How Fehzor Would Design The Core
Thu, 02/14/2013 - 15:48
The Main Idea
The core should be a massive mini-game revolving around defending an outpost surrounded by monsters in a swarm themed environment, with ever-increasing levels of difficulty, and a boss-like nature. It should pay more than Firestorm Citadel, but should be a rarer occurrence. The Spiral Knights should stay on Cradle after finding their stuff due to the potential to further mine the core.
How Would This Work?
So you're going down to the core in some arcade gate, and find a small facility with a mineral deposit box of some sort. This mineral deposit box would determine the "theme" of the core when full. Once filled to the brim with minerals, the core would open for a brief time to allow knights to go down and "mine" it. Two to three days later, the core would close.
The core would give the option for a larger party size. This would be to accommodate guilds, and allow for increased teamwork on a larger scale. So after finding the core open and talking to an NPC of some sort, there would be some option to bring all of your friends. 1-8 players, is the way I imagine it. Maybe 1-6.
After paying some amount of energy to descend into the core, either 10 or more, the knights would be tasked with defending a mining box of some sort as it gathered the energy found in the core to bring back up.
Enemies would spawn around the knights in a room! But what enemies? Well you see, the knights just put minerals into a gate box to "build the core"... so we have something to go off of, like with gate construction. Optimally, the numbers of all 5 minerals would matter in this decision, rather than just the top 2 or 3, making for more "core combinations". There are quite a few ways you could determine, based on the order of the 5 mineral types, what would happen, but why tell the player? Make them figure it out, make them keep a record and make them research it.
But people are going to be expecting a boss. So we should give them one! But it shouldn't just die and end everything, because that would be terrible. Rather, the "core boss" should take on a form based on the enemies and themes that the knights put in via their minerals, and should react like so. It should go away briefly, and then return once "defeated" and should take a while to beat down.
Which brings me to the next point- There is no time limit. Only increasing difficulty. I don't care how good you are at Spiral Knights, you're going to die at some point, and once you die a certain number of times, you're going to have to go up to Haven, or otherwise expend all of your crystal energy on revives. But the thing would be that you'd be getting paid indefinitely, or at least until you died. The balance, would lie in the fact that the enemies would continually be getting stronger. Not just "Stronger" per say, but "harder", "better" and "faster" as well- all in variations. Some would do more damage, some would be harder to kill, all would drop crowns.
This sounds tricky to balance! Not so! Run the test server, get everyone pumped- figure out the average ratio of enemies killed per life, and then model the payout after it. If the players kill 100 of X enemy before dying, and you want the average payout for that level to be 16K per the 100 energy that they spent to get down there, then each enemy should drop an average of (16,000/100)/100 crowns.
Eventually the knights all die. When this happens, there will be a very short period of time before a revive is required, perhaps a minute at most, before the knights are pulled back up to the pre-core that we have now. Then, the knights will be paid in tokens towards getting new armor from the Spiral Order, or otherwise rewarded in some way for their "Service".
You cannot "Win" against the core, but it does get progressively harder indefinitely.
Why Would This Work?
What do people want from the core?
-Some sort of boss
-Content that doesn't favor any one category of monster
-A new, greater challenge.
-A teamwork based something.
What do we want to avoid?
-Ending the story-line by having the knights fly off and return to Isora.
-Leaving no or little reason to run random levels in the arcade/missions.
This idea fulfills these things, as well as opens new avenues for content- "Opening the core causes more worlds to get pulled in!" would be a viable excuse to add random levels in, as well as "Tinkinzaar, whom is corrupted by the swarm, has access to the energy found there." In that way, it both fits and extends the story behind Spiral Knights.
Thu, 02/14/2013 - 17:53
#2
Core boss.
The core boss should be something like the voidish thingies I always forget the name of in the shadow realms. And the room should have the same theme. The boss could be a shapeshifting black mass of goop.
+9001
Thu, 02/14/2013 - 18:23
#3
Two sides
The core has been opened, which leaves it open for attack by The Swarm. At the same time, Tinkizar(or some unknown other) is sending wave after wave of normal monsters out at you from the inside of the core. So, the level would have two sides (where you could get to the other side easily), one side being attacked by Swarm monsters and the other by normal monsters.
Thu, 02/14/2013 - 18:50
#4
+1
At the mission, the arcade gate should explode and haven should become a battlefield.
Thu, 02/14/2013 - 19:03
#5
...that's an entirely different idea though...
Thu, 02/14/2013 - 19:20
#6
Proceeding the explosion...
Finally, a more detailed suggestion about the core without ending the story. Nice job!
+1
Thu, 02/14/2013 - 20:11
#7
The papaya thinks
What about the Alpha Squad? :3 Maybe we'll come across them? (or whats left of them at least)
Fri, 02/15/2013 - 04:21
#8
Alpha Squad should be taken
Alpha Squad should be taken over by the swarm and should be a mini-boss in the core.
Fri, 02/15/2013 - 18:08
#9
The alpha squad could easily be worked into the scenario, but we don't know what the devs have in mind for them. I'd love to see them come back, reincarnated as evil swarm things to fight, but I doubt that'll happen. If they are "alive and well", so to speak, it might be plausible to see them trapped by the swarm or suspended inside of it.. like, if you make it through enough waves, then they'll be found. This is meant to be relatively flexible, so as to not hinder the incredible story set out by the devs.
Fri, 02/15/2013 - 18:51
#10
What do you think of my idea?
Fri, 02/15/2013 - 18:56
#11
:D
YES! YES!
