The figurines themselves would look like monsters they represents, except they couldn't move. They would have one single color, gray or sth to separate them from living monsters.
Should Tar Mother statchoo be 2-squared ? (smashing left eye would kill all left eyes, right - all right tar eyes...)
How about serpents ?
They would behave like crumbly walls.
So there would be as many figurines as monster kinds + 1.
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When smashed with sword, all monsters represented by it instantly DIE.
There would be a special figurine, too, which would annihilate all monsters in the room.
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Purposes:
1. Architects' tool. Sometimes the room is actually beaten after you reach certain place on map. Yet there may remain dozens of roaches, and lots of tedium before you can leave the room. Figurines would reduce tedium. You may say smart architect can prevent that... but mechanisms locking roach queens and suchlike do take place, and can't be put everywhere.
2. Beethro may be forced to either kill wraithwings, or all goblins and etc. In this case it's not just a tool, but yet another decision to make.
3. In case of "
regenerating"
monsters like roaches or tar babies, figurines would be an addictive cure. You may have to save them until the time is right.
4. Spiders would potentially have a purpose in non-Palace styled rooms.
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Variation: yellow figurines would kill only monsters which face the same direction as the figurine.
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http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20051128/adams_01.shtml
[Last edited by b0rsuk at 01-03-2007 10:09 PM : grammar/typos]
Though I must admit I was puzzled by the whole thing myself.
/dy