Bay 12 Games Forum

Magical transformations are impressive and all, but are sort of predictable, and lets not forget all the time wasted, not just on transformation sequences, but frills are prone to catching, you need to adapt to new footwear, and sometimes there are physical changes to adapt to, such as spontaneous loss of eye pupils, changes in height or age, and spontaneous growth of wings or similar. Such a thing is a clearly a trap as is Proxxy's chest. Combat bonuses, while dull, are always useful, but stop and think for a moment on the utility of transforming into the vision of a favourable shipping match. Not only is this useful for sowing confusion by masking one's identity and therefore abilities, it also has some potential for infiltration, and just stop and thing for a moment of the potential revelations that could come from such a thing, it should allow one to determine the presence or absence of a favourable shipping correlation. Such a thing's value truly is difficult to overestimate.

Print to visor: "Proxxy, it is time to learn to be wary of traps.
 A trap is very much like a computer program, traps cause specific things to happen in specific circumstances. Traps are, generally, designed to cause harm.
So assume that traps take the form of {if subject is enemy, cause harm}.
This means that the trap needs a method of determining an enemy, and a method of causing harm to that enemy. Traps are, like programs, very rigid in their operation. They cannot simply `cause harm` they need to be more specific, for example `rapidly extend jagged spike from floor` and they cannot simply know who is an enemy or where someone is, the trap needs to be designed to trigger due to activity which is consistent with an enemy being in a position to be harmed by the trap.
{if <action that an enemy would perform> occurs then engage <mechanism that is harmful to someone performing that action>}
An example might be {if door opens then trigger <spikes that extend into the space near the door>}
This is a Dungeon, its enemies are people who seek out and slay or take monsters and loot. So one should be wary of traps in locations associated with these activities. Because enemies are seeking these things they will travel, so traps are common in places that the enemy is likely to travel, such as doorways, narrow passages, or the furthest point from something threatening. Enemies are also going to pursue monsters, so monsters can often be rigged to explode when slain or dwell within a trap that they, for whatever reason, are not going to trigger themselves, such as a hovering monster dwelling above a trapped floor. So be wary of traps in the vicinity of monsters whose function is notably different to your own. And finally, any activity that would result in acquiring loot, such as opening a treasure chest, is probably a trap.

Avoiding traps is much like triggering bugs in programs, simply fail to function in accordance with the designer's predictions. If everyone who raids a dungeon is walking on the floor, then try squirming across the floor like a caterpillar or walking on the roof. If, as in this instance, there is an obvious treasure chest to open, do not rush in to open it like a greedy looter, do not stand still, staring at it, like a paranoid looter, instead, nonchalantly approach that lonely octa-diamond tile with a cross through it in the far corner of the room and court it into submission. It is extremely rare for trap designers to anticipate this approach."

Funfact: I helped ffs generate this room.

The process was addicting.