Fri, 02/15/2013 - 18:57
#12
DOUBLE POST
IGNORE THIS
Fri, 02/15/2013 - 22:53
#13
On the swarm rushing in? I actually kind of implied that... or well, thats how I imagined it happening when I wrote the OP, although we don't actually know whats inside of it. Well, we do, but not really. If I am correct, in that the shadow lairs ARE the core, or are LIKE the core, then thats what should be there.
If the core isn't already evil inside it in some way, then the swarm should swarm on in and start to take it... this could justify the increasing difficulty further.
Tinkinzar could also be put into it somehow, though I'd rather see him become a T3 boss.
Fri, 02/15/2013 - 23:22
#14
Beep Boop
As much as I like your idea (it really is unique and awesome! I wouldn't mind something like that in game!), I think the whole Core situation would be better if it made use of something Kora mentions during a mission briefing...
She mentions that the way the Clockworks are built, it seems more like the Gremlins are trying to keep something "in" and not keep us out. This is just my personal opinion, but I think the Core should actually be a malevolent entity. Powerful enough to provide power to our fallen Skylark, but extremely dangerous, which is why the Gremlins created the Clockworks and sealed the Core away. The "architect" King Tinkinzar, seeking to keep everyone away from the Core at all costs creates the Swarm, which traps and turns around any party trying to get into the Core by replicating parts of the Clockworks. In the end, Tinkinzar is actually trying to protect Cradle from the Core, which is why he's so dead set on wiping out the Knights who are adamant about taking the Core for a power source.
It seems more fitting to battle Tinkinzar and the Swarm right outside the Core. Upon his defeat, the Swarm is weakened and the Core can finally open letting in the victorious party. There they meet the Alpha Squad and learn the true nature of the Core whereupon it begins fighting the Knights as they try to hold it back themselves. The final boss fight would be the Alpha Squad, on a pure white battlefield. Controlled by the Core, they'd have pure white armor and white primatic colors, as well as enhanced abilities for a Knight. They'd be different from other boss fights in that they don't have an attack pattern. Their sole goal is to strike you down. They'd move like Phantoms and make use of their own sets of equipment that fits their role in the Squad. They'd all be invincible, save for Rulen, who was infected by the Swarm before entering the Core...
...I'll stop there. Kind of went of on a rant there, sorry. >__>
Anyways, love your idea. Especially with giving the minerals an actual use. In your idea, when all the Knights in the party fall, maybe that would be the cue for Alpha Squad to come in like total badasses and save everyone. That or maybe Vaelyn can come in with her twin Flourishes?
But don't forget Tinkinzar and the Swarm! Maybe they can be the final boss in your scenario?
Fri, 02/15/2013 - 23:54
#15
@Zopyros-II
But that does absolutely nothing to avoid the scenario where the kngihts win and fly back to Isora? And its so cliche as well!
And, (Spoilers) Kora is could be (is most likely) referring to the entity behind the sanctuary, which helps the player. Kora could also be referring to the swarm itself, which the gremlins are also guarding, kind of. And keep in mind that your scenario still fits into mine; If the core is "gremlin themed" then the crimson order could assault the player in the defense mission. If the core is "fiend" themed, then the alpha squad, half trojan, half knight, could appear as a boss. The slimes could easily have multiples of the jelly king- as there are more than one Royal Jelly out there, and who knows what variants, right? That would be the idea.
Sat, 02/16/2013 - 09:24
#16
Beep Boop
@Fehzor
I was thinking that maybe the Core was just to unstable and violent to be taken as a power source, but you are right that it is pretty cliche. :/
And I never thought about what Kora said like that. I was always took the entity to be the Core, not something else entirely. They should really do something with that.
Then there's all these hanging loose threads elsewhere, too.
- The ancient generator(?) thing that we try to steal from Razwog in the Rescue Camp.
- The rest of the Crimson Order and Tinkinzar himself.
- A certain snow capped mountain housing a volcanic god.
- More on the Kat Tribe. Nick said we'd be hearing more about them later.
- The Owlites still have a lot of potential to affect the story, even if they're all dead.
- The statues in the wall on Owlite themed levels (Crimson Fortress, Candlestick Keep, Arenas, etc.) have these odd statues embedded in the wall that look similar to Devilites with a more cylindrical head. In their pursuit of knowledge and the Devilites advanced "modern" tech, could the Owlites have been the ones that brought the Devilites onto Cradle?
- Then there's those odd face statues on Aurora Island levels. Though, I wouldn't mind if those stayed mysterious.
- And like you said about there being possibly more Royal Jellies, what's stopping there from being a Lichen King/Queen?
- Tortodrones.
- That final secret that Nick mentioned in a thread somewhere. Something we all apparently see everyday, but don't know its true significance...
Sat, 02/16/2013 - 09:33
#17
This thread gets a +1 from me. Nick, stop nerfing the Nitronome for a minute and head on over here. Yeah, I know you're nerfing the Nitronome! Don't lie to me!
I'm guessing the Core is trying to contain the Swarm. That doesn't preclude the Knights from running in there and gaining energy, and also damaging the Swarm in the process.
So, ya need bosses, eh? Well, say no more!
CONSTRUCT: Mentus Malus
(I think it's Latin for "Evil Brain")
When AIs attack! Mentus Malus is a twisted, almost sentient AI, originally designed to control Gremlin war machines. Look how that turned out. He became self-aware and began killing of his own accord. Even Tinkinzar and Morgral'm can't control this thing.
