zex20913
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1723
Registered: 02-04-2003
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Based roughly off of "Rat" by noman, I have come up with "Mutant Rat". Original, huh?

This monster, as the rat, likes walls. Actually, it LOVES walls. It loves them so much that if it leaves a wall's side, it dies of heartbreak in an explosion of blood. Fortunately for the monster, it practices polygamy and can be next to any color wall, be it yellow, normal, crumbly, green, blue, or red, or new ones to be later put in. (Orbs would also be considered walls, as sometimes that is tough to avoid) It can, however, due to peer pressure from the other monsters in the dungeon/tower/whatever, take one step away from the wall to kill Beethro, but only to kill Beethro. Additionally, in keeping with the style of the "Rat" movement, the Mutant Rat will begin moving clockwise, and every 30 turns switch to the other direction.

"Well", you may say, "that sounds easy enough!"

Ah, so it is. BUT! the sword can not touch the Mutant Rat. After all, it is a mutant. Basically, the only way to kill it is to open a yellow door while it's in the wrong place at the wrong time for it, or to step off of the final trapdoor at the proper moment, or to bust up some crumblies.

One problem I see with this monster is that it would be hard to kill in large groups, and therefore it may be tough to make a level based on it.

Another idea I had for this is to make it think monsters and/or tar are also walls. This would certainly make it easier to kill in large numbers, but I thought it would be almost trivial in small numbers.

Comments? Questions? Discoveries? Life Stories?

[Edited by zex20913 on 07-24-2003 at 02:36 AM GMT: every 30 moves...]

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Sokko
Level: Smiter

Rank Points: 336
Registered: 02-25-2003
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I like the idea. You're cornered in a dead end and a million rats are coming after you, then you hit the orb and BOING! they're all dead. Would be especially satisfying with toggle doors, since after killing one you can reset the trap for the next.


One question: What happens if the creature is one square away from a wall, but is not currently touching a wall? I think it should snag the next wall and continue onward in the direction it was going. After all, you said that it's possible for it to leave the wall for a second to kill Beethro, so wouldn't it also go for a wall if it was about to die?

Actually, I have two questions. The second one is: How does the monster go around corners? Does it step diagonally so it's always hugging the wall, or does being diagonal to the wall count as being next to it? This would affect the previous question, because I was envisioning this situation:

     -B
CCCCC CCCCC
      R

Beethro has just destroyed a crumbly wall, and is waiting for
the rat to step into his (badly designed) trap. The rat can do
one of three things:

     -B
CCCCCRCCCCC

He can corner the wall using diagonals. (look out, Beethro!)

     -B
CCCCC CCCCC
     R

     -B
CCCCCRCCCCC

He can corner the wall without using diagonals. This would mean
that being diagonal to a wall counts as being against it.

     -B
CCCCC CCCCC
     R

     -B
CCCCC CCCCC
    R

This would go along with the suggestion for behavior I made in 
the first question; being diagonal to a wall counts as being 
away from a wall, and it can survive for one turn without being 
next to a wall.

So, which is it?

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How many boards would the Mongols hoard if the Mongol hordes got bored?

zex20913
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1723
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

Hmm...I think it would have to be...being diagonal from a wall is not being next to a wall. So, yes, around corners it would step diagonally. But, the only way it can be away from a wall is a direct kill on Beethro. So, in your scheme, if Beethro had waited...

     -B
WWWWWCWWWWWW
      R

(C is the crumbly wall you're talking about.)

     -B
WWWWWCWWWWWW
     R

      B
WWWWW/WWWWWW
     DEAD MUTANT RAT

That's what would happen.

So, this makes them easier to kill, but it takes something away too.

Additionally, if its direction changes while in a situation like...

  rrr  
WWWWWRWWWWWW
      aaa

It would go to the other wall. (r is previous locations, R is current. a=after direction change.)

This only has the opportunity to occur once though.

And, in thinking about narrow passages, I think that the Mutant Rat, when going counter-clockwise, follows the wall nearest it's front, turning left. Clockwise is to the right.

[Edited by zex20913 on 07-26-2003 at 02:08 PM GMT: code tags.]

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Sokko
Level: Smiter

Rank Points: 336
Registered: 02-25-2003
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Err... could you put that in code tags? It's freakishly formatted otherwise.

____________________________
How many boards would the Mongols hoard if the Mongol hordes got bored?

zex20913
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1723
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

Code tags implemented. Sorry, didn't know about them.

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