ToME: the Tales of Maj'Eyal

You know that tiny zone just above Urkis that says there's a tempest above the mountain? And you know the tempest weather effect that makes the zone dark and spawns gwelgeroths?

That zone should have that weather effect.

but tempests are really annoying

I can't see!

You can get tempests on tempest peak. It's... well, so long as you keep it the blazes away from the second level, it's just kinda' annoying, but tolerable just because there's usually not anything there and it's small regardless. You indeed can't see pretty much anything (the level already is darkened, and the tempest effect stacks on top of that), but at least on that starting bit it's not really an issue. The zappy E component's pretty much never a concern, either, particularly when they're not interrupting you every five turns as you roam around a larger level.

Now, tempests on the second level? I would honestly say that needs to be flat squelched as a possibility. It makes the level one of the most miserable experiences in the entire game. Actually, one of the most miserable ones in the game's entire dev cycle, imo, and that's contending with pre-shortened sandworm lair and old, longer, smaller corridor'd, no autoexplore, maze. Dark filter on top of dark filter means even if you light up everything in LoS, you still can barely see freaking anything, and the Es constantly interrupting rest and whatnot is a thorough PitA on a level that large. It's an incredibly unpleasant, and it doesn't even have the decency to make the level more difficult, just more annoying and eye-strainy.

I would happily trade guaranteed tempest on the first level for guaranteed no tempest on the second, basically. Could get behind that as a change.

Sounds like a request for better tempests in general.

New suggestion list:
1. Force a tempest in Tempest Peak 1.
2. Remove dark visual overlay and replace with a more user-friendly effect.
3. Replace the dull gwelgeroth spawns with more appealing effects. (See below.)
4. If and when steps 2 and 3 go through, force the new and improved tempest in Tempest Peak 2.

Brainstorming. (See what I did there?)
- do wind effects that push creatures around or make it hard to move in a certain direction
- spawn tidal waves or that whirlwind effect
- occasionally soak or shock all creatures in an area
- generate the zone with sheltered spots that block storm effects, allowing the player to rest in peace

just remove the event it's the only one of its kind and it's really bad

ster wrote:just remove the event it's the only one of its kind and it's really bad

Yeah, not being able see combined with random escort deaths combined with autoexplore breaking every second turn when you come back to clear like Lake Nur isn't a winning combination in my books.

Mankeli wrote:

ster wrote:just remove the event it's the only one of its kind and it's really bad

Yeah, not being able see combined with random escort deaths combined with autoexplore breaking every second turn when you come back to clear like Lake Nur isn't a winning combination in my books.

It somehow manages to be this combination of completely non-threatening since lol non-rare+ mobs and supremely annoying since it dims the screen (why) and interrupts everything, yeah.

ster wrote:supremely annoying since it dims the screen (why)

Clouds, duh!

Yeah that even sux. It's worse than map patrols.

Mordy wrote:

ster wrote:supremely annoying since it dims the screen (why)

Clouds, duh!

Yeah that even sux. It's worse than map patrols.

Wouldn't say that, at least it doesn't kill you and is thankfully ridiculously rare.

Frogtaur wrote:- do wind effects that push creatures around or make it hard to move in a certain direction

... it's a bit back time wise at this point, but playing a ranged character just recently reminded of something. Would be a general thing for most/all environmental/zone effects that could cause knockback or forced movement.

If you do something like that, make sure it effects projectiles, too. And moves them in the same direction it moves critters. Either that, or give a very clear -- as in, straight up turn countdown* -- warning it's about to happen... or have the effect also just toggle friendly fire off for everything, all across the map. Otherwise you're going to have a lot of very confused and frustrated people that just had their own attacks blown backwards into their face by random junk.

*Or have a targeted area spend a few turns basically stacking up circle-style gfx effects (that do nothing, or increase movement speed or grant a temporary -dive away- talent or somethin'), with an overt color shift (as opposed to just increasing brightness) the turn before the hit happens, before dropping the whatever on top of it.

Frumple wrote:

Frogtaur wrote:- do wind effects that push creatures around or make it hard to move in a certain direction

... it's a bit back time wise at this point, but playing a ranged character just recently reminded of something. Would be a general thing for most/all environmental/zone effects that could cause knockback or forced movement.

If you do something like that, make sure it effects projectiles, too. And moves them in the same direction it moves critters. Either that, or give a very clear -- as in, straight up turn countdown* -- warning it's about to happen... or have the effect also just toggle friendly fire off for everything, all across the map. Otherwise you're going to have a lot of very confused and frustrated people that just had their own attacks blown backwards into their face by random junk.

*Or have a targeted area spend a few turns basically stacking up circle-style gfx effects (that do nothing, or increase movement speed or grant a temporary -dive away- talent or somethin'), with an overt color shift (as opposed to just increasing brightness) the turn before the hit happens, before dropping the whatever on top of it.

actually i like being able to autoexplore areas without constant interruption, and not to get hit by my own projectiles forever (this isn't enough of a problem???)