Last time I was carrying on about “Burst’ mode on Makers, “Vaccum” mode, etc. I received lots of good ideas and input on the forums and blog… thanks to all who helped me brain-storm. It was very beneficial.
Yesterday, I took a trip out for lunch to Bojangles for one of these: http://www.bojangles.com/buzz/detail/cajunfilet. Yes, it is very unhealthy… but yes it is also very delicious. If you live in a part of the world that doesn’t have Bojangles, you have my sympathies 🙂 Anyway, I set about to clear my head and think about the problem from a different perspective.
The problem was that I had created an issue with “bursting” ore into anti-creeper from Makers. Bursting simply means instantly converting some amount of ore into Anti-Creeper (AC). This is a neat thing to do and it means in certain circumstance you can ‘punch’ and emitter in the face and take it out with a nullifier. At issue was what to do about remnants… should they get consumed by the burst operation or not.
Here is how I got around the problem and what seems to be working well;
The Maker now has three modes of operation
- Produce: Creates anti-creeper just like it ‘normal’
- Charge: Creates anti-creeper but stores it in a local tank. Does not emit it!
- Vacuum: Sucks up anti-creeper and turns it back into ore.
Note that mode 3 has nothing at all to do with mode 2. Vaccum mode simple converts any anti-creeper under the Maker into ore. This ore goes right back into your ore storage… so upgrade your ore storage to collect more of it.
Mode 2 is a completely new capability, but it works very simply. In short, ‘Charging’ a Maker just means to create Anti-Creeper and store it in a local tank. You have a ‘burst’ button that can then be used to dump that tank all at once.
The completely skirts the issue of bursting remnants, since bursting now simply means to dump an on-board tank. That tank gets filled with Anti-Creeper made the same way it has always been made.
This seems like a rather tidy solution to the problems you’ve been having with a burst mode.
Will we be able to see how much anti-creeper a Maker has stored in it? Is there a limit to how much it can store and then emit?
Yes, there is a bar graph and a numeric amount of AC show in the control are when you select a Maker. The tank’s size can be increased when you purchase the Weapon Range tech upgrade.
Note that I have also made the Weapon Fire Rate tech upgrade cause Makers to emit AC faster (either in ‘produce’ mode or ‘charge’ mode).
Will this affect their ore-to-anti-creeper conversion ratio?
The conversion ratio remains the same. What changes when you upgrade weapon fire rate is that the Maker produced AC on a shorter interval. For instance, by default the Maker bursts out 30,000 AC every second at 1x. It bursts out 120,000 AC every second at 4x. Fully upgraded it will burst out 30,000 AC every half a second at 1x and 120,000 AC every half a second at 4x. Or put another way, 240,000 AC every second.
Since the ore conversion rate remains the same it will use ore twice as fast. But you can produce the same amount of AC with fewer Makers… or you could charge the tanks of a few Makers quicker and launch your “punch” assault sooner, etc.
You’ll probably get the most mileage out of high output Makers on maps with a lot of remnants, then.
It’ll be interesting to see how the story missions are affected by these new features. My own thought is that they probably won’t change that much, given that Anti-Creeper is mostly useful in a support function rather than a full-on assault.
Are the Tanks global, as in over all makers, or local, applying to a single maker, in that each maker has it’s own tank? If the latter, what happens if a maker is destroyed when It has anti-creeper stored, Does it disappear, or does it act as though you released a burst?
There is a tank on each Maker. The “Charge” mode will fill up that local tank on any given Maker. If the Maker gets destroyed, the AC flies out (just like you had burst the tank).
So if you turn on the maker while the tank has AC in it, how will it work? Will it work like remnants do where it will only consume AC from its tank if it’s not being supplied enough by your ore reserves/mines? Or will it use what is in the tank first?
I hope it’s the first because you could use the makers similar to how the conversion bombs are used…send them in pumping out as much AC as they can, and then when they die…they spew out the contents of the tank.
You can set a Maker to “Produce” mode regardless of the contents of the internal tank. The internal tank is just a store house of manufactured AC. It doesn’t stop “Produce” or “Vacuum” mode from operating.
