As much as I love the Mega Man/X series...the "flow" is pretty predictable and dare I say outdated. I was thinking for today's standards (and to further get more bank for your buck) that the series could use a little sprucing up without really messing with the overall fundamentals. Here's what I personally came up with:
- Make Maverick boss stages longer or add stages in between with their own bosses. Typically you'd just go through the stage, fight the sub-boss, then the Maverick, collect your weapon, and dip. Adding extra stages in between encounters or making the stage longer in general would help fill the game out and give the devs an opportunity to play around more with stage design, mini bosses and etc.
- Add a "evolution" element to the Mavericks themselves. Instead of giving them ONE set weakness, randomize it each playthrough. Introduce the idea into the game as part of the lore or story along the lines of "Reploid evolution/adaptation". It could also work like this....you fight the Maverick boss, and hit it with its weakness a few times. The Maverick itself will evolve during battle and display NEW attacks and patterns and change its weakness. Kinda turn it into a "boss phase" kinda thing. If you happen to NOT have its weakness then the battle would proceed on as normal. Hitting it with its weakness will make the battle harder to offset the added damage you are now dishing out.
- Add more Maverick's instead of just the 8, go for 16. Inspired by Mega Man 8, you could fight the first 8, then the last 8 will open up. Once again this will add more to the game, especially if you factor in the stuff I mentioned up above.
- Make defeating Mavericks have an effect on the other Maverick stages or fights. This kinda was touched on in Mega Man X where if you went for example to Spark Mandrill's stage after beating Storm Eagle, you'll have noticed that the plane crashed into the stage, damaging the power which meant that some of the stage's hazards were disabled. Battle wise, perhaps certain Mavericks share a connection like originally being from the same unit or being comrades in arms....when one is defeated right before you storm the lair of the other, the encounter with his comrade will start the battle off with different dialogue, ending with him in a different phase or perhaps enraged, gaining access to stronger base attacks or adding a new attack or "desperation ability"
These are just a few ideas I came up with. What about you?
- Make Maverick boss stages longer or add stages in between with their own bosses. Typically you'd just go through the stage, fight the sub-boss, then the Maverick, collect your weapon, and dip. Adding extra stages in between encounters or making the stage longer in general would help fill the game out and give the devs an opportunity to play around more with stage design, mini bosses and etc.
- Add a "evolution" element to the Mavericks themselves. Instead of giving them ONE set weakness, randomize it each playthrough. Introduce the idea into the game as part of the lore or story along the lines of "Reploid evolution/adaptation". It could also work like this....you fight the Maverick boss, and hit it with its weakness a few times. The Maverick itself will evolve during battle and display NEW attacks and patterns and change its weakness. Kinda turn it into a "boss phase" kinda thing. If you happen to NOT have its weakness then the battle would proceed on as normal. Hitting it with its weakness will make the battle harder to offset the added damage you are now dishing out.
- Add more Maverick's instead of just the 8, go for 16. Inspired by Mega Man 8, you could fight the first 8, then the last 8 will open up. Once again this will add more to the game, especially if you factor in the stuff I mentioned up above.
- Make defeating Mavericks have an effect on the other Maverick stages or fights. This kinda was touched on in Mega Man X where if you went for example to Spark Mandrill's stage after beating Storm Eagle, you'll have noticed that the plane crashed into the stage, damaging the power which meant that some of the stage's hazards were disabled. Battle wise, perhaps certain Mavericks share a connection like originally being from the same unit or being comrades in arms....when one is defeated right before you storm the lair of the other, the encounter with his comrade will start the battle off with different dialogue, ending with him in a different phase or perhaps enraged, gaining access to stronger base attacks or adding a new attack or "desperation ability"
These are just a few ideas I came up with. What about you?
