From GreyPages

Contents 1 Derivation 2 Thoughts 2.1 Situation A 2.2 Situation B 3 More Thoughts 4 Sad Thoughts 5 NOTES 5.1 Chozo Temple 5.1.1 Glowy Objects 5.1.2 Actionables 5.1.3 Cinematics 5.1.4 Map 5.2 General 5.3 Lore-Shadowing 5.4 Boss Ideas 5.5 Minibosses 5.5.1 Researcher Rescue 5.5.2 Marine Evac 5.5.3 Pirate Bounties 5.5.4 Tech Captures 5.5.5 History Scans 5.5.6 Critter Scans 5.5.7 Direct Suit Upgrades 5.5.8 "Timed" Pet Events 5.5.9 Chase Sequence 5.5.10 Keep Away 5.6 The Temple AI 5.7 The Ship AI 6 That's All

Derivation

Simple. A Love of all things Metroid -even the occasional bout of Mega Man-ish "Toss all the weapons in the east river to avoid an inquisition" because it does allow some variation in the traditional powers.

Thoughts

That while a traditional Metroid game there should be some level of Approval/Meddling with her standard modus operandi: a lone drop into hostile territory (even if that was never intended).

As in Corruption and Fusion there's a sort of constant stream of tasks some minor some profound, and the choices made should be at least important. But not boil down to "Mother Teresa or Baby Eating" as it would not be moral choices most of the time. They could be defense choices, bravery choices, etc. that paint Samus as either the Patron Saint of Selfless Heroes or a Real Human being in Chozo Armor who kicks ass and takes names and gets revenge all over Space Pirates/MOTD.

• After all some paint her as a Cold Death Machine, where the only reason to think of her as a woman is because she looks nice as she gets drunk at bars while waiting for the next job
• To others she is the last shining light of hope in these darkening times throwing herself headlong at evil to save both themselves and the universe
• The GF seems to think she'll do anything for the right price, and that if she dies on mission... well now you don't have to explain some of the fuck ups in intel -and you know more thanks to her.
• It wouldn't be a list if you didn't count the people who:

1. )feel she's stepped on them on the way - relatives of other hunters she couldn't -OR DIDN'T- save
2. )are terrified of this half alien woman with enough firepower to level space stations -grapevines are lovely(/deadpan)

Situation A

A Task comes up where a Hostage is held by The Enemy. She has limited time to dash to their rescue.

Traditionally this is often a no-brainer. Save the hostage. But if you get caught up in the badguys on the way you could get one of those special achievements in Shadow Complex real fast. And for a Metroid game traditionally anything with a timer ends the game.

But in Static Vision there'd be choices:

1. )Samus rushes to the rescue.
2. )Samus rushes to the rescue - just makes it because she stopped for a power up.
3. )Samus tells the Mission NPC to find someone else (not always an Option... but maybe she just sends the ship to missile the perps until she isn't busy anymore) and continues her scavenger hunt.
4. )Samus rushes over and shoots the Hostage herself. The Enemy will likely have few options but to provide medical or structural assistance -else it's not a good hostage situation.
5. )She ignores the plea -might not get so many tasks due to trust issues, etc. Might even have to find an alternate route.

But the point being that it's not just 'I rescue' or 'I rescue when I'm good and ready... some of these power ups will be gone if I aid them immediately'. The time limit often tossing the 'moar p-ups pleez' situation out an airlock.

So what's the solution? Well I'd specifically bow to the crazies and the 'I'm Badass Aran' crowd and have Samus have an option to start the situation and then force the Enemy to Defend and then go for item reinforcements. Perhaps the Enemy would be so busy shitting bricks they'd not know if it was safe to look up before she got back. Why? I hate "And you can never get this again" crap. Even if I had scanning... if you missed anything it would be on SOMEONE'S terminal eventually... maybe even when you least expect it.

Also when you 'screw up' there should be other options. The game should learn how you play and adjust accordingly.

Situation B

You need the Z to move to the next area. Hog Wash. Z should only make it damned easy. Maybe even stupid easy. Maybe a little Geomod via Super Missile will help. Perhaps you unload a seeker missile barrage and ignore the super missile launcher that's 30 minutes of play away. Or maybe you spend some serious time ball climbing over the doorway, and in the process the game knows you know your ball jumping so well it might even suggest it when something like this comes up again. Sure the upper atmosphere is dangerous but you know how to spend only a few seconds in that deadly magnetic storm.

