Sprites Vortex pillar Buff

[The Storm]

This suggestion has been partially implemented into my mod: tModLoader - Storm Diver's Additions and Changes (Vortex cannon and 2 new vortex enemies added)

You will all submit to the mighty Vortexian pillar!

Hello inferior beings, as much as I hate to admit it the Vortex pillar is one of the easiest pillars, and has the fewest unique enemies, with 3 if you group all 3 hornet types. I think it is in need of a buff and here are some ideas that I have just come up with which you either agree with or die respectfully disagree.

Enemies to buff:

Storm Diver:
The Storm Diver is mostly ok as it is, however I feel that it should be able to shoot its gun faster, about once every 2-4 seconds when level with the player, and even faster on expert. This would force players to actively dodge as currently they really don’t shoot all that often. To compensate for the increased fire rate the damage should be slightly lowered to maybe 120/160 just to be nice.

Vortexian:
Ah the Vortexian, the weakest enemy in the Vortex invasion (Excluding the Larva) Currently its only ranged attack is to summon a lightning bolt on death. This bolt does barely any damage and needs a major buff. I was thinking around 70/120 damage per bolt. I also think the Vortexian should be able to fire lightning while alive, albeit a weaker and slower bolt which only deals 60/100 damage.

Alien Hornet:
Currently out of the 3 hornet types only one has a ranged attack, despite this being the ranged pillar. So I propose that the regular hornets gain the ability to shoot projectiles similar to the Queen, but weaker and unable to inflict the Distorted debuff. Its damage should be around 60/100 per stinger.

New enemies:
(Sorry for the messy sprites)

As mentioned earlier, the Vortex pillar has the fewest unique enemies out of the bunch, so I quickly came up with worked really hard to come up with a few more which may or may not be any good:

Vortex Cannon
(I’m bad at names)

This hideous marvellous creature is the Vortex Cannon. It is a ground-based unit that can move left and right at moderate speed, and once it’s under the player it can shoot rockets from its back at the player which have slight homing capabilities. The rockets are fired fairly slowly and explode after 5 seconds if they do not impact the player.

Stats:
Health: 750/1200
Damage: (Melee) 100/200 (Rocket) 120/200
Defence: 30
Knockback resist: 90%/100%
Banner:

Stealthexia
(I did warn you about names)

The Stealthexia is a flying enemy that remains in stealth mode and doesn’t move until the player gets near them. Once a player does approach them they will unstealth and fire 2 fast projectiles at them that pass through blocks before it moves to another location and re-stealths. It cannot stealth for 2 seconds after being attacked. While steathed its defence is greatly increased)

Stats:
Health: 500/750
Damage: (melee) 70/140 (Projectile) 80/160
Defence: 20 (While stealthed) 120
Knockback resist: 20%/25%
Banner:

Vortex Sniper

This handsome fellow is a Vortex sniper, and like the Storm Diver they use a gun to attack you. These enemies lack flight capability but are able to shoot a high velocity bullet at you even from off screen. These spawn somewhat rarely but are a deadly force, capable of dealing high damage to even the most armoured player.

Stats:
Health: 750/1500
Damage: (Melee) 50/100 (Bullet) 200/300
Defence: 30
Knockback resist: 40%/45%
Banner:

Now it has come to my attention that having an enemy that can 2-3 shot you from off screen is a little overpowered, so here are some ways this can be made easier:
1. The bullets travel slowly and are very easy to see coming.
2. The bullets deal low damage ~100/150 so it takes multiple shots to kill you.
3. A target reticle appears where the sniper will shoot seconds before it does, allowing you time to dodge before the bullet travels, this could also apply to the Skeleton Sniper too.

So this is it for now, I hope you will all submit to your true leaders like these ideas, and I am open to any feedback you may have.

 

[J Bame]

Those new enemies are awesome.

the Vortex pillar is by far the easiest of all the pillars

Stardust Pillar having exactly one threatening enemy (who is actually pretty tough, but still just one) and 4 pathetic ones disagrees with you. Still the 2nd easiest and significantly less threatening than Nebula and Solar.

