Planet Descent
From the Front Page => Soupe Du Jour => Topic started by: Kaiaatzl on March 23, 2011, 01:06:26 PM
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A running list of some interesting coincidences and general odd stuff in D1 First Strike, D2 Counterstrike, and D2 Vertigo. I may have mentioned some of these before. D2 Counterstrike has far more strange coincidences than any other Parallax-made mission.
If you play with the default midi music enabled, and don't count secret levels, the most dangerous robot in the game that only appears in this game will always be faced for the first time on the last level with the level 1 music. D3 does not count because it never reuses music, doesn't use midi music, and it's very hard to tell what the most dangerous non-boss robot actually is.
In D2 Counterstrike, which robot is on more levels, the Diamond Claw or the Thief?
I tallied them and it depends entirely on whether you count cloaked diamond claws as diamond claws. There are just enough levels that contain cloaked diamond claws but not regular diamond claws to swing the balance.
On the fourth planet in D2 Counterstrike all four levels have diamond claws but only two have a thief. On the next planet all four levels have a thief but only two have diamond claws.
The only times you face smart-mine laying robots in D2 Counterstrike are on boss levels in the planets that have no lava.
Level 19 of D1 is highly similar to level 4 - in fact, there are some metal textures that are only ever used on those two levels.
Why do so many of the later levels in D1 have signs that say "Mercury Solar Lab"? That was level 6!
And why is Europa portrayed as a smoky, fiery hell? It's Europa!
No matter what anyone says about Alien 1, I still say Baloris Prime is a desert. A fiery, alien desert maybe, but still a desert.
BPer bots were originally found only on Baloris Prime in D2. In D2 vertigo and Descent Maximum, suddenly they're everywhere. It's especially funny because the name stands for "Baloris Prime Excavation and Refinement". Talk about a robot out if its element!
Speaking of the BPer bots, the design for the Old Scratches from D3 seems to mirror them.
Bulk Destroyers are harmless on Trainee, but deadly on any other difficulty. Their design seems to be "A Class 1 Driller with gauss cannons".
In D2's last secret level, why does destroying the first reactor start the countdown, but destroying the other reactors make it longer? Logically they should stabilize the system while they still exist, and the countdown should shorten when they stop existing. Gameplay reasons, pffft.
D2 actually has at least two miniboss robots: Red Fatty Junior is a mini red fatty boss, and Boarshed is a mini water boss.
How the @#!& did the Fox Attack bot get its name? It makes no sense, unless its an acronym.
All the planets in D2 Counterstrike except the first one have their own themed robot that only appears on that planet. The list - Quartzon: Class 2 Supervisor; Brimspark: TRN Racer; Limefrost Spiral: Ice Spindle; Baloris Prime: BPer; Omega/Puuma Sphere & Tycho Brahe: Spider, Spawn, and Boarshed. Also, the systems that only have one name/planet have only one themed robot. The system with three names (Puuma Sphere and Tycho Brahe are the different locations, Omega is the entire thing) has three themed robots.
Boss levels in D2 Counterstrike often have a reoccurence of a robot from the previous planet that didn't appear on this planet up till now. The more notable ones are Brimspark - a couple of sidearm modula and sometimes an ITSC, and Limefrost Spiral - Red hornets. The most subtle one is Quartzon - level 8 is actually the only water level with Internal Tactical Droids.
In D2 Counterstrike, if Seekers are going to appear on a planet, they'll never ever appear on the first level of that planet.
In D2 Counterstrike, level 16 is the last appearance of many robots in the original game. Ice Spindles, Fox Attack bots, Seekers, and Sidearms. Not Sidearm Modula though, you'll face them again briefly on level 24.
A couple coincidences that also include D3:
No matter the game or mission, level 11 is always going to be a lava-themed hellhole. At the very least, it will have a mine section that's lava themed (like in D3 Retribution).
In D1, Titan Mine is portrayed with gray and pink rock. In D3, Titan is portrayed almost the same way - except it's the facility that's made out of gray and pink concrete! The rock itself is yellow!
Every sequel in the series has a robot with the same name as a robot in the previous game. In D2, it's the Spider. In D3, it's the Pest.
