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IDProjectCategoryLast Update
0007913Valley 1Gameplay IdeaMay 21, 2012 8:14 am
ReporterBluddy Assigned To 
Status consideringResolutionopen 
Product Version1.022 
Summary0007913: Objects inside
DescriptionJust got to play with the sieze spell, and it's cool, but it feels like there's some wasted potential there. It's so cool to suddenly have this object in the background actually do something...

Some objects should really be there in the foreground, much like crates. I'm thinking of closets and tables and such. They present opportunities to change the rooms in random ways, via the random placement of objects. They also give you opportunities for object interactions that don't require spells that hit background objects.

In fact, it might make sense for all spells to hit background objects indoors (in buildings). The idea is that indoors, there isn't space for stray shots to fire without hitting stuff. Why is this so important?

Because you want stuff to happen as you're shooting up the place. One of the coolest effects is to shoot up a house while trying to hit the monsters. You fire a lightning bolt -- it zaps the ceiling and the lamp blows up. You fire a fireball and it hits a closet, setting it on fire. Intense magic fights taking place inside SHOULD feel like you're demolishing the place.

So what I'm thinking of is this: big objects that can block your way/be stood upon should be completely in the foreground. You can jump on them and destroy them. Other objects like pictures, lamps, clocks etc are in the background ie you walk past them, but when you fire, it hits them as well.

Outside is a different story, simply because you don't want the whole forest to burn down as you're fighting the monsters. Or do you? Anyway, I really want the inside fights to feel like I'm destroying the place, and if the different objects can have different effects, then aiming for specific objects also becomes strategic.
TagsNo tags attached.
Internal WeightFeature Suggestion

Activities

Chris_McElligottPark

May 18, 2012 3:23 pm

administrator   ~0024457

We did that in the past with spells hitting hanging lights in buildings -- I thought it would be cool also. I was evidently in the minority, as that feature was widely hated. With time, I got kind of annoyed with it also.

Bluddy

May 18, 2012 3:25 pm

reporter   ~0024458

How did I miss that phase? Why was the feature hated? Is there a discussion somewhere? Maybe there weren't enough sources of light back then? There definitely weren't many objects.

Chris_McElligottPark

May 18, 2012 3:29 pm

administrator   ~0024459

Hmmm... I'm not sure when that was, but it was sometime after September. You could search the release notes for "hanging" or something and would probably find the timeframe.

The hanging lights are everywhere, and they used to block spells but nothing else. That meant that you could hide behind those as cover, but so could enemies. I forget the exact complaints, but there were lots of them and loud -- I'm sure still in the forums as we never delete anything.

Bluddy

May 18, 2012 3:35 pm

reporter   ~0024460

Ok so (not having looked up yet) I would say that lights are probably not a good idea for something that blocks spells. They don't present themselves as being strategic objects and players would see them as being 'cheap'.

Instead, I'd say they should be the type of object that stays in the background, but can get blown up by a spell ie. they'd slowly take damage from a spell but they would also let the spell through. The effect being that as you throw spells at a monster, you'll suddenly realize that you blew out the lights. In this case there's no other effect (unless there should ever be monsters with poor eyesight), but it's something that makes you go "cool!". The same would apply to anything on the walls or any other minor objects.

Bluddy

May 18, 2012 3:36 pm

reporter   ~0024461

Oh except other objects could actually do things, like if a painting gets hit (without being vaporized first) it'll fall and hit anything below it.

Bluddy

May 20, 2012 2:36 pm

reporter   ~0024510

Another illustration of this concept is with the barrels in junkyards. Killing robots with explosive barrels is tremendously rewarding, and one of the most fun things to do in the game. But I'd really like for the main attack spells to be able to do this as well. Clearly you can't have any objects that you bump into outside -- it would completely mess up storm dash. But the behavior I'd expect from barrels is that they would block shots (for some really risky temporary cover) and get hit by regular shots until they explode. There would also need to be far fewer barrels if regular shots can hit them, and I think that's fine -- currently it feels like there are too many of them in the junkyards, so their novelty quickly wears off. I'd like them to be dispersed into small batches (for chain reactions, which are terrific).

Issue History

Date Modified Username Field Change
May 18, 2012 3:22 pm Bluddy New Issue
May 18, 2012 3:23 pm Chris_McElligottPark Note Added: 0024457
May 18, 2012 3:25 pm Bluddy Note Added: 0024458
May 18, 2012 3:29 pm Chris_McElligottPark Note Added: 0024459
May 18, 2012 3:35 pm Bluddy Note Added: 0024460
May 18, 2012 3:36 pm Bluddy Note Added: 0024461
May 20, 2012 2:36 pm Bluddy Note Added: 0024510
May 21, 2012 8:14 am tigersfan Internal Weight => Feature Suggestion
May 21, 2012 8:14 am tigersfan Status new => considering
Apr 14, 2014 9:30 am Chris_McElligottPark Category Suggestion - Gameplay => Gameplay Idea