Repulors to relocated Greeper

[Ranakastrasz]

One thing I found somewhat wasteful was that I generally have large pools of greeper after finishing a section, especially if I have to multitask. One thing I tried was to use repulsors to push it up and use a stream of them to move it along to the next area, so as to not waste a finite resource. The problem with this, aside from the number of repulsors needed to make a steam the covers the whole area, is that my greeper doesnt stay in, say, a horizontal beam, and will fall out of it, which has the annoying result of a lot of it falling into an area that I may not be able to get it back out of easily. I could use fields, but a cool idea I thought of (which I made a post on it in an editor discussion) would be make repulsors effect greeper and creeper differently. creeper is the same as it is now, but greeper would have a field shaped more like this (facing up example)(There are no arrow type things for diagonals, so I am using slashes, which has some ambiguity)

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/^\
/^\
/^\
and for up and to the right

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0>/
>/^
/^0

Which would hold the greeper into a thin stream, and force it upwards. You could use this to make a stream that would easily force the greeper to where you want it, without wasting as much as a drop on the way (though the transition from one repulsor to another when turning may be a problem.) I realized that this may not be ideal when you are pushing your greeper into creeper, so you may want to have an option to toggle these, and for the lemming mode, disabling this all-together may obviously be a good idea as well.

[CobraKill]

I agree

[Ebon Heart]

I use repulsors all the time to contain the flow of greeper, that and shields, so it's not being wasted flowing into upper levels. I even sometimes point repulsors at each other and make uber dense balls of greeper, just for fun.

[UpperKEES]

I prefer repulsors to behave to same for Creeper and anti-Creeper, just because it makes sense. When you use shields and/or diagonal repulsors as well, you'll be able to prevent Creeper from falling outside/inside the sides of beams.

That said it would be nice if a repulsors would be able to pull as well. This way you could use it as a tractor beam on anti-Creeper. When this beam would still operate during movement it would act as an anti-Creeper transporter.

[knucracker]

I was thinking about something like this just last night.  I thought maybe a repuslor could have modes of operation.  Mode 0 might be how it is now.  Mode 1, might point the edge field inward.  Mode 2, might point the edge field outward.  Like so

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Mode 0 (repulsor pointing up in this example)
^^^
^^^
^^^
^^^
^^^
^^^
^^^

Mode 1
>^<
>^<
>^<
>^<
>^<
>^<
>^<

Mode 2
<^>
<^>
<^>
<^>
<^>
<^>
<^>



Mode 1 is good for sending a single, thin stream up and towards something else (like another repulsor).  You could basically build a pipe with this mode.  Mode 2 is good for keeping things out of the beam.  Imagine if the beam were horizontal and creeper fell onto it.  This would effectively create a horizontal surface for the creeper to fall against.

These things would be a pain to implement, but might be very useful....

[Grauniad]

I'd rather see a new unit that can mop up (somewhat like a vacuum) existing creeper and re-transmit it to the makers...

Would come in really handy in maps with a lot of creeper converted to anti-creeper, or if my anti-creeper is in the wrong position. And I would not have to build a connected set of repulsor beams.

[TonyP2000]

I agree with the new unit. A greeper vacuum would be nice.

[thepenguin]

I want both!

[CobraKill]

I want both!

Same I definitely want a creeper vacuum also I wish the maker was anchored and it would be more powerful or something.

[knucracker]

I am experimenting with both.  The respulsor mods are pretty difficult... but I think I can pull them off.  The field pattern required to support the alternate modes in 8 rotations is actually pretty complex.  But a quick experiment shows me I can do it... it will just take a while to get it all right and properly tested.

The vacuum idea is something I might can add to the Maker.  Allow it to suck up anti-creeper and store it (up to a limit).  There would also be a button to release the reservoir.  I could see people making little 'filling stations' out of shields and makers.  Other makers come in and fill up with anti creeper then fly into danger and release it all at the right moment... like a push assault against a hard to reach emitter.

Of course the OCD crowd (which is all of us) will now feel obligated to mop up every last subcell of anti-creeper so none of it goes to waste :)

[TonyP2000]

Allow it to suck up anti-creeper and store it (up to a limit).

Maybe have upgrades that allow you to increase the limit that anti-creeper can be stored?

[Krell]

I've never understood why the vacuum idea was so popular seeing as in any given map so far I've either had enough ore to make it my primary weapon, or used up all the ore in a single final push anyways and used absolutely none anywhere else in the level. I figured it was so people wouldn't just leave makers running at X4 at all times and try to be careful with their greeper.

[Grauniad]

I've never understood why the vacuum idea was so popular seeing as in any given map so far I've either had enough ore to make it my primary weapon, or used up all the ore in a single final push anyways and used absolutely none anywhere else in the level. I figured it was so people wouldn't just leave makers running at X4 at all times and try to be careful with their greeper.

It's for us CDO^*-types - I've spent many a fun hour playing with moving anti-creeper around.


CDO - it's similar to OCD, but the letters are arranged alphabetically.

[TonyP2000]

I've never understood why the vacuum idea was so popular seeing as in any given map so far I've either had enough ore to make it my primary weapon, or used up all the ore in a single final push anyways and used absolutely none anywhere else in the level. I figured it was so people wouldn't just leave makers running at X4 at all times and try to be careful with their greeper.

Maybe an anti-creeper vacuum can be used in maps were ore is rare and you have to save every last drop of it? Plus certain maps have areas where anti-creeper gets stuck in holes (after an emitter was destroyed down there) and is basically wasted at this point as there is no creeper or emitter near by.

It really comes down to personally preference since there are players who go balls out with multiple makers at X4 while others save every last drop. A vacuum option would be fun so people could try new strategies involving anti-creeper.

But ya, some people are just obsessive compulsive (like me  ;D ) and would just like to suck up every last drop and dump it somewhere else...

[Ebon Heart]

I actually manage to do both... I a lot of times have multiple makers set at x4, especially when there's only one emitter, and I'll just keep all the emitters in a little shield ball, then use repulsors to move the big greeper ball around as I need to. It's not time efficient, but it's fun!