EXPERT MODE FEEDBACK (here he is again)
As I said in my BoC feedback, I feel (which is an opinion, not a fact) that the new AI of bosses plays a large role in Expert Mode, namely forcing you to adapt new strategies to defeat those bosses (no more standing still on platforms and throwing stuff at the EoW, having to avoid Skeletron's skulls without getting stunlocked by his spinning head (which happened at least five times to me)). So when I encountered the Queen Bee, I felt like there was unused potential.
Now, before I start talking about the AI, let me just say that according to me, the difficulty was spot on. She was very difficult, but by no means impossible, and once you figured out her patterns, it's just a matter of dodging (and while I'm pretty adept at dodging, I'm terrible at leading bullets, so I died a couple of times anyway).
Now about the AI, I still haven't figured out exactly what she does different from her regular version apart from being faster. Thus, for me, she wasn't any fun to fight. While Skeletron made me rage every time he killed me (which was a lot), I looked forward to seeing those skulls and dodging them. The Queen Bee just requires your normal strategy albeit with a bit more focus and reflexes.
So instead of speeding up the attacks, I propose to change them (as well). She currently has three distinctive attacks, which I think is enough: adding another as expression of her expert mode-ness would give you an AI you only notice a quarter of the time.
The problem with this attack is that it isn't as much an attack as it is a way for the Queen Bee to turn into a large fuzzy skipping rope with wings. With Rocket Boots, it's really nothing more than four seconds of getting a free shot (or barrage, in case of the Minishark) in, because you don't have to trace her, you can just fire straight to the left/right and hit every single shot. Good for normal mode, to ease the tension a little, but Expert Mode should keep you on your toes at all time.
My suggestion to change this is to change the horizontal charge into a direct charge like the EoC employs. Not immensely harder to dodge and it limits the free shots you get at her, so still a sort of breather attack, but an Expert Mode breather attack.
2. Bee Spawn
A.K.A. the Meat Shield Attack.
While the idea of spawning bees to distract the player is a good one, in my battles they just soak up bullets meant for Her Majesty (it's worse with piercing weapons like the Space Gun, where they just flat out lose their function). The cause of this is because they spawn at a standstill and it takes ages for them to actually move away, and while there are enough to eventually have about four chasing you, many other valiant soldiers are lost defending their Queen while they could be trying to deliver their own brand of acupuncture on the player's beehind (sic).
The solution? Fire them! No, I don't mean layoffs, I mean shooting them with high velocity, much like the stingers. In this way, they don't become immediate cannon fodder and can continue to harass the player while the latter is trying to avoid the actual stingers from attack 3 (we'll get to that). And while this would allow a clear shot at the Queen while she's spawning bees, this is A) somewhat countered by Horizontal Charge suggestion and B) forces the player to make a decision between delivering extra damage to the Queen but having to deal with bees AND stingers, or getting rid of the bees so he has less to worry about during attack 3, but losing that extra damage. In other words, the players get another facet added to their strategy. Isn't that just dandy?
3. Stinger Barrage
A.K.A the Rain of Pain
Compared to the first two attacks, I don't really see any 'problems' that should be 'fixed', because the Stinger Barrage is a solid attack as far as I'm concerned: swooping above or below the player while firing projectiles. And since I don't mind beefing up existing mechanics as a part of the Expert Mode AI as long it isn't the ONLY part of the Expert Mode AI (like the EoC, which combines Servant Spam with a brand new Charge), I'm going to leave this one for what it is. Hey, if it isn't broken, don't fix it (which generally could be said about this entire suggestion but shush).
So yeah, that's my two cents. Well, two dollars, really, but who's counting?
As I said in my BoC feedback, I feel (which is an opinion, not a fact) that the new AI of bosses plays a large role in Expert Mode, namely forcing you to adapt new strategies to defeat those bosses (no more standing still on platforms and throwing stuff at the EoW, having to avoid Skeletron's skulls without getting stunlocked by his spinning head (which happened at least five times to me)). So when I encountered the Queen Bee, I felt like there was unused potential.
Now, before I start talking about the AI, let me just say that according to me, the difficulty was spot on. She was very difficult, but by no means impossible, and once you figured out her patterns, it's just a matter of dodging (and while I'm pretty adept at dodging, I'm terrible at leading bullets, so I died a couple of times anyway).
Now about the AI, I still haven't figured out exactly what she does different from her regular version apart from being faster. Thus, for me, she wasn't any fun to fight. While Skeletron made me rage every time he killed me (which was a lot), I looked forward to seeing those skulls and dodging them. The Queen Bee just requires your normal strategy albeit with a bit more focus and reflexes.
So instead of speeding up the attacks, I propose to change them (as well). She currently has three distinctive attacks, which I think is enough: adding another as expression of her expert mode-ness would give you an AI you only notice a quarter of the time.
- Horizontal Charge.
The problem with this attack is that it isn't as much an attack as it is a way for the Queen Bee to turn into a large fuzzy skipping rope with wings. With Rocket Boots, it's really nothing more than four seconds of getting a free shot (or barrage, in case of the Minishark) in, because you don't have to trace her, you can just fire straight to the left/right and hit every single shot. Good for normal mode, to ease the tension a little, but Expert Mode should keep you on your toes at all time.
My suggestion to change this is to change the horizontal charge into a direct charge like the EoC employs. Not immensely harder to dodge and it limits the free shots you get at her, so still a sort of breather attack, but an Expert Mode breather attack.
2. Bee Spawn
A.K.A. the Meat Shield Attack.
While the idea of spawning bees to distract the player is a good one, in my battles they just soak up bullets meant for Her Majesty (it's worse with piercing weapons like the Space Gun, where they just flat out lose their function). The cause of this is because they spawn at a standstill and it takes ages for them to actually move away, and while there are enough to eventually have about four chasing you, many other valiant soldiers are lost defending their Queen while they could be trying to deliver their own brand of acupuncture on the player's beehind (sic).
The solution? Fire them! No, I don't mean layoffs, I mean shooting them with high velocity, much like the stingers. In this way, they don't become immediate cannon fodder and can continue to harass the player while the latter is trying to avoid the actual stingers from attack 3 (we'll get to that). And while this would allow a clear shot at the Queen while she's spawning bees, this is A) somewhat countered by Horizontal Charge suggestion and B) forces the player to make a decision between delivering extra damage to the Queen but having to deal with bees AND stingers, or getting rid of the bees so he has less to worry about during attack 3, but losing that extra damage. In other words, the players get another facet added to their strategy. Isn't that just dandy?
3. Stinger Barrage
A.K.A the Rain of Pain
Compared to the first two attacks, I don't really see any 'problems' that should be 'fixed', because the Stinger Barrage is a solid attack as far as I'm concerned: swooping above or below the player while firing projectiles. And since I don't mind beefing up existing mechanics as a part of the Expert Mode AI as long it isn't the ONLY part of the Expert Mode AI (like the EoC, which combines Servant Spam with a brand new Charge), I'm going to leave this one for what it is. Hey, if it isn't broken, don't fix it (which generally could be said about this entire suggestion but shush).
So yeah, that's my two cents. Well, two dollars, really, but who's counting?
Adding NPCs for the sake of adding NPCs isn't a good thing. NPCs are added because there is a certain function or service that needs to be fulfilled, not because it makes your town look more lively.Back to the real topic at hand: I honestly think there needs to be a few more NPCS. This update brought in a whopping 1 new town NPC.