VectorSatyr
commented
10 months ago @AlexKhayrullin
In my opinion, a good passive ability is intuitive based on the element itself and does not require explanation. For example, it's intuitively understood that having a flaming shield would offer some flame protection. (This intuition is part of the reason people get confused by the Tidal Tubes flowers having bubbles, but not offering air.)
While the homing shield effect is something that can eventually be figured out, I feel there's a small issue of conveyance with the proposed wind and ice shield effects (the latter to a lesser extent.)
- It's simply not intuitive for a player - especially an inexperienced one - to know that the wind shield stops platforms from crumbling or falling, but it especially becomes harder to figure out if those same platforms can be triggered manually as it can easily be confused for a programming bug if you're not being particularly mindful of the effect.
- Enemies in Time Twisted are generally harder to approach than in other official titles, so there's a chance a player might lose their ice shield before even noticing the proposed effect. Furthermore, it will only be truly noticeable in Tidal Tubes as that's the level with the most water enemies available.
We can still go with these ideas, but I would like to suggest my own alternatives as well:
- Wind shield should give the player more control against the select few wind-based level elements in the game. These elements normally take control away from the player, but while the wind shield is active, they would either have no effect or give the player the ability to move around freely. This includes, but is not limited to: the giant fan badnik in Raging Ruins Future; the horizontal wind tunnels in Raging Ruins past; the vertical wind tunnels in Drifting Dynamo, except the one that launches you into the ship; the fans in Viridian Valley; and so on.
- Ice shield negates underwater physics entirely, or heavily softens them. Characters abilities that work differently underwater will still work as they should. May still combine with automatic freezing of nearby enemies.
In addition: the proposed passive power for the new shield could work just as well for the Rock shield, as it also has a passive that isn't immediately clear based on its element (immunity to spikes;) this would be added to the existing passive.
overbound
Some shields, in addition to having an active power Sonic can use, also have passive powers everybody can use (resistance to some types of moves, attarcting rings...).
Among the STT-exclusive shields, only the Rock shield has a passive power (resistance to spikes) but the other two, and the newly planned Homing shield, don't have any. Here's what I suggest:
I had an idea for another shield. It can be of any design and any color: its active power is an insta-shield with a wider radius; its passive power is that it takes two hits before it breaks instead of one.