Or fuck it it's only 45 minutes to Z. Best get leaping. Besides you'll HAVE Z and that'll make getting that super missile a breeze. And of course who wants to pay for what'll happen to that door if you seeker missile it ^^;

More Thoughts

There will be security. Whole system unlocks(Like in Fusion) be they single doors or whole security overrides 'Gold Doors are now powered on Ice Station Mango'. There will NOT be 'Use the Fire Shot to open this colored door. Every time you need to come through you will need the Fire Shot' That is BS.MS.PHD -Bullshit. More Shit. Piled Higher and Deeper. You're identified to the security system. Either you should be able to (warning RedVsBlue references inbound) blast the lock off the door (Go Blue!), fix the door (Yeah! Blue Team!), or blast the door to atoms (AHHH It's the Meta!) and take a hit on the bounty... and structural integrity of the location - of course maybe to your reputation as well 'She's like the flipping Dirty Pair! She blew up SR388! Now she wants this space station!'

There should be some overlap in weaponry. Either this should happen directly 'Charging the Repair beam will act as if you had the Fire Torrent Cannon loaded in time.' or indirectly through customization 'You have increased the output of the Ice Torrent Cannon. When Charged it fires exactly like the Ice Blast Missile.' perhaps leading to a need to never use icy missiles again. I fully understand the desire to 'I have Plasma now. I'm never turning it off unless I need to blast a shield door.' as some never use anything but the hand cannon.

Back to security. Blast Doors happen. But they should come down ONCE -maybe again if there's some twit repairing them who you can shoot/dissuade- and then that door is blue forever... unless you or someone else creams the door.

Doors. it should be an entirely viable situation to lead a swarm of Zoomers from their nests into the badguy's lair buy shattering every door on the way and dragging something behind you. On an XBox360 this would be an achievement anyway. Or it's rogue military, and you blow out every security bulkhead and then blast out a cargo bay and suck them all into space to let GF Troopers deal with Rogue GF Troopers.

Sad Thoughts

I have graph paper. That's about it. I've not seen a game engine yet -haven't really looked- that's tailored and ready to just start plunking out Metroid style games. Perhaps another 'trade' to tack on that's odd to have with all the writing, and data center work on my Resume.

UPDATE: I have now looked. It's kinda bleak. It seems the best option is to Bill and Ted to another time period and spend years learning an awesome language and code my own from scratch.

Anyone have a time machine?

"What about Game Maker?"

Well it... hmmm... you see... *sigh* I'm afraid of screwing up learning a new language at the price of forgetting something else. The norm for my head lately. Maybe I should stick to what I know and just fanfic something... and then use like CircEdit to map it out.

"A CircleMUD tool?!"

Yep.

"You're a loony."

NOTES

• Those things placed on paper or screens that make even MORE oddness.

Chozo Temple

• Mission 0
• Screen 1

While relaxing and thinking of looking about for a new bounty, an alarm goes off at Samus's only refuge in the stars that doesn't have people praising her or fearing her.

Approaching her base she is fired upon by the defense array, but rather than break anything she dodges all the way to her landing dock. All seems well even though she has to run security scans from under the cover of her vessel - or likely be annihilated by the anti-ship lasers.

The Security Pad is unscathed, and the Chozo Warrior statue's arms aren't blown off so they still bar entry. Of course after a check that the ship's shield is still holding she risks a scan at the laser eyed statue to find it too is operating as normal. It does however power down after accepting her suit's recognition pulse and shutdown command.

Samus stands on the pressure plate, is security id'd, and enters the Massive Chozo Temple Complex on (I'm Lazy But Not Without Method to My Madness) Tallon II...

