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Aquaria => General => Topic started by: Ginhyun on January 11, 2009, 05:28:21 pm

Title: One thing I would've loved to see...a "boss rush" mode.
Post by: Ginhyun on January 11, 2009, 05:28:21 pm
All songs, a few foods, and the bosses presented in semi-random order for you to fight your way through. And if you make it through, the game would record your time to give you something to beat! Alternatively, it could score you based on both time and how much health and food you have left at the end.

If this already exists as a mod, I'd love to see it. I haven't really messed with the editor yet, so I don't know how easy it would be to make something like this. If worse comes to worse and I can't handle doing this I may just take the lazy way out and get a bunch of save files before bosses so I can pretend I'm playing boss rush.  :P

Anyway, it's just an idea that popped into my head when I realized I wanted to replay some of the bosses but had no means other than to start a new game.

Perhaps you could keep it in mind for Aquaria 2 if it ever comes out.  :)
Title: Re: One thing I would've loved to see...a "boss rush" mode.
Post by: Danger Mouse on January 11, 2009, 05:55:42 pm
That idea has been floating around for a while, and can be accomplished with a little bit of scripting help, and some level design. But it's definitely doable with the tools that we are already given.
Title: Re: One thing I would've loved to see...a "boss rush" mode.
Post by: silverflagon on January 11, 2009, 10:13:32 pm
It's a good idea, but only if they leave out SS :o
Title: Re: One thing I would've loved to see...a "boss rush" mode.
Post by: Zeke on January 12, 2009, 02:06:50 am
This is the closest to that that anyone has done; only energy form, though, and more small enemy crowds than bosses.  But it's quite a nice mod.

http://www.bit-blot.com/forum/index.php?topic=1300.0

Also, Simon Says would be infinitely easier if someone could make it such that the song notes were mapped to the numpad 1 through 9 keys (without 5).  If there weren't the top row number hotkeys, that would make a lot of things easier, but since there are, it would really only be handy for Simon and a few other things.
Title: Re: One thing I would've loved to see...a "boss rush" mode.
Post by: Chibi on January 12, 2009, 04:39:00 am
For a real challenge, have Simon Says in the center of the level with all the other bosses surrounding you. The objective is to beat SS without being killed by the other bosses.  ;D
Title: Re: One thing I would've loved to see...a "boss rush" mode.
Post by: silverflagon on January 12, 2009, 02:18:27 pm
For a real challenge, have Simon Says in the center of the level with all the other bosses surrounding you. The objective is to beat SS without being killed by the other bosses.  ;D
What! :o Chibi that is way too extreme! lol
Title: Re: One thing I would've loved to see...a "boss rush" mode.
Post by: Danger Mouse on January 12, 2009, 07:35:36 pm

Extreme?! Try near impossible!
Title: Re: One thing I would've loved to see...a "boss rush" mode.
Post by: Align on January 12, 2009, 09:22:49 pm
If you plan to have bosses that chase you and can't be killed, it's downright impossible...
Title: Re: One thing I would've loved to see...a "boss rush" mode.
Post by: Chibi on January 13, 2009, 12:17:58 am
I said it was a challenge, albeit the hardest challenge possible. xD
Title: Re: One thing I would've loved to see...a "boss rush" mode.
Post by: silverflagon on January 13, 2009, 02:35:59 am

Extreme?! Try near impossible!

