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31
Requests For Features / Re: New Ideas for Special Levels
« on: May 18, 2012, 12:15 »
Interesting idea, but you've overcomplicated it in ways that just restrict build and strategy options. The only characters that can beat this as written have:
- A very high knockback weapon to get the boss out of the circle
- High DPS weaponry to kill the boss once he's outside
- Very high passive resistance (from traits, armor, medkit supplies) to survive all the abuse you'll suffer standing between the boss and the circle.
- Some unspecified artifact (probably from another special level, meaning that skipping that level is not an option)
Interesting level design is design where there are a number of ways to beat any challenge, and it's very important in a class-based game (which DoomRL kind of is) that every class should be able to use their own strengths to get by. Below I've posted some revisions to your idea. Note that I don't intend for my design to be taken as the Right design - there are infinite ways to design any game, and the only thing that matters is that it's fun to play.
- Remove the requirement for a special artifact. We already have the Hell's Arena -> Chained Court -> Vaults dependency, we don't need to restrict player route options even more.
- Remove the instant 100% heal the boss gets when returning to his circle. This would only be a frustration for characters strong enough to fight the boss head-on, and would make the fight impossible for characters that have to wear the boss' health down more gradually.
- To make the fight possible for characters that can't deal knockback or that rely on active defense (or both), the boss should have slow move and attack speeds, and its attack should be reasonably dodgeable. There should be a good supply of napalm barrels in the level. The careful player could push these into the boss' circle while dodging its projectiles and then trick it into blasting itself out of the circle by shooting a barrel at close range. This would also destroy some of his safe zone by replacing it with lava.
- The theme for the level could be changed from Greek mythology to some sort of tech theme, to explain the presence of napalm barrels and the accompanying environment survival gear (boots and envirosuits) that might need to be placed on the level. The boss' safe zone could be technological, eg. a "force field," and this invulnerability could also extend to the player when he's standing in the field, depending on if this makes it more fun without completely nerfing the challenge. Then, the first stage of the boss fight would be challenging but non-fatal, like sumo wrestling.
I'm looking forward to seeing the new special levels. I'm not sure that revenants or mancubi could support special levels on their own, though, as they don't require unique strategies to defeat. The problem is that there aren't any reliable ways of fighting them safely without corner- or radar-shooting, so a level built around them would likely end up as another cornershooty experience like the Wall. If it were up to me I'd have designed the revenant and mancubi with reliable ways to avoid their attacks without cover, eg. a left-right-left dodging pattern for mancubi (as in Doom 2) and some way to redirect or destroy homing revenant missiles, to allow these monsters to be used in more interesting ways.
- A very high knockback weapon to get the boss out of the circle
- High DPS weaponry to kill the boss once he's outside
- Very high passive resistance (from traits, armor, medkit supplies) to survive all the abuse you'll suffer standing between the boss and the circle.
- Some unspecified artifact (probably from another special level, meaning that skipping that level is not an option)
Interesting level design is design where there are a number of ways to beat any challenge, and it's very important in a class-based game (which DoomRL kind of is) that every class should be able to use their own strengths to get by. Below I've posted some revisions to your idea. Note that I don't intend for my design to be taken as the Right design - there are infinite ways to design any game, and the only thing that matters is that it's fun to play.
- Remove the requirement for a special artifact. We already have the Hell's Arena -> Chained Court -> Vaults dependency, we don't need to restrict player route options even more.
- Remove the instant 100% heal the boss gets when returning to his circle. This would only be a frustration for characters strong enough to fight the boss head-on, and would make the fight impossible for characters that have to wear the boss' health down more gradually.
- To make the fight possible for characters that can't deal knockback or that rely on active defense (or both), the boss should have slow move and attack speeds, and its attack should be reasonably dodgeable. There should be a good supply of napalm barrels in the level. The careful player could push these into the boss' circle while dodging its projectiles and then trick it into blasting itself out of the circle by shooting a barrel at close range. This would also destroy some of his safe zone by replacing it with lava.
- The theme for the level could be changed from Greek mythology to some sort of tech theme, to explain the presence of napalm barrels and the accompanying environment survival gear (boots and envirosuits) that might need to be placed on the level. The boss' safe zone could be technological, eg. a "force field," and this invulnerability could also extend to the player when he's standing in the field, depending on if this makes it more fun without completely nerfing the challenge. Then, the first stage of the boss fight would be challenging but non-fatal, like sumo wrestling.