So right this is the setup for the 'first' area. While the point of the location rips off Lara Croft's estate, it's not 'disposable' for the rest of the game never to be needed again. So Mansion, KOTOR's Ebon Hawk interior, and research center all rolled into one. You can skip training here just fine, you can choose to not keep a single rescue-able pet, you can do all your equipment upgrades elsewhere, but the research center aspect is fairly needed for the plot unless you like just waiting for the next GFed report to lazily trundle along to your vidscreen. Which of course is fine. Static Vision is dynamic like that. The Static Really only refers to 'your way or the highway'. Play Samus any way you want. Heck maybe you just wanna see what the ruckus is, check the dock for a clue, and head back to the drinking on Adarti Station.

Glowy Objects

• The Laser Statue
• Warrior Statue
• The Pressure Plate (Red) - Can't enter Temple without scan, Puts Samus's ID back into the system, Turns on Backup Access System...
• Your Ship (Red) - Can't leave the planet without scanning to make sure it'll still fly... and re-id yourself to the ship you JUST got out of -.-;

At least -but also too bad in a way- Pirate, Gfed, Chozo, etc security isn't as tight.

Actionables

• Ship Entry -starts disabled
• Pressure Plate - stand on to open door after scan
• Laser Eyes - shot cancellation via re-ident

Cinematics

• Ship Take off, Landing, Dodging -if you don't choose to do it yourself... and potentially end up landing/crashing farther afield.
• Door Opening?
• Laser Shutdown

Map

A Map less on the 'series of boxes' and more on the side of knowing where you are when the box lights up.

General

• Rooms will have a Letter Box template to them... the minimap will likely not quite reflect as most do not search every square micron.
• The Granduer of Moria and other large Metroid Series structures will hopefully be achieved, as will scanning for objects to keep you from HAVING to sift every micron for a non-existent powerup. Scavenger Hunt - not panhandling.
• There will be Pirate, Gfed, and maybe even Luminoth 'drones' long dead -and recently dead- in morph ball paths and devices. I figure we've waited long enough to see why there are bomb pods and kinetic launchers everywhere. Likelihood of Chozo dead in this manner? nil. And Luminoth die to Ing and Pirates -and X and Metroids- not because they rolled up into a ball and found it a trap. Hence Luminoth DRONES.
• We'll be allowing upgrades from:

1. GFed Tech
2. Pirate Tech
3. Luminoth Tech
4. Alimbic System Tech
5. Chozo Tech (Duh)

• Why? Just because she lost a suit upgrade or 12 fighting some other bounty doesn't mean she can't get a new one if she plays her cards right. If you want to play an invincible Samus... then do so. Or the opposite.

Lore-Shadowing

• While the planet SR388 is gone, as is the planet Zebes, and of course Phaaze... rumors abound of people coming across direct or indirect evidence of entities trying to recreate these ecosystems. Gfed Intelligence is just as baffled as everyone else as to why - even they've canned all their Metroid projects by this point. And trying to synthesize Phazon? Madness. Without Dark Samus's (questionable sanity/loyalty to anything but herself/ad nauseaum) at the helm... you fill one energy tank and fire more than 3 shots between medical treatments and you're a brain addled nutjob killing machine.

Boss Ideas

Warning some will be mega-hella-with-three-scoops-of-wheat-germ lame. The lameness should of course be outclassed by the INTENDED sheer awesome of the execution.

---

Bosses should only lock out areas when defeated, and there should be some way to either go back in with a better suit, or deactivate the self destruct system - if any. I suppose one could take that from Metroid Prime Hunters someone has had a similar idea.

• Ridley Clone Lab Manager - A "Spider Tank". Whole area -once in the actual Lab- should have an odd XFiles/Matrix/Clone Trooper Birthworld vibe of dozens of Ridley's being primed for Battleship/Battlefleet commander roles the universe over. I'd toss Moon into the mix but that was so much cleaner. We're talking scads here in a kind of messy conglomeration that has built up without the commandments of a Mother Brain to dictate where they need to go.

-Heck the Thought just popped into my head of needing something to sneak into a Pirate facility upon... why not your own freshly tamed Ridley hatchling... I know... Samus doesn't ride dragons... but eh. It's an odd thought. BUT it could be a reason to keep such a place from just outright imploding. Or a reason to MAKE it implode "Eww Dragon Feces!" or "Die for the sins of your father!" or even "Purge the Xenos!"

