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Remember "Unpredictor"? I didn't think so. That was a set of experiments turning into a contest entry (Doom Mutator Contest II). Helltricks is based on a similar motivation, but most of the changes/tricks are executed more thoughtfully. It mainly replaces monsters with various more versatile or unpredictable versions of themselves, adding various powers to keep you on your toes. Many foes are slightly weaker than their unmodified counterparts (endure less, and do less damage), but still quite a bit more likely to hurt you.
I'll provide detail information on the implemented variations, but as always I recommend trying it out without knowing. Or better: I ask that you do so. I want to know how much harder this mod becomes when you don't know what all the changes are.
Changes are mostly not visual, but I'll post a few screenshots of some few that are.
Spoiler: Images
Spoiler: Air and ice
Air elemental, ice demon, frozen imp victims.
Spoiler: Chaos elemental
The chaos elemental is spammy, yes, but not that lethal. Or discerning.
Spoiler: The skulls
Skull changes are moderate, but have some impact.
Spoiler: Stoneskin brute
I'd tell you, but I want you to test it first without knowing. If you want to know, read the real spoilers later.
The mod is and will remain fully compatible with both Doom and Doom II. (Doom II assets are only used when replacing Doom II actors.)
I have not provided variants for all enemies yet (and maybe I will not, although I think in time I will). Also, I'll consider your ideas and opinions. Too fast, too unavoidable, too powerful, too ammo-consuming... Regarding ammunition: I found myself using quite a bit more ammo on some occasions, sometimes minor ammo pickups will be a bit bigger, or be replaced with their "box" counterpart. (I think it works, didn't put much thought into it.)
All creatures also occur in their original, unmodified form.
EDIT / UPDATE 21. feb: Slight modifications of the possessed, and a slightly new approach to archviles.
EDIT / UPDATE 02. mar: Some odd powerups and some Mancubus effects. Please have a look.
As in unpredictor, DoomImp has received the most complete and caring attention. This is probably because I view them as the primary foot soldiers of hell. Native, common, and always in the front lines. A few use warps, many use illusion or invisibility, and they sometimes deliver a non-standard projectile.
Morphic: The morphic imp takes on the appearance, but not the behaviour, of another creature. As it will often appear to be more dangerous than it actually is, it can startle you, or draw your attention away from a more real threat. Combat action reveals its true nature.
Morphic advanced: Some morphic imps try to preserve the illusion when you fire upon them, and they might even flee to take a new disguise.
Body doubles: Several doom imps also have body doubles. A doom imp body double spawns with its creator and behaves like a standard imp, but its missiles have no power, and the body double itself is not tangible. It ceases to exist if the master dies.
Shadow imp: The shadow imp is fuzzy and has a (non-fuzzy) body double.
Decoy imp: Attacks behind illusions when hurt, and becomes very cautious and stealthy at the end of its life.
Turret imp: Fast chase fireball spam. This little imp can deliver a lightweight barrage of hellfire. Also releases occasional clusters of illusory fire to confuse.
Stealth variant: Less visible, less durable; mostly like the basic turret imp.
Hyper variant: Not mor powerful than rapid-fire. With +MISSILEMORE and +MISSILEEVENMORE it is more desperate. Or playing to its strengths.
Lurker: They have stealth, and they are reluctant to give it up. They're waiting for a good shot. Loses stealth upon attacking. Lurkers can have body doubles.
Assassin: The assassin is like a lurker,
Spoiler: Experience it first
but it comes at you with a vicious leap.
Small imps: Some of the small imps are insignificant cowards. Some are brave little demons with bark and bite. Some have their own tricks, such as accompanying their real attack with an illusory one. A tiny, cowardly (warp on pain) assassin.
Other variations: Imps with lightweight homing projectiles.
Spoiler: Experience it first
Imps that leap at you as they attack.
Slightly tougher imps. Imps with somewhat irrelevant translucencies. Warps and shades. A creature that appears with displacement (stealthy, accompanied by nearby illusions).
