Spiral Knights - Some alternatives to mecha knights

Some alternatives to mecha knights

24 replies [Last post]

Mon, 07/02/2012 - 15:08

Midsummer

This is really just because I thought it would be cute. But if these two, or similar, were added to do piercing and shadow damage and the mecha knight kit was switched to doing elemental like the enemy mecha knights it could add some strategy in which to use when.

[Whole post from here edited to flesh things out and incorporate suggestions.]

Having one of each monster family would allow for balance, which is why there are now more than just two suggestions here, having two possibilities to do each type of damage and covering all possible vulnerability/resistance mixes. If trying to add in all of them was too much then a set of three covering all types of damage and a selection of resistances could still be used. Mecha knight kit is shifted to do elemental and share the vulnerabilities and resistances constructs normally have.

HP, defence and attack would be balanced to the current mecha knight at neutral values, with the vulnerabilities and resistances then applied as normal for the monster family. The attacks in each case are the normal ones for the monster type in question.

Places where mecha knight kits had previously dropped would now drop a random Ally Item. Ally Items stack with one another even if they are different and only three maximum can be carried. They would be used in reverse order to the order they had been picked up in, and could be dropped and rearranged.

Wolver Whistle

Gremlins have been training wolvers to guard the clockworks - why else would they show up with healers so often? - and this is what they've been using. Blowing it will cause a tame wolver to dig its way to you and fight alongside you for the level. Unfortunately tame wolvers are rather affectionate in quiet moments, and being jumped on by a fully grown wolver is enough to leave any knight stunned.

(Ally wolver, does piercing/normal, vulnerable to piercing, resistant to elemental, can inflict nearby knights with stun)

Appearance: Light golden brown with a large silver collar. Has a tail wagging animation that indicates it will leap at anyone who gets too close.

Infernal Transfer Slip

You don't *look* like a pit boss, but no good ever came of a devilite asking questions and this one will throw office supplies at your enemies rather than risk demotion. However, bureaucracy is a curse, devilite bureaucracy even more so, and it might be best to keep your distance.

(Ally devilite, does shadow/normal, vulnerable to piercing, resistant to elemental, can inflict nearby knights with curse)

Appearance: Similar to Sullivan's devilites in the arcade, a red-brown colour. Has a frantic, sweating animation, similar to a devilite getting scolded by a pit boss, to indicate when it is spreading curse.

Emberlight Flare

The gremlins of Emberlight sometimes scout the clockworks alone, and they carry distress flares in case one of them finds themselves in trouble. Setting off a flare will summon the nearest scout, a gremlin thwacker, to travel with you, but their own duties will prevent them escorting you further than the nearest elevator. They also carry flares and the unstable chemicals used mean they will occasionally light whether anyone wanted them to or not.

(Ally gremlin, does elemental/normal, vulnerable to shadow, resistant to elemental, can inflict nearby knights with fire)

Appearance: Dressed in white and carrying a bag over one shoulder in which firework-like flares can be seen. These will start sparking to indicate when the gremlin is spreading fire.

Slimy Pheromone

Tricking a slime really isn't that hard; after all, it has no eyes or ears. Unfortunately, they don't have a sense of self, and may try to m... merge with nearby knights, leaving a sticky, toxic mess.

(Ally lichen, does piercing/normal, vulnerable to shadow, resistant to piercing, can inflict nearby knights with poison)

Appearance: A pink lichen, which can grow if it merges with other ally lichens. It will become visibly sticky and lose its shape to indicate it is spreading poison.

Katnip Cantrip

How else would you summon a spookat from the realms beyond life? This one is enjoying its trip back, but has been far enough from life for long enough to carry the chill of the grave with it.

(Ally spookat, does shadow/normal, vulnerable to elemental, resistant to shadow, can inflict nearby knights with freeze)

Appearance: A white spookat with a golden glow similar to the sunshine aura within it. It fades to transparency while its glow intensifies to indicate it is spreading freeze.

Mecha Knight Kit

(Ally mecha knight, does elemental/normal, vulnerable to elemental, resistant to piercing, can inflict nearby knights with shock)

Appearance: Same as before.

Mon, 07/02/2012 - 15:25

Psychorazer

....

I must say, not bad. Looks like you actually put some thought into this.

I applaud your effort.

As for the suggestion, I would support this, but I'm worried this will fall under 'combat-pets', which many forumers despise as a suggestion.

I'm also somewhat curious to see how this would be balanced. Same health and defense as a standard Mecha? Or sharing weakness of it's new monster family?

