Icing on the Windstorm Cake

[Pepisolo]

Might as well get these nice-to-have ideas out. How about when you are within a windstorm you have some physic style effects buffeting you about? With three weeks to go in the schedule I wouldn't normally even voice this idea if it weren't for one thing -- in the early Alpha something like this was already present. You could visit the area Demonaica was on and it would be very windy and your projectiles would be blown off to the sides. It was a subtle thing,  but pretty cool. Doing this would increase immersion while also giving the windstorm generator a more adversarial feel.   

[x4000]

We had that in Valley 1, and the reason I took that out is that I felt that just wasn't that much fun.  This was back when the entire chunk was stormy and most of the chunks you were in were this way, though.  Potentially it might be an interesting thing to do for just the ends of the chunks, but I dunno.

[Pepisolo]

We had that in Valley 1, and the reason I took that out is that I felt that just wasn't that much fun.  This was back when the entire chunk was stormy and most of the chunks you were in were this way, though.  Potentially it might be an interesting thing to do for just the ends of the chunks, but I dunno.

I can completely understand why you'd take this out for entire chunks -- that would be a bit annoying -- but really 90% of the current levels are non-stormy, so it shouldn't impact on gameplay in a harmful way. If anything it should add a little bit of spice and immersion to the generator destruction, giving the generator a very subtle boss-like feel rather than just feeling like a checkpoint.

[x4000]

Okay:

* Windstorm generators now affect the physics of your and enemy spells, as well as your jumping in the air.
** This is rather like in the first game, although only about 3/4 as strong of an effect.  It's also only something that comes on as you get closer to the end of an un-purified level and the visual windstorm effects actually come into play.

Thanks!

[Pepisolo]

Cool! Should work out nicely, thanks!

[Panopticon]

Sweet idea. I love little thematic touches like this.

[Pepisolo]

One interesting thing I've noticed is that sometimes the wind effect works for you, sometimes against you. Presumably the wind direction is randomized. If you're facing the wind direction things are slightly more difficult. If you're moving with the wind, things are easier. Some enemies really seem to struggle against the wind, with their projectiles getting blown behind them the moment they shoot. It might be making these enemies a little too easy, but then again if the wind is going the other way they are harder. It makes the end of the levels a little more interesting. Still testing, but seems pretty good.