Hopes for the Enemy Editor

[Pteryx]

I suspect it's going to be a long time before we see an enemy editor so powerful that custom bosses will be rare, but I'm hoping it won't be so long before we see the Z1 bosses be more tweakable than they are (or are according to the ZC Wiki). To wit, here's a few things that seem like they ought to be simple to throw in post-2.5, if they aren't there already and I just don't know it:

Moldorm: A flag to make it burrow, sort of like LttP's version. I'd think it'd simply be a matter of throwing a bit of Leever code into the mix and making the segments burrow and re-emerge in the proper order.

Digdogger: Two words: Digdogger Tribble.

Gohma: It seems as though it ought to be possible to change Gohma's singular weakness. I could see throwing someone off by making a Gohma that has to be beaten with the Wand, for example.

Lanmola: This could also be given a burrowing flag. It wouldn't be quite so iconic as on the Moldorm, but it wouldn't be so weird as to be pointless.

Patra: Since you have implemented the Roc's Feather, what about a Patra flag that requires Link to be in mid-air to damage it? -- Pteryx

[Russ]

Hm, that sounds neat. The digdogger tribble would be possible to do now, I think.

By the way, in Link to the Past, it was the lanmolas that burrowed, not the moldorms.

[The_Amaster]

Actually, the editor was pretty capable, and most of the good features were removed.(I can assume only to bugginess)
There were great flags like "Damaged by Hammer" or "Invulnerable from behind" that in combination would be really awesome.

Man, I'd like those back.

[Russ]

Man, I'd like those back.
How about this: As soon as 2.5 is released, we ask _L_ to implant them. I think he would be more than willing to improve the enemy editor. Isn't that right, _L_?

[The_Amaster]

Yeah, that works. Add a few other features and call it 2.6. Please, no more waiting three years for builds. ;)

[4matsy]

Actually, the editor was pretty capable, and most of the good features were removed.(I can assume only to bugginess)
More like nonexistence, as _L_ never got around to programming them in before the feature freeze. :p


There were great flags like "Damaged by Hammer" or "Invulnerable from behind" that in combination would be really awesome.

I can see it now...

Dodongo Tribble On Crack.

Aquamentus with FIRE. LOTS AND LOTS OF FIRE BURN BABY BURN BURN BUUUUUUUUUUUURN :D

Darknuts that chanrge at you like Ropes. And throw swords. And explode like Bombchu.

WIZZNUTS. ZOMG.

And and and and...*keeps going on and on and on*

[Russ]

All I have to say is _L_ better be as anxious to start adding features to the enemy editor as he was before the feature freeze. I remember one thing he said that particularly interested me. Changing the graphics for the projectiles on an enemy by enemy basis. So two enemies both have fireballs for weopons, but one enemy's weopon looks like a fireball, and the other one's looks like an ice ball! I hope he implants that.

[C-Dawg]

The enemy editor could stand a few good tweaks (tell us what the misellanous variables do based on what type of enemy the player selected; don't make us reference a lookup table!) but it's pretty good.

You have to remember that the more nuanced the enemy editor becomes, the more like scripting it is. With scripting, a custom boss can be absolutely indistinguishable from a hard-coded boss, so we don't need to push too hard for new features anymore.

[Russ]

But not many people know scripting. Even then, making scripted bosses like you make is pretty advanced scripting.

[C-Dawg]

That's my point. The more complicated you make the enemy editor, the more it starts to become like scripting and the less it stays easy to understand.

I can see adding more "check boxes" to determine enemy attributes. But when you start asking for the editor to determine movement and complex behavior (like burrowing Moldroms) you're either going to need 1,000,000 little check boxes, some sort of graphic behavior editor, or something like that. Any that sort of system ends up being a different form of scripting.

[Russ]

Hm. Good point. Maybe we should juts ask _L_ to bring back those check boxes after 2.5.

[The_Amaster]

Well, the checkboxes greatest strength I saw were determining vulnerabilities. Like, I had an idea for a enemy invulnerable from front and sides and weak to the boomerang. The only way to hurt it would be to throw a boomerang and have it hit on the return.

We really need the ability to attach scripts to enemies also, similar to items. Make custom custom enemies far easier.

[Russ]

We really need the ability to attach scripts to enemies also, similar to items. Make custom custom enemies far easier.
We need 2.5 to be released, so our ideas can be put into motion, and not just be random rambling.