Spiral Knights - New Monsters

New Monsters

42 replies [Last post]

Mon, 08/22/2011 - 14:05

culture

Legacy Username

The polyp is a slime turret that fires piercing barbs and can see in all directions. The howlitzer is an undead turret that fires shadow bullets and will attempt to make a last ditch strike at Knights with its missile-like skull. Watch out!

Both of these monster types have complete status variants...

Looks like the clockworks just got a bit harder <3 Can't wait to go up against these new turrets.

On that note, when are the dangerer rooms being released?

Mon, 08/22/2011 - 14:13

Negimasonic

crap...now another way for

crap...now another way for gunpuppies to destroy me. Just when I was almost getting comfortable with owlite...

btw. about the other announcement...

"Blast Network
Hazard rooms are back! Several levels now have rockets and spike traps that cause a stun status effect instead of damage."

WHY NOW. I like just swore off that game today. I got the last token I wanted 30 minutes ago >.> now I almost want to go back darn it...

Mon, 08/22/2011 - 14:32

Wfawwer

I was hoping for something

I was hoping for something with a little more variety, not just more gun puppies that do shadow and piercing damage.
What interests me are these "codes"

Mon, 08/22/2011 - 14:39

Cobaltstarfire

I think adding these new dmg

I think adding these new dmg type turrents are a good thing, they can make different types of armor and shield more relevant.

negimasonic, there's nothing wrong with playing the blast network game for fun, or if you want to have a use for tokens just use them to get mod calibrators and sell them on the ah.

Mon, 08/22/2011 - 14:39

Gwenyvier

One other thing noted in the

One other thing noted in the mail:

"Code Redemption Interface. Codes can now be redeemed in the main menu by selecting 'Redeem Code.' Codes will be used in the future to redeem special prizes."

Sounds to me like PvP ranks might actually become worth something.

~Gwen

Mon, 08/22/2011 - 14:42

Thoranhippo

Any informations on those

Any informations on those codes? I don't really understand what they're supposed to be about.

Mon, 08/22/2011 - 14:46

Shrinkshootr

Hmm...this is both good and

Hmm...this is both good and bad.

Good: yay for more representation of different damage types. Way too much elemental everywhere at all times. It's a good step in the right direction, but more is still needed.

Bad: More enemies we already have, just a slight variation on them. Nothing actually NEW new.

I understand the undertaking required in incorporating uniquely new enemies into the clockworks; you need to worry about balance, enemy combo compositions, and probably new strata based on their theme as well (unless they're thrown into a monster category already established).

Mon, 08/22/2011 - 15:21

Tengu

wait a sec, what's wrong with

wait a sec, what's wrong with jelly turrets in jellyland? They're probably weak to the same things the mobile jellies are, so less reason to bring a non-shadow weapon. I literally bring my cold iron vanquisher to JK runs SPECIFICALLY for the turrets and lumbers if I'm going swordfighter. Now I can just bring the Gran Faust and take a swing or two more on lumbers and be done with it.

Mon, 08/22/2011 - 15:55

Maxamusx

im new to this

im new to forums and i need help

Mon, 08/22/2011 - 15:56

Maxamusx

bluestar fish can u help me

bluestarfish can u help me

Mon, 08/22/2011 - 16:04

#10

culture

Legacy Username

@Maxamus

The forum for new players is over here if you need help with something specific:
http://forums.spiralknights.com/en/forum/2

Back on topic...

The new turrets might finally dethrone the Grey Owlite Shield, which would be a welcome change. The #1 reason for that shield is to deal with elemental from gun puppies in every single arena. The #2 reason, elemental from dozens of mecha knights, isn't quite as important... especially if the bullet hell is now piercing/shadow.

Crest of Almire/Dread Skelly Shield will hopefully now play an important role. Maybe we'll even see the emergence of the Royal Jelly Shield (one can dream...)? Many players already have Barb Thorn Shield, so they might be covered in the piercing department.

Mon, 08/22/2011 - 16:10

#11

Maxamusx

thanks

thanks culture

Mon, 08/22/2011 - 16:11

#12

Sunless

The new turrets might finally

The new turrets might finally dethrone the Grey Owlite Shield, which would be a welcome change.

Agreed. The update has definitely lowered its effectiveness while increasing the importance of other shields. Not by a significant amount, but by enough where it's not Elder God Tier anymore.

Speaking of, are the Howlitzer's going to be added to the Firestorm Citadel to coincide with the "shadow theme"? I wonder about that.

Mon, 08/22/2011 - 16:11

#13

Maxamusx

look at seggestions and look for sword fighting thats mine

look at my folder on suggestions

Mon, 08/22/2011 - 16:26

#14

Andyspace

why

why dont they just make weapon upgrades

Mon, 08/22/2011 - 16:42

#15

Sunless

why dont they just make

why dont they just make weapon upgrades

Yeah, the last update definitely didn't upgrade any weapons at all. Nope.

