Oneiromancer
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2936
Registered: 03-29-2003
IP: Logged

As any miner or caver will tell you, sometimes packets of deadly gas can get trapped underground. For the purpose of this game, poisonous gas is completely deadly to all creatures in DROD that breathe air, including Beethro. The only way to get rid of it is to cause it to disperse enough so that it is no longer deadly. This occurs when the gas covers a number of squares equal to three times its original area (this number is negotiable).

An example puzzle would have the gas confined to a small room, say, 3x3. Thus, 9 squares are covered. Beethro hits an orb to open the door to this room. The gas seeps out as tar, except that is expands every turn (or every other turn if this turns out to be too limiting) and it can go through one square wide passages. When a total of 27 squares are covered (three times the original area, and this includes the original area), the gas is harmless and disappears from the screen. Any creature that is vulnerable to the gas that is touched by it before it becomes harmless dies instantly. The gas flows over pits normally and these squares count. Possibly statue squares could count too, but probably not.

All creatures currently in DROD are vulnerable to the gas, with the possible exception of the brain. I would like the brain to be vulnerable to the gas, but a good argument to the contrary will not be ignored.

If the gas is cut off in to multiple parts, like by Beethro shutting a door on it, then each section reacts proportionately. For example, if a gas has expanded to 10 squares from an initial 5, and then Beethro closes a door so that it is split into a 7 square section and a 2 square section (the section on the door is either destroyed or pushed into the other sections), the 7 square remainder of the original area still has to expand to 15 squares to be destroyed. However, the new 2 square section would act as if it was a new gas pocket, and only need to expand to 6 squares to be destroyed. Better math can be worked out later, as long as it is somewhat intuitive.

Oops, gotta go, more later if I think of something.

Game on,

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"He who is certain he knows the ending of things when he is only beginning them is either extremely wise or extremely foolish; no matter which is true, he is certainly an unhappy man, for he has put a knife in the heart of wonder." -- Tad Williams

zex20913
Level: Smitemaster

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

It almost seems like it would dissipate too quickly. I think I like this though...it's like a disappearing "The Flow". Also, monsters could now be placed surrounded by pits with no mimics.

One thing though...

Because it can expand through one-square passages, it needs to be explained how it will expand upon exiting, as it will sometimes. Would it spread to all that's adjacent? Or would it go out of the passageway as one square, then expand? Also, what is the reaction to Force Arrows, or crumbly walls?

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Oneiromancer
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2936
Registered: 03-29-2003
IP: Logged

Some very good points zex made...

As I said, the multiple of squares for dissipation is negotiable. The problem is, for dissipation into a large area, 3 times is probably too small, but for dissipation along a corridor, this might be too much. It all depends on how the room is designed, where Beethro is when the gas is let loose, etc.

As for when it exits one square wide passages, I think that if creatures can move diagonally past a corner, then so can the gas. Thus it can also move between diagonal corners. In any case, out of a one square wide corridor, it then spreads into three squares.

Crumbling walls...hmmm...well, it makes the most sense for it to be able to go through them, but at a slower rate. However, this could be confusing to the player (but you could then have a "go throught the crumbling wall maze as efficiently as possible" puzzle). So perhaps it would be best to just say that the gas is somewhat viscous and goes through the cracks too slowly to make a difference.

And Force Arrows...well, since Wraithwings are affected by them they obviously don't just affect ground-based creatures. I guess it depends on if they should affect non-organic things as well.

One thing I wanted to discuss before my carpool ride showed up was the possibility of creatures that didn't die when inside the gas. An existing creature to which this question should be applied is the Brain. Do they breathe? They probably don't have lungs, but since the human brain needs the oxygenated blood the heart pumps out, it stands to reason that Brains perhaps absorb the air through their outer layer. Thus, Brains are killed by the gas. (Ooh, fun "keep the gas from dissipating until after it kills the brain" puzzles!) However, if there were stone creatures, like say golems or gargoyles, then they would not be affected by the gas.

Hmmm...off to create another idea, I think...

Game on,

____________________________
"He who is certain he knows the ending of things when he is only beginning them is either extremely wise or extremely foolish; no matter which is true, he is certainly an unhappy man, for he has put a knife in the heart of wonder." -- Tad Williams

mrimer
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 5064
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

I like this idea!

____________________________
Gandalf? Yes... That's what they used to call me.
Gandalf the Grey. That was my name.
I am Gandalf the White.
And I come back to you now at the turn of the tide.