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Caravel Forum : DROD Boards : Feature Requests : Dungeon Rats (A more sophisticated monster...)
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MasterGiga
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icon Dungeon Rats (0)  
I have a lot of ideas about this monster or vermin that will need to be viewed a bit longer, but I know some basics that should be featured.

Rats (larger)or Mice (smaller), whichever you'd prefer, will be a type of monster that requires planning to catch and smite...or exterminate. :D

Their abilities will be something like this: 1. Ability to burrow through walls and flee Beethro (maybe through regular/non-hard walls only) By burrowing they'll create small holes that they can pass through. 2. Ability to detect mimics also, and flee at that time (unless there's only one rat and the mimic's sword is set to kill it immediately) They'll be smart enough to flee to an area where Beethro will get stuck, such as a set of force arrows that allow no escape.

Now, all of this still needs planning, but the basic idea is clear, I think...Rats will be able to flee and hide to protect themselves. However, I have a plan for luring the rats back out of places where Beethro shouldn't step into. There could either be food to lure it out (I know, it puts an odd twist to everything DROD) OR it could chase after Beethro when his back is turned, where Beethro could then run to a place that he'll be able to trap and kill the rat in (Maybe a corner).

Once the rat is trapped, it'll take time to burrow through a wall and escape, they can't burrow through hard walls, and Beethro will be able to go after it in a place that he won't get trapped himself.

Well, maybe this would work, maybe not, but its a developing idea of mine. :?

Anyway, feel free to contribute suggestions or ideas of your own.

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04-28-2005 at 06:47 PM
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stigant
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icon Re: Dungeon Rats (+1)  
One of the under-utilized elements at the moment is tunnels. Currently, only Beethro is able to use them. What if mice/rats can use the tunnels?

Also, IRL, rats and mice have nests, but come out to find food etc. What if there were markers in certain squares for food and in other squares, lairs. So, rodents could move between their food and their lairs. When they reach a lair square, they will remain there until the next multiple of 10 (or 5) on the spawn timer. At that point, they'll try to move to the closest available food square and remain there until the next multiple of 10 and then back to lair. The exception occurs when Beethro is near them. If Beethro is within 5 squares of their desired location, they'll move away from him like a roach queen (or perhaps a lone wraithwing). If, in that process, they become closer to another food/lair square, they'll run towards that. Also, swiping a food/lair square with a sword will result in the removal of that food square. Food/lair squares do not necessarily have to be completely removed to clear the room. However, if all of them are removed, rodents act like roach queens from then on.

I also had another idea for mice concerning snakes: If a serpent's head comes in contact with a mouse, it eats the mouse. For the next 5 turns, the snake's head can move as normal, but its tail does not, resulting in the snake growing longer.

[Edited by stigant at Local Time:04-28-2005 at 08:02 PM]

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04-28-2005 at 07:53 PM
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MasterGiga
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icon Re: Dungeon Rats (0)  
stigant wrote:
One of the under-utilized elements at the moment is tunnels. Currently, only Beethro is able to use them. What if mice/rats can use the tunnels?


I also had another idea for mice concerning snakes: If a serpent's head comes in contact with a mouse, it eats the mouse. For the next 5 turns, the snake's head can move as normal, but its tail does not, resulting in the snake growing longer.

[Edited by stigant at Local Time:04-28-2005 at 08:02 PM]

I did think of rats using tunnels also, but as I said, I'd appreciate any more ideas for this monster.

The serpent eating rats...hmm, I never thought of that, but its definitely a nice idea. It could add to the whole puzzle of trying to kill the rats in some way.

Thanks Stigant.

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04-29-2005 at 05:17 AM
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zex20913
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icon Re: Dungeon Rats (0)  
One problem with this is that all monsters should ignore mimics.

I think the luring system might be a touch much as well...and the burrowing may be troublesome to depict. How many turns does it take to burrow? (I'd suggest 5). Will burrowed walls be permanently burrowed? Or will the mice/rats have to reburrow each time? How deep into walls can they go?

Possible corollary idea: A monster that makes crumbly walls.

I do like the idea of both a backstabbing and a "smart hiding" monster, though the latter may be difficult to implement/create rooms around, and goblins are already sort of backstabbing. (Heck, what do I mean, sorta? I bought a wooden rabbit from them, and then they stole my wallet. Meanies.)

It seems like the monster, as it stands, may be a tad complex.

I love the Nibbles idea too. I don't know how plausible it is, but that'd be neat.

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05-05-2005 at 06:24 AM
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