Gave it a test run. Was pretty neat, although I was somewhat disappointed by the Zombies remaining untouched... There's lots you can do with them, you know. Make them more trigger happy, give them better (but slower) aim, burst fire, improved dodging, suppressing fire...
"Resource" data is not really in the scope of this project; only text lumps. Mostly decorate. At the present, I have one SNDINFO-lump, and the rest is all decorate.
The focus is not on how things look, but on what they do.
PS: I tend to test this on Doom episode 3, the first half. For some reason, I quite like the early levels of Inferno. I suspect that the mod is unplayable on nightmare, or in "Thy flesh consumed". Situations that stretch your ability to its limits will normally exceed your ability if helltricks is added.
Ethril: Zombies will be... touched. Touched up. They're not a priority. Reduced waiting time in firing state might be a good idea. Makes them slightly more likely to get one shot on you in a sudden encounter. Other ideas are also welcome, and even code submissions, if you have something you want to package with this project.
Archviles: I have done something for archviles, but I'll probably throw it out, or adjust it. I don't think my archvilework is reasonably good at this point.
I've been tinkering with this the last days, mostly archvilebugs (the programmer type, not crazy doom monsters), balancing, unbalancing and some rebalancing. I haven't got much new, though. I intend to cover all monsters in Doom and Doom II, but I do not intend to include anything that doesn't improve the game experience in any way.
I'd like som feedback on what's already there. This is a slightly serious modding attempt meaning to enhance the gaming experience somehow, so:
* Of the things you have found, is there anything that needs to be removed?
* Is there anything you would like to see in this mod?
Also, most of the ideas I have are already implemented. What isn't in at this time will not be in until somebody thinks of something.
What I discuss below is not all in the uploaded mod. These are the monsters on my mind.
ZombieMan, ShotgunGuy, Chaingunner: A few minor alterations are made. Do you have ideas that would make it more exciting?
Spoiler: What I have
Some have faster shots, some have more accurate shots, some have reduced painchance. Advantages are loosely balanced with disadvantages. Chaingunner has semi-automatic zombieman replacement (looks weak, isn't quite that weak, and has better accuracy than the chaingunner; underestimate this!). Chaingunner has supershotgunguy replacement (double shot, drops super shotgun).
Fatso (not uploaded): At home I have some rather lame attempts at making this monster more interesting. I think I need more experience fighting it, so that I can tell what, if anything, gets old and easy about it. Or I must develop an artistic understanding of its role. Of course, these bulky missilepods might not really need anything in that regard. Their lame simplicity fits their role and imagined personality.
Dual-missile-fatso? They appear to be equipped for firing two missiles, one from each arm. Study shows three missiles emerging from the centre. I'd like to fire two missiles with appropriate points of origin. If nothing better occurs to me, perhaps A_SpawnItemEx with sin and cos to place points of origin, with SXF_TRANSFERPOINTERS and SXF_SETMASTER; and a spawned actor with 0 tick lifetime and a_custommissile.
Archvile (most recent version not uploaded): Some variants may actually be a bit too hard, but it depends a lot on the circumstances, and your current arsenal. Some of the differences are subtle. The "sadistic monsters" have distinct groups of power-type. Within each group there are subtle differences. Some give you better warnings than others. Some are more dangerous than others. Verifying overall playability with these replacements might be hard.
Revenant: I haven't done anything. Promise! Any ideas?
Arachnotron: Nothing.
Hell knight: Nothing good, really. But not that bad either.
Big bossmonsters: I'm not really planning on replacing these, unless you think they ought to have variants. I need some truly worthwhile ideas. They're rare enough in games not to require great variation, aren't they?
New small update. I have achieved a little with the mancubus, and I have amused myself with some themed pickups for the archviles. Visual aspects of the pickups are incomplete, but technical aspects are about the way I intended them. Slight and odd perks, but perks nonetheless.
