PIKMIN 3!!! Ahem...
PIKMIN 3!!!!
Releasing August 4th, 2013! Hoo boy!
Original post:
Spoiler
FINALLY!!!!
So... As E3 fast-approaches, I'd like to enthusiastically share some of my ideas/wishes for the next version of the game.
Personally, I would love true co-op. Pikmin 2 allowed you to split your forces between Olimar and Louie, which proved invaluable, but required you to alternate constantly. Simultaneous, splitscreen (or Wii-U controller/TV-screen) co-op with online would be the dream. THE DREAM.
An obvious and pretty-much-confirmed thing I want is brilliant HD environments. But the power of the console could do a lot more than just prettier textures, and I don't even mean "more pikmin onscreen." I mean real environmental effects/hazards like rain, snow, HAIL, fog and duststorms. Also, while the simplistic style of the pikmin gives them their charm, I'd like to see pikmin with distinctive features, possibly randomized from a pool of thousands of tiny variables. One pikmin might have a crooked nose, one may have a small spot on his belly or be slightly cross-eyed. This way, the pikmin would be less like expendable tools and more like living souls. You could even name them, if you so desired (if not in-game then in your head). "Oh, good morning Stevie! Ready to take on the world, little one?"
What if the game took place in an open world? You could use your ship to fast-travel between different regions, of course, but each region would actually be connected. The drawback of having a huge open environment is that if you stray too far from your ship come nightfall, you might find yourself in peril. To make up for that, day cycles could be extended. That brings me to:
The option to go out at night. Perhaps with a new, stealthier species of pikmin (or non-evil puffmin)? Certain treasures that would normally blend into their surroundings during the day would be easier to find at night (due to the light they give off) and certain nocturnal monsters would drop valuable resources that are hard-to-find in daylight. Obviously, nighttime would be more dangerous with all the monsters muckin' about, and most of these treasures and resources would still exist during the day, so the night excursions could remain totally optional for those who might feel overwhelmed by the challenge (but not optional if you're going for 100% play-throughs). Night cycles could be shorter than the extended day cycles, and, like in the Pikmin 2 dungeons, your pikmin stock is a set amount and can't be replenished until daylight. The amount of times you can go out at night could even be limited in order to allow Olimar sleep, but actually to make the night experiences rarer and more eagerly anticipated...
Athird fourth idea was "veteran pikmin". They would be tougher and faster than flower pikmin, but can only reach "veteran" status if they've actively served Olimar for a significant portion of the game, or maybe if they earn certain "merits" by surviving the insurvivable. This would encourage players to try to keep pikmin alive and not be reckless with their lives (not that I ever am, but I've watched other people play and I cringe every time they let one die unnecessarily). Veteran pikmin would have another advantage, too. They would be smarter. These are the pikmin that fully realize they're not idle Snagret snacks anymore. Not only would they do a bit more damage in combat, but they can dodge and evade some monsters' attacks effectively on their own. They would also try to avoid hazards like fire and water if they are not immune, and aren't idiots around bombs. They would be distinct from the other pikmin by appearing a slight bit larger, more rugged, and generally more bad-ass.
Veteran pikmin would be rare, as you must be a very capable commander to keep your pikmin from dying for so long, and not every pikmin who simply survives for a set amount of time would automatically become veterans. Only the ones with real experience. The ones who've killed the most monsters, or carried the most pellets or treasures over the longest distances. A veteran rank will never come to those who spend half their time underground. Veterans would be admired and gawked at by lesser pikmin, and the veterans could even take small responsibilities for themselves. Let's say you leave a vet with a small group by themselves while you venture off into some hazardous area and a nasty Orange Bulborb approaches them. The vet could keep the underlings from panicking while they try to run and evade the monster. Or if he's particularly valiant, he could throw pikmin away from the monster, or plant them in the ground, putting their lives before his own. Then at the last second, he'd roll under the Bulborb's legs as it tries to bite him... Because he's a bad-ass pikmin.
So that's some of my ideas. Your predictions? Predilections? In other words, what new ideas are you hoping to see at E3, and what do you already love about the series that you might hope to see expanded on?
After E3, this could probably become the official Pikmin 3 discussion thread.
FINALLY!!!!
So... As E3 fast-approaches, I'd like to enthusiastically share some of my ideas/wishes for the next version of the game.
Personally, I would love true co-op. Pikmin 2 allowed you to split your forces between Olimar and Louie, which proved invaluable, but required you to alternate constantly. Simultaneous, splitscreen (or Wii-U controller/TV-screen) co-op with online would be the dream. THE DREAM.
An obvious and pretty-much-confirmed thing I want is brilliant HD environments. But the power of the console could do a lot more than just prettier textures, and I don't even mean "more pikmin onscreen." I mean real environmental effects/hazards like rain, snow, HAIL, fog and duststorms. Also, while the simplistic style of the pikmin gives them their charm, I'd like to see pikmin with distinctive features, possibly randomized from a pool of thousands of tiny variables. One pikmin might have a crooked nose, one may have a small spot on his belly or be slightly cross-eyed. This way, the pikmin would be less like expendable tools and more like living souls. You could even name them, if you so desired (if not in-game then in your head). "Oh, good morning Stevie! Ready to take on the world, little one?"
What if the game took place in an open world? You could use your ship to fast-travel between different regions, of course, but each region would actually be connected. The drawback of having a huge open environment is that if you stray too far from your ship come nightfall, you might find yourself in peril. To make up for that, day cycles could be extended. That brings me to:
The option to go out at night. Perhaps with a new, stealthier species of pikmin (or non-evil puffmin)? Certain treasures that would normally blend into their surroundings during the day would be easier to find at night (due to the light they give off) and certain nocturnal monsters would drop valuable resources that are hard-to-find in daylight. Obviously, nighttime would be more dangerous with all the monsters muckin' about, and most of these treasures and resources would still exist during the day, so the night excursions could remain totally optional for those who might feel overwhelmed by the challenge (but not optional if you're going for 100% play-throughs). Night cycles could be shorter than the extended day cycles, and, like in the Pikmin 2 dungeons, your pikmin stock is a set amount and can't be replenished until daylight. The amount of times you can go out at night could even be limited in order to allow Olimar sleep, but actually to make the night experiences rarer and more eagerly anticipated...
A
Veteran pikmin would be rare, as you must be a very capable commander to keep your pikmin from dying for so long, and not every pikmin who simply survives for a set amount of time would automatically become veterans. Only the ones with real experience. The ones who've killed the most monsters, or carried the most pellets or treasures over the longest distances. A veteran rank will never come to those who spend half their time underground. Veterans would be admired and gawked at by lesser pikmin, and the veterans could even take small responsibilities for themselves. Let's say you leave a vet with a small group by themselves while you venture off into some hazardous area and a nasty Orange Bulborb approaches them. The vet could keep the underlings from panicking while they try to run and evade the monster. Or if he's particularly valiant, he could throw pikmin away from the monster, or plant them in the ground, putting their lives before his own. Then at the last second, he'd roll under the Bulborb's legs as it tries to bite him... Because he's a bad-ass pikmin.
So that's some of my ideas. Your predictions? Predilections? In other words, what new ideas are you hoping to see at E3, and what do you already love about the series that you might hope to see expanded on?
After E3, this could probably become the official Pikmin 3 discussion thread.
Edited by Sumodude, 17 April 2013 - 03:16 PM.
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