Dex Stewart
Level: Smiter
Rank Points: 355
Registered: 01-19-2007
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This should be used for architects who don't like unexpected things(like movement order ) to ruin their beautiful puzzles.

To be more exact, this would be a small scheckbox in the corner of the editor which would force any monster that can't move(or can't move diagonally) because of another monster to only move after that other monster has moved. Monster that would have a wall as an impediment, would behave the same as now.

The only problem I see would be with a group of snakes, maybe together with other monsters, which create some kind of "cycle", so that none can move because of another.

But I believe that our beloved flawlessly consistent programmers could handle that little detail .

eytanz
Level: Smitemaster

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Registered: 02-05-2003
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While I can see the appeal of this feature, implementing it is a really bad idea. Simply put, it will mean that there will be two different possible behaviors for monsters, *neither* of which is entirely predictable by the player without movement order information. So, it will make the gameplay experience far less consistent, *and* will make it virtually impossible to deduce the movement order since A - you won't know what mode the room is in, and B - even if that data is made available to the player, in the mode you suggest then the interaction is a lot more complicated - just because A moves before B doesn't tell you that A will always move before B.

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Dex Stewart
Level: Smiter
Rank Points: 355
Registered: 01-19-2007
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I'm sorry for the minor necro, but I just took some time and gave this a good thought. There could be a small sign somewhere on the screen to show what mode the room is in. And I believe it would be completely predictable. To not confuse the players we could describe it as "every monster moves unless completely blocked" and anyone who would desire complete information could visit the site.

Maurog
Level: Smitemaster

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Registered: 09-16-2004
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It looks like one of those "fixing what ain't broke" suggestions... but I'm sure you didn't mean it that way. We don't need another mode for room movement, but we may need a tool for the architect to select a group of roaches and a place and say "order them so that they move as a block if the player is in that place". Wouldn't that help a lot?

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coppro
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 1308
Registered: 11-24-2005
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The only problem with a monster movement order manipulator is that it adds more potential for architect abuse, in that movement order manipulator puzzles would become more common. But I don't think that will be too much of a problem - I, for one, would like to see this.