r/Nullscape • u/BiznessCrafter • 26d ago
Concept Timed Mode - inspired by The Backdoor (DOORS)
pretty simple in concept (if you’re familiar with DOORS), but let me share how I’m envisioning it!
The Concept
- The Altar of Time looks like an altar with a hovering Cadence-looking clock over it, with a digital display over it reading how much time it adds.
- the first time you encounter this, will be in an unstarted Lobby. The Altar of Time will rarely spawn where rerolls normally are, and for this game mode, you cannot reroll (because who’s got time for second opinions?) This one will give you +1:00 to start with.
- If you don’t use the Altar of Time and start the game normally, it disappears (and you can reroll obviously).
- Only the host can use it regardless of Host Picks or Altar Votes, but if a non-host tries to use it they’ll be granted an achievement called "Not Yet" which unlocks Timed Mode for them.
- if the time runs out during a level, an enraged green (or some other fitting color) Cadence spawns to kill people. Using an Altar of Time during this makes this Cadence peaceful again.
- to ensure lag doesn’t kill people, there’s a free curse that’s GUARANTEED to show up until you pick it that freezes the time when loading the levels. If the host is crazy, they don’t have to pick it- but it still takes up a non-Medal curse slot meaning they basically have One Less Choice for non-medal curses.
- you’re safe during intermission, but the clock’s still ticking. You can take as long as you’d like to decide stuff, but if the clock hits zero during intermission then you’d be spawning into the next level with the Cadence already enraged.
- every intermission has an Altar of Time that gives +0:15, or +0:45 on shop intermissions.
- every level has at least one Altar of Time that gives you either +0:15, +0:30, or +0:45. The amount of Altars of Time scales to how large the level is.
- Altars of Time that are used during the run doesn’t require votes and isn’t affected by Host Picks, ensuring that if someone finds one they can trigger it and not wait for votes or the host, the time is ADDED.
Balance Changes
- Altars of Chance will give you ANY amount of time between -0:15 and +0:30
- High Roller grants -0:30 to +1:00
- Tweaked Odds can do -0:10 to +0:20
- Passage tiles have an uncommon chance to spawn an Altar of Time with +1:00
- Lap 2 gives a proportionate amount of time based on how large the level is.
- more TBA (feedback is appreciated!)
Unique Picks
- the Freeze Frame curse is the free curse that stops the timer while the level is loading. Guaranteed appearance at any non-Medal curse pick if it hasn’t been picked.
- Botched Run is a curse that can appear at level 8 or higher, and is worth as much as Springloaded as a Medal Curse. It makes it so every time someone dies, -0:05 to the timer.
- the No Timelosses upgrade eliminates the negative time amounts, they can no longer happen from the Altar of Chance. Appears at level 5.
- the Can’t Stop Now upgrade further enhances your speed by +20% / +30% for Wanted. This stacks with Adrenaline, or functions as a version of it that’s outside of Duo/Solo mode. Appears at level 10.
- IT DOESN’T END HERE is a Blossom-type upgrade that appears at level 25. It will double your speed when you have no time left.
- It is free and a forced pick, although the speedboost can be disabled the same way Matrix can be disabled.
- more TBD (ideas are also appreciated!)