Some of the most powerful D3 robots look eerily similar to the later bosses from D2. For example, the Thresher looks like the Alien 2 boss.
The squids in D3 are redesigned Fox Attack Bots. Ironically, they look more like jellyfish than actual squids.
Edit: I just thought of another devious one in D2 Counterstrike. Opposite planets. And there's a pattern to it. The first three planets are the opposites of the last three, in reverse order. I'll explain.
Zeta Aquilae vs Omega (systems 1 and 6/7): Zeta Aquilae has a mishmash of texture schemes, to the extent that the differences between the levels in the system are determined more by texture scheme than by actual structures. There is sometimes a little lava.
Puuma Sphere and Tycho brahe are incredibly monotonous, taking the colour green to the extreme where it's used like shades of grey in an old black and white movie. There's some white and blue as well, but even they have a greenish tinge. Even the robots are almost all green coloured. Also, at one point in level 22, you find some water - the level is designed so that you have to find it.
Quartzon vs Baloris Prime (systems 2 and 5): Tropical, water themed, very earth-like (from the intro movie and the exit cutscenes) planet versus a fiery, arid alien wasteland covered with an eerie mist and strange spires. Enough said.
Brimspark vs Limefrost Spiral (systems 3 and 4): Fire vs Ice.
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How the @#!& did the Fox Attack bot get its name? It makes no sense, unless its an acronym.
Yeah, my brother has the same feeling (back in the day when he used to play Descent) about the Fox Attack Bot, He knows that foxes don't howl. And he decided to call it the Wolf Attack Bot. Descent tends to be surreal, when it comes to like Levels and Robot sounds.
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Well Arctic Foxes do make a "cawing" sound that sounds a lot more like the Fox Attack bot than a howl does. I thought it could be that. I have an audio taunt of it for D3, but I can't find the video on youtube where I got it now... I've also heard it in real life, believe it or not.
But still the name makes no sense, even barring the sounds. The bot looks like a jellyfish.
EDIT: I found something else in D2 Counterstrike that I tacked onto the bottom of my first post. This, at the very least, looks like something that would have been done on purpose.
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Speaking of coincidences:
D1, D2, D2 vertigo and D3 all introduced at least on robot that is spider-shaped...
D1: O'l famous red spider and its siblings, D2: Ice spindle defenfer, Green spider D2 Vertigo: Spider "Arachnid" (The one with real "claws" and an ugly face) D3: the "Pest" (Grounded and easy kill)
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The D3 dragon boss too.
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The D3 dragon boss too.
Yeah, I have no Idea why they made the Dragon boss look like a spider. o_0
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The D3 dragon boss too.
*facepalm* and I totally forgot it, even after some fierce battle!
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Well, it DOES breathe fire, so you can give it that much. :P
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still, a gigantic mechinical flying dragon, fought outside in a hilly area, would be completely awesome.
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I could see D3 rolling over and dying trying to create that, though. :P
Still, that would be cool, and would make that particularly monotonous and anti-climatic level worth playing. :)
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... would make that particularly monotonous and anti-climatic level worth playing. :)
Monotonous and anti-climatic? Well, maybe anti-climatic but not all that boring. While it does have some mostly empty halls, it was always fun to taunt the bots into fighting each other just before you wipe them all out. ;D Plus there was usually a room or two that could really hurt you if you weren't careful (or just plain good). The champions certainly added to it as well, especially just before you meet the 'dragon' bot.
The dragon itself... that was monotonous.
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The dragon itself... that was monotonous.
Unless it decides to use its "black shark" module on its back... I've got killed, NO thanks to that, just before I blow him!
You know, its really irritating to be dead... (Just ask GlaDos :P:D)
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@ Shroudeye: But it kept her busy, she even confessed as such. :P
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If machines have gender, then all those spider robots must be female too - think about it.
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I can get along with that red one, the rest is... well, the green spider has some "face" too.
Also, that Thief-bot must be male, and a f@&in* BUM!
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Super thief is the thiefbot's girlfriend when she wakes up on the wrong side of the bed.
