Randomize skill points as locations

[Dinopony]

Add a randomize_skill_points option which adds a location for each skill point in the game.

Each skill point location logic must be carefully examined:

• most require having access to the planet they belong to
• some require weapons with some perks (e.g. long range)
• some require some gadgets to have access to some specific spot
• etc...

"Skill points" as items are debatable:

• they could be introduced to be useless filler items
• they could be discarded, leaving room for other filler items which might be slightly more useful to the player

Down the road, it would be interesting to optionally turn the cheats table into a reward table where each line is a location which unlocks with some threshold of Platinum Bolts in case they are discarded as a currency for mod shop, or with Skill Points (which could give them some kind of use, although not very flavorful).

[liolu]

If necessary, I make a skills sheet to help, certain things can be discussed

[LockKal]

I think skill points would best be left as non-items, since if they are simply introduced to the pool as is, players can pick up those skill points and feel like they picked up something useless, since the skill point itself doesn't do anything aside progress the special menu rewards.

I would propose that achieving a skill point would still grant that exact skill point (for the purposes of advancing the special rewards and to mark off the skill point as achieved) but could also provide an item alongside the acquisition of said skill point (i.e. Shooting 4 Pterodactyls gives both the Prehistoric Rampage skill point as vanilla, but might also give a bolt pack, weapon or some other type of check). This gives proper incentive to seek out individual skill points, as each one can grant progress, but comes at the cost that there may be too many filler items introduced to the pool, but could actually be healthy for multiworld randomization with other games (I have played with 2 Rac2 and 1 Hollow Knight for a randomizer, and Hollow Knight has many more checks, so both playing Rac2 were in what archipelago dubs "BK mode" for a long time since we had many less checks to do).

As far as logic goes, acquiring skill points should be (mostly) simple to deduce, and can be seen in what liolu put above, but if the special menu is implemented, the randomizer will have to keep track of how many skill points are acquirable, possibly assisted by other logic such as which skill points are acquirable.

A slight pivot, but ship upgrades don't need a ship combat section to acquire Raritanium, since Tabora and Grelbin have the mining vehicles allowing Raritanium to be acquired on those planets, and I believe the Raritanium refreshes when the level is reloaded(?). That Raritanium could then be used to buy from Slim's ship shack to get all the parts for the skill point, or potentially progression items if Slim's ship shack is randomized.
Bear in mind Tabora's mining vehicle needs access to tabora AND gravity boots, and Grelbin's mining vehicle needs access to Angela's base.

I hope this is useful input, and I half expect that some of this has already been considered, but I figured I'd post this anyway since it differs from what is currently visible.

[Dinopony]

I would propose that achieving a skill point would still grant that exact skill point (for the purposes of advancing the special rewards and to mark off the skill point as achieved) but could also provide an item alongside the acquisition of said skill point (i.e. Shooting 4 Pterodactyls gives both the Prehistoric Rampage skill point as vanilla, but might also give a bolt pack, weapon or some other type of check).

That's the plan, that's what "adding a location for each skill point in the game" means 😉

As far as logic goes, acquiring skill points should be (mostly) simple to deduce, and can be seen in what liolu put above, but if the special menu is implemented, the randomizer will have to keep track of how many skill points are acquirable, possibly assisted by other logic such as which skill points are acquirable.

As explained on Discord when this sheet was first posted, it is far from being complete especially regarding weapons (many skill points require specific weapons or kinds of weapons). This will be the most complex part about this logic, and must not be underestimated: this feature would have been implemented weeks ago if it wasn't for logic.

A slight pivot, but ship upgrades don't need a ship combat section to acquire Raritanium, since Tabora and Grelbin have the mining vehicles allowing Raritanium to be acquired on those planets, and I believe the Raritanium refreshes when the level is reloaded(?).

Testing was made by @liolu and they said the raritanium on those planets does not respawn, whereas the wiki was stating the opposite. Never had the time to test it myself, but it definitely needs to respawn in order to be considered (although this is related with #63 instead of this issue)

I hope this is useful input, and I half expect that some of this has already been considered, but I figured I'd post this anyway since it differs from what is currently visible.

Every feedback / idea is worth sharing 😄

[LockKal]

Logical minimum requirements for each skill point, including gun/wrench accessibility.

Coordinates only, Wrench only possible.

Maktar Nebula

• "Wrench Ninja" (intended)
• "2b or not 2b hit" (hard with wrench only, maybe have some weapon power level requirement)
• "Clank needs a new pair of shoes".

Notak

• "Planet Buster" (easy with wrench throws)

Oozla

• "Prehistoric Rampage" (easy with wrench throws - hop over the railing at the start)

Siberius

• "Snow Dan"

Todano

• "Nothing to see here" (easy, but does take some time without decent damage)
• "You're my Hero" (getting this the first time they walk the tour is hard without proper gear, but if everything is cleared out, another tour group will eventually come by and will be safe the whole way.)

Coordinates only, with minimum short range gun OR Grindboots + Gravity Boots + Dynamo + Swingshot possible with wrench only

Snivelak

• "Moving Violation". Progress carries over between lives (tested). Between loads also? (to be tested)
  These don't work: Sheepinator, Decoy, Walloper, Shield Charger, Clank Zapper, Killnoids, Turret Glove, Tankbot glove, Zodiac.
  These are tricky to use: Bomb glove, Gravity bomb.

GRINDBOOTS ONLY

Damosel

• "Midtown Insanity"

DYNAMO ONLY

Oozla

• "Smash and Grab". Wrench only possible. Better with box breaker or guns.

