Thy Dungeonman
Level: Delver
Rank Points: 32
Registered: 01-07-2006
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The accumulater is a strange monster idea I had.
It's a small creature, like a crab. What's special about it? It uses roaches as armor. It can attract them when they're close enough, and the roaches that come in contact to it become "armor". The armored accumulator can still move until there are too many roaches on it (more than a small diamond shaped region) or if it gets stuck in a hallway.

This has some strategic possibillities, especially when it comes to the old "roach queen maze" scenario
1.) You're being overwhelemed by roach queens, so manipulate an accumulator to use as a sheild of sorts
2.) You're in a maze with Rqueens and Acc.s, and you let the acc's take some of the roaches heading at you - but if you let this go too long, the acc.s armor edges become impossible to reach.
3.) Alternatively, you could get one in a place where it will get fat on the roaches on pupose to get it out of your way while you deal with some goblins
4.) no roach queens, but an armored acc. - what do you do? move through a diagonal corner, it's too fat to do that.

etc, etc

NiroZ
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 1302
Registered: 02-12-2006
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you mean that every time the 'crab' grabs a roach, it enlarges by one square, and uses the roaches 'shell' to cover itself?

Bunches
Level: Master Delver

Rank Points: 192
Registered: 03-17-2006
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Can it use other monsters as armor? Can the roaches atack you once they're stuk to the Acc.? I like the idea!

Niccus
Level: Smiter
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Registered: 07-02-2006
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As much as many of us love Katamari, I'm not sure if putting the concept in DROD would work that well...

It feels like it might get buggy... just to ask, do the outer roaches still attack or...? Does the entire pile of monsters act like a solid polyomino or does it have any leeway for movement?

Feels a bit limited too -- good idea nonetheless, but a tad constricting.

zex20913
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1723
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I like this idea currently--it's certainly new, and does have potential, but needs to be fleshed out a bit.

You mention the 4 squares--does this mean it can grab 4 roaches, one each N, S, E, W? Can it grab more? Other monsters? The 4-square thing seems to have the most puzzle potential to me.

Can it kill Beethro? Is there any way to dislodge some of the armor? More questions later?

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Thy Dungeonman
Level: Delver
Rank Points: 32
Registered: 01-07-2006
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Bunches wrote:
Can it use other monsters as armor? Can the roaches atack you once they're stuk to the Acc.? I like the idea!

My idea was to have the roaches break off the same way tar babies break off from tar...

Come to think, though, it would have to be more like mud, other wise after collecting 4 roaches the armor won't come off.

for this reason, i don't think gathering other monsters is such a great idea, though it could be amusing. I think it's a roaches-only thing.

Niccus wrote:
As much as many of us love Katamari, I'm not sure if putting the concept in DROD would work that well...

It feels like it might get buggy... just to ask, do the outer roaches still attack or...? Does the entire pile of monsters act like a solid polyomino or does it have any leeway for movement?

Feels a bit limited too -- good idea nonetheless, but a tad constricting.

Heh, didn't think of it as katamari. and I think the entire thing acts a solid polyomino, but that adds to the possibillities (see my four part list of ideas)

NiroZ
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 1302
Registered: 02-12-2006
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How about, have it as a small creature with a huge stomach. It originally occupies 1 square, but it will activily hunt down anything close to it, including beethro.
Once it finds somthing, its swallows it, but doesn't kill it. Then this will increase the accumulator by one square.
If it swallows anything with a sharp object, if that sword/hook hits the stomach membraine, it kills the accumulator.
If a human is swallowed, he must escape in 5 turns or he will die from stomach acid, but monsters are already resistant to the acid.

This would present heaps of puzzle opportunies, like having the accumulator deal with excess monsters, like golems or goblens.
Or have a puzzle were you have to keep halph from being swallowed, or a maze of accumulators were you have to try and only kill one at a time, other wise you get swamped with monsters.

zex20913
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1723
Registered: 02-04-2003
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Actually, this idea is sort of sounding more and more like a mobile flow.

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Niccus
Level: Smiter
Rank Points: 308
Registered: 07-02-2006
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Finally got the right sentence: It feels like it'll be like Gaining Losing from Heaven and Earth.

On that note, I think it'll be a bit handy to allow brains (and only brains?) to stick. I mean, they're squishy... and sticky... it makes sense, doesn't it?

My only questions :

How will it move?
How will it handle pits? If it can stick wraithwings to itself?
How will it handle slayer/guard weapons?
What happens when a door is pulled up in the middle of the clump?
Can it move diagonally? If so, what about on orthogonal squares?
How will its outer regions act walking on/against force arrows?
If it can stick evil eyes on it, will they still be able to go active? (puzzle potential, albeit tiny)
If it can stick golems on it, will stabbing it leave it still stuck? (puzzle potential, albeit tiny)
What happens when you manage to chop off the mass of monsters into two?

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[Last edited by Niccus at 07-31-2006 07:34 PM]

AtkinsSJ
Level: Master Delver

Rank Points: 107
Registered: 12-23-2005
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Question: How will it know whether it has room to move, if there are monsters on every side?

Someone Else
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2398
Registered: 06-14-2005
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NiroZ wrote:If a human is swallowed, he must escape in 5 turns or he will die from stomach acid, but monsters are already resistant to the acid.

I think that if a human is swallowed he should die. the slayer knows enough to use his hook to pull himself out so he still can't die.