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And she cheats the Thief-bot with that muscular Tubbs... which must be every female bots dream, no? :P :D
Oh, I forgot. The Diamond Claw must be some granny that comes to you and says "HUG ME!!!"
:D :D
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And she cheats the Thief-bot with that muscular Tubbs... which must be every female bots dream, no? :P :D
Oh, I forgot. The Diamond Claw must be some granny that comes to you and says "HUG ME!!!"
:D :D
Talk about killer cheek pinching.
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I would've thought that the Old Scratch would've been the elderly hugger.
But then again, I guess he doesn't look like he's trying to hug anything, does he? He actually fits the demented killer thing image that we are supposed to be placing on these robots. :P
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Also, the name "Old Scratch" was an old euphemism for the devil.
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And who would have guessed that?
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Someone who had to read a lot of old fiction for a literature class ;).
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And why is Europa portrayed as a smoky, fiery hell? It's Europa!
Actually, now that I think about it (and I really just thought of this out of the blue) but while Europa is most definitely icy on the surface, scientists are fairly certain now that all that ice and stuff is very much liquid underneath that icy surface, suggesting some kind of sea under there that may or may not support life. Point is, however, is that in order for that ice to be molten like that, the planet would almost have to be volcanically active in some shape or form, thus where your "fiery hell" could come from.
Although I will admit that this would likely mean that said mines would probably have to be well underneath these supposed seas, and so, unless the exit tunnels open straight up to the surface, your Pyro-GX should be emerging in the middle of said seas after every mine blown on Europa.
And I also highly doubt this information was as well known at the time of Descent's original release.
More than likely, the programmers just didn't do their research. :P
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More than likely, the programmers just didn't do their research. :P
Yeah, like Venus is actually hotter than Mercury, due to its atmospheric conditions.
But hey, D1 Level 4 was "Venus ATMOSPHERIC Lab"... And Level 6 was "Mercury SOLAR Lab"...
By the way, remember our Crowd-Source Level, it IS on Europa, and has 2 spots with lava!
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Oh yeah, but those are actually pretty little spots. When I replayed the level when we first started discussing using that level, I was surprised at how little lava there was in it. Could've sworn there was more somewhere.
But oh well. :P
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...[Europa] would have to be volcanically active in some shape or form, thus where your "fiery hell" could come from.
No, they say it's actually tidal forces from Jupiter's gravity that keep it warm (relatively :P), basically as it's orbiting the planet, it gets "kneaded" like bread (very slightly) from the big planet's gravity.
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Well, yes, that would explain it as well, but if there's rock down under all that ice somewhere (and in my mind, that seems likely), those tidal forces would generate volcanic activity. It's the same thing that makes IO so volcanic as well. Granted, Europa obviously isn't as volcanic as IO, but that's not my point. My point is that it's not at all beyond the possibility that if you dug deep enough, you would find molten rock, probably in large amounts, somewhere on that planet, thus explaining why there is lava to be found in the necessary Descent levels. And as I recall (so my memory may be bad) the Europa levels weren't that volcanic. It was just in patches.
But again, more than likely, the level builders probably just didn't do their research. :P
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And as I recall (so my memory may be bad) the Europa levels weren't that volcanic. It was just in patches.
Level 13 (Europa Mining Colony) had 2 spots: The area just behind blue doors and the area containing the yellow key.
Level 14 (Europa CO2 Mine) also had 2 spots: The area containing blue key, and the red key.
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The D3 dragon bot looks more like an ant. Big fire-breathing ant.
Anyway, the D3 music is really D1 music remixed. It's not that noticeable if you listen to MIDI files only, but a quality mix of, say, D1 Game01.mid and D3 level 1 show off that the notes are really the same, it's the tempo that's been altered.
Also, D1 and D3 levels have similar gameflow/architecture. It's not that noticeable because D3 level 1 is larger than D1 level 1 and has outdoor areas, but technically it's very similar (start in an area 1, move by corridor to area 2 with a bonus and some light shooter bots, etc.). Same about level 2 - D3 level 2 has the music theme rehashed from D1 level 2, gameplay developed from D1 level 2, etc. D3 level 3 even has the same long horizontal/short vertical tunnel combinations as D1 level 3, and of course the soundtrack is derived from D1.