Joba

• "Bye Bye Birdies". One tricky wrench kill, then others can be all killed using the turrets provided on the map, provided they aren't scared off (requires going backwards through the level from a checkpoint, hard to do deathless or glitchless). All birds must be killed in one life. Much better with guns (most ranges, not walloper, sheepinator, decoy glove, miniturret, synthenoids)

TRACTOR BEAM ONLY

Maktar

• "Vandalize". Wrench only possible. Better with box breaker or guns.

ELECTROLYZER ONLY

Endako

• "Operate Heavy Machinery"

SHEEPINATOR ONLY

Todano

• "Try to Sleep"

SWINGSHOT ONLY

Joba

• "How fast was that?"

Damosel

• "Safety Deposit". Much better with good guns, since you need to save the tourists in the bank.

LEVITATOR + GRINDBOOTS

Boldan

• "No Shocking developments"

DYNAMO + SWINGSHOT

Joba

• "Wrench Ninja 2" (wrench only intended; turrets, pits and friendly fire can be used)

Dobbo

• "Dukes Up" (dobbo orbit, punch only)
• "Robo Rampage" (dobbo orbit, break all buildings)
• "Old Skool". Use only RC1 weapons to defeat all enemies.
  Note: Technically can come back after all enemies have been killed to clear the path to the mathmatician with wrench only. requires a gun that isn't walloper, sheepinator, decoy glove, or shield charger (includes tesla barrier) to kill the last tank inside the facility. This enemy needs to be killed for the swingshot to spawn, allowing progress so that all the enemies in that area won't spawn in the future (making the skill point easier). Friendly fire is made use of if wrench only, especially for the other tank near the spiderbot platinum bolt location. Bomb glove/tesla claw/visibomb gun recommended requirement.

DYNAMO + LEVITATOR

Joba

• "That's Impossible". Probably doable with wrench only, but isn't reasonable in the slightest, especially against the bosses of that arena. (Weapon power level requirement or toggleable option in YAML?)

ELECTROLYZER + THRUSTER

Barlow

• "Speed Demon"

ELECTROLYZER + HELI/CHARGEBOOTS OR LONG RANGE

Endako

• "Destroy all breakables". Wrench only possible. Better with box breaker or guns.
  Note: The destroy all breakables achievement doesn't need the megacorp games screens destroyed. The pale drones, if broken while not looking at them, do not break until observed.
  TESTED: The island that you can heli-glide/charge boot to IS a required area for "destroy all breakables", as is the platinum bolt location (not the crane bolt, the blast doors don't count). You can't simply thrust over to it, but you could can also use long range guns to destroy everything there from different parts of the level that overlook it.
  LONG RANGE: Pulse rifle, chopper, minirocket tube, plasma coil, hoverbomb, visibomb gun. (RYNO II, but it doesn't lock on and is wildly inaccurate for destroying breakables.)
  Doesn't reach easily: Lancer, seeker gun, everything else. They might hit or come close to the closest things, but they can't hit beyond that, meaning they really shouldn't be used for logic here. Most of the 'everything else' is partly tested, but expected to fail more than seeker and lancer.

GLIDER + INFILTRATOR

Grelbin

• "Be a Moon Child"

SWINGSHOT + HELI/ (THRUSTER + CHARGE BOOTS)
(Charge boots instead of second swingshot use in the start of tabora, but can overshoot the cutscene trigger and fall out of bounds through unloaded ground. Thruster is still needed with this charge boots approach to make some tall jumps easily and as intended)

Tabora

• "Heal your chi"

ALL NANOTECH UPGRADES AVAILABLE

• "Nano to the Max"

ALL WEAPONS FOUND

• "Weapon Envy"
  Note: No new game+ content is required for this skill point.

ALL SHIP PARTS PURCHASED OR FOUND

• "Nice Ride" Any reliable raritanium source to get raritanium, or if the parts are added to the randomizer, use the part location logic.
  Note: Paint and wings don't need to be purchased for this achievement.

The weapon requirements have been tested in such a way where I've been placing myself as close to things as is reasonable (no out of bounds or glitches).
'Wrench only' includes using first person to throw the wrench (not first person mode from the special menu, so no ability to move or jump!).
Charge boots have been listed since it is possible to get some things using them (without glitches, just unintended use). I don't expect logic for charge boots to be included, but I thought it was still worth mentioning the item could do a thing or two.

[evilwb]

Is the Joba arena Impossible Challenge available outside of Challenge Mode? I had heard it might not be but I haven't looked for myself.

Nano to the Max, Weapon Envy and potentially Nice Ride all will require making normally useful/junk items into progression. This gets complex real fast considering the vendors that add these items into the pool are presumably all going to be individually toggle-able in the options.

[Dinopony]

Is the Joba arena Impossible Challenge available outside of Challenge Mode? I had heard it might not be but I haven't looked for myself.

It is available outside of NG+, but is not a skill point. It just gives a special reward in the "Cheats" table.

Nano to the Max, Weapon Envy and potentially Nice Ride all will require making normally useful/junk items into progression. This gets complex real fast considering the vendors that add these items into the pool are presumably all going to be individually toggle-able in the options.

• Nano to the Max can be added reasonably imo, since it only requires marking Nanotech Boosts as progression items when enabled. I think we should dilute XP requirements among planets (making it required to have almost all coordinates to be able to have the skill point)

• Weapon Envy is both very complex to implement logically and hardly doable as a player in a rando context. It will need changes to how it works to make it reasonably possible to obtain (for instance, own all weapons without requiring to upgrade them).

• Nice Ride only requires having raritanium currently, and will require making all ship upgrades progressive when shuffling Slim's Shack vendor, but they will most likely need to be progressive anyway to have some logic for late-game spaceship challenges as in Gorn

[LockKal]

If you look at the total amount in the list without "That's Impossible", there are only 29 others. It is required for the 30 unlock in addition to it's own unlock independent of the 30.

[Dinopony]

Really? That's so weird, I maxed this game twice and never noticed 🫠