Entry posted by Katuko
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A bit of brainstorming has led to some realizations about Matoran, and they may end up as playable in BIONICLE Fighter after all. They don't have powers, and that is what has been the biggest challenge in balancing them. Still, it also means there are fewer custom powers needed for them, which would save on their development time. Here is what they might have instead of a full elemental power selection:
- Matoran will carry the passive elemental traits of their Toa counterparts. Ta-Matoran get fire resistance, Onu-Matoran are a bit stronger while grounded, and so on.
- Slightly higher base move speed coupled with a slightly smaller hitbox compared to other species. They can still be hit easily, but running away should be easier. Due to their small size, certain melee weapons are scaled down for Matoran, and they receive slightly more knockback force but are quicker to get back on their feet.
- Matoran have no Kanohi power. This button will instead be used to activate their special ability. Kanohi they spawn with will not have powers at all. The new engine will distinguish a bit clearer between powered and unpowered masks, by having powered masks not fade out so much when dropped. Alternately, Matoran masks will not fade or change color at all, as per canon.
- Power 1 and Power 2 can be used to switch between extra items carried. Matoran can choose to carry extra weapons, lightstones, and similar objects, some depending on their chosen job/special ability.
Abilities available to Matoran (chosen from a list like any other power would be):
Worker
Workers (and most Matoran types) can choose to carry extra weapons, backup Kanohi, and/or lightstones. 2 slots are available for this. Press Power 1 or Power 2 to pull these items out in-game depending on the slot used. This expends a small amount of energy: 5 points. Matoran don't use energy for all that many things, so this will seldom be an issue, but rapid switching of items can wear out your energy supply.
Special power: Repair. Can repair held items by pressing the Kanohi/special power button. Every currently equipped item (armor, mask, shield and weapons) is repaired by a certain amount decided by the Matoran's number of points in the generic "Power Plus" perk. This is the same perk that controls the strength of Toa elements, for the record, and is thus the Matoran equivalent. Unlike the power of the Kanohi Kiril, using this ability to repair forces you to walk slowly while doing a short animation. The Absorb key can be held to do a much slower, gradual repair that does not cost any energy to perform but still impairs your mobility.
Repair amount: 30% of the weapon's HP per use. 10% per rank in Power Plus, for a maximum of 50% and a minimum of 10%.
Energy cost: 20 points per use.
Use time: It takes 2 seconds to perform repairs, then another 2 seconds before the ability can be used again.
Unique perks:
Skilled crafter - 1 rank. After repairs are done, your items take less damage when attacked for a short period of time. This does not affect the damage/knockback resistance offered by shields, only the speed at which they wear out.
Re-craft item - 1 rank. Extra ability. While using your Absorb repair ability, press the key for one of your items and you can exchange it for another item of the same type. This expends energy like a normal repair would. A sword will become a different sword, a laser gun will become a different laser gun, and so on. This ability completely repairs the item in the process, but the item you create can not be controlled.
Improve gear - 1 rank. Extra Ability. After using your repair ability, your weapons deal extra damage for the next few attacks and your defensive items can withstand a bit more damage. Visually the items will have a faint shine to them. This perk increases the repair energy cost to 30 and the cooldown between each use of your repair ability to 10 seconds. Items lose their improvements if dropped.
Quick fingers - 1 rank. Improved ability. Increases your repair speed to 1 second and reduces the cooldown of your repair skill by 25% (to 1.5s or 7.5s, depending on other perks).
Guard
Guards are used to defending against Rahi attacks, which nullifies the knockback penalty normal Matoran have. Guards can also carry 2 extra items, one each in the Power 1 and Power 2 slots.
Special power: Call Squad. Summons two randomized Matoran NPCs to appear at your location. One will carry a basic melee weapon, while the other will have a basic projectile weapon. These Matoran each have 50% of your current health at the time of calling. The summoned Matoran will gradually lose HP while summoned and do not block attacks. If reduced to 0 HP they will flee and vanish immediately. This happens after at most 60 seconds, less if attacked. They do not drop any items when defeated.
Points put into Power Plus will increase the health of the called Matoran by 15% of your max health per point. Maximum is therefore 80% of your max health, minimum 20%. The duration of their stay does not change, but their resistance to attacks will naturally be greater.
Press the power key again to dismiss your followers prematurely, reducing the ability's cooldown by an amount proportional to the time that was left.