• The Definite silly boss - Kraid Miniaturizer. A Location -my mind has few specifics- where they spend serious time and resources trying to perfect the 'Tiny Kraids' as they are far more portable, and would be lethal in large enough numbers. However still being eating machines processes must be implemented to reduce the size of these battle behemoths. The Boss of the area would be a system -maybe a machine, maybe biotech system- that through it's (origin)'s means reduces a Kraid of the wrong size to a smaller size through (origin systems) and laser weapons.

-perhaps an injection and then massive lasing to evoke a neotenized state, and then back to the pens. The point is Samus dodging getting shrunk and stepped on all while trying to disable/destroy the system. As the Minish are in far off Hyrule there probably isn't a point to a shrink suit. There are better methods for stealth... like murdering the sentries.

• Chozo "Sparring Partner" 'Statue' - It would of course start insane ... but could be repaired if you wanted. Learning to defeat you in new ways every time you spar could also make it an interesting battlefield ally if you were aggressively pinned down but had access to your ship frequencies.

-'Not another Torizo!' Hush. I know you have 4 in your boss rush. 'Yay! Silver Points' stop that.

• GFed Waste Reclaimer - Yep a Puzzle Boss. At least it wouldn't be on the detention level.

• Samus Clone Hostage Situation. See the Hostage situation notes, temper them with the thought of a Samus clone -but not a SA-X, or a Dark Samus, but Samus Aran clean of even Varia at the DNA level... but of course showing up as Samus for Security purposes... Maybe you just cap her, maybe she's like family to you, you have choices here. Choices that whether you care or not will play with your reputation. Any Objections, Lady?

-Maybe you rescue her and make her into your personal Alfred Pennyworth because you can't stand these crazy/uppity AI all around you. Can you really trust them to feed your Mega-Zoomer?

Minibosses

Researcher Rescue

• Critical Enemy Data -theirs or ours- that if you let'em die you'll have to reacquire. Maybe that battlecruiser is unstoppable without this data? Maybe that GFed battlecruiser is a pin cushion if the pirates retain the data.

1. - Has Pirate Energy System Data including Battleship weakpoints and trooper armor system weakpoints
2. - has stolen gfed data including EVA Suit, and Trooper suit details. Not to mention weapon details and battleship weakpoints.
3. - has Chozo data. A treasure trove of knowledge and research data. Mm suit upgrades. Sure explains how they patched you up so easily after the second SR388 fiasco.

Marine Evac

• Rescue them and they'll be likely to help out directly or indirectly. Perhaps they'll swoop in for a Evac assist. Or maybe they'll stop that self destruct for you. Of course troopers do often have decent weapons and could help with a 'Seeker Missile' door instead of time/resource consuming upgrades.

1. A Luminoth cache has been found for Aether and Gfed troopers are guarding as they were first on the scene. Aether will pay for your time so you hopefully rush over... Aether has handed over authority to detonate the cache priceless as it is should the situation prove too dire. If you want to look over the data as much as the pirates you better haul ass. Of course if your rep is in good standing they'll let you into the lab as they check it for defects.

Pirate Bounties

Increasingly Annoying- however new accessible areas come to light that might not till it is entirely too late. Accessible areas will not need fancy security codes or shelling doors into oblivion with missiles. You'll get all you need from the Bounty before they're turned over to those who'll pay. GFed in this case as it IS Pirate Bounties.

1. This one is almost a tutorial, but the Pirate Cabin-entity will reveal about the Ridley Lab. Figure a Prime 1 type fits the bill here. (Work with me)
2. This morsel is an Aurora hacker visually from Prime 3, and knows all about the Kraid Project. In time they may even know about the Virus Core.
3. A Aerotrooper Infiltrationist of the pincer variety knows about the 'Captured GFed Cruiser' and the second captured Researcher.
4. A Skiffcaptain while hard with all their armor, is rewarding both as a bounty and because they were planning a Pet Event... and they know what went down at the Temple! (Thus Clone Rescue Boss data) With time more clone data will come up rest assured.
5. The Bounty Cream of the Crop. This Commander knows... too damn much really. Like trading for Pokemon he has all kinds of information that can be wrung out of him to fill in your History, Lore and Critter databases. He even knows some private security codes.

