DoomFire's Contest Submission: Extra-terrestrial Research Module. (Erm?)

This is what it looks like. (Not very good I know. But this is the first pixel art iv ever done! pretty good for a first try I think )



Also some amazing 3D art from 777eza!

This was the original take on the E.R.M.

This is the second version of E.R.M. The front looks much better this way.

Thank you very much 777eza!

A small 4 legged spider, build by a mysterious Alien race to research other beings around the galaxy!

The Extra-terrestrial Research Module (E.R.M for short.) Will be able to be found on various inhabitable planets dependent on the type of species there.

So a planet with abundance of commonly found creatures will have a smaller amount of E.R.M on it.
Although if a planet has some sort of rare creature or civilisation on it, E.R.M will be your first clue!


Upon discovery of E.R.M it will see you as an "Unidentified Species" and rush towards you for study. If attacked in this time it will quickly flee and recover before cautiously approaching again. If aloud to scan you (With Ultra High-tech Light Beams! Wuhlb? Meh...) It will either see you as a threat or a friend. (You are also seen as a threat if you attack it at anytime, Including during and before scanning.)

If you are seen as a threat or not is entirely dependant on how many creatures you've killed while on the planet E.R.M has been descovered. (If you leave a planet the probability will reset to 0)
When seen as a threat E.R.M will keep it's distance from you. If you attack it while it avoids you (Shooting lasers at it and what not.) it will directly attack you instead of avoiding you. It will also directly attack you if you harm any living things on the planet while in its avoiding phase.

Its attacks will consist of Colliding with the player via rocking back and ramming the player, Doing minimal damage.

Its second attack will be a longer range one, it will ready itself then after a second shoot a laser out of its front. This will be slightly more powerful but still not completely life threatening. (Its build for discovery! Not battle!)

Being seen as a friend it will follow you around. Attacks after another monster has become hostile it will see as self defence. But attacking a creature while its in passive will cause E.R.M to flee then become neutral again.

As E.R.M follows you it will scan passive creatures and the bodies of dead hostile ones. Recording information of them, and will eventually walk off.
How does this benefit you? Every time E.R.M scans something the information will also be transferred to you!
You can learn about monsters attack, habitats, hostility and much more!


Destroying and salvaging E.R.M can also be beneficial.

When destroying an E.R.M it will drop A small Data Core. Once picking this up it can give you random information about the inhabitants on the planet! although not as much information as letting it follow you, it can be helpful to know what your facing when on a planet.

E.R.M will also drop various bits of Alien Scrap metal and very rarely Blueprints. These can be used along with a Data Core to make your very own E.R.M that will indefinitely follow you or scout a planet for you! Although be warned. Hostile enemies can easily make scrap of an E.R.M. They aren't made for battle!

For mostly everything layed out straight. Look here!

Neutral behaviour.
See above for hostile/passive conditions.

Statistics: (I don't know how any of this is measured)
Moderate health.
Low defence.
Low attack.

Attacks:
•Bash (Very weak.)
•Laser (Stronger then bash, needs at least 1.5 seconds to shoot.)

Drops:
•Data Core (50%) (Not worth much)
•Alien Scrap Metal (75%) (Not worth much)
•E.R.M Blueprints (5%) (Moderate worth.)

Habitat:
Found on any Planet with life.
More common on planets with rarer life forms/civilisations.

Looks:
A small Alien looking metal spider. (What I drew if a very simple interpretation.)
Roughly half the hight of the player and 1.5-2 times wide.

Anything I'm forgetting?

 

No feed back or criticism?

I know the pictures bad and the idea could be more original but I would like to know what I could improve on

 

Great so far, in my opinion!

 

well for starters good job on your first pixel art I might make it 3d if that's alright I like the idea of it but it might be a bit to much for the developers to add the behavior of it in there game

 

Wellll
(impossible to code, I believe)
The pixel art is pretty good. C:

 

You know what... it's not impossible to code.. Just may need a little tweaking when coding. The behavior behind it is pretty impressive; Love the nature behind the ERM. I give it my vote.

 

Thanks for the feed back!

So is there problems with he behaviour? I know nothing about coding so I don't know what would be a challenge.

in coding couldn't you just make it so if these conditions it will change to flee, in these conditions it will change to hostile.
If the problem is the scanning element it could just have a 50% chance to be hostile or passive.

 

Nothing is wrong with the behavior, it's just that compared to the typical passive or aggressive A.I. that's found in most games, it's a tad bit more difficult. I personally love messing around with A.I. and have been coding A.I. for over 14 years so this behavior is amazing to me.

 

Ah I see. Well I'm glad you like it! hopefully the team at Starbound will want to attempt the challenge

I could probably simplify it if need be. But id rather not.

 

Nice idea! I like how it's behaviour is unique!


(what's he doing?)

 

Thanks! I put quite a bit of thought into it.


o.o (I don't even know what he's doing.)

Also I know this is a little late, But feel free to make art of it! I'l even add it to the thread with your name if you don't mind

EDIT! Added a Gif! yaaay!

 

woooo! you did the animation hahaha

 

Haha! that I did Killaboi33, or otherwise known as.......BFG! (*Dun dun DUUUUUUUN*)

 

shhhh.. they will know.. hahaha great job btw!

 

Thank you! It took me ages to put the picture together considering I had to change it up 4 times to make the animation And that I'm a sucky artist.
(if your talking about the Animation that is )

 

hey I some fan art for you of your monster in 3d for more info just start a new conversation and we'll talk there I'm still having problems uploading photos

 

how did you end up making the animation?

 

Use Flash 8. DoomFire re-drew the image 4 times and linked them together to create a choppy animation, or 'GIF'. If it was actually implemented, somewhere between 10 and 15 images would probably be used for the walking animation.

 

Pretty much. And yeah I was gonna add more frames, and I was gonna draw up it scanning and firing a laser. But I kinda just wanted to get the idea up. (And I had HEAPS of homework X.x)

 

ok because you said you might use fireworks or something and i just wanted to make sure in case i think of doing ti