Well I was being kind to chibi lol and yes impossible is the word that really fits chibi's idea lol
Title: Re: One thing I would've loved to see...a "boss rush" mode.
Post by: Chibi on January 13, 2009, 04:30:47 am
It's fine - I was aiming to provoke a reaction, ideally the indignation that Danger Mouse expressed.  ;D
Title: Re: One thing I would've loved to see...a "boss rush" mode.
Post by: silverflagon on January 13, 2009, 07:21:35 pm
And you don't understand the understated humerious UK statements so it fell flat damn! lol
Title: Re: One thing I would've loved to see...a "boss rush" mode.
Post by: Chibi on January 14, 2009, 12:12:52 am
Or it was noticed ... and wisely ignored.  ;) Consider your chain pulled.
Title: Re: One thing I would've loved to see...a "boss rush" mode.
Post by: silverflagon on January 14, 2009, 12:28:13 am
consider it a fake chain, the yolks on you chibi lol
Title: Re: One thing I would've loved to see...a "boss rush" mode.
Post by: Chibi on January 14, 2009, 01:06:58 am
Okay, okay - I won't try to come up with a witty comeback to that.  :) It gets old very fast ...
Title: Re: One thing I would've loved to see...a "boss rush" mode.
Post by: Fenizrael on January 17, 2009, 11:54:35 pm
Chibi, your idea made me laugh heartily.
Also, do I have my game on easy mode or something? I keep getting the impression from people that it was meant to be challenging. Simon took me a while, but it's not like he kills you or anything.

I'd love to see a hard mode version of this game (maybe with a few save points before bosses though).
Title: Re: One thing I would've loved to see...a "boss rush" mode.
Post by: Chibi on January 17, 2009, 11:58:45 pm
Haha!  :) Lots of people have different opinions - some want a hardcore experience (like you), while others simply wish to swim through Aquaria's beautiful waters without battling a belligerent enemy every few minutes. I would like difficulty modes too - easy when I'm doing aerial acrobatics and difficult when I'm playing the game linearly. There are save points before every boss.
Title: Re: One thing I would've loved to see...a "boss rush" mode.
Post by: silverflagon on January 18, 2009, 12:58:07 am
SS isn't a killer but if like myself you are not very good at memory games then he becomes impossible :( Most of the bosses while hard are not impossible and still challenging because they all have to be faced in differing ways. I find the Thunder lobster quite hard, and the Gollem also takes a bit of beating, but for sheer exhaustion nothing beats the Gauntlet lol
Title: Re: One thing I would've loved to see...a "boss rush" mode.
Post by: Chibi on January 18, 2009, 01:24:22 am
Yeah - the Gauntlet was definitely the hardest "boss" in the game - closely followed by the Mantis Lobster in the Ice Veil. The latter was the only boss fight during which I died.
Title: Re: One thing I would've loved to see...a "boss rush" mode.
Post by: Titch on January 18, 2009, 02:08:19 am
I might do a boss rush mode once I'm done with my form mod/assault course level work. I'm not sure right now as it seems like it might be frustrating to get the bosses into a single map without breaking too much AI and not enough of a chance to stretch my coding muscles. We shall see.
Title: Re: One thing I would've loved to see...a "boss rush" mode.
Post by: Align on January 18, 2009, 02:21:25 am
Gauntlet?
Title: Re: One thing I would've loved to see...a "boss rush" mode.
Post by: Chibi on January 18, 2009, 02:44:09 am
The Gauntlet is a difficult series of caves before the final boss filled with hundreds of powerful enemies that either take a long time to kill or deal a lot of damage. I found it harder than the final boss.  :)
Title: Re: One thing I would've loved to see...a "boss rush" mode.
Post by: Edwards on January 18, 2009, 08:34:39 am
I might do a boss rush mode once I'm done with my form mod/assault course level work. I'm not sure right now as it seems like it might be frustrating to get the bosses into a single map without breaking too much AI and not enough of a chance to stretch my coding muscles. We shall see.
Personally, I wouldn't bother putting them on a single map- just take the existing maps from the Copy of Native mod, delete everything that isn't important to the bosses (no, this isn't as hard as it sounds!), and add a few nodes (and maybe a new "in between" map) to link everything together.  That way, you won't have any trouble with scripts breaking, and you won't need to worry about re-creating the terrain around each boss.  Admittedly, it would be a bit harder to set up a timer if you're working across multiple maps, but not that much.

