Ideas for when we have Z-levels

[Inquisitor_Dust]

If I remember right, at some point we’re going to have z-levels implemented, so what kind of stuff would work with that mechanic?

I could see quite a few new/changed mutations that could make use of it, maybe a reptile mutation that gives you ‘gecko feet/hands’ that let you climb on most surfaces. Or wings eventually mutating into (limited?) flying forms, or being combined with light bones or something.

Item-wise, maybe a grappling hook or using rope to climb down safely?

I’d love to see a type of zombie or other enemy that hides high up on buildings and hops down to attack you.

I’m kind of just throwing ideas out, nothing really substantial here… Thoughts?

[KA101]

Problem with winged flight, per se, is that Earth’s atmosphere isn’t dense enough: you need really large wings to lift a human’s weight. And then the muscles to flap them (extra bonus for the shoulder-mount rather than having them directly under the arms). Light bones, help but the problem remains.

So something like a jungle-portal, etc might help.

Rope is already used to climb down, so that’s sorted. Grapples might help getting up or perhaps over gaps.

Wall-climbing mutations could work in the Insect and Spider categories too. Tentacles could conceivably help as well.

Hunter zeds could be interesting though I’d like to have a Dodge roll to have them miss entirely. SPLAT.

[FunsizeNinja123]

Helicopters!

[Fniff]

Squirrel suits.

[Inquisitor_Dust]

[quote=“KA101, post:2, topic:2744”]Problem with winged flight, per se, is that Earth’s atmosphere isn’t dense enough: you need really large wings to lift a human’s weight. And then the muscles to flap them (extra bonus for the shoulder-mount rather than having them directly under the arms). Light bones, help but the problem remains.

So something like a jungle-portal, etc might help.

Rope is already used to climb down, so that’s sorted. Grapples might help getting up or perhaps over gaps.

Wall-climbing mutations could work in the Insect and Spider categories too. Tentacles could conceivably help as well.

Hunter zeds could be interesting though I’d like to have a Dodge roll to have them miss entirely. SPLAT.[/quote]
Yeah, winged flight is a bit iffy, but maybe expanding the kind of ‘gliding’ thing where it breaks your fall and give you some limited control as you fall.

A jungle-portal?

Climbing would work great with insects and spiders, not sure about tentacles. How strong are the suckers on those things?

Oh, I should re-word the grappling hook thing. Yeah, I meant using it to travel up. Using it over gaps would be cool too, but do you mean like a tightrope or throwing it and swing down and climbing back up?

Watching the hunters SPLAT on the ground as they try to pounce you would be pretty funny.

[John_Candlebury]

Rope is already used to climb down, so that’s sorted. Grapples might help getting up or perhaps over gaps.

Now I am curious, I know that you can use the 30ft rope to save yourself from sinkholes but in what other instances can you use it?

[Fniff]

If the stairs downward in a lab suddenly stop, you can use a rope to get down.

[KA101]

If the stairs downward in a lab suddenly stop, you can use a rope to get down.

Any > that has a sudden dropoff. Some > suddenly become blocked off. (No using the rope to get into the Hellmouth. )

[Catfoodbob]

Something i was thinking a bout the Z-levels is like in dwarf fortress you can’t see things on lower Z-levels unless you actually look down which can get irritating. maybe when on higher area s when you implement Z-levels then you should still maintain the view of lower levels unless you look up which could be a hot key where you just swap sight of lower z-levels to higher ones… and if you are implementing z-levels, monsters should take specific amounts of damage based on how far they fall.

Also, smarter mobs an npc would probably be more likely to look up. like zombie scientists, flaming eye, tank should see up one level generically cause he is huge but take a seeing down penalty unless directly looking down because some genius decided to jump in a pit while tank still sees them jump into said pit,

kind of like most mobs would be generically using standard vision, unless they don’t have vision, and are more likely to be looking down than up. mutations that let you stick to walls would be hilarious in buildings like science labs if the ceiling was higher up.

-Nightmare fuel-
Mi-go s, “fun” new special zombie,being able to easily climb structures and jump down on a hapless victim as they climb out of a window or walk by a house and didn’t look up.

just for fun, Roof bears.

[KA101]

Technically, shouldn’t light/hollow bones reduce your weight a little bit?

A little bit, yeah. Enough to let a human-shaped critter fly by flapping wings? Not on this Earth. A Jungle-portal (a netherworld portal that creates jungle-type climate around it) might help: increased moisture = increased air density, so wings work better…but probably still wouldn’t permit true flight. Figure long-distance gliding at best.

[KA101]

IRL, not necessarily. In-game, yeah, I’d imagine, since higher ST translates into higher maxHP, etc.