JimTheMighty
Level: Roachling
Rank Points: 14
Registered: 02-27-2005
IP: Logged

1. Ice is a terrain type. Neither monsters nor Beethro may move on or off of Ice (nor may they rotate while on Ice). Ice may be destroyed by Beethro as though it were a crumbly wall (when this happens, monsters frozen in the ice are destroyed). At the end of each spawn cycle, every square of ice not bordered on all sides by either Ice, walls, secret walls, or crumbly walls "melts". If a monster or Beethro was on this square, they are now able to move (though Ice melts after monster movement, so it would now be Beethro's turn).

Obviously, alone this element would be useful either as a timer which releases monsters (or just a much more efficient timer than anything currently available) or as a very versetile element in any tight timed puzzle.

2. Ice Wards may be placed just like a Force Arrow (even on trapdoors). Whenever a monster or Beethro moves over an Ice Ward, the square becomes covered with Ice (which will melt at spawn). Note that Beethro's sword will remain in the same position whiel he is frozen, and that monsters cannot kill Beethro while he is frozen.

Ice Wards present an interesting type of obstacle to Beethro, and may prove a challenging element to manipulate in dealing with large hordes of monsters.

3. Liches are flying monsters which move like Roach Queens. As long as there is a Lich in a room, at the end of each spawn cycle Ice grows in the same manner as tar instead of melting (Ice can, however, grow into 1-wide patches). The Ice will expand onto squares containing monsters, Beethro, or even the Lich (which can become trapped). If Beethro is trapped by expanding tar (or even on an Ice Ward) there is no way for him to escape (unless an element not currently in Drod kills the Lich, in which case Beethro may wait to thaw out).

Liches could lead to a huge number of Ice-based puzzles, and could often provide a useful substitute for Roach Queens in many manipulation puzzles.

4. Ice Golems move like roaches. For the purpose of Ice melting, they are considered to be Ice (that is, Ice may be around them, and it will not melt away in a ring like it normally would). Ice Golems cannot be frozen. If there is not a Lich in the room, Ice Golems not surrounded by walls/ice/other ice golems will melt on spawn.

Besides sometimes making ice a little harder to clear, Ice Golems could probably find many applications as a monster which disappears after a spawn cycle. Also, I'm sure some interesting puzzles could be devised in which a lich must be dispatched before Beethro can fight a horde including numerous Ice Golems.

Well, I know a whole bunch of new stuff has just been introduced, but this is a feature I would really like to design with as an amateur Architect, and one which I think would be very fun to play holds with.