Dev Blog #10 – Onion Roster Design

[h2]Crying Powers![/h2] When cut, onions release a chemical called [u]lachymatory factor[/u], which contains [i]sulphur[/i]! If you’re like me, this makes me [b]cry my eyes out to a gross extent[/b] – even after years of chopping. This was our first design touchstone when it came to designing the [b]GladiEATers [/b]roster – crying. [h2]Root Motiff[/h2] We think the best roster designs are formed around a [i]central image[/i]. For onions, we reinterpreted the [i][b]Eye of Horus[/b][/i] into a simplified crying eye. Blue is a colour that seemed to be associated with the eye in culture and jewllery, which made the [i]blue tear[/i] association feel very natural. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/43162105/ce393e90bb697138dea6b3fc1a87369abbbe8b35.png[/img] [h2]Eyes on eyes (on eyes)[/h2] Our Raw Onion [b]GladiEATer [/b]starts the roster with the motiff strong. Being a [i]bulb with eyes [/i]crying all around. It also sets the stage with the [u]most simple [b]cry[/b][/u] inducing ability: [olist] [*] [b]Tear Up:[/b] - Enemy [b]Cries[/b]. Being a weak, low time to cook, Raw creature, two of Raw Onion’s abilities are sacrificial/ make [i]Raw Onion[/i] into more of a consumable, like the Raw Egg. [*] [b]Peel Feel: [/b]- Makes an [u]ally’s next attack[/u] inflict [b]crying[/b]. - But destroys the Onion in the process. [*] [b]Stembutt: [/b]- [b]Deals [/b]a small amount of damage. - [b]Takes [/b]a small amount of damage. [/olist] [i]How good does this make [i]Raw Onion?[/i] I wish there was some explanation of [b]what crying does…[/b][/i] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/43162105/281b275b2a7c984c4ba31a83e8af1011baa8390e.gif[/img] [h2]...What crying used to do[/h2] Originally, [b]crying [/b]made all your abilities [u]target enemies and allies randomly[/u]. This was a natural first iteration of the mechanic, but after a few months of testing, we realised this wasn’t the sort of [i]"wow that’s fun"[/i] randomness. Instead ,it was the type of randomness that either: [list] [*] Feels [b]mediocre [/b]if a crying enemy hits another, less optimal, target on your team. [b]OR [/b] [*] Feels [b]bad [/b]if it hits an equally optimal target on your team [i](you’d ask, what was the point of me making them cry).[/i] [b] OR EVEN WORSE[/b] [*] Feels [b][u]terrible[/u][/b] if your enemy casts an area of effect ability that targets your entire team - making your random targeting debuff [i]completely irrelevant.[/i] [/list] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/43162105/3db8171daa3a1ba7aa7080886ec51528ff7f0406.gif[/img] [h2]What crying does[/h2] Instead, we saw crying as an [b]opportunity [/b]to partly fix another problem. We were worried that some players would decide on 1 ability of the 3 a [b]GladiEATer [/b]has to be the [u]best[/u] and [i]continue casting that on repeat[/i] - without getting to have a strategic decision every turn. To prevent this, we changed the crying debuff to [b]stop the player from casting the same ability twice[/b]. Now the player has the interesting situation where they are [i]forced to change up their strategy[/i], picking the best of now two of their abilities. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/43162105/4d32ec428c6e738b3df173c87f58422a902d2715.png[/img] This felt like a step in the right direction. However, with so many tear inducing abilities and a relatively minor effect that does not stack - what gave players a reason to make a [b]GladiEATer [/b][u]cry twice?[/u] Blocking more abilities felt too limiting for the enemy. So, what about an [b]explosion[/b].[b][i] Everyone loves explosions.