Six unassuming monitors on the left and right sides of the area will flicker on; Mentus Malus will e-mail himself into one of them, which will turn red. Mentus Malus will then fire an attack from the monitor he's in, before e-mailing himself into another monitor (this takes only half a second). He does this a lot; bombers should try to set up any damage bombs near monitors Mentus Malus isn't in, and a similar policy should be applied to the Pepperbox if it's used.
Mentus Malus can fire a laser beam for a second or two, which applies Fire AND Shock. Don't like it? Tough. You're in the Core, buddy. Mentus Malus can also fire a spread of Elemental/Shock bullets that's even more extensive than the Twins' spread (FIVE layers of bullets, as opposed to three). And then there's the Catalyzer attack. MM will fire a Catalyzing Wave, which, regardless of shielding or location, puts a huge freakin' Catalyzer charge on everyone, even the mining box. Then he'll fire multiple Activator Bullets. These can be blocked with the shield, but getting hit by one while unshielded automatically takes your HP to one and activates nearby charges; if it was already one to begin with, you die. This applies to the mining box, too, so use your shields when the Catalyzing Wave fires to protect the box!
Then there's the tried and true classic, Rocket Storm. Imagine the Roarmulus Twin Rocket Storm... on steroids, causing Shock, accompanied by some burning Ironclaw Factory Rockets. Have fun! Except, burning to death isn't fun.
And here's the catch. Mentus Malus will copy and paste himself at 25% health. This means that there will be two Mentus Maluses, each one with 25% health. Kill them really fast, or, well... Bullet Hell won't even begin to describe it. Be warned, though; Mentus Malus will be back.
CONSTRUCT: D.E.A.T.H.
(Destructive Energized Autonomous Tank H)
Basically, when the alarm sounds, you'll be instructed to "KILL THE TANK! HURRY!" D.E.A.T.H. is an enormous autonomous battle tank that will happily mow down the Mining Box with its cannons, but it's got a ways to go to reach the box. Mecha Knights will also rush down the path (two of each status variant) and you'll probably run into them first. Once they're down, you'll reach D.E.A.T.H.
The path is wide enough to let you sneak in and attack D.E.A.T.H. at its sides, and if you're a swordsman, you'll want to do this, since D.E.A.T.H. will automatically cause extreme Normal Damage and Shock to any Knight it runs into. D.E.A.T.H. has multiple weapons, all of which fire independently of each other. On its back is a Cryo Knight Generator, which loves dropping two Cryo Knights behind it at the worst possible moments. One weapon is a machine gun, which will fire a stream of ten Freeze bullets towards one target; directly below the machine gun is a massive cannon that launches huge exploding (and Stunning) shots at its target. Then there's the mortar it packs on top, which rapidly fires Poison/Freeze clusterbombs and constantly switches targets.
And, of course, no self-respecting Construct boss would be complete without a laser cannon. Not that D.E.A.T.H. is sentient, but it still has some dignity! D.E.A.T.H.'s Laser can slowly rotate, and has a range of fifteen spaces before fading. The laser doesn't cause a status effect, but it hits with some serious damage. The only more powerful attack is the Tank running over you, which is easy to avoid (though it makes Freeze considerably more dangerous).
If D.E.A.T.H. reaches the Mining Box room, it'll aim all its weapons at the box. Needless to say, that'll end your run right there. Beware; they didn't just make one D.E.A.T.H. The third D.E.A.T.H. and on will AUTOMATICALLY KILL YOU if they run you over.
That's just Constructs, but I might make more bosses some time. Stay tuned!
Sat, 02/16/2013 - 18:00
#18
Don't read this post if you don't want to know about Echo Stones
@Zopyros-Il, clearing up some lore:
Echo Stone #3 from UIMF:
"This world was created to protect me.
Vulnerable in slumber, worlds were drawn to shield me from the darkness.
This world has become my prison.
In his madness, the architect betrayed the pact. Twisting his creation into a game of death, it now devours all who enter its iron embrace."
"The Architect" is presumably Tinkizar, which indicates that The Core was inside Cradle in the first place, why Cradle even existed, and why the Gremlins are there would be for the core's protection. Then Tinkizar, for whatever reason, turns on the Entity inside the core, and prevents it from leaving. This would also explain why all the monsters are hostile to us, as they would be there to stop us from reaching the core. So, the Core is good and Gremlins are evil. Not the other way around.
Sat, 02/16/2013 - 18:50
#19
the beeps and dha boopidty pudin blocks
Gotta agree with Mr.BEEP-BOOP block up der. This is a great and well detailed idea, BUT as a RP gremlin in game I go with the idea what ever the core is evil or at least not good. If it was something kind and caring wouldn't a group of gremlins (like the Crimson Order) would have been formed in an effort to REopen it? Wouldn't the Swarm and Shadow be attempting to open it or at least make their sides on this issue more clear? I honestly would like to see this going a bit backwards. Were we are about to open it but the Shadow, Swarm, and just about every mob and its Mother's Mother be trying to stop us. It would make more seance as it obviously isn't good and seems to be threatening to the things that live near it; that is why the lower or CLOSER mobs to the core are stronger, as the weaker ones were killed off by SOMETHING.
Sat, 02/16/2013 - 19:30
#20
Aye, that's what I think, too.
Anyway, immediately before a workout, I came up with some ideas for the Slime themed Core bosses.
SLIME: Doom Cube
(He likes to have a blast)
A Doom Cube is an enormous green glowing blast cube, slightly bigger than the Royal Jelly. He comes in by falling from the ceiling, and immediately proceeds to attack. Did I mention it contains radiation?