Tech Captures

Be they long term (pirate) or Temporary "Trooper can I see your gun?" They allow for upgrades if done right. Done right? Maybe your rep is lousy and you have to fight a Luminoth warrior to keep a suit upgrade -or well pay for it but that's a heaping mess of dosh. OR maybe you got there 5 minutes too late because you found one more missile tank on the way...

Preferably however you find something and you return it for cash or to look it over in a lab under their supervision. Of course sometimes you don't know who it belongs to, and it's useless to you... but maybe it's got sentimental value and you can return it for something better to ogle.

Besides All that Lore is Useful to you or someone else. Don't Miss a Scan. Some Data is in the category: Data Valuable in Financial Terms - DViFT

History Scans

All that Lore is Useful to you or someone else. Don't Miss a Scan. DViFT. Some Places are Guarded.

• AI History updates assist in Task Acquisition.
• Explain Situation to Samus/Jog Her Memory
• Inspire Upgrades
• Explain Situ to One or Both AI's
• Help Build Civilization Archive - which helps find Tech Owners, Missing Tech and things above.

Critter Scans

All that Lore is Useful to you or someone else. Don't Miss a Scan. DViFT. Some critters avoid contact/scans.

• Virtual Zoo - Can train with Defeated Critters... or Undefeated ones x.X
• Inspire upgrades - afterall some creatures can be scanned long before you have a means to off them. Maybe you need to do research first... not just comb the cosmos and hope for luck.

Direct Suit Upgrades

Need I explain? I do?? Fine.

• Chozo - Practically find themselves. History can be a huge factor.
• Luminoth - Mostly from Tech Captures & History. There are big reputation hits for Identifiable Luminoth Tech Tampering. They. Just. Know. However with the right reputation you're likely to be invited to the lab for it's teardown and study. And their lab is awesome. It's not Advanced and 10 years out of use with no one to tell you how it works. It's Advanced and picture perfect now that the Ing are no more, AND there's someone around for technical assistance.

"Timed" Pet Events

Grab a Critter before (x) Does... this could even be the GFed. Maybe they thought no one would combat the menace save their troopers. Heck maybe they don't know it's NOT a menace... and of coruse the Pirates steal anything that can be forced to be a weapon. Like say a...

1. MegaZoomer- If nothing else you could use a new Roomba... but something like this observed could lead to interesting uses for current powers - maybe a harmonic added to the charge beam might make zoomers charge your enemies to get away from the sound. Maybe studying this monstrocity's regenerative powers you could minimize damage. Or you just figure out a spiffy way to keep battle damage from sticking. Point is the Pirates want to turn it into BattleThunder and destroy a Luminoth data bunker. Of course if you steal it from them they'll have to work on a plan B. (Which might even be a better fight than BattleThunder)

• These lead to abilities and use uses for existing abilities. The AI in the Temple or the AI in the Ship will send you behavior videos - especially the ship.

Chase Sequence

1. of 1. (Bounties are different) A Pirate has a newly developed Virus Core and you have to recover it before it is too late. Chase them Everywhere. Be Advised:

1. Virus Core -if damaged too much- can infect the Pirate

• Miniboss Fight ensues
  • If Ignored
    • Virus Pirate Causes massive damage and infect the original target anyway... even if only accidentally.
  • If fought
    • Upgrades available.

1. Virus Core can Infect Samus

• Death Spiral of Energy Vampirism - Like Being On Dark Aether. Of course it won't STOP you beating the game... but it won't make you many friends. Fighting on against the deadly odds will earn you some respect. And some Pirate Fear.
• Study for Upgrades -and of course a cure can be found too

1. Virus Core (to be pendantic) is suitable for tech research - in it's "pristine" condition the most upgrades can be 'mined' - even the Vampire Suit mentioned a few lines ago.

Keep Away

Some things you don't want on you. Some can get into your suit... like that X Parasite Mess on SR388. And so it's time for some serious KEEP AWAY. Medieval Knights wouldn't belly flop into a Gelatinous Cube so Samus shouldn't let something from the Phaaze/Ing Family tree come knocking either. Especially not something 4 times her size

Of course some have always wanted to BE Dark Samus, and could use the charge beam on it's dying remains and contract the contaminating concoction. Expect a Serious Rep hit if Dark Samus is your path. And a MESS of Wet Work before anyone trusts you, and even then... do they?