Vortex Pillar:
Let’s start with the pillar its self. Now the pillars don’t need strong attacks, however I fell that the lightning it fires could use a little boost. They could be summoned slightly more often, and much more often if the player tries to hide behind a wall. They should deal around 80/140 damage each but other than that not much else is needed.

This is an incredibly common misconception; the Vortex Pillar does NOT spawn the Lightning Portals, they are all from the Vortexians' deaths. The Portals spawned by the Pillar spawn 2 Alien Hornets, usually right on top of you if you stand still. This attack doesn't need a buff because it's pretty cheap already.

Vortexian:
Ah the Vortexian, the weakest enemy in the Vortex invasion (Excluding the Larva) Currently its only ranged attack is to summon a lightning bolt on death. This bolt does barely any damage and needs a major buff. I was thinking around 80/140 damage per bolt. I also think the Vortexian should be able to fire lightning while alive, albeit a weaker and slower bolt which only deals 60/100 damage.

This is not the weakest Vortex Enemy, this is the weakest enemy in the entire game if you rank them according to how dangerous they are compared to other things that spawn in the same tier as them. Although, with how hard it is to actually dodge the death attack I really don't want it to deal more than 20 damage due to how cheap that can be. This guy needs a full rework honestly, and I can get behind replacing it with the Sniper you proposed.

 

[The Storm]

Those new enemies are awesome.

Thanks

Stardust Pillar having exactly one threatening enemy (who is actually pretty tough, but still just one) and 4 pathetic ones disagrees with you. Still the 2nd easiest and significantly less threatening than Nebula and Solar.

I always found the Vortex pillar easier than the stardust, though mostly because of the Flow invader I guess

This is an incredibly common misconception; the Vortex Pillar does NOT spawn the Lightning Portals, they are all from the Vortexians' deaths. The Portals spawned by the Pillar spawn 2 Alien Hornets, usually right on top of you if you stand still. This attack doesn't need a buff because it's pretty cheap already.

I could've sworn the pillar also summons portals as well as the Vortexians, oh well perhaps it could have a weak lightning attack if you get too near it, or it could summon the hornets slightly away from you.

This is not the weakest Vortex Enemy, this is the weakest enemy in the entire game if you rank them according to how dangerous they are compared to other things that spawn in the tier as them. Although, with how hard it is to actually dodge the death attack I really don't want it to deal more than 20 damage due to how cheap that can be. This guy needs a full rework honestly, and I can get behind replacing it with the Sniper you proposed.

I find its death attack very easy to dodge, as before it fires you can see the directing that the lightning is going to shoot. 20 damage for an end-game enemy is pathetic, Even now the lightning deals only 1 damage to me with Shoormite armour, but I wouldn't miss it if it was replaced

Thanks for the feedback.

 

[Cubic.]

This is a nice rework.



Unless it gets added, then I'll be in pain from how difficult it already is.

Yeah, good suggestion, but I really hope nothing gets buffed too much because I like the current repeated death challenge.

Fun fact: IMO, the Vortex pillar is the second hardest pillar (only beaten by the Solar pillar).

 

[The Storm]

This is a nice rework.



Unless it gets added, then I'll be in pain from how difficult it already is.

Yeah, good suggestion, but I really hope nothing gets buffed too much because I like the current repeated death challenge.

Fun fact: IMO, the Vortex pillar is the second hardest pillar (only beaten by the Solar pillar).

But where's the fun if you can't suffer? Also you find the Vortex harder than the Nebula?
Once the Vortex pillar spawned near a hill, and I just stood on the hill and shot any enemy that came within range, only moving to avoid the Vortexian's Lightning, which deals minimal damage.

 

[Cubic.]

But where's the fun if you can't suffer? Also you find the Vortex harder than the Nebula?
Once the Vortex pillar spawned near a hill, and I just stood on the hill and shot any enemy that came within range, only moving to avoid the Vortexian's Lightning, which deals minimal damage.

Yeah, but all the Pillars are THORN IN MY SIDE

 

[The Storm]

Yeah, but all the Pillars are THORN IN MY SIDE

The Solar pillar is my worst enemy, since the Selenian's can deflect all bullets and arrows, and I'm a ranger, plus the Crawltipede's forcing you to the ground means I'm at a massive disadvantage. I remember my first time facing the Solar pillar, I died about 20 times from them alone The Vortex pillar is the only pillar I have not died to once.
Perhaps my next suggestion would be a nerf for the Solar pillar.