Also, I personally would prefer that it be optional whether you fight the bosses with all forms, or just the ones you could have when you reach them in the main game.  Yes, it would be fun to go after Mithala with Dual Form, but it would also be fun to have some limitations imposed.

- Edwards
Title: Re: One thing I would've loved to see...a "boss rush" mode.
Post by: Hiro on January 18, 2009, 10:34:56 am
Lol. Mithala with dual form? Hahaha xD

I know its possible to give form songs to people with nodes. And I'm sure Edwards could come up with a way to make a timer go between maps. So really, with the Native mod there is no reason why this can't be done relatively easily.
I mean, all you have to do is make each boss map link on to the next one when you win. Although you'd have to edit the boss AI script for that since its the script that fires when the boss dies not a node (note: you'd want to cut out the story sequences the show after some of the bosses I think. They are actually separate maps so you could use that same line to go to the next boss instead of showing the krotites or something :D ).
And you give the player the new forms they should have on entering each map with some special nodes. It shouldn't really be that hard. The hardest bit would be removing the lead-up to the boss (some of the bosses have quite a bit of map in front of them, like the one in the icy veil). Removing that area could mean drawing a new map template, which we dont have the original copies of so it could be tough. The other (simpler) option is to just remove everything dangerous from the map the boss is in, and fill it with bright, easily travelled water so you can get to the boss as quick as possible.

(Oh, and thanks for the mention Zeke :) (I made that Energy form battle) )
Title: Re: One thing I would've loved to see...a "boss rush" mode.
Post by: Align on January 18, 2009, 02:43:25 pm
The Gauntlet is a difficult series of caves before the final boss filled with hundreds of powerful enemies that either take a long time to kill or deal a lot of damage. I found it harder than the final boss.  :)
So it's part of the final stage and not something you can miss? Dual form + jellyfish armor ftw, I guess.
Title: Re: One thing I would've loved to see...a "boss rush" mode.
Post by: Titch on January 18, 2009, 04:26:02 pm
It's not necessary, but I think it would be important for a slick mod. Load times break flow, so it would be nice to fit them in between bosses where you needed a proper breather. Plus it would be interesting to try mixing things up a little (fighting Nautilus Prime in the dark anyone XD)