Before I list his attacks, I must point out that the Doom Cube CAN'T BE KILLED by normal means. Instead, he explodes after a set time. The trick? You have to get him to a low enough HP to weaken the blast. At his highest stage, anything in range is automatically killed; however, as he takes damage, he'll shrink, and his explosion will be reduced in power and radius. It can be reduced up to ten times, at which point the Doom Cube is reduced to the size of your everyday Ultra Blast Cube.
But enough on its death, let us talk of its life. Doom Cubes, of course, have all the attacks a Royal Jelly has, with the added effects of Poison and Fire as well as an explosive exponent (globs of goo explode and its other attacks create explosions). Nuclear radiation burns you AND poisons you, and it doesn't make you immune to non-melee attacks either. (That was a TF2 reference.) It can Rage from the get-go, too. And then there's its Jump Attack, where it leaps into the air, stays up for a few seconds, then lands where its shadow is, creating an explosion twice its size. It will target players, but it can hurt the Mining Box, so keep it away from said Box. And its Minis? They explode on contact with a Knight. Hope you brought a gun.
Once enough time has passed, after its current attack, the Doom Cube will start a 5-second countdown timer. You can shield bump it during this time, and it's recommended you do so to keep the Cube far away from the Mining Box. Then it'll finally explode, during which time it is recommended to be really far away from the Doom Cube!
Beware. The Doom Cube is a species.
SLIME: The Overlichen
(Yeah, okay, so this was originally Incoherrant's idea... but w/e)
This purple Lichen comes in from the path, taking up half the room. It's so big you can't see all of it, and it's covered in spikes! Fitting for the most powerful Lichen on Cradle.
The Overlichen will immediately begin by summoning minions. Four lit Toxoils, two Silver Polyps, two Polar Polyps, and two Giant Lichen Colonies will be the most immediate threat. Aside from that, the Overlichen will lend them support by shooting spikes and Thorn Roots at you. The Spikes of the Overlichen are capable of causing Shock, while his Thorn Roots will freeze you. And the Overlichen can tense up, then release a knockback wave that pushes Knights away and break Freeze effects on his minions.
Attacking the Overlichen will cause him to release various Lichens and Polyps, so it's recommended you kill the Lichens already active. As you attack the Overlichen, he'll move backward.
As you damage the Overlichen, he'll get new abilities. At 75% health, the Overlichen will begin moving vials through his body from who knows where, then throwing them at you during his normal attack chain. Every Vial except the Sleep Vial can appear, even the Curse Vial. At 50% health, the Overlichen spits slime all over the field that gives you MSD: Medium while you're in it; this persists for the entire Overlichen fight. And at 33% health, the Overlichen flings CLUSTER spikes; the Spikes and Thorn Roots fire out two more spikes in perpendicular directions at the end of their life, making the field especially dangerous!
Once the Overlichen is damaged sufficiently, he'll retreat in shame, leaving you to deal with his remaining minions. He will be back.
Sat, 02/16/2013 - 19:47
#21
Now Mr. Beep-Boop
@Klipik
Oh wow. Can't believe I forgot that bit. D:
Though, now that you reminded me about it, it just makes me more curious about the truth of the Core and the Gremlins' true goal. Pure destruction can't be it, even if they are instinctually inclined to cause it. Tinkinzar is definitely affected by the Swarm in some way, but did he create it and why would his followers still listen to him if it contaminated him so? Or are the Gremlins' and the Crimson Order purpose more tragic and they're trying to seal the Swarm and their king away while trying to find a cure (that ancient generator thing again)?
And then there's that "prison" phrase again. Why are the Gremlin's trying to keep the Core in? Are they being ridiculously greedy and harvesting the power for themselves? But we haven't seen any single Gremlin creation that needs that much energy... unless you count the entirety of the Clockworks itself. So when we harness the power of the Core, what happens to the rest of Cradle? Or are the Clockworks self-sufficient? If so, what in Vog's name are the Gremlins building down there that needs that much power?!
Then there's the whole "dreaming" thing. Could the worlds the Core has called be figments of its imagination? Is the Swarm its fears and nightmares given form? And most worrying of all... ARE WE FIGMENTS OF ITS IMAGINATION? CALLED TO THE SLEEPING CHILD'S CRADLE TO SAVE IT FROM ITS NIGHTMARE IN THE FORM OF SHINING KNIGHTS FROM THE STARS?!?! /Zopyros' head explodes
Questions, questions, and more questions, but no answers...
@Waffleconecake
As I said above, maybe the Crimson Order's main goal is to harness the Core's power like we want to? But then again, why is the Core so accepting of our efforts and not the Gremlins? Are the Gremlins really that bad? And if Tinkinzar is the "Architect" and built the Core's exterior, are they trying to get into the Core? Won't they already have access to it somehow?
Well the mobs getting stronger could be explained as the Core's added need for security from the Gremlins, where it tries to beef up the monsters protecting it, but this causes the Gremlins and the Constructs made by them to only increase in power as well in an arms race. Or it could be more sensible that those parts of the Clockworks are by far the oldest and the strong monsters there culled out the weaker ones. Also the Core is a powerful mysterious energy, who's to say it doesn't cause mutations the closer to it you get? Makes me worry about poor Vaelyn and the Alpha Squad though...
