What enemies do you love to hate in games, and why? I'm putting together some core principles for the spacefaring badguys in my game's universe, roving monsters called Siegers. I'd like to hear your general opinion on enemies, and any comments you have on some of the one's I'm planning:

• Monsters should never heal automatically quickly because this drags out battles
• Attacks which nullify the player's ability to fight, stand, move or turn should be used very sparingly, if at all
• Stat draining, level draining, or skill draining monsters are more fearsome than those that cause death
• Death is uninteresting, but humiliation creates visceral emotional responses
• Good monsters vary strategy fast enough to force the player to consider their tactics and positioning, but slow enough for the player to be able to do incremental damage
• Ample warning should be given before devasting attacks
• Devastating attacks should never occur more frequently than the player can repair / heal
• For emotional satisfaction, a high hitpoint monster should allow the player to beat up on them for awhile between attacks

Any other principles? For the Siegers, they are supposed to be unlike any enemy you fight (other spacecraft, normally). Their main ability is the power to phase through solid matter. Different classes can move through different types of matter, and almost all can be damaged when moving through energy fields. The Siegers range from truck to building sized entities, but can launch spiricules, smaller entities that can enter environments to do damage. The spiricules are limbed creatures which must obey physical matter and can't phase. Here are some types I have right now: Violator This tentacled crab-shaped creature attaches to the hull of the player's ship and wraps tentacles around it. The ship is slowed, and can be pulled off course. Violators love to cause ships to graze obstacles (doing hull damage). Once attached, it pierces the hull with its tentacles deck by deck. Each tentacle thrashes through the ship, damaging as much as possible and injuring (but only rarely killing) crew. As it causes damage, it soaks up the fear, terror and outrage of the crew, and therefore ignores robotic vessels unless attacked. The ship is left severely damaged in space, it floats away with the player's fuel and energy reserves (but not repair supplies). Destroyed Violators can yeild treasure troves of minerals and energy particles. Abductor This octopoid/wasp shaped monster fights from long range then makes high speed passes. When a ship's shields are down, the creature ramms the hull with it's probiscus. The probiscus splits into tentacles which move through corridors, searching for crew to suck up. The head of each tentacle is a crawling mouth with monofilament claws that do melee attacks. Once the creature reaches a certain skill point limit of crew abducted, the creature breaks off and flees, opening a jump portal. Crew are alive inside it, slowly being psionically digested. If suited and in comm range, the player can hear their crew's pleas for mercy. Abductor's create nests in deep space if tracked back home (using stealth or a bugging device). Crew are kept in biopods which eventually become Haunter Sieger types. Rescues involve boarding actions through a maze living tissue. Haunter Haunters, small man-sized Siegers, hunt in packs and use stealth and manuever to follow ships, staying in their blind spots. A haunter creates simulacrums / manifestations aboard a ship that cause fear, paranoia, confusion and misdirection. Haunters create ghosts which cause crew to disobey orders (mistakenly), have hallucinations which expose them to danger (creating a false bridge, for example), and disable or damage equipment. If a ship stops in space and has no shields, the Haunters attach themselves to the hull, crawling over it to disable defenses and propulsion (at which point they become visible). They then signal Abductors. They can only create one illusion at a time with their combined energies. They flee any space when multiple ships show up since they have no attack. If destroyed, haunters explode in a radius which releases psionic memories which alternately boost or lower morale. Objector Objectors are large, slow moving building-sized creatures which dispel fields and energies. They often sit on jump points, obstructing the player's path out of a system. Objectors have up to 10 appendages which can project counter-effect fields in an area. Each appendage can only project one type of field, giving the Objector 10 dispel effects max. The Objector adapts to damage it takes from a particular weapon, then begins to configure an appendage to that effect. Once configured, the Objector nullifies all damage from this attack in a certain radius. Objector appendages can be destroyed and picked up, yeilding a lucrative profit. Once the Objector itself takes enough damage, it begins to collapse in a black hole which sucks up any nearby debris. Objectors are occassionally found in fields in deep space. Reaper Reapers attack with laser-like energy effects and by dropping energetic walls that do shield damage if passed through. They also drop spore clouds throughout space which can attach to a ship if the ship fires weapons while in such a cloud. If a spore contacts the hull, it phases through and becomes spiricules throughout the outer deck areas of a ship. The Reaper spiricules kill all low skill / low Intellect crew and paralyze high value crew. Once this is done, the Reaper moves in for the kill, phasing into the hull and draining the life force of the paralyzed victims over the course of several days. Comments? -------------------- Just waiting for the mothership... [edited by - Wavinator on May 13, 2004 8:48:38 PM]