D3 level 4 score and D1 Game04.mid are the same theme too, remixed Game06.mid for D3 level 6, etc. etc.
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The D3 dragon bot looks more like an ant. Big fire-breathing ant.
Anyway, the D3 music is really D1 music remixed. It's not that noticeable if you listen to MIDI files only, but a quality mix of, say, D1 Game01.mid and D3 level 1 show off that the notes are really the same, it's the tempo that's been altered.
Also, D1 and D3 levels have similar gameflow/architecture. It's not that noticeable because D3 level 1 is larger than D1 level 1 and has outdoor areas, but technically it's very similar (start in an area 1, move by corridor to area 2 with a bonus and some light shooter bots, etc.). Same about level 2 - D3 level 2 has the music theme rehashed from D1 level 2, gameplay developed from D1 level 2, etc. D3 level 3 even has the same long horizontal/short vertical tunnel combinations as D1 level 3, and of course the soundtrack is derived from D1.
D3 level 4 score and D1 Game04.mid are the same theme too, remixed Game06.mid for D3 level 6, etc. etc.
Except for the Dragon, I seriously doubt all of the above.
I see that nobody has ever noticed that there is a trap door in D2 at the very beginning and the same thing in D3 at the very beginning.
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I see that nobody has ever noticed that there is a trap door in D2 at the very beginning and the same thing in D3 at the very beginning.
Actually, I'd bet that most players (players who've played both D2 and D3) are very aware of those trap doors you speak of, we just didn't mention them.
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Exactly what I thinking. Furthermore, we all probably take them for granted so much that the thought didn't cross our minds (it didn't with mine).
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Well, if we're on that topic, level 1 in both D1 and D2 have the red door in the starting room.
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At third level of all the games, a robot with rockets (Homing/Dumb-fire) is introduced...
D1: Medium Hulk
D2: Sidearm&Sidearm modula
D3: Stinger
Also note that the rocket-bots of D1 and D2 first appear behind the Red door...
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lol, I can't believe I forgot that one. :D
But it's not true in D2 Vertigo - ITSCs on level 1.
In any mission where Medium Hulks and/or Diamond Claws exist, they appear first on level 3. True in D1 First Strike (Medium Hulks on level 3, no diamond claws), D2 Counterstrike (Diamond Claws on level 3, no Medium Hulks), and D2 Vertigo (both Diamond Claws and Medium Hulks on level 3).
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Hehe, I wasn't counting the expansions...
Speaking of them, they have rocket bots in first levels...
D2V: ITSC
D3 Merc: Stingers, even cloaked.
Hey, speaking of cloaked bots:
D1-The cloaked lifter
and
D2-The cloaked D-Claw
first appears on fifth level! (if you do not count the D2-1st secret level, but I'm a bit unclear)
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Cloaked lifter actually appears on D1 level 4... there are 2.
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*facepalm* ow, yea. they were in blue area and in the yellow area entries... Am I aging or what? :P:D
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A running list of some interesting coincidences and general odd stuff in D1 First Strike, D2 Counterstrike, and D2 Vertigo. I may have mentioned some of these before. D2 Counterstrike has far more strange coincidences than any other Parallax-made mission.
If you play with the default midi music enabled, and don't count secret levels, the most dangerous robot in the game that only appears in this game will always be faced for the first time on the last level with the level 1 music. D3 does not count because it never reuses music, doesn't use midi music, and it's very hard to tell what the most dangerous non-boss robot actually is.
In D2 Counterstrike, which robot is on more levels, the Diamond Claw or the Thief?
I tallied them and it depends entirely on whether you count cloaked diamond claws as diamond claws. There are just enough levels that contain cloaked diamond claws but not regular diamond claws to swing the balance.
On the fourth planet in D2 Counterstrike all four levels have diamond claws but only two have a thief. On the next planet all four levels have a thief but only two have diamond claws.
The only times you face smart-mine laying robots in D2 Counterstrike are on boss levels in the planets that have no lava.
Level 19 of D1 is highly similar to level 4 - in fact, there are some metal textures that are only ever used on those two levels.
