Spiral Knights - Dreadrode (Retrode boss)

Dreadrode (Retrode boss)

9 replies [Last post]

Tue, 07/07/2015 - 17:02

Falminar

Thought of a new boss: Dreadrode.

Appearance

A retrode about twice the size of a normal one, and with much more armor. Has a jet on the back, and spikes on its head. Has cannons on its arms as well as claws.

Attacks

Beam: Same as a normal retrode.
Bullet: Uses both arms to shoot bullets. Can target two players at once, one with each arm.
Charge: Launches forward occasionally to try to kill a knight with the spikes (not instant-killing), but is stunned for a short period of time after doing this.
Swipe: Swipes at a knight with its claws.

Resistances

Is resistant (e.g. piercing and constructs) to all damage types (including normal) except while stunned after dashing. Other resistances and weaknesses are the same as retrodes. Damage resistances are applied twice when using piercing or elemental and it isn't stunned.

Stages

Has 3 stages - After enough damage is dealt it'll switch stages and the eyes will glow more brightly.

Stage 1: Beam is the same as a normal retrode. Shoots 1 bullet with each arm (2 bullets on each shot). Stunned for 5 seconds after dashing. Swipes have a 25% chance of stunning knights.

Stage 2: Beam is 2 times as long. Shoots 3 bullets with each arm (6 bullets on each shot). Stunned for 3.5 seconds after dashing. Swipes have a 50% chance of stunning knights. 2 Mecha Knights and 2 Retrodes enter the room - Dreadrode can't be harmed until they're destroyed. Dreadrode can only use the bullet attack while invulnerable.

Stage 3: Beam travels infinitely until hitting a wall. Beam explosions are slightly larger. Shoots 5 bullets with each arm (10 bullets on each shot). Stunned for 2 seconds after dashing. Swipes have a 50% chance of stunning knights and a 25% chance of shocking knights. 4 Mecha Knights and 4 Retrodes enter the room - Dreadrode can't be harmed until they're destroyed. Dreadrode can only use the bullet and beam attacks while invulnerable.

Let me know about your thoughts on this.
Could someone try to make an image about how this could look?
Already posted about this in another thread, but this improves and formats the idea: http://forums.spiralknights.com/en/node/110527

Thu, 07/09/2015 - 10:35

Falminar

Tokens

Boss token ideas.

Name: Mechanical Eye

Description: The eye of a retrode. Gaining more info about this could allow the creation of weapons that shoot lasers similar to the ones shot by retrodes.

Items created using this:

Laser Cannon - Suggestions needed. Alchemy path: Laser Cannon - Suggestions Needed - Suggestions Needed - Eye of Dreadrode

Retrode Claw - Suggestions needed. Alchemy path: Retrode Claw - Charged Claw - Suggestions Needed - Suggestions Needed

Retrode Plate (material) - Suggestions needed/Can be used to create Retrode Plate (guild hall decoration)/Retrode Plate (GHD) can be used to create Retrode Replica (walks around guild hall, harmless)/Retrode Replica can be used to create Dreadrode Replica (same as Retrode Replica, but looks like Dreadrode)

(Others say it would be best if this is made a miniboss, so these wouldn't be added if it is.)

Wed, 07/08/2015 - 09:59

Fangel

This...

This feels almost Collector-esk. Collector is neutral to all damage types (I think at least), and has very high defenses until it does the explosion attack.

He sounds more like a miniboss than an actual boss, unless it's a tier 1 boss which would be okay. Doesn't sound bad, but doesn't really feel... Giant-bossy.

Thu, 07/09/2015 - 16:00

Blandaxt

i agree!

I agree that as a mini boss, it would shine more then as an actual boss. Having the construct have a back story and actual character while fighting him like it saying that robots are smarter then humans and it saying switching modes from long range to short range in square robotic chat bubbles would be pretty cool. Like your idea.

Thu, 07/09/2015 - 16:28

Falminar

Backstory

Okay - So, I agree with Bland's idea for a backstory, so how about this - Gremlins built some retrodes in a large facility for robot construction, but one was... Different. It disliked how it was treated, so it stole some materials and tools and improved itself. In its new, more powerful form, it destroyed the building and killed every gremlin in it. It's beginning to change more, and is thinking that robots are greater than living creatures. It improved itself even more, and is now planning an attack on Haven. It must be stopped immediately. Your mission is to travel inside the gremlin facility and destroy the retrode.