The Swarm

Small foot long insect like creatures, that attack in the thousands. The swarm infest vessels that they come across draining it every last volt of energy they can find. Which they then transport back to the Hive. The swarm is ignores lifeforms unless provoked.


The Hive

Source of the swarm, acts as massive moon sized factory producing the swarm. It stores the engery accumilated to powers its factories when sufficent energy has been gathered a Queen is spawned that flies off to form a new Hive.

While still few in number Hives represent a potential threat to continued space expansion.

Infestor

Winged Scorpions that infest any lifeform they can find, the spit a poweful paralzying agent, and then use the oppertunity to impant eggs into the brain of victim with their stinger. 60 days later the eggs hatch killing the unforunate victim and leaving a handful of new inefestors to wreak havoc.

Infestors are considered an exterme threat and have already been responsible for the destruction of entire planets. The Eggs can be removed if detected in time however patients have been known to suffer dimished mental capacity after the procedure.

Lampray

Long ethereal eel creatures that live in hyperspace they attach themself to passing vessels and remain unknown noticed until the vessel reenters normal space. The suden shocks causes the lampray to panic and drag whatever part of the vessel they are attached to back into hyperspace.


The Web

An enourmas invisible space web, traps vessels passing vessels and feeds on the mental energies of the crew causing demenation and insanity after prolonged exsposure.



-----------------------------------------------------
"Fate and Destiny only give you the opportunity the rest you have to do on your own."
Current Design project: Ambitions Slave

cocky thugs like in deus ex invisible war, they tried to rob me so i shot them all in the head with my pistol

Technogoth, nice, I like these. The brain egg idea is great, and the Lamprey is just perfect, especially if it "swims" away with your part and you can get it back. Enemies that steal from you are one heck of a way to get you emotionally involved.

quote: Original post by johnnyBravo
cocky thugs like in deus ex invisible war, they tried to rob me so i shot them all in the head with my pistol

Yes, this is the perfect role for pirates of all stripes, who can be just as well armed and equipped (or more so) as you.


--------------------
Just waiting for the mothership...

These aren''t exactly what I would call enemies I love to hate. They''re pretty boring.

Orion

"Absorb what is useful, discard what is not, add what is uniquely your own."
-BRUCE LEE

Triple H?

James Simmons
MindEngine Development
http://medev.sourceforge.net

quote: Original post by Wavinator
What enemies do you love to hate in games, and why?

I''m putting together some core principles for the spacefaring badguys in my game''s universe, roving monsters called Siegers. I''d like to hear your general opinion on enemies, and any comments you have on some of the one''s I''m planning:

• Monsters should never heal automatically quickly because this drags out battles
  
• Attacks which nullify the player''s ability to fight, stand, move or turn should be used very sparingly, if at all
  
• Stat draining, level draining, or skill draining monsters are more fearsome than those that cause death
  
• Death is uninteresting, but humiliation creates visceral emotional responses
  
• Good monsters vary strategy fast enough to force the player to consider their tactics and positioning, but slow enough for the player to be able to do incremental damage
  
• Ample warning should be given before devasting attacks
  
• Devastating attacks should never occur more frequently than the player can repair / heal
  
• For emotional satisfaction, a high hitpoint monster should allow the player to beat up on them for awhile between attacks
  

Any other principles?

For the Siegers, they are supposed to be unlike any enemy you fight (other spacecraft, normally). Their main ability is the power to phase through solid matter. Different classes can move through different types of matter, and almost all can be damaged when moving through energy fields.