Mon, 08/22/2011 - 16:49

#16

Ozin

Legacy Username

I really like the looks of the Howlitzer

I really like the looks of the Howlitzer. I love how it suicide bombs. I haven't seen the polyp yet.

Mon, 08/22/2011 - 16:50

#17

Nievem

The undead turrets are easy

The undead turrets are easy with polaris, the polaris explosion manages to make the skull missile explode. Dont bring swords though too close for it to explode. Haven't seen i they have a special trick on tier 3. Or six jelly turrets on an arena either.

Mon, 08/22/2011 - 17:12

#18

OverDingle

Legacy Username

My biggest gripe with these

My biggest gripe with these new monsters is that neither of them resist elemental damage - heck, one's weak to it. My Polaris can be used on both of them; I feel that the new towers should be a beast and a fiend to represent all 3 damage resistances - plus both of those enemy types need a better target for general gunning.

Additional monster variety is nice, but when it doesn't actually require me to play any differently from a gun puppy when they show up, it feels like a bit of a letdown. Polyps may or may not be an issue in arenas (my current strategy involves finishing the wave before the 8 turret spawn while in a corner so they don't see me), but I won't find out til I get an 8 turret spawn of them, if that can even happen.

Mon, 08/22/2011 - 17:23

#19

Cobaltstarfire

@overdingle

Polyps can see everywhere, and they fire all their shots at once in T3 so waiting in a corner in an arena won't help much.

Dunno what they are like on lower tiers.

Mon, 08/22/2011 - 18:00

#20

Mrbobomb

Polyps make me think of

Polyps make me think of chuchus in LoZ. Also, has anyone seen howlitzers in a graveyard? I was kind of hoping they would be there. I've already seen a few in an arena, but it would make sense to see them in a graveyard.

Mon, 08/22/2011 - 18:25

#21

Pupu

Legacy Username

Interesting

They are interesting additions to the game. They don't do much for the players though, as in, there's not much else to do for veteran palyers after you fight them once.
So I wonder what else has been OOO been up to, since these monsters are mostly a little programming and a lot of work from Ian.

Mon, 08/22/2011 - 18:32

#22

Wooyari

Legacy Username

How would a turret be a beast.

Can you imagine a turret that is actually a living, furry, adorable being?
I mean, what would someone have to do to turn something like a wolver into a turret....

Mon, 08/22/2011 - 18:35

#23

Noobowns

Legacy Username

That was my first question

That was my first question when seeing the update mail

Mon, 08/22/2011 - 18:43

#24

Tengu

I have now killed both, and I

I have now killed both, and I didn't change my gameplan significantly. Polyps are weak to shadow, just like their motile brethren, and the one I hacked up in t14 had about the same amount of HP as the jellies did. It took about 2 combos @ 200+230+- per swing with my Gran Faust. (and full skolver and barbarous thorn).

I dunno about the skullthingy, as I lit it up from a distance with my Polaris and it was riding the screen edge. It shot just like a turret though.

Mon, 08/22/2011 - 19:14

#25

Pteprocks

Saw a freeze Polyp in Cooling

Saw a freeze Polyp in Cooling Chamber: Slimeway. I thought it was a blue Lichen at first. XP

Mon, 08/22/2011 - 19:43

#26

Eeks

Business as usual; everyone

Business as usual; everyone move along!

Mon, 08/22/2011 - 20:12

#27

Facejuances

@Wooyari a beast turret

@Wooyari a beast turret doesn't have to be wolver-like, it could be for example, a carnivore plant(not exactly a beast but kinda fits the role)

Mon, 08/22/2011 - 20:52

#28

OverDingle

Legacy Username

So I just finished a run in a

So I just finished a run in a slime strata, tier 3. Two clockworks passages, 2 scarlet fortress floors.

Didn't run into a single one of the new turrets. Couldn't OOO at least update scarlet fortress so the gun puppy spawns are replaced by howlitzers or polyps, considering the theme of the entire area is slime/undead?

Mon, 08/22/2011 - 21:18

#29

Tengu

@overdingle, do the Lichen

@overdingle, do the Lichen path instead of the clockwork one. There's a bunch there.

Tue, 08/23/2011 - 00:35

#30

Twiddle

The owlite shield got a nerf,

The owlite shield got a nerf, all other shields got a buff. It's a welcome change, but it also means spending more energy to be viable in the game.

Hopefully damage will be more consistent in levels now. There's nothing like running a beast strata and getting half your health blown away by one stray gun puppy bullet. I think the days of that happening are coming to an end. (=

Tue, 08/23/2011 - 10:42

#31

GamerTB

Legacy Username

Beast Turret? Carnivorous

Beast Turret? Carnivorous plants? Sure, why not?