Also expect someone to want to contain you, and render you mindless and simpering in a tube somewhere because they so miss their PED Soldiers. Phazon-philes. They could try to get their Bounty Hunting Joan of Arc to just stomp things for them in her new Black Armor... but they like being under more direct manipulation. They've seen Resident Evil.

All that aside... Expect a mean game of Keep Away if you walk a different path, and stay away as it dies, but have the scanner going. It will tell you about it's Phazon properties. The Temple AI will later tell you all sorts of things it recalls now that this data is available. Yeah you guessed it all kinds of upgrades here too.

The Temple AI

Something Samus didn't know was on the grounds. She chose to view the site as more spiritual and contemplative. She might not have noticed Tallon II had she buzzed the system on the Anniversary of Tallon IV's demise. So when she found a place with training facilities and a small lab she never would have dreamed it was a research facility. Built very shortly after Tallon IV was targeted for destruction by Phaaze, it seemed more like a get away ... a rest stop away from the damage back home. She'd never guess it was one -eventually a crack pot- Chozo's research center for combatting the Star Spawned menace.

Figuring the Metroid Research would remove the threat of X from the universe, this Chozo thought it his duty to rid Tallon IV of what would one day be called Phazon.

Sadly attempting to force lightning to strike twice he did little more than make Lifespan limited Mocktroids that ate Phazon till they burst... sometimes spraying their surroundings in various flavors of Phazon.

With the death of the Temple Master the AI powered down. Disuse has locked much of it's memory away. Zombie Processes that had never or outright refused to shutdown were all that greeted Samus's arrival.

And so she moved into a Tomb -which beats a space borne casket with a warp drive really- with a Mentally Mummified AI.

Until the Space Pirates found out about the little place, and using some rare brain cells hatched their plan to get in there. If Samus lived there it had to be a Rogue's Gallery of Fun Toys for them to take over ... EVERYTHING... with. They cheated Data out of the last remaining Chozo Devices and aimed them at Tallon II, and soon had well... Can you guess from one of the Boss Fights? And they used her to enter the facility, and inadvertently awakened the AI. The pirates irritated there was nothing readily useable save a few battered star craft -that they had themselves battered over the years- cranked the defense net to full power and bitterly bah humbugged their way back into space.

Leaving the AI with a quandary as it awoke. Systems were in place to alert Samus Aran that an Infiltration had occurred. But was it supposed to alert her when she herself did it? The Quandry opened ill-used mental passageways. And so by the time the Orange Cruiser was parked planet side it was in quite a tizzy.

Since then it has tried to be twice as helpful as it can possibly make itself. As if to atone. But atone for what? Perhaps it has forgotten? Maybe if it fills 'the old brain case' with cross referential data it'll recall such potentially vital information. Like why half the training facility sensors don't work...

The Ship AI

Gruff and often too the point Malkovitch, was little different from when he possessed a flesh body. Of course he could now control his new one, which kept him dancing outside the finger tips of those who'd try to count him personally responsible for at least ONE of Samus's planetary obliterations. The GFed Council backed his and Ms. Aran's decision but that didn't make everyone happy.

So you can imagine it was with some worry that he informed Samus of the situation on Tallon II. Anyone could find a planet if they forwent survey data and eyeballed it. He himself had left most of his garbage sensor software packages behind when transplanted into a craft more befitting The Lady's style.

Adam's had to keep track of battalions worth of data to keep up with her bounty work. Often with wry comments about not taking work for free just because it's Space Piracy. Reminding her to grab feed subscriptions for Tech Manuals should anything she could use pop up.

So like I said... worrisome. What if all that nagging was about to become moot because he was shackled inside some black ops cruiser for eternity while she was forced to leave him behind forever to save the universe... likely from him if they could de-integrate him.

Finding nothing was almost MORE alarming to his military senses. Didn't make him any happier to be shot at, nor find out the Defense Shield was thicker than ever and even less likely to reveal just what was inside that Mysterious Balloon.

Since Protecting her hide that day Adam has had to have all kinds of shenanigans happen inside him. It was a great astonishment to CARRY a Zoomer into SPACE latched to his hull. Don't those things breathe?

That's All