Starting as archer without smithing

[locus]

I feel a little crazy when you guys talk about Shadow Spiders like they're some horrible death monster. You can fight 'em if you have decent armor and will, otherwise you can avoid 'em, and if you've got enough light they're pussycats.

[Arjen]

So instead of having a chance of a shortbow at -50 -100, we are getting a heavily armed spider you can't see with 6 crosbows? Nice

[Psi]

I always thought that shadow spiders should come in packs - otherwise you can occassionally see them with a large light radius.

My non-archers are always tripping over bows in the early levels. I'd suggest playing a non-archer and then switching once you've tricked the RNG into generating a bow.

[Antoine]

I always thought that shadow spiders should come in packs - otherwise you can occassionally see them with a large light radius.

Make them appear in groups and then give them plasma rifles

A.

[Psi]

Make them appear in groups and then give them plasma rifles

I don't think that plasma rifles were in use until late in the second age.

[Nick]

I don't think that plasma rifles were in use until late in the second age.

From the Akallabęth (story of the downfall of Númenor at the end of the Second Age):

...and a fiery bolt smote the dome of the Temple and shore it asunder, and it was wreathed in flame.

If that's not a plasma rifle, I don't know what is.

[Scatha]

Sounds like you agree with Psi that our first evidence for their existence is late SA? But the question is whether we have any reason to think that they weren't around earlier. We're happy to put into the game things which we only have later evidence of, on a speculative basis that they could have existed then (e.g. Mewlips, Smaug).

[debo]

I guess we just found a way to make Umuiyan stronger...

[Infinitum]

..Maybe just have the game always generate a Shortbow with a smallish pack of arrows at 50'. Mayhap even a guaranteed Leather Armor? It'd alleviate some early-game frustrations and simultaneously encourage the player to explore the early dungeon as opposed to diving as fast as possible.

BTW, Speaking of Arachnotrons - didn't Tolkien describe Morgoth using iron engines in the siege of Gondolin (because industrialization equals evil obviously)? Maybe do without the plasma rifles but it is an idea for a monster subset for the middle/lategame dungeon.

[sudaj]

..

BTW, Speaking of Arachnotrons - didn't Tolkien describe Morgoth using iron engines in the siege of Gondolin (because industrialization equals evil obviously)? Maybe do without the plasma rifles but it is an idea for a monster subset for the middle/lategame dungeon.

Mechanized golem

[Infinitum]

Pretty sure they're implied to be more akin to cars/mechanized battering rams - one idea is to have it spawn Orcs upon "Death" ("You have slain the Hissing Monstrosity -more- Orcs emerge from the beast's carcass!").

[Scatha]

Pretty sure they're implied to be more akin to cars/mechanized battering rams - one idea is to have it spawn Orcs upon "Death" ("You have slain the Hissing Monstrosity -more- Orcs emerge from the beast's carcass!").

That's a pretty interesting idea.

[Nick]

There were "serpents of bronze and iron" that coiled themselves up into a big heap and broke the gate of Gondolin, and then opened up and lots of orcs and trolls came out. I guess there are a few ways you could mimic that.

[Philip]

Apart from Nick's alphabetical knowledge of any of Tolkien's writings, a point was made by Psi that Shadow Spiders should come in packs. I think they shouldn't, I think darkness monsters should seek out the lowest light tile available. This would mean characters with a lot of light would be able to avoid all but mobs of Gwathrauko and any Balrog, since those don't run from ANYTHING. It would mean players would get mobbed.

[taptap]

Apart from Nick's alphabetical knowledge of any of Tolkien's writings, a point was made by Psi that Shadow Spiders should come in packs. I think they shouldn't, I think darkness monsters should seek out the lowest light tile available. This would mean characters with a lot of light would be able to avoid all but mobs of Gwathrauko and any Balrog, since those don't run from ANYTHING. It would mean players would get mobbed.

Fun fact: Light sensitive monsters incl. but not limited to all darkness monsters already are afraid of light and will run if you get seriously high light.