As for the Swarm's main goal, it is definitely more malevolent than the Core is at the moment. Why is debatable, but I just hope that OOO doesn't default to "it's dark and shadow, therefore it's evil" method of explaining it. There can be good shadow and dark, so I'd wish they stop treating so much of the shadow weapons, creatures, and the like as inherently evil.
Plus, we're still not 100% sure the Swarm and Tinkinzar are directly related, especially since we face Swarm infected Gremlins in the Unknown Passages. Maybe the Gremlins are fighting to quarantine it and keep everyone out at the same time?
Then again, maybe the Core itself knows how dangerous it is around other creatures and that's why it seals itself away. Faced with watching the Alpha Squad die right in front of it, it's not hard to figure that the Core would try to save them despite the risks involved with doing so. Now it gets even more worrisome for the Alpha Squad since if the Core itself knows it's dangerous, what's going to happen to them?
Haha, I could go on forever making speculations! /Zopyros laughs
@Doctorspacebar
Interesting boss ideas!
Though I wouldn't worry about a Construct themed big baddie, since we may be getting one soon...
Sat, 02/16/2013 - 19:54
#22
@Waffle
"seance" -.-
If you RP as a gremlin, then I would assume you were part of the Emberlight tribe, because you're obviously not serving in the Gremlin Army. And if you don't believe in Tinkizar's twisted mission, wouldn't that mean you thought the core was good? And don't forget, Tinkizar "the architect" has apparently "betrayed the pact", turning Cradle into the Core's "prison" and "a game of that [that] now devours all who enter". Most likely, the Core contains an object of immense power and Tinkizar, being assigned to guard it, got greedy somewhere along the way and wanted it for himself. Also, the stronger monsters being placed nearer to the core is easily explained by Cradle's role in it's protection - put the strongest guardians nearest to the thing that needs protection. And it has been said that our weapons deal more damage as we get nearer to the core because the core is powering them, so that could also apply to monsters and explain it in a third way.
Sun, 02/17/2013 - 11:37
#23
I don't know that you can even "roleplay as a gremlin" in spiral knights... you're pretty much objectively a knight. You can't just like... buy OCH, go solo, backstab Feron and join Tinkinzaar.
The boss ideas for the slimes and constructs are great, I would certainly enjoy fighting them, but then I would enjoy fighting anything but another player. I like the idea of newish things though, kind of like we had in GitM. A giant blast cube would still be welcomed by myself, but would still be a bit eh with the other bosses, like the roarmulus twins and the jelly king. Those are just large normal enemies, not that there is anything wrong with that, of course, but I like the 'different bosses' better.
Mentus Malice would be my favorite though, reminds me of an old PSO boss.
Mon, 02/18/2013 - 22:31
#24
Thanks for the input!
I'll add some more.
FIEND: Lumbe'gh
(President of the Undercorp disInformation Technology Department)
Obviously there was going to be a Devilite boss attacking you, but you probably expected something huge and deformed with glasses and a suitcase. Nope. This nasty little jerk has small glasses, glowing red eyes, a PDA in one hand, a business suit, and a black cape with the Fiend logo on it, but otherwise he's pretty scrawny. He has various electronic office equipment floating around him. Rumor has it that Lumbe'gh, when he's not using his vile hacking powers to steal credit cards, acquit serial killers, and send Tier 1 Knights into Tier 3, likes to while away the hours griefing people on video games and spamming message boards.
Lumbe'gh has multiple different weapons that must be destroyed. Destroying a weapon prevents Lumbe'gh from using its attack, but powers up the other attacks! Lumbe'gh's weapons are as follows.
-The Printer creates Devilite runes on the ground, creating an Overtimer spawn pad of each status variant until the rune is destroyed. To destroy a rune, hit the glowing orb in the center. More powerful Runes will respawn the Overtimers faster.
-The Mini-Fridge summons a spread of nine cursed pastries that will cause a lethal combination of Curse and Freeze on hit. As Lumbe'gh loses weapons, the Mini-Fridge gains a larger spread and even extra layers to the spread.
-The Computer will turn the room into an arcade game screen showing a Galaga-like screen. It will then show Galaxian-esque enemies heading from the upper portion of the room to the lower portion. Touching one will cause it to explode, causing damage and Stun. As Lumbe'gh loses weapons, more enemies come, eventually including the dreaded Super Boss, which is easily recognized as dangerous; it causes a little more damage than the regular enemies, Stun, Shock, Fire, Poison, and Curse.
-The Microwave charges up power for a few seconds, then unleashes a giant Poison/Fire blast. As Lumbe'gh loses weapons, the Microwave charges slightly faster and hits a larger area.
-The Garbage Can isn't electronic, but Lumbe'gh took it anyway. It hurls a rain of exploding garbage on Knights, much like a Roarmulus Twin missile storm. As Lumbe'gh loses weapons, it shoots more garbage.
-The Mouse is swung back and forth like a whip at the nearest target. It causes Shock, has a respectable arc, and hits many times. As Lumbe'gh loses weapons, the Mouse's amount of swings, swing speed, and chance of Shock all increase. Up to eight swings will happen in one attack.
When Lumbe'gh loses all his weapons, he'll shake his fist at you and teleport out of the area in a swirling electrical vortex. Beware; this final move is like, well, an Electron Vortex, except with much more damage.
(The name Lumbe'gh was actually based on Bill Lumbergh, the antagonist of Office Space. Lumbergh wasn't as bad as Lumbe'gh, but he was a jerk.)
FIEND: Cirrkee
(Freakin' parasites!)