I was thinking for Boss Rush mode you could almost have a package of upgrades between big bosses. Like after beating Mithala you automatically get a health upgrade/pet or something. Fighting the final boss with only half the max health bar would be no picnic.
Title: Re: One thing I would've loved to see...a "boss rush" mode.
Post by: silverflagon on January 18, 2009, 07:50:00 pm
The Gauntlet is a difficult series of caves before the final boss filled with hundreds of powerful enemies that either take a long time to kill or deal a lot of damage. I found it harder than the final boss.  :)
So it's part of the final stage and not something you can miss? Dual form + jellyfish armor ftw, I guess.
Yes you can't bypass the Gauntlet it has to be taken or you can't finish the game, but at least you can swim back a way to get a breather, once you have cleared a few enemies, but they will soon come looking for you if you stay too close. The first time you run it it is the biggest rush of adrenalin in the entire game, and it only gets slightly easier with past knowledge and there is still a great adrenalin rush at the most hectic moments.
Title: Re: One thing I would've loved to see...a "boss rush" mode.
Post by: silverflagon on January 18, 2009, 07:51:12 pm
Yeah - the Gauntlet was definitely the hardest "boss" in the game - closely followed by the Mantis Lobster in the Ice Veil. The latter was the only boss fight during which I died.
That is the boss I meant Chibi, I just didn't recall it's proper name :)
Title: Re: One thing I would've loved to see...a "boss rush" mode.
Post by: Chibi on January 18, 2009, 07:53:18 pm
Is "Mantis Lobster" its name? I just chose the creature that looked similar to the boss.  :)
Title: Re: One thing I would've loved to see...a "boss rush" mode.
Post by: silverflagon on January 18, 2009, 08:05:08 pm
Is "Mantis Lobster" its name? I just chose the creature that looked similar to the boss.  :)
I don't know Chibi lol
Title: Re: One thing I would've loved to see...a "boss rush" mode.
Post by: Titch on January 19, 2009, 01:24:48 pm
I didn't have that much trouble with the Gauntlet. I build up my Dual form scream in safer spots where I could one shot enemies and then just ran away from everything else until I got to the barrier thing. Rinse and repeat.
Title: Re: One thing I would've loved to see...a "boss rush" mode.
Post by: Halo364 on January 19, 2009, 03:14:19 pm
lol. That's pretty much the way to do it. Usually, if go in guns a-blazing, you get your a$$ handed to you. If you have the jellyfish armor, it really becomes a LONG endurance test.
Title: Re: One thing I would've loved to see...a "boss rush" mode.
Post by: Xiagan on January 19, 2009, 05:03:48 pm
The gauntlet was pure action. I was always pushing forward, shooting everything down and wondering why I am still alive. I haven't died in it, but at the end my mouse-hand was aching a lot. ;)
Title: Re: One thing I would've loved to see...a "boss rush" mode.
Post by: Chibi on January 19, 2009, 06:52:48 pm
Same here, Xiagan. I never looked at the map, and made it all the way and into the next map before I realized that I had missed the mutant armor treasure.  >:(  :) I had to backtrack through the field of nautiluses, evil smilies, and mutants.
Title: Re: One thing I would've loved to see...a "boss rush" mode.
Post by: silverflagon on January 19, 2009, 09:06:38 pm
And here Xiagan :D I haven't died in it but until this time I have never stopped for anything but the Mutant armour, but this time I did keep swimming back a bit for a breather and so I could rest my hand. ::)
Title: Re: One thing I would've loved to see...a "boss rush" mode.
Post by: Edwards on January 22, 2009, 03:25:40 am
I think I died the first time I attempted the Gauntlet, but after that, it wasn't too hard (although on my first successful attempt I went a bit too fast, and ended up burning a few healing items, and barely making it to the far end.  However, the next time through (I missed the mutant armor, of course) it was just a bit of excitement.  I think the extra several hours of running around the world looking for treasure, and not bothering with killing things or shielding, made me a bit better at dodging.

(fighting Nautilus Prime in the dark anyone XD)
Owww...
Especially since you wouldn't be able to use the Sun Form, due to needing to shoot NP.  Would it be worse to give the player the Dumbo pet, or to just put a scattering of those lamp jellies in the arena?

I was thinking for Boss Rush mode you could almost have a package of upgrades between big bosses. Like after beating Mithala you automatically get a health upgrade/pet or something. Fighting the final boss with only half the max health bar would be no picnic.
I'd been thinking that you could give the player full health from the start, and give them pets, etc. after beating the appropriate minibosses.

I know its possible to give form songs to people with nodes. And I'm sure Edwards could come up with a way to make a timer go between maps.
I made sure I had one before I even posted that.  It just takes one flag, and either a handful of nodes or some additions to the boss scripts.

I mean, all you have to do is make each boss map link on to the next one when you win. Although you'd have to edit the boss AI script for that since its the script that fires when the boss dies not a node (note: you'd want to cut out the story sequences the show after some of the bosses I think. ...
Agreed about editing out the cutscenes, but warping into and out of maps could probably be done fairly easily.  For warping in, just move the entrance warp node to just before the boss (or place a naijastart node just before the boss, and use loadMap).  For warping out, just change where the existing exit warp node leads, or add a new one, whichever is more appropriate for that boss.

My only concern is how to do the optional bosses.  Should they be placed in some random or predetermined order, or should the player be allowed to choose when to face them?