Unique perks:
Steadfast backup - 1 rank. Summoned Matoran stay longer. Does not affect the damage they recieve from enemies.
Strength in numbers - 2 ranks. Each rank adds another summoned Matoran.
Power hungry - 1 rank. Summoned Matoran appear with special powers in their weapons, such as Fire Swords or Cordak Blasters.
Rahi Tamer
Like all Matoran, Rahi Tamers may also carry up to 2 extra items in their empty Power slots.
Special power: Rahi Follower. A Rahi spawns alongside the Matoran. The Rahi provides special features such as having an auto-attack and serving as a mount. Pressing the power button causes the Rahi to follow the Matoran, while pressing the button again will cause it to attack whatever enemy is closest in the direction the Matoran is looking. By keeping the button held down, a targeting reticule appears which can be used to direct the Rahi to a specific target.
The Rahi that will spawn is chosen at the character selection screen. Rahi have max health equal to their Tamer's max health, and slowly recharges health after a few seconds of not being attacked at a rate proportional to their Tamer's current health. If defeated, the Rahi will retreat and vanish. It appears automatically again a minute later (or the next time the Matoran respawns). If the Tamer dies the Rahi will flee and vanish just a few seconds later.
Press E while standing next to the Rahi to mount it (if possible). While mounted, the power button causes the Rahi to use its standard attack. If the Matoran or the Rahi recieves damage/force that would normally knock them prone, the rider will be forced to dismount. Both melee weapons and projectiles can be used by the Matoran while mounted, but this increases the chance of being knocked off by an enemy attack. Using projectile weapons will also make it harder to steer.
If your Rahi is at less than 50% health and is hit by enough force, it may be knocked down or stunned. At this point, an enemy is able to mount it. They will have a much harder time steering it than you, however, and the Rahi will still be unable to cause damage to its owner. After a certain amount of time, your Rahi will shake the enemy off and return to you. If you have died in the meantime, the Rahi will instead vanish once the "horse thief" dismounts.
The Power Plus perk will increase your Rahi's toughness by giving it a few points worth of armor as well as increased damage per rank of the perk.
Rahi:
Nui-Rama - Provides flight, medium speed. Easy to control in the air. Attacks by flying close to enemies and attacking with weak claws. If the Matoran presses the Absorb button while flying, they can pick up a target for a few seconds. This slows your flight speed based on the weight of the target. Press the button again (or just wait) to drop the unfortunate victim.
Gukko - Provides flight, quick and steady. Harder to turn around. Attacks by ramming into enemies while flying, which may knock them around.
Muaka / Kane-Ra - Large and powerful. Moves somewhat slowly, but can extend their neck to bite enemies outside of normal melee range. They are hard to knock around, but are pretty much unable to jump.
Tarakava - Medium size and speed, with a powerful double-punch attack. The first punch deals decent damage, while the second one also knocks the target away.
Husi - Very quick and lightweight, but has next to no attack power.
Ussal Crab - Moves at medium speed and has medium attack power. Extra resistant to knockback force, but can barely jump.
Nui-Jaga - Moves at medium-slow speed and has medium attack power. Stinger attacks at close range will cause weak poisoning in addition to their normal damage. At long range, the scorpion may also toss a small glob of poison which does less damage but still poisons. If ridden, the Nui-Jaga can not use its stinger as a melee attack.
Fikou - Swift movement speed, weak attack power with mild poison effect. Can not be ridden.
Visorak - Medium movement speed, has a dash attack with medium knockback force. Can jump and climb walls. Wall climbs disable your use of weapons, since you need to hang on tight.
Unique perks:
Come Home - 1 rank. Improved ability. When you call for your Rahi, it will immediately appear at your side regardless of the distance between you. This ability has a cooldown of 5 seconds. If you call your Rahi again during the cooldown it will respond as it normally would, but move a bit faster.
Dramatic Dismount - 1 rank. Extra ability. Whenever you dismount, you do so gracefully. Being knocked off your Rahi will no longer stun you, and if you're lucky you might even be able to land back in the saddle.
Loyalty - 1 rank. Extra ability. Enemies that attempt to mount your Rahi will find themselves shaken off immediately.
War Beast - 1 rank. Ability Modifier. Whenever your Rahi takes damage, it becomes slightly faster and more powerful until it next starts regenerating health. This perk increases the delay before your Rahi's natural health regeneration kicks in and also causes its health to regenerate slower.
Feel free to suggest other Matoran types.
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