Cirrkee doesn't really fight you much directly. Instead, she turns a knight into a puppet and attacks you! Cirrkee herself is a slightly larger Silkwing with a swarm aura, black eyes, longer antennae, and longer legs, which are normally on a Knight's head. The Knight can be in any different kind of armor; this has no bearing on the battle, as the Knight is technically invulnerable; he or she will carry a shield like Arkus's shield.
The Knight and Cirrkee attack independently of each other. The Knight has four weapons. One is a Gran Faust, which the Knight will swing like an Acheron. The Knight can also opt to Charge Attack, creating a massive arc, and three cursed Sword Beams, without any negative effect. The second is an Umbra Driver, which the Knight can fire as many times as a Sentenza, with a bit of warning. Alternatively, the Knight can charge up, then fire an Umbra Driver charge shot with two more bullets that come out the sides; each bullet from this attack bounces two extra times. The third weapon is a Dread Venom Striker charge attack with added Shock and five MORE swings; the Knight can move and turn freely during this ten-swing killing spree and, once hitting one target, will hit again and then rush the next target. The final attack is a Dark Retribution bomb; this is laid down with very little charging, and acts differently. It will make four slow-moving rows of orbs, but the orbs hit much harder.
Cirrkee herself can fire a spread of five bullets, or charge up a fast Curse bullet much like a Phantom's. She can also lash with her antennae, causing Shadow damage and Fire. Alternatively, she can heal the Knight or focus energy to boost his or her attack power. At 50% HP, she can call on four Greavers if she's in danger.
Cirrkee has a massive HP pool. The Knight does not. However, Cirrkee can't be hit while she's on the Knight's head. How do you hit Cirrkee, then? Simple: you knock out that Knight. Hitting the Knight is tricky, but if you knock him out, Cirrkee will be nearly defenseless while she heals the Knight. Beware, though; she'll knock you away with her Antennae or a Knockback Pulse move to heal the Knight, and will gladly call in four Greavers and 50% health and under.
Once Cirrkee is damaged sufficiently, she'll screech and fly away, while the Knight collects himself or herself, thanks you, and exits by way of an elevator. Now don't you feel good knowing you saved that Knight's life?
Whew! That was a lot. I should be in bed right now!
Tue, 02/19/2013 - 00:54
#25
OMG I love Office Space! It'd be great to keep with that theme! I'd rather he be a T3 boss, but he could fit here too.... I was kind of thinking that the Alpha Squad would be the fiend boss for this... as they'd be half trojan half knight- they should be relatively strong, being the alpha squad and all... but there is obviously room for something else, as the Alpha Squad could still be alive, and might be required for something else.
Who knows? Maybe someday we'll even be able to join the alpha squad when we have 100K prestige or something.
Cirrkee sounds awesome though... reminds me of the silkwing atop a fallen trojan that I built in Minecraft that one time. I've been hoping for silkwing variations for some time now.
Tue, 02/19/2013 - 07:46
#26
@ Zophy
Alright, i liked your post so now for my response.
To the part of Grizwald being the architect who made it the idea of having a way in or out or even to open it would go agents the reason it was made as it is a prison. I think what ever is in the core is some sort of living energy that was floating about the universe and then found the Clock Work and tried to take over. The gremlins barely managed to contain it and would have failed if not for the Shadow, a different living energy that is notably younger but agreed to consume the radiated energy being created by the Core in attempt to escape the prison by destroying it from the inside out. The Swarm I bleave is a third Living energy organically created by the Shadow to help it contain the Core's energy levels but in the creation process was altered by the Core causing it to be a bit more.... trouble some. Kinda like a 5 year old, it will do as its father tells it to do most of them time but every now and then it has a temper tantrum. (and that is why there are swarm seeds.)
Wed, 02/20/2013 - 06:00
#27
+90000000000000000000, and even more 0's behind the 9
You sir, opened my mind about the core. As thanks, I will also say something:
My theory
You know the touchy touchy blue glowing bottle-like thing we stole from Razwog at the Rescue Camp, right? The one that Rhendon stupidly gave to Razwog? Well, I believe this "artifact" was the key to the core. Razwog might have been trying to destroy it with the devices seen in his test room (BATTLEPOD, 2 multi-monitor computers, and the power from the ancient generator) to stop the knights (already in Haven: Kora, Oslo, etc.) from entering the core again.
Why did I say again?
The Alpha Squad was the first one to enter the core, with the help of the "key" or otherwise. They were heavily damaged in the battle with the swarm right before entering the core, defending it in process. The core, or the entity, thought they were doing this because they were the opposite of evil, so it let them into the Core to possibly reward them for defending it, and so it could cure Rulen before he became the first Swarm knight... at the cost of being locked until anyone or anything else decides to open it. Maybe the Core doesn't require just a key to open, but your soul needs to be truly good.. You get the story. I have no idea how to say it.
My idea
You know the little entity in the sanctuary that gave you the echo stone, right? Well, I think each instance of Sanctuary is a prison for each part the entity. The Rabid Snarbolaxes are the guards of the first one, Darkfire Vanaduke of the last prison. However, this part of entity is holding back the swarm coming from outside of the prison, so they can't escape. Maybe the gear from the Alchemy Machine, like the first Echo Stone suggests, will protect the Knights (the best?) in the final battle, for the lives of the Alpha Squad, for the energy of the Core, and for the chance to ever return to Isora.
