It's far too late at night for this (2am) so provisional apologies for any diplomatic lapses. I will of course accept any final decision from Erik, as if I even have any choice
agaricus5 wrote:
It sort of depends on your viewpoint. From mine, it's strange but horrible as you get an odd 1*1 square of tar resembling the tar bugs we got when we were testing the alpha, and I think it should be fixed as it looks bad and also once made, cannot be removed.
Did you read my explanation in the linked thread? As far as I'm concerned, it's still good and logical (and, at the time, accepted) As for the graphical representation, it chimes with the tar being 'dead' or perhaps better 'dormant' or 'squashed'. And the dormant tar can re-grow on the next tar mother growth cycle (provided the creature above it moves off or is dispensed with first) at which point it can then be cleared.
Uses for that behaviour include the demonstrated time locks e.g. a 2x3 tar block (with walls on each side, and a space behind, so more accurately 3x5) can slow Beethro down for 30-40 turns, whereas a snake is a turn a square, so double the space for the same effect. Just being stuck behind a temporary wall isn't very interesting on its own, so perhaps give the player something else to do while he's waiting (as an example, more than one 'lock' to work on simultaneously, in order that the player has to choose how to clear them all quickly enough to achieve another objective) In rooms without tar mothers, there's potential for different types of mazes, either selectively blocking certain routes, or giving the player a puzzle of how to get the creatures off the tar before destroying it. Different creatures move in different ways. Goblins, unless blocked from behind, will move off of their own accord, as you walk up to the tar. Roaches will back off if you move alongside them in an adjacent corridor. Brains do not move at all (giving a puzzle of how to clear all the brains, without blocking your way?)
Suggestion - if a monster is on tar and it is cut in such a way that the square below should become a tar baby, the monster on top survives as it squashes the tar baby below. (It could make some interesting goblin puzzles).
Are these puzzles that could not be created some other way (for instance, by just having goblins behind tar, or an orb activated wall) Why have creatures ontop of tar at all, if it's as if it didn't exist when they 'fall back down'?
But to reiterate, I only see a good variety of puzzles being removed here, and nothing worthwhile added to the game in their place.
