Brickman
Level: Goblin
Rank Points: 17
Registered: 07-07-2004
IP: Logged

When I tried to make a part of one of my holds which was a standoff against a powerful/menacing/at least big creature, I realised that there should be one in the game (I'm not counting any version of the snake, as it isn't what I mean). What to do. . . what to do. . . ! I'll think up one and suggest it! So I thought abouit it and created the ogre. He takes up a four space block, same as a gargoyle statue. He moves forward one space each turn if he can and turns left or right if he can't, depending on which hand his club is in. this goes on untill he sees beethro. The front two squares count as his head, and each looks in the same way as an eyeball except they look in five directions, forward, sideways, diagonally (if he faces north, each eyeball looks north, northwest, west, east and northeast), thus creating a one-two space wide line of sight each way. I say this because I know an arc would be impossible. Once he spots beethro, across flat ground or over a pit, he runs toward beethro, his powerful strides propelling him two squares per turn. He will be go around obstacles that only intrude on one of the two spaces he needs to move onto. If Beethro becomes hidden from sight by moving behind a wall, he will stop running and move in the direction he had been going as normal. If pits block his path, he will walk act like a roach and try to stay in the same column as beethro without actually crossing. But once beethro is spotted he will remain spotted until there are actually walls between him and the ogre (aka the line of sight is scrapped). He can be slain only if beethro sneaks up on him and stabs him in the back, because his front two spaces are impenetratable for beethro's sword.

Brains would not effect him. He would step on roaches or spiders in his path without thinking twice, as well as pretty much any monster that takes up one space and doesn't fly, but would take up one turn to swat a wraithwing in his way (when running, thats one out of two). Same goes for cracked walls. Goblins avoid him in the same way as beethro's sword, since he will step on them too. Snakes are treated as pits. If mimics are present, he goes towards whoever is closest. If all four spaces under him are trapdoors at any time they will break and he dies. This is especially nice since it allows you to create puzzles in which you must fool an ogre into killing a bunch of enemies and then kill it without ever beiing able to get near him, or a conductor puzzle using yellow doors.

It all works out well. You must avoid being spotted out in the open or else he will easily outrun you, but must carefuully lead him when acting from across pits. You can fit in spots he can't, and you can lead him to his death even if he can't be reached. Killing him is extremely tough, because he walks at the same speed as you and thus you must come out from a side route without being seen or catch him when he turns (which takes a full turn). Any general criticisms about how he could change the gameplay drastically or upset balance or make drod a different game could be just as easily said of serpents, and look how successful they were!

The_Red_Hawk
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 783
Registered: 09-02-2003
IP: Logged

I seem to remember someone saying that there were going to be no boss-type monsters in the game. Even so, I think this might be a good idea, but it bears too much similarity to other suggested monsters, except for the size thing. If it was altered, I would suggest making it slightly larger (3x2, making its front wider), and its head would be just one square, so it could be stabbed in the shoulders, making it slightly less powerful.

____________________________
Slashing, whirling, diving, twirling,
Snapping, turning, rising, swirling,
Screeching, flipping, gliding, sliding,
The red hawk's dance of death.

.....the king of the skies.....

Mattcrampy
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2388
Registered: 05-29-2003
IP: Logged

The reason why we don't have boss monsters is because boss monsters are one-trick ponies. Most bosses get their difficulty from the fact that they're new, or at the least have a new trick. Once you work it out, the boss becomes much easier. The other reason is that difficulty in DROD comes from multiple enemies all at once rather than one enemy that just really hard.

So, yeah, sorry. We have a few ideas, though, and you'll see what we mean when we release JtRH.

Matt

____________________________
What do you call an elephant at the North Pole?

Brickman
Level: Goblin
Rank Points: 17
Registered: 07-07-2004
IP: Logged

It wasn't meant as a boss. It was just meant as a strong enemy. He's got integrated puzzle possibility: tricking/forcing him into going to the right place to squash an enemy or fall through the floor, smashing enemies out of his way, and killing him has a logical method. He's no more a boss than your multitude of snake varieties.
And being able to hit shoulders kills the purpose of his head being invincible anyways, which is to prevent beethro from taking on someone four times his size head-on.

PS, would it be at all possible to give him an arc without making 5000 lines of code?

The_Red_Hawk
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 783
Registered: 09-02-2003
IP: Logged

It would be hard to get his shoulders, if his club is in front.

____________________________
Slashing, whirling, diving, twirling,
Snapping, turning, rising, swirling,
Screeching, flipping, gliding, sliding,
The red hawk's dance of death.

.....the king of the skies.....