As I said above, each Sanctuary is a prison. In that prison lies a part of the entity. The entity isn't the one who as Feron/Vaelyn said, watching our every move, that's the Core's entity, to help us help it and to protect us. It knows we want to harvest it's powers.. but look at the Core's size. Maybe a small battery of power, about same size as the Artifact from the Rescue Camp, would be enough to run the Skylark for as long as needed to return to Isora?
Maybe those "Murai" Kora was talking about, maybe they created Cradle and the Clockworks? (No, the Gremlins didn't create the Clockworks. They were brought to Cradle by an unknown entity like one of the Strangers said.)
Wait, I just mentioned strangers. They are robots! Just hear their click-clicky-click talk sounds and their robotical eyes. That's why they don't want to show us their body. They send information to the Core! Nick, I guess I found your secret we see daily. Confirm it.
But there's one minor thing remaining.. why are the Snipes so attached to the strangers? Maybe they feel the core's love in them? Or are their clothes made out of bird seed?
Additional
Your mining box reminds me of the game Dwarfs?! where you have to mine away from the house, aka the centre of the screen. lol.
Sun, 08/11/2013 - 12:00
#28
Two words:
Tier. 4.
Sorry if
Two words:
Tier. 4.
Sorry if I blew your mind.
Sun, 08/11/2013 - 13:35
#29
Considering your two words mean basically nothing and contribute to this discussion in no discernable way, my mind is most definitely intact and fully functional.
btw, thanks for reviving this thread. It's a good idea.
Sun, 08/11/2013 - 14:44
#30
Pistol is best weapon in TF2
Hmm. I guess it's time for some more bosses!
GREMLIN: Vinn'Zi, Silent as Death
(Head of the Ghostmane Clan)
Completely separate from the Crimson Order, Vinn'Zi, the head of the Ghostmane clan, is just as menacing as they are, if not more so. It's said Vanaduke himself fears this hateful creature! Vinn'Zi is a Gremlin that's slightly larger than a Darkfang Thwacker, dressed in Ghostmane Stalker's garb, with a slit in his hood to reveal glowing red eyes. His battle music is a slowed-down, more dissonant version of Creepy Battle.
Vinn'Zi's strategy revolves mostly around stealth; like other Stalkers, he'll remain invisible between attacks for one to ten seconds. His cloak has a 1.5x longer pulse time, but a somewhat larger radius, and it instantly Deathmarks! His basic attack is a saw strike, starting almost immediately from stealth and happening quickly, that deals out nasty Normal Damage. Another attack, Flash Blades, causes blades to be thrown at Vinn'Zi's target from at least six different positions; a small flash will indicate a saw blade's about to fly from there. As he takes damage, the number of blades increases, and the throws will be staggered a little to catch people who dash at the wrong time. Immediately after Flash Blades, Vinn'Zi will be visible for two thirds of a second.
Vinn'Zi is a Ghostmane Stalker, and his cloak will break after enough successful hits. Once he's visible, he'll dodge like a maniac, throwing blades three at a time in an attempt to keep Knights away while he runs around. Vinn'Zi will avoid bombs, which can be used to his detriment if your teammates are aware. However, be warned- after five seconds Vinn'Zi will be ready to cloak again!
At three-fourths of his health, Vinn'Zi will get a new attack: Razor Spread. Whether he's cloaked or not (if he is cloaked, this'll show him during the attack and about one second before it fires) Vinn'Zi can throw saw blades in sixteen directions.
At half health, Vinn'Zi also gets Ghost Clones, which appear when his cloak is broken and fight just like him until it refills; their HP is one at first, but later battles increase the HP.
Another new attack at half health, Voltaic Assassination, has deadly potential. Vinn'Zi will show up behind his hapless target, and after a second's wind-up time, will cause Strong Shock in front of him and then immediately pull out a rotating saw that gets around 20 hits. If you don't move away or shield, you'll get shocked, which removes your invincibility frames, allowing Vinn'Zi to get up to 20 successful hits on you. Even in the first fight, the only thing that'll survive a successful Voltaic Assassination is a knight in Plate Armor that's not Marked.
At one-fourth of his health, Vinn'Zi will drop haze bombs before or after attacks, almost offhandedly. These bombs can cause Shock, Fire, Stun, or in the third battle and on, CURSE.
Upon defeat, Vinn'Zi will appear on top of the mining box, point at the Knights as if vowing revenge, and vanish. He'll be back. And he'll be coming for you.
GREMLIN: Entropy, the Secret Weapon
(He's nuts!)
Entropy is an experiment gone horribly right; while recognizable as a gremlin, this giant has tinted red fur, ridiculously sharp teeth almost always shaped into a grin, a body size slightly bigger than a Gremlin Incinerator, extended glowing claws that have long since poked through the fingers of a pair of metal gauntlets, and eyes that seem to say, "I'm insane and murderous, wonder how you taste?" His armor suit looks like a Gremlin Thwacker's, but he doesn't have a shield. Did I mention the Gremlins that made him into a deformed monster wanted him that way? Or that he gets his kicks from killing his victims? I should have pointed that out earlier.
Entropy's battle style, like Vinn'Zi's, is fast. However, where Vinn'Zi focused on striking suddenly from stealth and making you soil your pants, Entropy's style is insanely feral, focused on so quickly tearing you limb from limb that you soil your pants anyway. His main attack is a claw lunge that deals heavy Normal/Elemental damage and Fire; this attack works like a Kat's bite, but faster and with a larger arc. Then there's Whirlwind Attack, which is like the Thwacker's Spin Attack, but stronger, and after the first spin, Entropy moves a little and spins again.