 

[Cubic.]

The Solar pillar is my worst enemy, since the Selenian's can deflect all bullets and arrows, and I'm a ranger, plus the Crawltipede's forcing you to the ground means I'm at a massive disadvantage. I remember my first time facing the Solar pillar, I died about 20 times from them alone The Vortex pillar is the only pillar I have not died to once.
Perhaps my next suggestion would be a nerf for the Solar pillar.

Strategy against the Crawltipedes: stand on water using water walking boots. They spawn but they don't attack, so boom free kill!
Anyway, I would love a Solar nerf

 

[The Storm]

Strategy against the Crawltipedes: stand on water using water walking boots. They spawn but they don't attack, so boom free kill!
Anyway, I would love a Solar nerf

Now I just build platforms high above the ground, they won't attack you if you stand on a platform and it makes some of the ground based enemies unable to reach you.

 

[The Storm]

Update:
After doing some testing, I never realised how quickly the pillar can summon hornets, especially if you're in a boxed off room, so for this reason I feel it does not need a buff. Also slightly nerfed some of the other buffs.

 

[Golden Heretic Snakeboat]

Question: Skele Sniper Deals 200 Damage With His Shot, So Why Does The Higher Tier Vortex Sniper Only Deal 150? He Also Deals Less Melee, And Has Lower Knockback Resistance.

 

[The Storm]

Question: Skele Sniper Deals 200 Damage With His Shot, So Why Does The Higher Tier Vortex Sniper Only Deal 150?

I kinda wanted to balance out the damage a bit, considering all of the other enemies in the event, but perhaps I could up the damage a little, maybe 220/340 as it does shoot slowly.
Edit: Sure let's buff the Sniper to 200/300, make him not outclassed by the Skeleton sniper

 

[J Bame]

Question: Skele Sniper Deals 200 Damage With His Shot, So Why Does The Higher Tier Vortex Sniper Only Deal 150? He Also Deals Less Melee, And Has Lower Knockback Resistance.

Because Skeleton Snipers are incredibly cheap and unfun to fight. The Vortex Sniper already has potential to be a dangerous Pillar enemy, don't make it potentially 1 or 2 shot players.

 

[The Storm]

Because Skeleton Snipers are incredibly cheap and unfun to fight. The Vortex Sniper already has potential to be a dangerous Pillar enemy, don't make it potentially 1 or 2 shot players.

This is exactly how I felt, though since you're not stuck in a cramped dungeon you can fly much farther away from the sniper, so perhaps it's damage could be the same as the skeleton sniper, but maybe he shoots less often.

Unless someone mods these into the game it's kinda hard to get balanced stats so the ones I put are estimates.

 

[J Bame]

Since you are not stuck in a cramped dungeon where there are enough walls to take cover with, a fight in an open field should not have an enemy that can one shot you from off screen. Especially when no Rare Creature detector could warn you about one of them.

 

[The Storm]

Since you are not stuck in a cramped dungeon where there are enough walls to take cover with, a fight in an open field should not have an enemy that can one shot you from off screen. Especially when no Rare Creature detector could warn you about one of them.

True, perhaps the bullet travelled slowly giving you time to avoid, and/or it only shoots at you if it's on screen. It would be quite rare, only spawning maybe once or twice per event to balance.

Edit: I have added a few suggestions to make the sniper more fair

 

[Golden Heretic Snakeboat]

Strategy against the Crawltipedes: stand on water using water walking boots. They spawn but they don't attack, so boom free kill!
Anyway, I would love a Solar nerf

Players standing on the surface of a liquid (e.g. with the Water Walking Boots, its upgrades, or the Water Walking buff) are not considered to be standing on the ground by a Crawltipede and will be targeted.

 

[Dapling]

Strategy against the Crawltipedes: stand on water using water walking boots. They spawn but they don't attack, so boom free kill!
Anyway, I would love a Solar nerf

Can confirm this does not work.

 

[The Storm]

Can confirm this does not work.

Did the little Derpling get bullied by a flying worm?

 

[yudgefudge]

Since I get incinerated in ANY pillar, I'd like a Solar Nerf, please.

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