preventing an easy implementation for these changes. But it's definitely something the game needs to work towards. It's simply frustrating (and potentially game-ending) to fight these enemies.

At any rate, since any such changes surely won't be happening over night, if nothing else perhaps thread could serve as a point of discussion.

Malek Deneith:
Vile attack was 3 seconds I believe not 10. Still plenty of time to dodge though. I believe there are plans of trying to implement Viles' slow attack speed, same with more proper pattern for Mancubi.

ParaSait:

--- Quote from: Malek Deneith on September 27, 2011, 06:57 ---I believe there are plans of trying to implement Viles' slow attack speed

--- End quote ---
Thank you, God... thank you.

Gargulec:
[hardcore]All enemies should autohit, or else DoomRL will become too casual.[/hardcore]

Ander Hammer:

--- Quote from: Gargulec on September 27, 2011, 08:29 ---[hardcore]All enemies should autohit, or else DoomRL will become too casual.[/hardcore]

--- End quote ---

Feature exists: Angel of Max Carnage

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