I don't see how they would spew bullets, though...maybe spew elemental lumps of acid. Like Chromalisks, but at a greater range. On lower depths, they spew more and more of them, causing awful messes.

What's next? Sniper Gremlins?

Tue, 08/23/2011 - 11:09

#32

Twili

Legacy Username

The polyp is a unfunny joke.

The polyp is a unfunny joke. I never encountered a howlitzer though, but from what people are saying about it I'm kind of excited to see one.

Tue, 08/23/2011 - 11:14

#33

GamerTB

Legacy Username

What Dark Ritual?

Unfunny joke? What do you mean by that?

Tue, 08/23/2011 - 13:17

#34

Grittle

so kiting is almost to the

so kiting is almost to the point of become obsolete?

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tue, 08/23/2011 - 13:42

#35

Schwalala

Sniper Gremlins?

Did somebody say sniper gremlins??

I'm not gonna lie, that would be AWESOME. I don't mean "gremlin turrets", either, I mean gremlins with Antiguia or Callahan styled handguns, that blast you with them while kiting you. They could be very very dangerous, but perhaps only show up in the Deconstruction Zone area, or very rarely randomly in place of Thwackers. I do wanna see an enemy like THAT. :3

Anyway... these two new enemies... It's exciting, I'll admit, but they're too similar to the Gun Puppies IMO. I was hoping they'd behave a bit more different. Would have been cool to see the Slime Turrets fire their needles in a starburst-ish formation rather than a spread, and the Howlers to attack in a more startling or unnerving pattern to stay true to their "frightening" undead gimmick (a homing bullet that traveled and curved towards you very slowly would be as nightmarish as they are in appearance). I dunno, that's just me rambling.

One thing, though. I had a friend tell me that the Slime turrets were lagging his game to the point of almost crashing every time they fired (he said he was getting 2 FPS at best). He said he'd submit a bug report about it too. Not a complaint here, just an observation.

I think the new turrets could have been cooler, but the fact that they exist at all now is nice. My motto, after all, is "love what is, don't hate what isn't". ♥

Tue, 08/23/2011 - 17:50

#36

Hova

I love Polyps, love, love ,

I love Polyps, love, love , love Polyps, finally my Aegis is beastly against turrets. <3

Tue, 08/23/2011 - 20:32

#37

Negimasonic

well I can sorta say I'm

well I can sorta say I'm almost happy now that my Grey Owlite got UV Medium vs piercing months ago. Still breaks though but its nice. Still polyps seem to attack slower so a lot of times its way easier to get the three hit combo on them despite not knowing who they're going to target.

Tue, 08/23/2011 - 21:33

#38

OverDingle

Legacy Username

Polyps certainly make slime

Polyps certainly make slime arenas... interesting, to say the least.

With gun puppies or howlitzers, you can stay in the corner as the 8 turret wave spawns, and none of them will see you.

With Polyps, even if you do that, 4 of them will be able to see you - and they'll all attack simultaneously. In tier 3, that means you'll start the wave with a minimum of 20 projectiles on-screen; if you're in the middle, 40. The saving grace is Polyp shots don't curve slightly in tier 3 like gun puppy shots seem to - as long as you're careful, you can sidestep all 20 shots by moving one square diagonally... but it's still going to be hilarious when I get a shock-slime arena. Hilariously bad. There's no way to avoid more than 4 of the 8 polyps getting aggro at the start of that wave.

Tue, 08/23/2011 - 21:51

#39

Arctic-Fern

Hmm..

Beast Turret? Carnivorous plants? Sure, why not? I don't see how they would spew bullets, though..

Hmm... remember those pipes in Super Mario, that plants would come out and spew fire from their huge mouths...

Or spew seeds maybe?

Wed, 08/24/2011 - 05:19

#40

Abathur

Seeds with no damage that

Seeds with no damage that will grow some plant on you and you get slowed ;)

Wed, 08/24/2011 - 05:56

#41

Shidara

Legacy Username

A plant-cannon?

I'd like that. Even more so if they spew status-acids like the Chromalisks. Not only would they hurt and inflict status ailments on you, but they would also clutter your walking grounds with status-effective acid. Imagine being cornered by freeze acid pools....You try to run, but you get stuck, and then they spew you to death. What a horrifying sight.
Tier three plants would be especially fun to fight~

Oh, and neutral plants? They could spit explosive acids, that detonate like the Gremlin demo's bombs after hitting the ground.

Oh well. Doesn't hurt to hope~

Sun, 09/11/2011 - 13:05

#42

Maxamusx

polips are so old :P

its like the old mikey mouse black and white show

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