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| The file name of this image has "kweebec_leaf_ranger" in it. Might not be the same as the Razorleaf Ranger, but this might do for this blog post. Screenshot from Hytale |
At least it's better than talking about the Wuhan coronavirus. RIP brain.
This was drafted back in March 2020, but real life and new Hytale blog posts like to bite me in the butt.
Back in Edge magazine's January 2020 article about Hytale, content lead Sean McCafferty teased a particularly powerful Kweebec variant: "If you start butchering [the Kweebecs'] children, they call these guys called the Razorleaf Rangers, who are hard as nuts." (emphasis added)
As far as I know, that's the only info we have so far about the Razorleaf Ranger, so the rest of the Rangers' characteristics, including behavior and abilities, are anyone's guess.
The first thing that came to my mind when I saw the Razorleaf Rangers was Grand Theft Auto police officers which attack the player in endless waves when the player commits crimes, though fighting cops over and over again has made them feel very easy to me even at maximum wanted levels. In the end, they're just guys with guns and vehicles like many other GTA enemies.
I'm expecting Hytale to make Razorleaf Rangers deliver a challenge that will push even expert players to make quick tactical decisions.
Since Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX came out recently and I played the original Rescue Team games, I give Kecleon an honorable mention. When the player steals items from a Kecleon shop, swarms of Kecleon will appear all over the dungeon floor, and they're all level 90 and can take two actions per turn instead of one.
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| In this situation, if I (the Meowth) stay still for one turn, the Kecleon on the right can move 1 space then attack me. If I move 1 space to the left instead, both Kecleon will move 2 spaces towards me, giving me a chance to use a melee attack on either of them. Screenshot from Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team |
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| Don't mess with 'em. They WILL kill you. |
A whip made of vines (either crafted or part of the Ranger's body) would probably be the Razorleaf Ranger's main weapon. It would go extra well if Rangers were inspired by Wild West cowboys.
There are many uses for this. The most significant would be restraining a player, whether it's by restraining the hands to prevent attacks and block placement, restraining the legs to prevent movement, or wrapping the eyes to blind the player while dealing chip damage by squeezing the skull. Of course, it can simply strike multiple targets from a distance--useful against those who play in multiplayer.
To break out of being restrained by this whip, the player can either rip the vine off with their teeth, their hands, or a bladed weapon like a dagger, or even scraping the vine against a rough surface like stone. Regardless of the method of breaking out, the player may have to rapidly tap a button, though using a weapon (if applicable) would make it easier. Additionally, only one group of body parts can be restrained at a time per player; this prevents Rangers from making non-mages unable to move or attack. Speaking of mages, a player who can use fire magic can simply engulf their body in fire to incinerate the whip. (Only the Ranger's whip is weak to fire. The rest of the Ranger's body isn't.)
Unlike regular Kweebecs which are weak to fire and axes, Razorleaf Rangers have no elemental type or weapon triangle weaknesses regardless of their equipped weapon or whether their type has been changed, and all their attacks ignore resistances and immunities. This further helps prevent cheese strategies. (Example)
They can still deal super effective damage and gain weapon triangle advantages, i.e. they are super effective against water elementals and have advantage over sword wielders when using spears.
(Note that a type weakness/resistance/immunity system is NOT confirmed in Hytale. I just really like Pokémon and Fire Emblem, and I'm sure at least one Hypixel Studios member is aware of both games: Oscar Garvin and Thomas Frick with Pokémon Sword and Shield, Thomas Frick again with his reply to a 3D model of Edelgard, Noxy calling Lysithea the "best mage", and Simon with the weapon triangle meme he shared. When I joked about "A World Below" waking up Snorlax, Oscar Garvin replied with a GIF of Snorlax using Hyper Beam.)
As for Minecraft-related cheese strategies, Rangers should carry tools and weapons that can easily manipulate or destroy blocks, such as hammers and excavators from the Tinkers' Construct mod which destroy blocks in a 3x3 area per use, as well as grenades or rockets powered by peat moss instead of gunpowder. Like blue Wither skulls, some of these tools should be able to destroy obsidian-like blocks.
Rangers will mainly target crafted blocks like wood planks and stone bricks or unnatural block formations like bushes shaped like a house, so the player must hide in a naturally generated place like a cave. Of course, the player can do the old "dig 3 blocks down then cover up the ground" strategy, though would it be OP if Rangers randomly dig the dirt even if they have no idea where the player is?
Basic Anti-Ranger Strategy
Even I honestly have a hard time thinking of how to beat up these fools. Yeah, I need to work on my game design skills.
Good thing I'm back in game dev class, boiii! (But it's on Google Meet now. I preferred it when it was face-to-face. Maybe the Wuhan coronavirus needs some beatings from the Rangers.)
Because the Razorleaf Rangers have no obvious weaknesses, I want to take a different approach: denying them of their strengths. They specialize in parkour and quick pursuits, so slowing them down can make their speed more similar to, say, a Minecraft enderman. A blizzard can cheese this task, but it can cost a lot of mana, so a "low-budget" solution might be to break their legs with low kicks.
A flying mount can cheese fights against the Rangers, though it must be really fast and ideally small enough to easily evade incoming arrows and rocks. Rideable dragons are the "cheesiest" because they're tanky, though beware of anti-dragon weapons in the late game just in case.
Or just hit 'em with a "Splash Potion of Blindness". I dunno. Spam debuffs on 'em.
Hey, man, isn't your idea too hard?
Well, being hard is the whole point of my Razorleaf Ranger design, though I acknowledge some players prefer to play casually. So if the player plays on Easy mode or something, here are some simple nerf ideas.
Make them more powerful but still basic Kweebecs. No whips, no explosives, no OP searching AI, just a swarm of dumb "GTA cops" with high stats and weaknesses to fire and axes. They can keep their parkour skills, though.
Maybe make it harder to gain "wanted levels".
The first attack on a Kweebec seedling should not deal any damage at all or trigger any reputation drops, but should display a warning: "Attacking Kweebec seedlings is punishable by a horrible death!" (Maybe you have a better idea? lololol)
The second attack, regardless of whether or not it's a killing blow, should trigger a huge reputation drop, but not enough to cause Rangers to attack immediately. The Kweebecs would just refuse hospitality to the player and may flee or attack if the player gets within arm's reach.
The third attack onwards should cause a "wanted level" as normal.
Maybe make it harder to gain "wanted levels".
The first attack on a Kweebec seedling should not deal any damage at all or trigger any reputation drops, but should display a warning: "Attacking Kweebec seedlings is punishable by a horrible death!" (Maybe you have a better idea? lololol)
The second attack, regardless of whether or not it's a killing blow, should trigger a huge reputation drop, but not enough to cause Rangers to attack immediately. The Kweebecs would just refuse hospitality to the player and may flee or attack if the player gets within arm's reach.
The third attack onwards should cause a "wanted level" as normal.