The Siegers range from truck to building sized entities, but can launch spiricules, smaller entities that can enter environments to do damage. The spiricules are limbed creatures which must obey physical matter and can''t phase.

Here are some types I have right now:

Violator
This tentacled crab-shaped creature attaches to the hull of the player''s ship and wraps tentacles around it. The ship is slowed, and can be pulled off course. Violators love to cause ships to graze obstacles (doing hull damage).

Once attached, it pierces the hull with its tentacles deck by deck. Each tentacle thrashes through the ship, damaging as much as possible and injuring (but only rarely killing) crew.

As it causes damage, it soaks up the fear, terror and outrage of the crew, and therefore ignores robotic vessels unless attacked. The ship is left severely damaged in space, it floats away with the player''s fuel and energy reserves (but not repair supplies).

Destroyed Violators can yeild treasure troves of minerals and energy particles.

Abductor
This octopoid/wasp shaped monster fights from long range then makes high speed passes. When a ship''s shields are down, the creature ramms the hull with it''s probiscus. The probiscus splits into tentacles which move through corridors, searching for crew to suck up. The head of each tentacle is a crawling mouth with monofilament claws that do melee attacks.

Once the creature reaches a certain skill point limit of crew abducted, the creature breaks off and flees, opening a jump portal. Crew are alive inside it, slowly being psionically digested. If suited and in comm range, the player can hear their crew''s pleas for mercy.

Abductor''s create nests in deep space if tracked back home (using stealth or a bugging device). Crew are kept in biopods which eventually become Haunter Sieger types. Rescues involve boarding actions through a maze living tissue.

Haunter
Haunters, small man-sized Siegers, hunt in packs and use stealth and manuever to follow ships, staying in their blind spots. A haunter creates simulacrums / manifestations aboard a ship that cause fear, paranoia, confusion and misdirection. Haunters create ghosts which cause crew to disobey orders (mistakenly), have hallucinations which expose them to danger (creating a false bridge, for example), and disable or damage equipment.

If a ship stops in space and has no shields, the Haunters attach themselves to the hull, crawling over it to disable defenses and propulsion (at which point they become visible). They then signal Abductors.

They can only create one illusion at a time with their combined energies. They flee any space when multiple ships show up since they have no attack.

If destroyed, haunters explode in a radius which releases psionic memories which alternately boost or lower morale.

Objector
Objectors are large, slow moving building-sized creatures which dispel fields and energies. They often sit on jump points, obstructing the player''s path out of a system.

Objectors have up to 10 appendages which can project counter-effect fields in an area. Each appendage can only project one type of field, giving the Objector 10 dispel effects max.

The Objector adapts to damage it takes from a particular weapon, then begins to configure an appendage to that effect. Once configured, the Objector nullifies all damage from this attack in a certain radius.

Objector appendages can be destroyed and picked up, yeilding a lucrative profit. Once the Objector itself takes enough damage, it begins to collapse in a black hole which sucks up any nearby debris.

Objectors are occassionally found in fields in deep space.

Reaper
Reapers attack with laser-like energy effects and by dropping energetic walls that do shield damage if passed through. They also drop spore clouds throughout space which can attach to a ship if the ship fires weapons while in such a cloud.

If a spore contacts the hull, it phases through and becomes spiricules throughout the outer deck areas of a ship. The Reaper spiricules kill all low skill / low Intellect crew and paralyze high value crew. Once this is done, the Reaper moves in for the kill, phasing into the hull and draining the life force of the paralyzed victims over the course of several days.

Comments?


--------------------
Just waiting for the mothership...


[edited by - Wavinator on May 13, 2004 8:48:38 PM]

These are all good classifications, but I would cross reference this list by adding a column next to it called, "Enemies You were the most scared of" and find parallel simile characteristics in order to optimize the antagonistic force and have enemies you love to hate because they scare you the most.

-- The mothership is full of enemies I love to hate and that scares me the most - rotanivaW

I find most game monsters to be pretty boring. They may behave differently, have different special abilities and weaknesses, may be tiny or gargantuan, may have the coolest 3D models and special effects ever, but ultimately, monsters are all just cannon fodder.

