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Spike Traps and game design

12 replies [Last post]
Wed, 02/20/2013 - 14:21
Whimsicality's picture
Whimsicality

Say, you just walked through a spike trap. But wait, it stunned you? Don't spikes normally damage you?

Well, how are you supposed to tell the difference between the spikes that hurt, and the spikes that stun? Simple. It's called 'good game design'. You see, a game should teach you to differentiate between different hazards visually. Not through running through it blindly and leaving it to chance.

We don't need no MEGA MAN, MEGA MAN! THOSE SPIKES DON'T DEAL DAMAGE, BUT THEY SLOW YOU DOWN! No we don't need that junk. By giving some sort of visual indicator that, 'Hey, these look odd! They must do something different!', it will be a minor change that can improve 'game feel'.

Give the Stun Spikes some sort of visual indicator that they inflict Stun, and not damage. Give them a golden colour, or have stars on the tiles.

It isn't a big change, it's as simple as dragging the colourize tool over the current spike texture. But it's the little things that just make a game feel more consistent and more polished. Tiny little things that could likely take no more than ten minutes could mean the world.

While we're at it, it wouldn't hurt use the Stun spikes a little more often, yeah?

Wed, 02/20/2013 - 14:27
#1
Thunder-The-Bright's picture
Thunder-The-Bright
just to say

stunning spikes are only in LD. that said, all spikes in LD stun. there is no need for this. all spikes in LD stun and deal damage. all spikes in clockworks deal only damage.

Wed, 02/20/2013 - 14:31
#2
Aureate's picture
Aureate

I think there did use to be poison spikes once upon a time, which were greenish brown or something to differentiate those from standard spikes.
Personally I don't think that the floor stunning traps should be spikes at all. They look weird when you compare them to all the other floor traps that inflict a status, which have grids or vents. Personally, I feel as if Stun should be a yellow gas vent, but then that's just my opinion, and golden spikes would at least be an improvement on what we've got now.

+ 1

Wed, 02/20/2013 - 14:32
#3
Klipik's picture
Klipik
all spikes in LD?

The spikes on Downtown stun. The spikes on Gardens deal damage. Neither map's spikes do both.

Wed, 02/20/2013 - 14:34
#4
Whimsicality's picture
Whimsicality
3

@Thunder:

There have been instances proving otherwise.

Wed, 02/20/2013 - 14:39
#5
Aureate's picture
Aureate
Wait, those weren't actual normal spikes?!!

And to think I spent all my time avoiding the dang things...

Wed, 02/20/2013 - 14:41
#6
Whimsicality's picture
Whimsicality
3

I myself ran through them seeing that the damage I'd take from the spikes would be minimal compared to being cursed with negative curse resist

I wound up cursed and stunned.

Wed, 02/20/2013 - 15:16
#7
Thunder-The-Bright's picture
Thunder-The-Bright
note

please note that those were spikes made on a special (event) stage. I didn't even know. otherwise, I have never encountered them in normal clockworks levels.

Wed, 02/20/2013 - 15:50
#8
Whimsicality's picture
Whimsicality
Still no reason not to make

Still no reason not to make the distinction.

Wed, 02/20/2013 - 17:42
#9
Zeddy's picture
Zeddy
@Thunder-The-Bright

The spikes in gardens deal damage, the spikes in downtown do stun. There is no way to tell this without just walking across them.

Thu, 02/21/2013 - 06:09
#10
Koffin-Kat's picture
Koffin-Kat
Spikes? Let's jump on 'em!

"Not through running through it blindly and leaving it to chance. "

You shouldn't be "running blindly" into ANY kind of trap in the first place :P

Fri, 02/22/2013 - 15:33
#11
Shamanalah's picture
Shamanalah
my 2 cents

stunning spikes are only in LD.

And BN...

But yeah +1 on traps diversity!

Edit: MEGA MAN, MEGA MAN! THOSE SPIKES DON'T DEAL DAMAGE, BUT THEY SLOW YOU DOWN!

Now thinking about it, doesn't Mega Man spikes kill you one shot? I know in Megaman X series it does kill one shot...

Why not make Sonic like spikes? Deal normal dmg and always right a the good spot :D

Fri, 02/22/2013 - 05:55
#12
Mr-Ostrich
Egoraptor Reference Detected!

"We don't need no MEGA MAN, MEGA MAN! THOSE SPIKES DON'T DEAL DAMAGE, BUT THEY SLOW YOU DOWN!"
I found your Egoraptor reference.

Also, I agree with Koffin-Kat, because you really shouldn't be jumping onto spikes in the first place.

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