Potential use for the Ghost Leviathan
CrimsonPants
Wisconsin Join Date: 2015-12-21 Member: 210143Members
Wisconsin Join Date: 2015-12-21 Member: 210143Members
So I got super excited when I heard that a model for the Ghost Leviathan was being worked on, but became cautious as soon as I learned the truth behind it: The model is entirely for testing. The team is not even sure if they want it still, but a model is being made nonetheless. The following youtube video is where I received my source, and if you play it it should start around roughly where the messages I am responding to are displayed.
So the jist of it is: The Ghost Leviathan may not make it into V1.0, based on whether or not the team likes it, and whether they can find a function they like for it that is both reasonably cool, and easy to code without extensive effort. Never fear, for I am here to pose one, simple idea for the Ghost Leviathan.
The Ghost/Phantom/Ethereal Leviathan is a territorial creature, who feeds off the many organisms that grow on the bones of the giant dead creature. It's hammerhead is used to keep its claim of its food source, and it will ram any creature large enough to pose a threat, which would mean your seamoth, exosuit, and most certainly your cyclops would be in danger.
That's right, the simple, yet dangerous function of this Leviathan, would be that it forces players to move more cautiously through the Lost river, and sometimes abandon their vehicle to go scout out areas to make sure it is not patrolling. This would make the Lost river a dangerous path to the Inactive lava zone, and it would be one final test that the player must get through before they may enter that dangerous territory. Obviously, the fact that it can harm the cyclops would make it the very first Leviathan beast capable of doing so, and would make exploring the area with the large ship much more frightening. Up until this point, the players would always feel safe in the cyclops. Nothing can harm the cyclops, not even the mighty Reaper or Sea Dragon (As it is in the current Experimental versions), but the Leviathans hammerhead is perfectly made for butting heads with other large creatures, and the Exosuit, Seamoth, and Cyclops are just large enough to pose a threat.
This would also make the fight with the Sea Dragon seem far more difficult. Think on it for a second. The Exosuit is meant to defeat the Sea Dragon, to battle it when the player gets there, and this beast puts at risk your perfectly crafted strategy. It can wound your Exosuit, maybe even destroy it, meaning you would have to start over from scratch.
Still not convinced? Think about the more diverse aspect of this. This creature would ignore the player themselves, for they are too small to pose a threat unless they directly tried to attack it (via knife). The player could practically touch it and it couldn't care less. It's mouth is too small, and not even lined with teeth, so this creature is obviously not going to be a carnivore. It would be the first defensive leviathan creature, not aggressive like the Reaper, not passive like the Reefback, but something completely in the middle, new, yet familiar.
Tl;dr:
I think the Ghost Leviathan should be a territorial herbivore that rams the Cyclops, Seamoth or Exosuit for substantial damage, while ignoring the player themselves. It will spawn around the bone field, and mainly patrol in that area, but could move to other areas of the lost river for scare factor. It's primary function would be adding an extra step in difficulty towards moving to the Inactive Lava zone and eventually fighting the Sea Dragon Leviathan.
[EDIT]:
I would also like to suggest the name Ethereal Leviathan, as I imagine that being a more passive creature, players who sit outside their vessels and watch is glide by would be in awe of its beauty. Ghost Leviathan makes it sound more intimidating, and ghosts are unpredictably portrayed as both good and bad in fiction, it may fit in that aspect. Abyssal Leviathan (while not matching up with the exact definition of the word) could also fit due to the depth and the fact that its ghostly appearance could really make a player feel like they have reached 'the abyss'
So the jist of it is: The Ghost Leviathan may not make it into V1.0, based on whether or not the team likes it, and whether they can find a function they like for it that is both reasonably cool, and easy to code without extensive effort. Never fear, for I am here to pose one, simple idea for the Ghost Leviathan.
The Ghost/Phantom/Ethereal Leviathan is a territorial creature, who feeds off the many organisms that grow on the bones of the giant dead creature. It's hammerhead is used to keep its claim of its food source, and it will ram any creature large enough to pose a threat, which would mean your seamoth, exosuit, and most certainly your cyclops would be in danger.
That's right, the simple, yet dangerous function of this Leviathan, would be that it forces players to move more cautiously through the Lost river, and sometimes abandon their vehicle to go scout out areas to make sure it is not patrolling. This would make the Lost river a dangerous path to the Inactive lava zone, and it would be one final test that the player must get through before they may enter that dangerous territory. Obviously, the fact that it can harm the cyclops would make it the very first Leviathan beast capable of doing so, and would make exploring the area with the large ship much more frightening. Up until this point, the players would always feel safe in the cyclops. Nothing can harm the cyclops, not even the mighty Reaper or Sea Dragon (As it is in the current Experimental versions), but the Leviathans hammerhead is perfectly made for butting heads with other large creatures, and the Exosuit, Seamoth, and Cyclops are just large enough to pose a threat.
This would also make the fight with the Sea Dragon seem far more difficult. Think on it for a second. The Exosuit is meant to defeat the Sea Dragon, to battle it when the player gets there, and this beast puts at risk your perfectly crafted strategy. It can wound your Exosuit, maybe even destroy it, meaning you would have to start over from scratch.
Still not convinced? Think about the more diverse aspect of this. This creature would ignore the player themselves, for they are too small to pose a threat unless they directly tried to attack it (via knife). The player could practically touch it and it couldn't care less. It's mouth is too small, and not even lined with teeth, so this creature is obviously not going to be a carnivore. It would be the first defensive leviathan creature, not aggressive like the Reaper, not passive like the Reefback, but something completely in the middle, new, yet familiar.
Tl;dr:
I think the Ghost Leviathan should be a territorial herbivore that rams the Cyclops, Seamoth or Exosuit for substantial damage, while ignoring the player themselves. It will spawn around the bone field, and mainly patrol in that area, but could move to other areas of the lost river for scare factor. It's primary function would be adding an extra step in difficulty towards moving to the Inactive Lava zone and eventually fighting the Sea Dragon Leviathan.
[EDIT]:
I would also like to suggest the name Ethereal Leviathan, as I imagine that being a more passive creature, players who sit outside their vessels and watch is glide by would be in awe of its beauty. Ghost Leviathan makes it sound more intimidating, and ghosts are unpredictably portrayed as both good and bad in fiction, it may fit in that aspect. Abyssal Leviathan (while not matching up with the exact definition of the word) could also fit due to the depth and the fact that its ghostly appearance could really make a player feel like they have reached 'the abyss'
Comments
I would like to wait for the idea to get a bit more community backing before trying to push it on the dev's. I am really in favor of it, but I want to see some counter-arguments to try and work out the kinks in the idea before handing it to the devs. If it doesn't get too popular I may still send it their way, but I won't expect any sort of response.
And as Tommydeathlord pointed out, would be easier to put in than some of the other things I could think of for this thing to do in terms of animation.
Me likey.
From a passage or danger point of view that would make a tough decision:
Of course nothing against Precursor guns and Sea Dragons later on.