Why do so many of the later levels in D1 have signs that say "Mercury Solar Lab"? That was level 6!
And why is Europa portrayed as a smoky, fiery hell? It's Europa!
No matter what anyone says about Alien 1, I still say Baloris Prime is a desert. A fiery, alien desert maybe, but still a desert.
BPer bots were originally found only on Baloris Prime in D2. In D2 vertigo and Descent Maximum, suddenly they're everywhere. It's especially funny because the name stands for "Baloris Prime Excavation and Refinement". Talk about a robot out if its element!
Speaking of the BPer bots, the design for the Old Scratches from D3 seems to mirror them.
Bulk Destroyers are harmless on Trainee, but deadly on any other difficulty. Their design seems to be "A Class 1 Driller with gauss cannons".
Actually, no. If they hit you at a certain angle, you will take little to no damage. This is because gauss rounds do not do impact damage whatsoever, they only do splash damage, so if it is deflected because of a vertor miss-match nothing will happen. You may hear the damage sound, but no damage is done.
It's always best to Crazy-Ivan them. Also, they are nasty on Ace if you sit still.
In D2's last secret level, why does destroying the first reactor start the countdown, but destroying the other reactors make it longer? Logically they should stabilize the system while they still exist, and the countdown should shorten when they stop existing. Gameplay reasons, pffft.
The first reactor isn't completely destroyable, so it's core remains intact enough to go critical. However, the smaller ones can be destroyed harmlessly releasing whatever energy they might have. This causes a system-wide discharge that removes energy from the still-going-critical reactor, fundamentally increasing the time required for it to build up a substantial charge to vaporize the mine.
Yes. I just explained that. Why? How? Because I'm awesome.
D2 actually has at least two miniboss robots: Red Fatty Junior is a mini red fatty boss, and Boarshed is a mini water boss.
How the @#!& did the Fox Attack bot get its name? It makes no sense, unless its an acronym.
All the planets in D2 Counterstrike except the first one have their own themed robot that only appears on that planet. The list - Quartzon: Class 2 Supervisor; Brimspark: TRN Racer; Limefrost Spiral: Ice Spindle; Baloris Prime: BPer; Omega/Puuma Sphere & Tycho Brahe: Spider, Spawn, and Boarshed. Also, the systems that only have one name/planet have only one themed robot. The system with three names (Puuma Sphere and Tycho Brahe are the different locations, Omega is the entire thing) has three themed robots.
Boss levels in D2 Counterstrike often have a reoccurence of a robot from the previous planet that didn't appear on this planet up till now. The more notable ones are Brimspark - a couple of sidearm modula and sometimes an ITSC, and Limefrost Spiral - Red hornets. The most subtle one is Quartzon - level 8 is actually the only water level with Internal Tactical Droids.
In D2 Counterstrike, if Seekers are going to appear on a planet, they'll never ever appear on the first level of that planet.
In D2 Counterstrike, level 16 is the last appearance of many robots in the original game. Ice Spindles, Fox Attack bots, Seekers, and Sidearms. Not Sidearm Modula though, you'll face them again briefly on level 24.
A couple coincidences that also include D3:
No matter the game or mission, level 11 is always going to be a lava-themed hellhole. At the very least, it will have a mine section that's lava themed (like in D3 Retribution).
In D1, Titan Mine is portrayed with gray and pink rock. In D3, Titan is portrayed almost the same way - except it's the facility that's made out of gray and pink concrete! The rock itself is yellow!
Every sequel in the series has a robot with the same name as a robot in the previous game. In D2, it's the Spider. In D3, it's the Pest.
Yeah, and the both have similar weaponry.
The Spider in D1 has spawn, same as the one in D2.
The PEST in D2 is fairly weak and doesn't move much. Same with the D3 PEST.
Some of the most powerful D3 robots look eerily similar to the later bosses from D2. For example, the Thresher looks like the Alien 2 boss.
No, the thresher's spine goes down, while Mr. Green's spine goes straight back. Not to mention the horns.
The squids in D3 are redesigned Fox Attack Bots. Ironically, they look more like jellyfish than actual squids.