I'm looking forward to seeing the new special levels. I'm not sure that revenants or mancubi could support special levels on their own, though, as they don't require unique strategies to defeat. The problem is that there aren't any reliable ways of fighting them safely without corner- or radar-shooting, so a level built around them would likely end up as another cornershooty experience like the Wall. If it were up to me I'd have designed the revenant and mancubi with reliable ways to avoid their attacks without cover, eg. a left-right-left dodging pattern for mancubi (as in Doom 2) and some way to redirect or destroy homing revenant missiles, to allow these monsters to be used in more interesting ways.
32
Requests For Features / Re: The Third Slot
« on: May 14, 2012, 15:06 »
Monsters don't get free turns to use their medkits/phase devices. All the same, though, it would be nice if they didn't use these items so reflexively. There should be a one- or two-turn delay before the monster realizes, "Oh jeez, I'm pretty injured. Maybe I should use this medkit?" Heck, the player usually doesn't use a medkit until it's too late, why should monsters be any smarter?
33
Requests For Features / Re: Building ammo packs
« on: May 13, 2012, 17:11 »
Who in the first place decided ammo boxes should cut reload time by 80%? Fifty percent or even just 25% would already be pretty major advantages. Anyways, shell boxes are a helpful boost when you find them in the early game and I like it that way. They're special. If building your own ammo boxes from early ammo stacks just became "routine" then I think they'd lose part of their appeal.
For the record, I never understood the purpose of ammo boxes until I came across some relevant posts in this forum. When equipping an ammo box in the prep slot, can the reload time shown in the character information screen be updated properly?
For the record, I never understood the purpose of ammo boxes until I came across some relevant posts in this forum. When equipping an ammo box in the prep slot, can the reload time shown in the character information screen be updated properly?
34
Discussion / Re: BA+DS
« on: May 11, 2012, 11:21 »
I've noticed there are a lot of mortems where the player has optimistically named his character some variant of "John Preston."
35
Discussion / Re: BA+DS
« on: May 10, 2012, 18:00 »
I like how you've let all of your favourite media creep into DoomRL. I actually went and watched Equilibrium just because of the references in this game.
36
0.9.9.6 / Re: [H|AoMr|YAAM] Bullet Dance Bullet Drain II: Electric Boogaloo
« on: May 10, 2012, 17:53 »
For me that "almost" is a "definitely" and I'm a whizkid lover. If you can get to a high enough level to get SoG5, then your firespeed will be at the absolute minimum (0.1 seconds per shot) even without any points in finesse.
37
0.9.9.6 / Re: [H|94%|7|YASD] Everything has gone horribly, horribly awry!
« on: May 09, 2012, 23:36 »
My CC+ strategy has been to exit through the left doors. This protects the 'zerks from baron fire, and also, since you start the level right next to the level doors, you can leave and radar-shoot the leftmost barons before their location becomes hard to predict. If the Arena Master shows up early this isn't really a problem as it just means you don't have to spend as many turns of 'zerk walking to him.
38
Discussion / Re: Screenshots: ASCII and Graphics
« on: May 09, 2012, 10:10 »
Die, probably. Can you dodge on AoMC?
39
0.9.9.6 / Re: [H|32%|YAVP] Run! Jump! Go!
« on: May 08, 2012, 23:58 »
Well, I watched a Mirror's Edge speedrun the other day, so that's the first "Faith" that comes to mind...
40
0.9.9.6 / [U|AoSh|100%|YAFW] Should I keep posting these?
« on: May 08, 2012, 11:46 »
I don't know that there's anything to say about this mortem, really. I seem to be a middle-tier sort of player, where there's no need for others to give me helpful advice but I also have no truly impressive achievements to my name. Eh, whatever. Just look at what I found in the armory and feel jealous.
--------------------------------------------------------------
DoomRL (v.0.9.9.6G) roguelike post-mortem character dump
--------------------------------------------------------------
Worser, level 15 Hell Baron Major Scout,
nuked the Mastermind on level 9 of Hell.
He survived 90208 turns and scored 363514 points.
He played for 3 hours, 20 minutes and 27 seconds.
He was a man of Ultra-Violence!
He killed 1289 out of 1289 hellspawn. (100%)
This ass-kicking marine killed all of them!
He was an Angel of Shotgunnery!