Mon, 07/02/2012 - 15:35

Midsummer

I think actual, permanent

I think actual, permanent combat pets would be a gamebreaker. But this is just a tweak to the mecha knight kit mechanics, it would only last for one level and wouldn't do anything they don't.

Hmm, I was thinking they'd share weaknesses of their family, but either could work. I was trying for some balance with the status inflictions (devilites are more powerful, so they inflict a worse status effect) but I guess that's not the only thing that would need balancing.

Mon, 07/02/2012 - 15:58

Soarel

ooh so cuuuute

Devilite pet = cuuuuute

Mon, 07/02/2012 - 20:30

Geregias

yes actually this would be

yes actually this would be neat! and given those descriptions it would even make perfect sense +1 for new mecha knight kits

on a side note they should not deal pure specialty damage but half normal half special (it keeps them in theme but also keeps them useful in stratas that are filled with resistant monsters) also the summoned mecha knights will have to change from dealing pure normal to elemental

Mon, 07/02/2012 - 20:32

Nechrome

I like these. I like these

I like these. I like these very much.

Mon, 07/02/2012 - 20:46

Midsummer

I just realised mecha knights

I just realised mecha knights do pure normal even when they're enemies, so I've added another possibility for elemental. Although I think making mecha knights elemental would still work too.

Geregias: You're right, giving them half and half would be closer to what the wild ones do as well as making them more useful if you happen to get them in a strata that isn't perfectly suited.

Mon, 07/02/2012 - 22:22

Doctorspacebar

SUNSHAAAAAAAAARDS

Plenty of infantry. No Artillery or Rockets or Missiles? You're leaving Grit with no options. You should also include Sea and Air units, for those people who use Eagle or Drake- oh, wait, sorry, Advance Wars on the brain.

Excellent ideas, each and every one of them. I get to have a pet Wolver. Good Wolver! Who's a good Wolver? You's a good Wolver. Who wants a Jelly Gem? You wants a Jelly Gem. Here you go... good boy.

Mon, 07/02/2012 - 22:30

Hmmnm

COOOOL
*drool*

Anyways, here`s a little more suggested fleshing out:
1. these pets will need a new color scheme to differentiate them as allies. Make 'em pink!
2. these vials will be sold in waiting rooms, and drop randomly from enemies
3. these pet vials will all stack togther, so that a player can bring at most 3 allies
4. The vials will be used in reverse of the order you picked thm up. In other words, if you picked up a wolver, then a gremlin, you would first summon a gremlin, then the wolver. If you want to use them in a different order, just drop the vials and pick them up in the opposite order.

What about the armor of the allies? You've got 2 weak to piercing, 1 to shadow.
How about completing the set: one ally per type of monsters?

Here's an idea for slime:

Slimy pheromone
Tricking a slime really isn't that hard; after all, it has no eyes or ears. Unfortunately, they don't have a sense of self, and may try to m... merge with nearby knights, leaving a sticky, toxic mess.
(Ally lichen, piercing damage, weak to shadow, chance to poison nearby knights, can merge with other ally lichens)

Mon, 07/02/2012 - 22:38

Hmmnm

COOOOL
*drool*

What about the armor of the allies? You've got 2 weak to piercing, 1 to shadow.
How about completing the set: one ally per type of monsters?

Here's an idea for slime:

Tue, 07/03/2012 - 00:59

#10

Midsummer

Hmmnm: I really like your

Hmmnm:

I really like your idea for slime, and for having one of each monster type. I wondered if having that many might be getting carried away, but I've already suggested four out of six, and you've given a suggestion for slime, and it would balance them in terms of strengths/weaknesses as well as the type of damage they deal.

I don't know whether we'd need a second construct, or whether shifting mecha knight to act more like a construct in terms of damage/strength/weakness would be better with one of everything. For one thing we're running out of status effects - we'd be down to sleep and that's never used on knights anymore.

Possibility for undead:

Katnip Cantrip

How else would you summon a Spookat from the realms beyond life? This one is enjoying its trip back, but has been far enough from life for long enough to carry the chill of the grave with it.

(Ally Spookat, shadow damage, chance to freeze nearby knights)

1. How about: wolver - light golden brown with a silver collar; devilite - same colour as Sullivan's helpers in the arcade; gremlin - dressed in white and with a visible bag of flares that catches fire to show when to avoid them; lichen - pink or purple; spookat - they have a lot of colours covered. Maybe white with a glow effect, like the sunshine aura.
2. I was thinking they'd be found in the same way as mecha knight kits, maybe having a chance of replacing them in places where they already drop.
3. Stacking together is a good idea. I hadn't really thought of it because I don't think mecha knight kits drop frequently enough that I've ever had more than two, but you definitely don't want a single knight to be able to produce twelve allies.
4. This sounds good. It lets people plan which to use.

