Support for Combining Direct + Indirect G-Mode #2621
Description
This is a particularly unusual state of G-Mode but has a few logical applications. Supporting it in logic will be a whole thing.
What is it:
"Combined" G-Mode is a combination of Direct and Indirect G-Mode. It combines many of the effects of Direct G-Mode (namely, R-Mode effects and the ability to enter Artificial Morph) with those of Indirect G-Mode (namely, the effect on room objects).
How to do it:
While already in G-Mode (Direct or Indirect), enter the next room with a normal (Direct) G-Mode setup: i.e. have energy in reserves (which requires a Crystal Flash or a Ship Refill), drain regular energy as needed, arm X-Ray, and be hit by an enemy while crossing the room transition, buffering X-Ray to activate in the next room at the same time auto-reserve activates.
A more complete breakdown works like this:
You have three (or more) "Rooms" involved in the setup:
- The Initial Room, from which Direct G-Mode is first entered.
- Zero or More Intermediate Rooms.
- The Setup Room
- The Target Room
Any one or more of these rooms can all be the same room, provided all necessary elements are available. For example, a common configuration is that Initial Room and Target Room are the same room, and the Setup Room takes advantage of the open door left by Direct G-Mode.
In longer chains (possible with uncapped doors, shell-skips, and/or elevators), the first Intermediate Room will be in Direct G-Mode - all after it will naturally be in Indirect G-Mode. Setup Room itself will be in Indirect G-Mode, if there are any Intermediate Rooms, otherwise it will be Direct.
Having entered in Combined G-Mode, it is of course possible to perform another G-Mode Setup to continue into another room in Combined G-Mode. Logically, however, it is likely to be the case that a room using Combined G-Mode will be the end of the G-Mode Chain - see applications of Combined G-Mode below.
Comparison of Direct, Indirect, and Combined G-Mode
This table will show a comparison of the effects of Direct, Indirect, and Combined G-Mode.
Effects common to G-Mode (PLM, enemy projectiles, palette FX/heat damage) apply to Combined G-Mode as well.
Moving to another room in Combined G-Mode results in Indirect G-Mode (without a G-Mode setup) or Combined G-Mode (with a G-Mode setup).
| Effect | Direct | Indirect | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry Method | G-Mode Setup | Carry G-Mode | Carry PLUS Setup (Both) |
| Gates and Uncollected Items | Present | Absent | Absent (like Indirect) |
| Remote Acquire | Possible | Not possible | Not possible (like Indirect) |
| Locked Doors | Locked | Blue | Blue (like Indirect) |
| PLM Overload Using Locked Door | Only if still locked | Any time | Any time (like Indirect) |
| Entry Door | Open | Closed | Closed (like Indirect) |
| Graphical Effects | R-Mode | Normal | R-Mode (like Direct) |
| R-Mode Standup | Available | Not available | Available (like Direct) |
| Mobility | Immobile until knockback | Always mobile¹ | Immobile until knockback (like Direct) |
| Artificial Morph | Can Enter | Carry from previous room | Can Enter (like Direct) |
| Using X-Ray | Convert to R-Mode | Ends G-Mode, Spawns Gates, Items, and Door Locks | Convert to R-Mode (like Direct), Spawns Gates, Items, and Door Locks (like Indirect) |
| After Crystal Flash | R-Mode Restrictions on Power Bomb/X-Ray | No Restriction | R-Mode Restrictions on Power Bomb/X-Ray (like Direct) |
| Reserve Auto-Trigger | Ends G-Mode and R-Mode, Standup effect | No special effect | Ends G-Mode and R-Mode, Standup effect (like Direct), Spawns Gates, Items, and Door Locks (related to Indirect, but doesn't normally happen at this time) |
(¹ It is theoretically possible to be Immobile in Indirect G-Mode - it would require Samus, while Immobile, having been carried through a door transition without incurring knockback frames. In such a situation, Samus would be Immobile in Indirect G-Mode, but would regain Mobility (and enter Artificial Morph) the same way as in Direct.)
Applications
The primary application of Combined G-Mode is for when you need the R-Mode properties of Direct G-Mode, but also need the room-state changes resulting from Indirect G-Mode. For example:
- Caterpillar Room: Enter Combined G-Mode from any left-side door. Navigate to where the green gate would be and use X-Ray to Convert to R-Mode - the gate will open due to Samus being on top of it. Exit and re-enter the Morph Tunnel to fix the camera and the runway is usable for an R-Mode Spark Interrupt.
- An Indirect strat that required carrying Artificial Morph could be satisfied by Combined G-Mode, provided the Indirect strat does not run afoul of R-Mode restrictions on Crystal Flash/Power Bomb/X-Ray combinations.
- From an up-facing door, enter with a downward G-Mode Setup. Then, in the room below, perform an upward G-Mode Setup: the door will now be closed and Samus won't fall back down.
Some Technical Notes
I'm thinking it will likely need either its own dedicated exitCondition, or perhaps a property of leaveWithGModeSetup (combined = true). However, I expect it will need to be treated as its own state, distinct from direct or indirect strats. Where it is possible to leave with Combined G-Mode it is usually possible to convert to a normal Direct or Indirect leave condition. Using Combined to satisfy direct or indirect modes would require vetting these strats to ensure there isn't a conflict. For example:
directRemote Acquire strats would not work with Combined.directSpark/CF Interrupt strats do work with Combinedindirectstrats are mostly compatible with Combined, but would need to be checked to ensure they aren't doing things that R-Mode doesn't like.