So yes, you could send in a Maker with a full tank and also set to ‘produce’ mode. If the Maker gets overwhelmed or taken out by a drone, the tank contents will offer a little payback.
stupid idiot!
you made me hungry.
norway do not have Bojangles. 🙁
i like the new mode Charge 🙂
I really like this solution. It gives the player a lot of different options as to how to use the AC.
In some missions I don’t even use AC much or even at all. It’s probably not optimal, but with these new features I’m excited to see what new uses I can find for it
Interesting solution, mixing several suggestions into three modes. Would these be implemented into the story?
Very nice. Balances the disadvantage of making more then one emitter worthless for additional production while still having a burst.
I would say the vacuum should store it in the local tank as well, Though not knowing the mechanics behind ore-anti-creeper, I would not know if it can be reversed.
I hope this means Update one will come out soon!
This sounds terrific – I for one will certainly benefit from the new ‘burst mode’ as I tend to use my makers at the front of an assault (backed up by blasters of course) to ‘melt’ a hole through the creeper.
This’ll give us a low cost alternative to the conversion bomb – a ‘poor mans’ C-bomb?!
While we’re on the subject, will there be keyboard controls for the new functions? Apologies if this has been covered elsewhere (couldn’t see a topic/thread on the subject), but I use the keyboard for EVERYTHING (it’s way quicker) and when I find myself setting up a newly constructed makers, I press ‘a’ to arm it, then ‘4’ to select ‘4-speed’ production – and then I get all surprised that the ‘4’ doesn’t work! They say that the definition of insanity is doing the exact same thing over and over and expecting the result to be different!
While we’re at it – can we have a keyboard ‘yes’ (‘y’) in response to ‘Confirm – Purchase Tech?’
😉
Loving the game, going back over every mission, trying to figure out how people got those way low times, looking forward to the updates and new maps.
Also regretting the lack of Bojangles in my country!
Keyboard shortcuts for extra functions is something I may have to swing along later and add. I want to get Update 1 out ASAP, so I don’t want to hold it any extra days adding some of these things… but I will get them added.
And too bad about Bojangles…. it’s not even available to most Americans unfortunately:
http://www.bojangles.com/locations
It would be cool if there was an expensive efficiency upgrade for the makers, or the ore extractors, that let you get more anti-creeper out of your ore reserves.
Having just finished my 15th play of The Tide I see a REAL use for the burst mode during the final liberation of Thrade.
Quite nice, the GC creator seems to be getting more and more dynamic and flexible… and you typed ‘and’ instead of ‘an’ in punching and emitter in the face.
HURRY UP WITH THE UPDATE ALREADY!!!
*ANGRY MOB*
UPDATE!!! UPDATE!!!
update! UPDATE!!!!
Bojangles! BOJANGLES!!!!
When is the date you are realsing update 1? I really like the charge mode idea very helpful for trying to null a high out poot emiter
This week unless some major bug pops up.
well, i really like this. i can see a couple people you owe credit too, but i bet Ranakastrasz will be happy… 😉 this just seems so simple-just like most things that are really good. I can’t wait for this!
I was just wondering.. what happens if you beat the creeper nexus on last level before it charges and explodes?
@Wheeler: I do not believe it is possible to beat it before it activates. I just tried to finish it perfectly, and wasted almost no time at all, and it still activated before I could get more even 15 blocks down.. If it is possible, I honestly don’t see how it is, It just takes too long to get the conversion bombs and the laser up..
http://knucklecracker.com/forums/index.php?topic=7181.0
it has been done…
ok sounds good i’m on my toes ready for the new realse!
I like the sound of this. New ways to push into the enemy. My initial response was, the vacuum mode should put the creeper back into the tank.
Converting ore into creeper takes time. Converting creeper back into ore takes more time (and if your ore count is already full, where does it go?). Then to create anti-creeper again to push further into the enemy, takes even more time.
Love both games. Redemption is an awesome sequel and I am still eagerly waiting for the custom levels as well. Thanks.
i almost made it, but a drone destroyed my dark beam 🙁
if possible plz get it out before friday
then I can try it out before loz oot 3d
(for the non-gamers)
legend of zelda ocerina of time 3d
i pretty much assumed it to be impossible without cheating, actually. i think that if it was not meant to be able to be destroyed, the nexus (before the whole ‘omg friends is the key’ speech) would not have 1000 health. i am just curious as to if it still counts as a win if you beat it before that ‘revelation’.