Nope. Spindles. Take a look at the formation of the 'tentacles' and cannon placements.
Edit: I just thought of another devious one in D2 Counterstrike. Opposite planets. And there's a pattern to it. The first three planets are the opposites of the last three, in reverse order. I'll explain.
Zeta Aquilae vs Omega (systems 1 and 6/7): Zeta Aquilae has a mishmash of texture schemes, to the extent that the differences between the levels in the system are determined more by texture scheme than by actual structures. There is sometimes a little lava.
Puuma Sphere and Tycho brahe are incredibly monotonous, taking the colour green to the extreme where it's used like shades of grey in an old black and white movie. There's some white and blue as well, but even they have a greenish tinge. Even the robots are almost all green coloured. Also, at one point in level 22, you find some water - the level is designed so that you have to find it.
Quartzon vs Baloris Prime (systems 2 and 5): Tropical, water themed, very earth-like (from the intro movie and the exit cutscenes) planet versus a fiery, arid alien wasteland covered with an eerie mist and strange spires. Enough said.
Brimspark vs Limefrost Spiral (systems 3 and 4): Fire vs Ice.
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QUOTE
Some of the most powerful D3 robots look eerily similar to the later bosses from D2. For example, the Thresher looks like the Alien 2 boss.
No, the thresher's spine goes down, while Mr. Green's spine goes straight back. Not to mention the horns.
QUOTE
I didn't say it was exact :P.
QUOTE
The squids in D3 are redesigned Fox Attack Bots. Ironically, they look more like jellyfish than actual squids.
Nope. Spindles. Take a look at the formation of the 'tentacles' and cannon placements.
QUOTE
Fine they're a cross.
Superficially their shape looks more like the FOXes - you can't deny that. Also the single eye.
(I need to learn how to use the quote function here).
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Yes. I just explained that. Why? How? Because I'm awesome.
You're probably like me then, who'll sit down and find explanations for these sort of things just because I can and because it irks me that there is no already existing explanation. :P
In all serious, though, I think the secret levels count as being more along the lines of the developers having fun with the game's programming than actually trying to create a level with a feasible explanation behind it. ::)
(I need to learn how to use the quote function here).
Translates to...
[ quote = "wazzazzle" ] (I need to learn how to use the quote function here). [ /quote ]
Remove the spaces, and there you go. :)
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At third level .............. a robot with rockets (Homing/Dumb-fire) is introduced...
D1: Medium Hulk
D2: Sidearm&Sidearm modula
......
Also note that the rocket-bots of D1 and D2 first appear behind the Red door...
Actually an extension to this, in the non-expansion campaigns for D1 and D2 the second missile bot appears on level 5 (Red Hulk/those #@!% ITSCs), and the third on level 7 (Boss 1/Seeker). Go figure.
Of course I'm being a little inconsistent counting the first D1 boss but not the Red Fatty! :P
(Red Fatty is so easy I've beaten him on Ace).
Highlight the line!
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Wazzazle, You forgot the Lou Guards at level 4...
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Dang... :D
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Ever notice that the Red Fatty Boss looks like a kernel of popcorn?
I did because the sound file for the red fatty jr's voice (red fatty jr is also the same colour as butter) is called popcorn.wav.
The Smelter II from Vertigo also uses that voice (and it also looks kind of like popcorn).
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sounds like someone is thinking of popcorn.
Is there a picture of this boss? I think I saw one but don't see the robot as popcorn.
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Look at the very bottom of this list...
http://home.online.no/~p-olstad/descent/d1robots.html
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Wrong list.
This is boss 1 of D2. I'll see if I can find something... no time now though.
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I found D2 robots. just change the link where it says d1 to d2.
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Ah, Descent 2.
We're talking about this guy (Descent 2, Level 4 Boss):
(http://i.ytimg.com/vi/MhCQ_1zVtwU/0.jpg) (http://www.easyscreens.info/gallery/20080317/1.jpg)
Videos ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXPbPU_LFKE ... Skip to 8:10
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhCQ_1zVtwU
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kind of looks like popcorn I suppose. maybe those large caramel kind. yum.