Tue, 07/03/2012 - 08:20

#11

Luguiru

Honk

No one seems to notice that the kits are kits, meaning you build them from a kit of parts.

What is this, Pokemon?

Go, Devilite!

Use office-supplies-throw attack on the jelly!

Super effective!

Tue, 07/03/2012 - 14:02

#12

Midsummer

@ Luguiru

Just because building a kit is how they've done it with mecha knights doesn't mean they couldn't have done it some other way, or couldn't still do it some other way. And wouldn't it just be the same as picking a super-effective weapon, or shield? It's not as if they haven't set up type resistances/vulnerabilities as an important part of the game already.

Tue, 07/03/2012 - 15:16

#13

Psychorazer

I noticed Lug. But would it be so inconceivable to one day open a random toolbox you found lying around the clockworks and find something completely random and unrelated to a Mecha knight?

I'd say let them inherit their respective family weaknesses, else keep a Mecha Knight's durability. Minus the shield of course.

Tue, 07/03/2012 - 16:07

#14

Luguiru

Yurp

Does that mean my T1 Red Rover can evolve to T2 if I beat the Snarbolax gym and get my Frumious badge? Then I can beat my rival and his Lumber.

Now you got me thinking about Spiralmon.

Thu, 07/26/2012 - 19:42

#15

Kellnox

Me likey

This would actually be really cool. +1!

Fri, 07/27/2012 - 09:28

#16

Mourove

This...actually sounds really cool.

Having different kinds of allies would be pretty awesome. I might have to disagree with Hmmnm's #4, though - implementing that sort of mechanic into the Vial system might not work as easily as we'd think. (It's not like Health Pills and Status Pills stack together - but they both heal, right?)

Anyway, I approve. I dunno if we wanna make an ally for each type of enemy, but for what we have so far, this sounds great.

Fri, 07/27/2012 - 09:31

#17

Aureate

Processing Thoughts of You Always

You get every single + 1 I could possibly give. It's like pets, but actually well thought out.
You, sir, deserve a medal.

Fri, 07/27/2012 - 09:33

#18

Aureate

Processing Thoughts of Herp Derp

You also get every single plus two as well because I just herped my derp and double posted by accident.

Fri, 07/27/2012 - 11:11

#19

Liu-Kon

u got me too ;P thts a Freken amazing idea

Fri, 07/27/2012 - 14:11

#20

Mohandar

The OP is a little long and messy, but it's the thought that counts. I would love to see mechaknight kits made into actually viable allies, and expanded to more than just mechaknights. The descriptions provided are also cute.

On a side note, this reminded me of an odd imbalance in the resistance/weakness cycle. Beasts and Slimes deal pierce, the latter is strong to its own type and the former is weak. Constructs and Gremlins deal elemental, following the same pattern. But Undead and Fiends deal shadow, and both types are strong to shadow. Was this just a random oversight? Or is this part of a greater cycle that I haven't noticed?

Tue, 07/31/2012 - 11:24

#21

Doctorspacebar

SUNSHAAAAAAAAARDS

@Lug: Come on! It's not unbalanced like every other pet suggestion out there- they already do have Mecha Knight Kits, after all. A lot of them are particularly useful, and it's not at all like Pokemon- these pets don't evolve and only really have one move, or maybe two.

Mecha Knights are found in certain areas un-powered; perhaps there can be some way to get the others? For example, an infernal telephone that, when powered with 5 energy, brings in the Devilite (and then explodes, the phone is a lie, the phone is always a lie). Or an ominous glowing orb that requires 5 energy to bring in the Kat (and then shatters). Or a strange whistle that, when powered with the 5 energy, calls the Wolver (and then... breaks somehow). Or a teleporter that calls in the Emberlighter for 5 energy (and then breaks). Or... something that brings in the slime and then breaks.

+1 to your idea, good sir, and keep up the good work!

Mon, 07/30/2012 - 08:43

#22

Kellnox

Then I'll have to come up with more names! The Mecha Knight is already B.O.B. (Battle Operations Bot).

Tue, 07/31/2012 - 01:55

#23

The-Randomly

Really, really like this idea.
Also, I suggest a kit that summon a Gremlin that can heal, with moderate rate of heal of course.

Tue, 07/31/2012 - 01:57

#24

Softhead

You must be new here.

The devs said no healing gear outside of the already implemented items.

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Some alternatives to mecha knights