And he can leap, too. When Entropy leaps, he generally aims to latch onto a Knight's head WITH HIS TEETH, where he then proceeds to claw the Knight repeatedly until the Knight dies or he takes damage. It's like the old Zombie leap on psycho serum. And did I mention that, in place of a shield, Entropy will eat bullets and spit them back out in the form of A HUGE FREAKING CONE OF FIRE BREATH? Yeah. He's completely nuts. If you want to shoot him, shoot him from behind, or in mid-attack.
Then there's the matter of his adds. At the beginning, the only thing coming with Entropy are a few Gremlin Knockers of random damage types. Entropy can pick one up and hurl him at a Knight; the Knocker engages his super attack mid-toss, causing extra damage, before landing and continuing to do his thing. At three fourths of Entropy's health, the Knockers are joined by two Demos, who will gladly donate bombs for Entropy's Fire Breath, and at half health, two Thwackers show up.
At half health, Entropy also gains the ability to roar, causing Stun in a massive radius. And at one-quarter health, in addition to getting a Mender as an add, Entropy's roar can boost attack power and his Whirlwind Attack does four spins in the same amount of time it took to do two spins.
After Entropy's health hits zero, he stumbles to the ground, and a glowing Gremlin symbol appears under his feet, teleporting him out of the arena. As he warps out, he growls at you menacingly, because he's coming back, and next time he'll try to eat you alive.
Sun, 08/11/2013 - 15:43
#31
That's not really an
That's not really an expansion, it's just ending the game...
Sun, 08/11/2013 - 23:29
#32
i just thought it'll be cool
i just thought it'll be cool if we got the ship running and we can go back to Isora but we can still stay in Cradle if we want.we can just come and go.in Isora,there will be more dungeons and the enemies are different than the enemies in Cradle.just an opinion.no need to lash out. peace Knights. :D
Tue, 11/05/2013 - 14:59
#33
Sorry for -kinda necroing...
What if we get the Sky-l-ARK( yes, it's an ark, duh) running and get to Isora only to find out that there has been established a resistance and the crews of the rest of the Arks have succesfully made colonies and are trying to liberate Isora?
Tue, 11/05/2013 - 18:59
#34
Inside the core is the
Inside the core is the sanctuary
/laugh
Sat, 03/22/2014 - 02:07
#35
gods ain't gonna help you, son.
datbackfliptho: man, game plot ends with us leaving the planet, there's nothing left to do with cradle, so we might as well start another game.
senseiwarrior: please look at the background of the sanctuary before talking.
EDIT:
1 hey, remove-the-forge is here! since he couldn't have that name before the BS update, that's surely an alt on the same account. too bad I'm too lazy to search out for him.
2 hello future me.
Wed, 03/19/2014 - 11:50
#36
If we did get to Isora and have to fight, we'd have to have an entirely new set of content added to the game, and it'd be messy making it and it wouldn't mix in with the old content... it'd be quite time consuming. So if they put Isora in, I'd hope it would be a peaceful kind of thing that didn't completely kill the game.
BUMP + EDIT:
I still think this was a good idea, and would like to re-suggest it so to speak.
Wed, 03/19/2014 - 15:39
#37
+1
I wonder why I've never seen this thread before.
Fri, 03/21/2014 - 12:20
#38
+1
Yay!
Fri, 03/21/2014 - 16:08
#39
+1
Yeah, I'd love something like that, grinding at FSC is good and all but it's soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo boring after the first hundred or so...
New boss? That'd be epic.
Alpha Squad? Maybe we find them in the core just frozen in time or something. We can't do anything to them in this during this mini game but we just see them floating inside the core unconscious. And maybe there could be another mission where we report what we saw during our time in the core. Idk, maybe.
I hope this gets added into the game some day :D
Fri, 03/21/2014 - 21:01
#40
+9001
this is by far the best thread i have read in ages
Sat, 03/22/2014 - 02:05
#41
gods ain't gonna help you, son.
I still would like to make the survival mode entierly random instead of binding it to minerals. I know that we need a use for them, but maybe a activation fee in minerals would be great.
and now there is a new problem arising, sparks. they are way cheaper than the old reviving system, so the fight could go on for some time only using sparks and their stun wave/ attack boost.
Sat, 03/22/2014 - 14:54
#42
Survival mode go!
Seeing as we have AI knights of various kinds now, what if we enter the core, and alpha squad has been fighting wave upon wave of enemies all this time. Players fight alongside the alpha squad, and if they die and quit they won't get heat or tokens. When parties are ready to leave there is an escape elevator in a safe location. If individual players want to leave, then there's a secondary elevator for that too so that they get heat and tokens. Full party leaves give bonus tokens to encourage team play, but individuals can meet their limit too. The swarm infected alpha squad member will be near the elevator, and trade you wares for the tokens. They also are in a quick cutscene when players leave, a different one plays when parties leave.
Also, you can only access the terminal from the core in the arcade. A single fight may go on for hours with different players swapping out, but if an entire team leaves or is wiped out, then that round is over. The original party might not even be there anymore, but the fight went on.
Also, elite + this = yes please. It would be awesome if we could buy rarities with these tokens thus it acts like an artificial treasure box.
Sat, 03/22/2014 - 16:10
#43
I liked the idea of making it themed some which way such that it wasn't always the same thing over and over, so as to keep the minigame fresh for longer.
Really, I'd like multiple themes. Like 3 themes. Shock + fire + construct, or Wolvers + construct + fiends.
/e claps
Best suggestion for the core I've seen. +infinity