Expert Mode?

[DigiTan]

The game is 100% optimized now. The next (and final) thing I want to do is finished the "expert mode" for players who have finished the game with the top ranking of Ω.

In a nutshell, if you beat the game like this, you replay the game from the start, but you retain your warriors and their stats. Everything else is reset (quests, money, items, etc.). Normally, this will let the player take their team's levels from the 60's (very powerful) to the 100's (ultra-powerful). Since the game is linkable, players can rack up some pretty impressive bragging rights this way.

So far, expert mode unlocks the top-secret "Warlord Class" of bots, but I want to add one more hidden feature to add some more mystery to it all. Most importantly I want to do this in a way that doesn't introduce a mess of new code or graphics, but this may be easier than it sounds. Here are some sample ideas I've been goofing around with...

New Warrior Type

I might re-add the the "ice" element to the existing bot elements at a cost of around 150 bytes. A "shadow" element would make a good compliment to the existing "light/laser" element, which might be too powerful already.

New Item Behavior

We could change the rules of certain items to have them to remain in effect for more than one turn. It could add a lot of strategy to long 2-player matches. I was saving this idea for a "Robot War 2" but is still doable today.

New Special Attack

Robot War 2 planned an attack called "Nova Σ" that was so damaging, it could prevent a bot from even being revived. It also planned a variation of 'teleport' that would let you escape the entire battle if things got too hairy, since there's no retreat option.


Anyway, I'm open to all ideas so don't hold back here. If you want to check the latest game rules, this is the info page.

[Vinthian]

so this would mean you would HAVE to finish the game first? is there an easy mode? >.< well it would be a good idea to have an expert mode to give the game variety so the player doesn't get bored.

[DigiTan]

Yep, expert mode will only activate after you watch the ending, so it takes quite a bit of work (about 7 hours) just to unlock the secrets. In some ways, it's easier than normal mode because you start out with a full team of 3 (but so do the bad guys).

[DigiTan]

So no ideas? C'mon guys, I don't bite.

[Rezek]

Ok, the first idea that pops into my head: alternative ending. Beat the evil edmund, then play again in 'expert mode', then you face a different boss.

Second idea: a movie at the end. See above, only when you beat edmund the second time, you get to watch a short cinematic.

[DigiTan]

Excellent! Excellent! I've been thinking of having some sort of bonus ending or a more powerful boss to make up for the new abilities you gain in expert mode. Some improvements to boss AI is also a possibility here.

[Rezek]

glad I could be of some service

[Weregoose]

Maybe you could face a corrupted future version of yourself...
But the whole "Evil Future Robots" theme is too overplayed! :D

Still, if you don't already have the sequel's plot laid out,
then this could be a foreshadowing of some sort, and it
would let you work into the storyline of the next game.

This is clearly a wild idea; I'm not anticipating the usage of any of it.

"Tainted mechs..."

[Arcane Wizard]

Of course, you've found a small set of ultra-kick-a-demonic-robots after defeating the end boss, which have corrupted you into starting your own evil-boss-robot-army, which you must defend against hordes of annoying teenagers.

(could just be a DEFEND YOUR EVIL CASTLE option in the main menu, which generates a battle with a random enemy)

[Rezek]

I've got it, it's a bit of a mix of supergooses idea & mine. when you beat edmund the second time, you see a cinematic foreshadowing the plot for the sequel. I.E, when edmund dies, and you leave, you see edmund being turned into a robot - cyborg thing.

*while re-reading this post*
oh wait- darth vader. d'oh!

[DigiTan]

That's actually a lot how the original ending goes. I had this one idea, where in the 2nd ending, Beth turns out to be using you just to weaken Edmund and take over his empire. Then that sets up for a sequel. I wasn't sure if people would be interested in that but if it's a good idea, it's not too late to add.

[Rezek]

great minds think alike, huh

[DigiTan]

Okay, here's one more question. I've been thinking of adding a "wager" feature to multiplayer mode. I'm not 100% if I'll add it anyway, but basically it would like you take money from your story mode campaign and risk part of it in a human vs. human battle. It might be asking for trouble since the game is already large.

[Solitaire710]

hmmmm

The wager feature could be in one version, and you could release another version of it with out the wager feature for those of us who don't have any friends with calcs nearby

[DarkerLine]

In fact, I think there should be a version of the program that does not support two linked calculators at all, if there isn't one already.

[DigiTan]

Yep. So far there is a linked (full), standard and lite edition. The standard version should be about 1.5kB smaller than this linked one.

[DigiTan]

Okay, after collecting some input from the community, this is the verdict...

(1) I'm going to merge the 1st and 2nd endings into one. That will save space and probably make the final battle more intense.

(2) The new Warlord class has been removed. That leaves room for a top-secret attack, but I haven't decided what it will be. I already have one that does infinite damage, so I need more ideas. The "Spy" will get a new attack called "Beckoning" that can summon tanks to defend it.

(3) The Destroyer class will have timed attacks. Tapping 2ND at the right moment activates "Destructive Energy" and adds your current Energy to the attack's damage. Tapping ALPHA activates "Destructive Fusion" and gives the attack an energy property (burning ability, etc). It's hard to master, but very satisfying to watch. You can also combine the two (extremely difficult to time this right).

Finally, with the 2nd ending out, I'm doing away with expert mode all together but not the ranking system. When players beat the game, they can stay in story mode to try and earn the Gold armor; the most powerful and expensive upgrade.