Making Smash more fun / useable: Smashballs.

[Own]

The problem with Chain Lightning was that it wasn't a fun skill against almost every miniboss or bossfight, because many of them don't have minions. But lightning is gonna bounce off you now, so that problem has been fixed.

Which turns my attention to another skill that is very unfun if you're against a single enemy or a boss: Smash.

Smash is a fun, fantastic skill when you have groups of enemies around, but it's made for smacking Target A into Target B. Without B, you're just knocking Target A back - unless they're a heavy boss, in which case they ignore it.

The easiest solution to the problem of "I HAVE NOTHING TO SMASH ;_;" would be to add Smashballs to a shop in Evergrind, or let them be craftable for a low amount of ingredients.

Smashballs could be a unique sort of useable item, in that after you've used one and while you have it out you can use no other Smashball and if you leave the screen, it reappears in your inventory to be used on the next screen. Or you press the button you used to drop it while on top of it to pick it back up and drop it elsewhere, or put a different one down.

For normal players they would just be something to hit with their weapons and bounce around for fun if they wanted to buy or make one, doing no damage at all. Something to drop in a room and watch rocket around while you hit it - something to liven things up while grinding, maybe.

But a Smash user could use them to launch Smashes at distant enemies with, with various effects. Examples:

Wooden Ball - Normal damage.

Red Rubber Ball - Normal damage. When it hits an enemy, bounces back to the point the smasher Smash'd from.

Iron Ball - Slightly increased damage. Launches a shorter distance, but strikes through enemies like a charging boar.

Party Ball - Normal damage. When Smash'd, produces a small cloud of confetti around the smasher.

Crystal Ball - Normal damage. Reduced ATK, but factors some MATK into damage.

Ball and Chain - Increased damage. Attached to player and drags behind them. When Smash'd, it drags the smasher along with it.

Golf Ball - Normal damage. Vastly reduced target to Smash and hit enemies with, but travels much farther.

Target Ball - Normal damage. Painted with a target on it. Charging up Smash near it has it point an arrow in the direction it will fly relative to the smasher's position. (Or maybe this would be a good charge-level bonus for Smash, being able to see where enemies are going to fly?)

Bombard Ball - Normal damage. Damage increases based on how far it launches before hitting an enemy.

Of course, there's no real need for a bunch of different ball options - a single wooden ball would do for making Smash much more useable. Some small addition would make the skill infinitely more viable and enjoyable.

 

[UTech]

The problem with Chain Lightning was that it wasn't a fun skill against almost every miniboss or bossfight, because many of them don't have minions. But lightning is gonna bounce off you now, so that problem has been fixed.

Which turns my attention to another skill that is very unfun if you're against a single enemy or a boss: Smash.

Smash is a fun, fantastic skill when you have groups of enemies around, but it's made for smacking Target A into Target B. Without B, you're just knocking Target A back - unless they're a heavy boss, in which case they ignore it.

The easiest solution to the problem of "I HAVE NOTHING TO SMASH ;_;" would be to add Smashballs to a shop in Evergrind, or let them be craftable for a low amount of ingredients.

Smashballs could be a unique sort of useable item, in that after you've used one and while you have it out you can use no other Smashball and if you leave the screen, it reappears in your inventory to be used on the next screen. Or you press the button you used to drop it while on top of it to pick it back up and drop it elsewhere, or put a different one down.

For normal players they would just be something to hit with their weapons and bounce around for fun if they wanted to buy or make one, doing no damage at all. Something to drop in a room and watch rocket around while you hit it - something to liven things up while grinding, maybe.

But a Smash user could use them to launch Smashes at distant enemies with, with various effects. Examples:

Wooden Ball - Normal damage.

Red Rubber Ball - Normal damage. When it hits an enemy, bounces back to the point the smasher Smash'd from.

Iron Ball - Slightly increased damage. Launches a shorter distance, but strikes through enemies like a charging boar.

Party Ball - Normal damage. When Smash'd, produces a small cloud of confetti around the smasher.

Crystal Ball - Normal damage. Reduced ATK, but factors some MATK into damage.

Ball and Chain - Increased damage. Attached to player and drags behind them. When Smash'd, it drags the smasher along with it.

Golf Ball - Normal damage. Vastly reduced target to Smash and hit enemies with, but travels much farther.

Target Ball - Normal damage. Painted with a target on it. Charging up Smash near it has it point an arrow in the direction it will fly relative to the smasher's position. (Or maybe this would be a good charge-level bonus for Smash, being able to see where enemies are going to fly?)

Bombard Ball - Normal damage. Damage increases based on how far it launches before hitting an enemy.

Of course, there's no real need for a bunch of different ball options - a single wooden ball would do for making Smash much more useable. Some small addition would make the skill infinitely more viable and enjoyable.

IMPLEMENT OR RIOT. This is an AWESOME idea no matter if vanity or not. This would factor in a new class, BUT, there isn't enough support abilities to really have it be reasonable past the flying fortress.
Edit: ps I LOVE this idea ^-^

 

[Own]

Fred mentioned the problem with this: It makes Smash require two quickslots. No other skill works with way. That's bad.

But Frosty Friend has established that other buttons can be used while holding down a skill button. Awesome!

What if you could press the Attack button while charging Smash to summon a temporary Spirit Ball in exchange for # EP. Either temporary EP like any other skill use, or permanent EP so long as the Spirit Ball is out like a summon.

Few ways to handle it.

1. You press Attack, the Smash charge animation is cancelled and a Spirit Ball is spawned in front of you.

2. You press Attack, the Smash animation continues but a Spirit Ball is spawned in front of you.

3. The same as 1, but the size and power of the Spirit Ball is determined by the charge level of Smash you're on when spawning it. Basic? Tiny. Gold? Huge and glowing.

I'd love to golf bosses to death, or spawn tons of Spirit Balls around the room and go whack-happy. Plus you can still shield cancel out of the skill. How many people attack-cancel over shield cancelling?

If this seems too complex for the basic Smash skill, whenever (if ever) 'Skill Talents' get added in, unlocking the Spirit Ball button for Smash could be one of Smash's unlockable mechanics.

 

[Sekibanki]

Speaking of frosty friend and smash, I think you should definitely be able send frosty friend flying with smash. It would be a simple way to give smash a boost, and being able to use different skill in combination seems like a fun addition.