Random Uniques.
How about Random Uniques? (Like random artifacts instead as well as true artifacts). More drops, more deaths. More fun all round.
Except Morgy cannot summon them.
The end.
Random Uniques
Random Uniques
[Ev3rmoe] nvm ill be fine
**Mage Ev3rmoe's (47) ghost was destroyed by an Ethereal hound.**
...
[Anon] famous last words.
**Mage Ev3rmoe's (47) ghost was destroyed by an Ethereal hound.**
...
[Anon] famous last words.
Re: Random Uniques
I could easily imagine random uniques being generated in a similar fashion to random artifacts.
From 8.4 in the guide:
A 'target power' roll could average about the depth level of the unique, with a range representing difficulty for the depth. Modifications to a base creature type's existing stats/attacks/spells/flags could be generated randomly, then checked and calculated into a 'unique_power' and compared against the 'target power'. As an analogy to the 'aggravating' flag on items, higher-powered uniques could recieve a higher chance of a larger awareness radius, similar to how arch-viles, blades, powerwyrms, etc. 'seek' players from a larger distance away than most other creatures. Additionally, as an analogy to 'cursed' random artifacts, uniques could have a chance of dropping 'trash' (such as with everyone's favorite Q) instead of items traditional of their creature type. The ESCORT flag or S_KIN spell might also be considered 'cursed' or 'aggravating' analagous modifications for tougher random uniques (ie. assigned more often).
This could perhaps be a good idea for future quests?
Pre-generating a unique before spawning it would allow it to be encountered by the questing player(s) in regular fashion (via level generation, cave spawning, or summoning) or even by specific level instance or dungeon flags (as with the Wight-King, or IM_FIRE creatures in Mt. Doom). As a quest, it would however not add to the threat of being generated randomly on the fly, such as by Morgoth using S_HI_UNIQUE, unless of course you had an active quest for the unique while facing Morgoth
. As a bonus, uniques that survive their questing player(s) could remain on a list in the Mayor's Office, so that a particularly tough unique could be re-assigned to future questers of appropriate level.
To spice them up, maybe have two types, similar to the naming scheme with rand-arts:
Type A: Named Unique
ie. You recieve the quest to slay "The Great Wyrm of Chaos, Ar-fienel".
This unique could then be generated by questing players at an appropriate depth level for the creature's 'unique_power' value: perhaps a calculated/generated 'depth level' value, as with the level requirement on rand-arts. Global flashy text might read something like "**The Great Wyrm of Chaos, Ar-fienel was slain by Istar Sunshine.**" >.>
Type B: Dungeon Unique
ie. You recieve the quest to slay "The Great Wyrm of Chaos of The Illusory Castle".
This unique could then be found/generated only in the specified dungeon, with a depth/rarity allowance as normal, possibly only appearing in vaults or as an out-of-depth spawn if the unique's calculated/generated 'level' value was particularly close to the hard level limit for that dungeon. Assigned dungeons should of course allow for the unique to be generated (ie. no fish out of water).
Just some ideas... <3 Nazgarn
From 8.4 in the guide:
In comparison:More details about how randart creation works internally:
First, a 'target power' is chosen randomly, usually in the range from 40..120. Then, TomeNET tries several times to generate a randart that approximately fits into that target power. To do this, after a randart is randomly created, all its abilities are checked and calculated into a single number, the 'artifact_power'. If this approximately matches the 'target power', the randart is finally created. If the numbers differ a lot, the randart is erased and randomly recreated until its powers are fitting. The higher the target power is, the more likely the randart will be 'aggravating nearby creatures'.
A 'target power' roll could average about the depth level of the unique, with a range representing difficulty for the depth. Modifications to a base creature type's existing stats/attacks/spells/flags could be generated randomly, then checked and calculated into a 'unique_power' and compared against the 'target power'. As an analogy to the 'aggravating' flag on items, higher-powered uniques could recieve a higher chance of a larger awareness radius, similar to how arch-viles, blades, powerwyrms, etc. 'seek' players from a larger distance away than most other creatures. Additionally, as an analogy to 'cursed' random artifacts, uniques could have a chance of dropping 'trash' (such as with everyone's favorite Q) instead of items traditional of their creature type. The ESCORT flag or S_KIN spell might also be considered 'cursed' or 'aggravating' analagous modifications for tougher random uniques (ie. assigned more often).
This could perhaps be a good idea for future quests?
Pre-generating a unique before spawning it would allow it to be encountered by the questing player(s) in regular fashion (via level generation, cave spawning, or summoning) or even by specific level instance or dungeon flags (as with the Wight-King, or IM_FIRE creatures in Mt. Doom). As a quest, it would however not add to the threat of being generated randomly on the fly, such as by Morgoth using S_HI_UNIQUE, unless of course you had an active quest for the unique while facing Morgoth
. As a bonus, uniques that survive their questing player(s) could remain on a list in the Mayor's Office, so that a particularly tough unique could be re-assigned to future questers of appropriate level. To spice them up, maybe have two types, similar to the naming scheme with rand-arts:
Type A: Named Unique
ie. You recieve the quest to slay "The Great Wyrm of Chaos, Ar-fienel".
This unique could then be generated by questing players at an appropriate depth level for the creature's 'unique_power' value: perhaps a calculated/generated 'depth level' value, as with the level requirement on rand-arts. Global flashy text might read something like "**The Great Wyrm of Chaos, Ar-fienel was slain by Istar Sunshine.**" >.>
Type B: Dungeon Unique
ie. You recieve the quest to slay "The Great Wyrm of Chaos of The Illusory Castle".
This unique could then be found/generated only in the specified dungeon, with a depth/rarity allowance as normal, possibly only appearing in vaults or as an out-of-depth spawn if the unique's calculated/generated 'level' value was particularly close to the hard level limit for that dungeon. Assigned dungeons should of course allow for the unique to be generated (ie. no fish out of water).
Just some ideas... <3 Nazgarn
Re: Random Uniques
I like the idea. There is already a quest for normal monsters, an added command could be used to trigger the unique quest. Maybe the pay out for the quest is a random artifact or something like the Highlander reward system which tries to upgrade your existing equipment. However it falls out, I'm in favor.