So I'm going through some CT's, and I'm realizing:
These are supposed to give the gremlins and other workers access to the gearworks that make up the clockworks, right?
So why are there no gears? No pulleys. Nothing that actually corresponds to any sort of clockwork mechanism?
Maybe there should be alarm systems, to alert the maintenance teams to intruders. Set off an alarm, and in a few minutes, something comes in from the elevators to check it out.
Maybe some gearing mechanism that, if damaged, would prevent the next floor from changing -- or, maybe have it change so fast that you can't predict the next level.
Maybe if you damage the gearings, the next floor is damaged -- what if you only got part of the level? What if you got a piece of world level along with a piece of CT level?
We've got sections that are abandoned, to the point of creatures having moved in. Never mind the questions of: "How did they get into those blocked areas", or "Why are these maintenance passages set up like traps and puzzles?". Better questions are, what are these maintenance passages for, and why are they abandoned? We're seeing some being torn down and rebuilt now (good; some consistency in maintenance and cleanup), but why are there no random wandering "checking out these abandoned passages" parties?
So, some ideas:
1. After N minutes, there's a random chance of a group of maintenance workers checking out the passages, from one elevator on through. Said group might be just a "check out this old passages" (scout) team, or it might be a full deconstruction team. Or it might be a "Clean out the infested level" team -- in which case, after killing you off, they proceed to clean out the rest of the level, robbing you of your yet to be gotten spoils.
2. Special gearing sections, that can be damaged, triggering alarms
3. Damaged gearing alters the next level: something not on the gate map, or preventing the next gate from changing, or making it change rapidly. Or giving a broken next level.
-No, the devs won't be able to do anything, for now, that changes the speed of wich the level cicles: they cicle for everyone,a t the same time, so, changing only for one person would require a specific class in the rograming, what would slow down and lag the game of wichever one is playing, and considering the state of your computer, it would not be good, and will not be good either if the rooms change because of the actions of other players.
-The alarm system is good, i liked it. It might just drop some monsters in the area when everyone enters, and wwoud work more or less like a party button room, but would automatically enter in function when the last party memeber enters, and would set an alarm that would open a door with some enemies behind it, maybe some monsters and a special kind of guard trojan.
-Now, again, it isn't the right time to complain or make suggestions about the lore itself. It's still time to focus on gameplay, so, those questions about "why" aren't any good here, for now. Lock them in somewhere safe, and release them when the time comes.
-Also, just adding: if we really try to think why the rooms are made to look like puzzles, trying to add sense, them we will make a game rather anoying. This is one of the things that you need to say "it is this way because the devs wanted this to their world". Ths enters in the part where you need to use your imagination: rather than seeing some random floors, wwith a lot of holes going to the bottom, i simpy forget about the holes, and see an entire concrete jungle, wth a lot of buildings and grass. If i see a party button, i don't think that whoever constructed the city had the intention to make a button that can only be activated if all the intruders are on it, but rather like to think that someone or something is just waiting for the entire party, to make an ambush, and that they attack when everyone stands in that place (you might know a lot about ambushes, if you palyed D&D. Or this, or you master really didn't knew how to make a good old manmade dungeon). Also, ambushes can be done by every being, even zombies (see the series now, the zombies are growing smarter witht the time). So, resuming: do't sweat your head about it 9the puzzle room), and use some of your imagination with the unexplicable things.
1. Good idea, but i would rather like a end of the level enconter. The part gets to the lift, and, when someone get's near the lift, at a random chance, the fence goes up, and the elevator goes down without anyone in it, going back with some gremlins, that will attack you, if they are labelled (or coloured) like a cleanup team, Ask for you to get out of the way and disperse to begin desconstruct (or reconstruct) a level (only visually, not meaning that the next one that comes to this level will see them deconstructing..it would be the safe lift), and a rescue team, that offers a free lift to the surface of your level, in any level at all (let's say that you are just befor the core, but didn't wanted to spend 10 energy to go to the core, because of the crappy item drops (not now that they implemented red boxes, but i'm using this example anyway). This random chance of a rescue team could be your free lift to the surface, maintaining all the heat gained).
2. Damageable sections that trigger alarms are good, but not if they actually change systematics for other players as well (ther players doing the same gate in another party).
3. already answered 2 times, but, the third: no.