My favorite enemies are the humanistic ones -- those that have human-like behaviors and vices, which they exploit in the most cleverly evil ways imaginable. They make you furious not only because they''re hard to beat, but because they love what they do.. they take great pleasure in causing pain and suffering, and laugh it off as though it were a leisurly Sunday stroll.

The most recent example of this I''ve seen would be Dracula in Van Helsing. For those who haven''t seen the movie, consider what you know about vampires in literature -- they tend to be suave and sophisticated, entertaining allies and guests lavishly, and always with a genteel smile.. but behind that pale mask they''re always hatching some grand scheme designed to cause great pain and suffering to anything living.

Now, I''m not saying you should use Space Vampires :D but I do think more games could do well with grand "evil overlord" enemies that appear to really think about how to cause the hero as much misery as possible.

****************************************

Brian Lacy
ForeverDream Studios

Comments? Questions? Curious?


"I create. Therefore I am."

Are these things sentient? The way you describe them, they seem more like forces of nature than enemies. They remind me of Machiavelli''s concept of "fortuna". They''re out there, and they''ll kick you in the balls if you aren''t ready for them, but they aren''t really malicious in any personal way. These Siegers are dumb brutes, following biological imperatives no more sophisticated than the algorithms that govern the actions of insects or fish.

That said, I think that having them as soulless, mindless beasts will be okay, since I don''t have to feel bad about killing them, and if you hunt them to extinction, it''s okay.

As far as your original list of what role an enemy should play in this context, I''d agree with you. I think that the best way for Siegers to beat you would be to just whup on you until you have to back off. They wouldn''t crush your ship or poison your crew, but they''d come up, do some damage, steal some resources, and then leave, and their victory would come in the form of you not hving the means or valor to catch and destroy them. That''s good gameplay, because you can limp to the nearest port with some economical loss, and you would feel like a sissy for reloading just to get back two ensigns and a box of Einsteinium ore.

I also like the idea of them doing things to your crew. To be honest, all I could think of reading this post was the Odyssey, with Scylla and Charybdis. That''s what gave me the notion that Siegers were natural forces, rather than intelligent enemies. In fact, I wouldn''t mind having different regions "haunted" by different types of Seigers, so your little chart could have "Asteroid Field of the Abductors" scrawled on it.

I think it''s good to keep the Siegers from being particularly compelling opponents, and keep them as a sort of "x-factor". You''ll have competitors, pirates, surly crewmates and the odd nemesis to keep you busy in the "outwit your equal" department, and making the great evil of the universe into a sort of abstract risk rather than a specific threat would be welcome. I''m reminded of Cicero''s idea of the metaxy and the permanence of evil, and just having these purely destructive things wandering around the galaxy would be a good element.

I think the Siegers should be mysterious and horrible, and even when you''ve fought one, you shouldn''t really know what just happened. It would be like the ancient maritime sea serpents and kraken. Part myth, part paranoia, and part supernatural monsters, the Siegers could lend a really epic tone to your game, but I don''t think of them as opponents in the classical sense.

I imagine a world in which an Objector attack is only one of the theories regarding what just happened to your sensor array, and you can''t be sure whether the rash of crew foul-ups is due to Haunters, drug abuse, or psionic infiltration. The Siegers could be the "worst-case scenario" for things like that. Or maybe you could make a lucrative and dangerous living as a Violator hunter, with a specially outfitted ship to hunt them, Ahab-style.

I don''t know exactly how you''re going to work these things out, if they''ll be plentiful or if there will only be a few, but it might be worthwhile to have a few that are famous and terrible, a sort of Loch Ness Seiger. "The jump past Betelgeuse looks like a shortcut, but you take your life into your hands, because it takes you right past the stomping grounds of The Beast, and only one in three pilots comes out the other side. Yar."

quote: Original post by Iron Chef Carnage
you not hving the means or valor to catch and destroy them. That''s good gameplay, because you can limp to the nearest port with some economical loss

How annoying they would be depends on how much they would steal, ie. if they nicked 10 pheonix downs and a few shield units then they would be very annoying...