-- Special levels --------------------------------------------
Levels generated : 11
Levels visited : 9
Levels completed : 9
-- Awards ----------------------------------------------------
Medal of Prejudice
UAC Star (silver cluster)
Aurora Medallion
Grim Reaper's Badge
Hell Champion Medal
Hell Armorer Badge
Shottyman Gold Badge
-- Graveyard -------------------------------------------------
###########################################################
..........................................................#
..................................%.......................#
..................................%%%.....................#
.................................%%%......................#
......................................|...................#
......................................%...................#
.....................................%||..................#
........................................|.................#
....................................%...|.|...............#
.....................................|...}................#
...................................%...||||...............#
..........................................................#
...............................................X..........#
..........................................................#
..........................................................#
..........................................................#
..........................................................#
..........................................................#
###########################################################
-- Statistics ------------------------------------------------
Health 50/50 Experience 105935/15
ToHit Ranged +0 ToHit Melee +0 ToDmg Ranged +0 ToDmg Melee +0
-- Traits ----------------------------------------------------
Class : Scout
Finesse (Level 2)
Hellrunner (Level 3)
Reloader (Level 2)
Juggler (Level 1)
Dodgemaster (Level 1)
Intuition (Level 2)
Whizkid (Level 2)
Shottyman (Level 1)
Shottyhead (Level 1)
Rel->Rel->SM->HR->Fin->Jug->MSh->Fin->WK->WK->HR->HR->DM->Int->Int->
-- Equipment -------------------------------------------------
[a] [ Armor ] phaseshift armor [4/4] (127%) (ABP)
[b] [ Weapon ] Jackhammer (8d3)x3 [3/9]
[c] [ Boots ] tactical boots [0/0] (100%) (A)
[d] [ Prepared ] tactical shotgun (9d3) [5/5] (P1)
-- Inventory -------------------------------------------------
[a] fireproof red armor [4/4] (200%) (B)
[b] shotgun shell (x42)
[c] shotgun shell (x50)
[d] large med-pack
[e] large med-pack
[f] large med-pack
[g] large med-pack
[h] large med-pack
[i] phase device
[j] envirosuit pack
[k] power mod pack
[l] technical mod pack
[m] bulk mod pack
[n] fireproof plasteel boots [4/4] (71%) (P)
[o] shell box (x100)
[p] shell box (x100)
[q] shell box (x100)
-- Resistances -----------------------------------------------
Bullet - internal 0% torso 30% feet 0%
Melee - internal 0% torso 30% feet 0%
Shrapnel - internal 0% torso 30% feet 0%
-- Kills -----------------------------------------------------
104 former humans
111 former sergeants
48 former captains
132 imps
56 demons
480 lost souls
33 cacodemons
36 hell knights
42 barons of hell
67 arachnotrons
26 former commandos
53 pain elementals
41 revenants
20 mancubi
31 arch-viles
2 bruiser brothers
1 shambler
1 lava elemental
1 agony elemental
1 Cyberdemon
1 Spider Mastermind
1 John Carmack
1 Arena Master
-- History ---------------------------------------------------
He started his journey on the surface of Phobos.
On level 3 he entered Hell's Arena.
He left the Arena as a champion!
On level 4 he stormed the Chained Court.
On level 4 he found the Arena Master's Staff!
He defeated the Hell Arena Master!
On level 8 he encountered the Phobos Anomaly.
On level 10 he entered Hell's Armory.
On level 10 he found the Jackhammer!
He destroyed the evil within and reaped the rewards!
On level 11 he ventured into the Halls of Carnage.
Level 12 blasted him with unholy atmosphere!
On level 13 he found the City of Skulls.
On level 13 he assembled a tactical armor!
On level 13 he assembled a tactical boots!
On level 13 he assembled a tactical shotgun!
On level 13 he assembled a fireproof armor!
He wiped out the City of Skulls.
On level 14 he ventured into the Spider's Lair.
On level 14 he assembled a fireproof boots!
He cleared the Lair, kickin' serious spider ass!
On level 16 he found the Tower of Babel!
On level 18 he entered the Vaults.
On level 18 he found the Railgun!
He cracked the Vaults and cleared them out!
On level 20 he was foolish enough to enter the Mortuary!
On level 20 he found the Angelic Armor!
He managed to clear the Mortuary from evil!
On level 22 he entered the Lava Pits.
He managed to clear the Lava Pits completely!