[/i][/b] Now, when a crying [b]GladiEATer [/b]is made to cry again – the tear [u][b]explodes [/b][/u]- dealing significant damage. Thematically, this could be interpreted as the [b]GladiEATer [/b][i]having a tantrum[/i], or getting so sad that they take damage. [i]Poor things[/i] ☹ [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/43162105/c32008a7bf69d51dcfdd7983aeffb7542b5fc274.gif[/img] [b]GladiEATers [/b]crying is represented by a tear drop under the [b]GladiEATer’s [/b]eye, which we’ve set on every single sprite [i](even those with no eyes!).[/i] Additionally, the 2nd time a [b]GladiEATer [/b]is made to cry, [b]the tear explodes[/b] as the damage activates and the crying stops. [h2]More Onions![/h2] Diane’s onion creations involve chopped [i]Raw Onion Slices[/i]. These hover around [i]melancholically, [/i]with occasional [b]woeful outbursts:[/b] [olist] [*] [b]Projection: [/b]-Deal [b]damage [/b]randomly, [i]3 times! [/i][Nothing like taking your sadness out on someone random] [*] [b]Teary Gaze:[/b] -Enemy [b]Cries[/b]. [*] [b]Peeling Bad:[/b] -[i]Lose [/i]25% Max [b]Health[/b]. –[i]Gain [/i]25% [b]Power[/b].[i] [Keeping in-line with the peeling punnage][/i] [/olist] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/43162105/ddd15edfd7c966622731a090a3b25f7cbd2e317c.gif[/img] [i]The Grilled Onion Slice[/i] has honed its tear powers, developing… arms! This [u]groundbreaking [/u]adaptation allows it to hone its tears into [b]targeted balls of sad power.[/b] [olist] [*] [b]Teary Touch:[/b] -Deal Damage and make an enemy [b]cry [/b][strike][Not a tear Hadouken][/strike] [*] [b]Spreading Sulphide:[/b] -Ally’s next attack makes targets [b]cry [/b]. [*] [b]Regretful Vanquish: [/b]-Charge Up. -Deal Damage equal to [b]½ of target’s missing health.[/b] [/olist] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/43162105/9946ef9a209729a6e4be34407dc8c6fc157e9485.gif[/img] Regretful Vanquish has the [i]Grilled Onion [/i]rubbing its eyes to form a massive scounrful tear. It is great for taking down [b]high health enemies.[/b] [b]Spreading Sulphide[/b] also synergises powerfully with abilities that target multiple enemies, such as [i]Raw Onion Slice’s[/i] Projection or even Tomato Spit which Diane’s [i]Tomato Slices[/i] have access too! [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/43162105/56843f50cf7d53ff2e6c269a97f8e18c4c9bbe28.gif[/img] [h2]Too Sad, Too Furious[/h2] [i]Fried Onion Rings[/i]. They’re [b]onions[/b], they [b]cry[/b], and they’re [b]fast[/b]. The Fried Onion Ring shaped like a literal tire and greased up by never ending tears, this sad speed demon only knows [u]get fast or cry trying:[/u] [olist] [*] [b]Greasy Steer: [/b]-Deal damage and [u]get faster.[/u] [*] [b]Battery Burnout: [/b]-Lose life and [u]get faster.[/u] [*] [b]Tear Streaks: [/b]–Draw a tear line, [[i]similar to how tire marks burn rubber on the ground][/i] - Enemies that attack allies with this line begin to [b]cry[/b]. [/olist] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/43162105/78cf7cb82894ea5908ab723c0861c063ddeb1790.gif[/img] [h2]Diane's Design Link[/h2] We linked Diane’s design to the onion’s by putting our augmented [i][b]Eyes of Horus[/b][/i] on her as a sleeve of tattoos. Diane’s ability of pushing her already low health (and therefore sad) [b]GladiEATers [/b]made thematic sense with her crying creatures being [i]sad to work for her[/i]. Finally, Diane [b]makes other chefs cry[/b] due to her meanness, much like her onions. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/43162105/1b162e99e5dd5618988a39eb640a0e6d7794561b.png[/img] [h2]Oni-off [/h2] Saying goodbye always makes me [i]sad [/i];( Thank you for reading a bit more about our [i]crying onion buddies[/i]. There’s even more [b]GladiEATers [/b]to talk about, perhaps even onion based [b]GladiEATers [/b][i]yet to be announced??[/i] [url=https://discord.com/invite/Bv9WxvDPag][img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/43162105/66cfebe3655afc8a7b4d03af2f142e6291d637a4.png[/img][/url] Consider joining our [b][url=https://discord.com/invite/Bv9WxvDPag]Discord [/url][/b]or leaving a comment – that would bring a [u]tear to my eye. [/u]