- Edwards
Title: Re: One thing I would've loved to see...a "boss rush" mode.
Post by: Hiro on January 22, 2009, 08:34:57 am
Haha. This is giving me great ideas for a new NP arena.. but in the dark. >:D
Title: Re: One thing I would've loved to see...a "boss rush" mode.
Post by: Chibi on January 22, 2009, 05:18:29 pm
When can we expect you to inflict it upon us?  :)
Title: Re: One thing I would've loved to see...a "boss rush" mode.
Post by: Hiro on January 24, 2009, 09:51:47 am
Oh lets see... A few days? Depending on how motivated I am to work on it.
To be honest at this exact moment I'm not feeling too hot. But I do have an arena of sorts that it could be interesting to use... scary Mithalas city in the dark anyone?  >:D
Title: Re: One thing I would've loved to see...a "boss rush" mode.
Post by: Zeke on January 24, 2009, 10:03:14 am
Oh man.  Mithalas was my second least favorite area, simply because I was always bumping into crap.   Stupid trunkhaus.

That and those stupid thingies that chuck water balloons at you that bounce FOREVER
Title: Re: One thing I would've loved to see...a "boss rush" mode.
Post by: silverflagon on January 24, 2009, 08:10:36 pm
Oh man.  Mithalas was my second least favorite area, simply because I was always bumping into crap.   Stupid trunkhaus.

That and those stupid thingies that chuck water balloons at you that bounce FOREVER
Water ballooons, are you still talking about Aquaria Zeke?
Title: Re: One thing I would've loved to see...a "boss rush" mode.
Post by: silverflagon on January 24, 2009, 08:12:40 pm
Oh and Zeke, use beast form on those creatures and do get those life giving leaches from the top left house, then all of a sudden Mythalas is childs play
Title: Re: One thing I would've loved to see...a "boss rush" mode.
Post by: Hiro on January 25, 2009, 01:07:56 am
Oh man, I rather liked Mithalas. The song is so nice and sad and regal sounding and stuff.  ^-^

So does you hating Mithalas make it a better or worse arena?  >:D
Title: Re: One thing I would've loved to see...a "boss rush" mode.
Post by: Zeke on January 25, 2009, 06:42:52 am
Silver, by water balloons I mean the round blue projectiles that the 'toads' shoot at you (they don't really look like toads, they perch on houses and are black-ish) that bounce off of surfaces.  I never really was a fan of using beast form because none of the foes' shots were auto-targeting, and since I was using a gamepad, spamming with energy form was always more expedient.

It's not that that Mithalas area was hard per se, it was just annoying as hell.  The way the houses are arranged, on a central stem that is sometimes solid and sometimes not (my dim LCD screen makes it a little harder to differentiate than it should be) was tricky, almost as bad as all those blasted mushrooms in the open waters earlier on.  I tend to cruise along the walls while I'm swimming, and the houses kept encroaching closer and closer to the walls so I'd accidentally cling to it while jetting along.  I never got into wall-boosting as a means of travel, so that was kind of obnoxious to me. 

Hiro:  using any area that is more cragulated as an arena basis will be more difficult than one with smooth walls, I would think.  Anything like the large mushroom projections in the open waters, Mithalas houses, and Arnassi statues will delightfully complicate any combat situation. 

For double the fun, don't give any visual cues (dimming of the item, foreground/background placement) to indicate which ones are solid and which aren't!  You could do all sorts of fun/cruel things by turning an arena into a veritable house of mirrors with solid and non-solid, foreground and background terrain objects. 

Sudden death round?  Random bubbles of air (like bubbles of water in the ice veil) to throw off speed and steering, even more than currents.   ^-^

Oh, and don't forget to use loads of those mechanical crabs from the sun temple that shoot a crap-ton of purple tracer-shots at you, as well as the spiky plant dealies from the kelp forest that shoot three pink darts that follow you eternally.  Having a cloud of tracer fire perpetually on your ass is good for getting the adrenaline going, regardless of whether your form is locked or not.  If you're stuck in one form, no shield spell for you.  If you can use the shield spell, that adds another element of strategy; "Do I want to hotkey into normal form, call up the shield, and try and bounce all these shots into my several hotly pursuing mutiluses, or do I stay in energy and hope to dodge while spitting out as much firepower as possible?"   