Around the area will be several dead gremlins. The level will have only constructs - All others have been killed by Dreadrode. It's possible that there will be some spots where Mecha Knights and Retrodes are seen attacking and killing low-HP gremlins when you enter, which will not drop crowns. They'll then turn to attack you. The walls will be damaged, and you can see destroyed tools and non-sentient machines.

Also, for the chat messages Bland suggested -

Start of battle: "You creatures consider yourself greater than robots, but why? Constructs can not bleed. We do not feel pain. We're just as alive as you are. We can always change our own design if necessary. We live forever, we don't die naturally. But you?"

Stage 2: "Is it because you can make tools, or disassemble us if necessary? We can make tools... And we can easily "disassemble" you.

Stage 3: "Why d - *zap* - you keep fighti - *zap* -ng? You're weak, almost dead, and you kn - *zap* - ow that. You just don't want t - *zap* - o show it. Bu - *zap* - t I live forever. I do not die. And I can - *zap* - keep fighting now... Until the end of this. Until your bodies are just the sa - *zap* - me as all the "furries". Give - *zap* - up.

Destroyed: (Exploding) "No, I'm no - *zap* - t down yet. I'm sup - *BLAST* *zap* - erior ov - *zap* - you. I WILL NO - *zap* *BLAST* *BLAST* - T DIE NOW, AND I WILL NE - *Arm blasts off* - VE - *Jet explodes* - R!!!!... *Head blows off, body explodes, and drops rewards*"

All knights die in battle: "See? Oh wait, you don't, because I killed you. *Laughs*" *Retrodes come in* Dreadrode: "Now, lets go and show these stupid creatures their inferiority..." Dreadrode + retrodes: *Leaves room*

(Also added something new for when it switches stages.)

Thu, 07/09/2015 - 10:23

Fangel

Ehhh...

That's quite a bit of a stretch. Pretty sure no construct has been given an AI that thinks for itself. The Big Iron is haunted which is the difference there.

As a miniboss we don't have to create token rewards, and we're given a lot more leeway. *SPOILER* We only fight Herex once (so far) however the story that backs him up is huge. *END SPOILER* As a regular boss... Well, it's quite a bit of extra work for something that doesn't even seem all that threatening. In Spiral Knights, the bigger the enemy, typically the more dangerous it is. A x2 retroid only stands about as tall as a trojan, whereas all non-gremlin bosses are very big (snarbolax is pretty tall when it stands on its hind legs).

Again, this idea is great for a miniboss, but is pretty lackluster for an entirely new boss.

Thu, 07/09/2015 - 10:37

Falminar

Okay.

Can't delete comments, so I'm still leaving the token part out there.

So... Not really sure what to do for a backstory then.

Thu, 07/09/2015 - 11:14

Fangel

Don't worry too much about story!

We should mostly worry about making the boss fun, and find the right area to put them. Tier 1? Tier 3? Maybe it's an emberlight experiment gone wrong so it takes place in Emberlight much like how Margel takes place in Moorcroft. Therefore should it be an event boss?

These sorta details are nice. Lorewise, if accepted, I'm sure Three Rings can integrate anything into the mission system, or just throw words at a promo and make it mysterious.

Thu, 07/09/2015 - 11:40

Falminar

"find the right area to put it. Tier 1? Tier 3?"

I think it would go well in either 2-3 or 4-3. It would probably be better in 4-3, if it's a miniboss. (Since in 2-3, it would go right after another miniboss, the Collector - 2 minibosses in a row? Also, it probably wouldn't fit with the theme of 2-3, but would go well with the theme of 4-3.)

Thu, 07/09/2015 - 16:07

Blandaxt

nope

@fangel:

Constructs are not all made by gremlins and it has said in the lore that "Other constructs of unknown origin can be found throughout the Clockworks". This means there is something out there creating these unknown constructs. So it is not far of a stretch to give them a.i . Also, giving a monster personality while fighting it is more fun in my opinion and is not bad game design. You might be against it, but i am not.

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Dreadrode (Retrode boss)