Then at last he found Dis!
He overloaded a nuclear BFG 9000 on level 24!
He defeated the Mastermind and found the TRUE EVIL!
Then finally in hell itself, he killed the final EVIL.
-- Messages --------------------------------------------------
You see : John Carmack (mortally wounded) | pool of blood | [ m ]ore
You see : John Carmack (almost dead) | pool of blood | [ m ]ore
You see : John Carmack (almost dead) | pool of blood | [ m ]ore
You see : John Carmack (almost dead) | pool of blood | [ m ]ore
You are hit!
An ammopack might serve better in the Prepared slot. Continuing will unload
the ammo destroying the pack. Are you sure? [Y/n]
You fully unload the shell box.
You use a large med-pack. You feel fully healed.
Carmack raises his hands and summons hellspawn!
You see : John Carmack (almost dead) | pool of blood | [ m ]ore
You see : John Carmack (almost dead) | pool of blood | [ m ]ore
John Carmack dies. Congratulations! You defeated John Carmack! Press
<Enter>...
You feel relatively safe now.
There is a lever (woah!) here.
-- General ---------------------------------------------------
348 brave souls have ventured into Phobos:
334 of those were killed.
3 of those were killed by something unknown.
10 souls destroyed the Mastermind...
1 sacrificed itself for the good of mankind.
5 killed the bitch and survived.
4 showed that it can outsmart hell itself.
--------------------------------------------------------------
41
Nightmare! / Re: [N!|93%|YAFW] Elite Diamond, Veteran Diamond, Conqueror
« on: May 06, 2012, 21:45 »
The wiki says cerberus boots are -30% movespeed, and says environmental boots are -25%. Is that right?
I always find myself making lava boots when I get an onyx mod. Either I'm WK (0) so lava boots are my only option, or I just don't think armor durability will be a problem. Other assemblies that need the O mod don't really interest me either - the tower shield doesn't give you resistance, the fireshield is overkill when fireproof red armor does the job just as well, and cybernano armor wastes a nano mod. (I would assemble cybernano cybernetic armor, but only for the same alliterative chuckle I get from "ballistic ballistic vest.")
I always find myself making lava boots when I get an onyx mod. Either I'm WK (0) so lava boots are my only option, or I just don't think armor durability will be a problem. Other assemblies that need the O mod don't really interest me either - the tower shield doesn't give you resistance, the fireshield is overkill when fireproof red armor does the job just as well, and cybernano armor wastes a nano mod. (I would assemble cybernano cybernetic armor, but only for the same alliterative chuckle I get from "ballistic ballistic vest.")
42
Discussion / Re: Screenshots: ASCII and Graphics
« on: May 04, 2012, 12:52 »
I tried that and it actually almost worked. I got through the upper door in the wall to the left but the wall then got completely obliterated by acid and I couldn't hold a choke point. The backpack died before I did so even if I'd survived it would have been a Pyrrhic victory.
Here's an alternate strategy I thought of, probably most effective for technicians. Phase into the wall with at least 8 medkits. Alternate using medkits and the arena master's staff until the horde drops dead. You'd have to tank an extraordinary amount of damage though, as you'll be tired (instead of running) for 1 second every time you use the staff.
Here's an alternate strategy I thought of, probably most effective for technicians. Phase into the wall with at least 8 medkits. Alternate using medkits and the arena master's staff until the horde drops dead. You'd have to tank an extraordinary amount of damage though, as you'll be tired (instead of running) for 1 second every time you use the staff.
43
0.9.9.6 / Re: [H|AoMr|99%|23|YASD] Bullet Dance Bullet Drain
« on: May 04, 2012, 12:41 »
Sharpshooter builds are the most ammo-efficient pistol builds and Gun Kata comes in second, so you can try the other classes if ammo keeps being a problem.
I admire that you kept on playing pacifist-style instead of giving up completely when the ammo ran dry.
I admire that you kept on playing pacifist-style instead of giving up completely when the ammo ran dry.
44
Discussion / Re: Screenshots: ASCII and Graphics
« on: May 04, 2012, 10:37 »
Okay, so I'm playing AoSh on UV and I'm behind the wall. Now what?
45
Discussion / Re: The Wall Strategy
« on: May 04, 2012, 09:50 »
If one baron was spawned on the other side of the wall you could get it to blast through the wall for you. Maybe this is how the level should be changed for future versions.