<_<

>_>

Mua ha ha.   >: D
Title: Re: One thing I would've loved to see...a "boss rush" mode.
Post by: silverflagon on January 25, 2009, 03:10:57 pm
Silver, by water balloons I mean the round blue projectiles that the 'toads' shoot at you (they don't really look like toads, they perch on houses and are black-ish) that bounce off of surfaces.  I never really was a fan of using beast form because none of the foes' shots were auto-targeting, and since I was using a gamepad, spamming with energy form was always more expedient.

Oh I don't mean shooting them, I use beast form to eat them all it works far better than spamming shots with Energy form and with those lovely little leaches they don't stand a cat in hell's chance lol
Title: Re: One thing I would've loved to see...a "boss rush" mode.
Post by: Hiro on January 26, 2009, 06:13:10 am
Haha I wasn't planning on being quite that evil Zeke. I took the colliding off most of the houses in mithalas (except the ones that you can go inside, and the ones that are right against the wall). Otherwise NP can't go around things. xD
And I don't think its possible to make bubbles of air like that...
Oh, but the dark should be enough. >:D
Title: Re: One thing I would've loved to see...a "boss rush" mode.
Post by: Chibi on January 26, 2009, 07:32:10 am
Mercy, Hiro? Who would of thought?  ;) My suggestion for a truly hardcore experience would be to line the walls with the grasping poles found in the body - then place health plants as bait. (Of course, you would need to leave some of the health plants for the taking - but leave their locations to the guesswork of the player). Muahaha!  :P
Title: Re: One thing I would've loved to see...a "boss rush" mode.
Post by: silverflagon on January 26, 2009, 03:22:06 pm
Chibi you are a real masochist, is your room linned with assorted weapons and painted black! :o
Title: Re: One thing I would've loved to see...a "boss rush" mode.
Post by: delve on January 26, 2009, 05:45:29 pm
Mercy, Hiro? Who would of thought?  ;) My suggestion for a truly hardcore experience would be to line the walls with the grasping poles found in the body - then place health plants as bait.

Spinning will pull the health from the plants at a safe distance, won't it? :P
Title: Re: One thing I would've loved to see...a "boss rush" mode.
Post by: silverflagon on January 26, 2009, 06:59:42 pm
Mercy, Hiro? Who would of thought?  ;) My suggestion for a truly hardcore experience would be to line the walls with the grasping poles found in the body - then place health plants as bait.

Spinning will pull the health from the plants at a safe distance, won't it? :P
Yes it should do delve.
Title: Re: One thing I would've loved to see...a "boss rush" mode.
Post by: Alphasoldier on January 26, 2009, 08:48:37 pm
Even through walls.
Title: Re: One thing I would've loved to see...a "boss rush" mode.
Post by: Chibi on January 27, 2009, 12:16:31 am
Right ... forgot about that. You can withdraw my status as a masochist, silver.  ;) I am definitely not a masochist in real life - my tolerance for pain is fairly low.  :o (My reaction to accidentally cutting myself shallowly with a carving knife is unprintable)  :)
Title: Re: One thing I would've loved to see...a "boss rush" mode.
Post by: Hiro on January 27, 2009, 06:16:54 am
Actually I was thinking on saving work by just keeping Mithalas mostly as it is, and throwing Nautilus prime in. Hahaha.

On that note: anyone else with any sort of ideas do feel free to mess around and try making an arena of sorts. :D
No really, its not hard. The most important part is the enemies. And if you want NP to work you gotta place a special node in its area that I can't recall what its called right now.  :-X
Title: Re: One thing I would've loved to see...a "boss rush" mode.
Post by: Chibi on January 27, 2009, 06:38:39 am
No really, its not hard. The most important part is the enemies. And if you want NP to work you gotta place a special node in its area that I can't recall what its called right now.  :-X
Don't say that! Magicians are never supposed to reveal the tricks behind the magic ... however mundane they are.  :D