snickleman
New member
(All art of Quasar in this post is currently being commissioned from https://vgen.co/marqueeadam666. Be sure to check them out)
(Also, all the pictures are currently WIP; I'll post the finished comm when it's done)
The idea
One aspect of mid 20th century culture I've always been a fan of was the Retrofuturist Sci-Fi avenue. Pulp magazines such as Amazing Stories, books such as HG Wells' 'The Time Machine', movies such as Fritz Lang's 'Metropolis', etc. Of those, I've always been a very large fan of the various depictions of both the aliens, and robots, that are oftentimes found within them.
So, with a game such as Deadlock, which takes place around the time period in which these designs and ideas were at some of their most prevalent, I figured that it would be a perfect opportunity to include something to represent it within the game. Dynamo already excels at the sci-fi route you can take with paranormal activity within the world, though in this aspect, I wanted to introduce something, or rather someone, who could encapsulate why and how the sci-fi route can also lead down a much more disturbing, horror-adjacent route, as well as extort my love of the genre's designs and aesthetics.
[A Fate's Tale]
As the 2nd Maelstrom begins to rear itself within the Cursed Apple, residents of the more rural areas of New York have began to grow fearful of the disappearances beginning to amount, all seeming to be stemming from the same, or a similar, source.
Eyewitness testimonies point to a series of events to unfold with each new case. First, an interference in the radio or televisions begin, occurring for hours at a time. Then, the abductee would shift in personality, even beginning to sit and listen or watch said interference for hours on end, as though it were actual entertainment... or as if waiting for a signal. Finally, they would begin to traverse away from their abodes, never to be seen again. Those who attempt to stop these affected individuals report suddenly finding themselves falling unconscious, and waking up some time after.
One eyewitness testimony frantically shouted about the flash of lights within the darkened skies, seemingly taking the affected before disappearing once more. Upon hearing this, they were swiftly brought in for questioning.
Upon such further questioning of this onlooker, they gave a more detailed account; even going so far as to mention the sighting of a figure within the forest, seemingly overseeing the collection of the abductee personally.
Suddenly, their posture would change.
"It was human." they would respond. Their voice, frantic before, had shifted, now staying neutral.
"She was. She is." They continued, as their eyes glazed over.
"She is the Emissary, and she means no harm."
"She is the Emissary, and she means no harm."
"She is the Emissary, and she means no harm."
"She is the Emissary, and she means no harm."
The interviewee would continue repeating the phrase, for the rest of the night. However, before they stopped, and closed their eyes to fall into a comatose like state, one more phrase would emerge from them.
"The ones between the stars."
As the rush to aid the now comatose figure began, one of the interviewers reports the sound of white noise turning off.
.
.
.
Quasar is one of the first victims of the secretive race of extraterrestrials to visit our planet. They likely would have found Earth and arrived due to the 1st Maelstrom being picked up on some of their technology, and would probably have taken her and some others before they left for experimental/scientific purposes. With enough time having passed, they would transform her into something far greater than either Man or Machine, leaving only her brain as the one remnant of Humanity she once possessed. As she's originally from the planet, she'd end up becoming an Emissary of sorts for when the 2nd Maelstrom began, using both the knowledge of Earth she kept, as well as the knowledge and abilities granted by her newfound masters, to partake in the Ritual herself. But, who knows whether she'll keep to her word and use it for them, or whether she'd use the Wish to free herself from their grip...and perhaps even take their knowledge and power for herself.
Ability Overview
Quasar is meant to invoke the more horror-adjacent aspects to come with Sci-Fi, as a sort of Juxtaposition to Dynamo. She is one to find, and lead others (whether willingly, or through 'coercion') to her masters for them to brutally experiment upon, and likely even doing so herself at times. She remains more support oriented, doing things such as providing surveillance, and disruption of the enemy. What she lacks in raw burst damage and mobility, she can make up for in the various crowd control and damage over time capabilities, that can ramp up to dangerous degrees if the enemy is not careful in where they tread. In one on one scenarios, Quasar also has means of locking down more mobile opponents, ensuring that while she may be slower... there's only so much time you can run for before you're within her clutches once again. She also compensates somewhat in stature, being even taller than the likes of Abrams.
1 - Lobotomite
Send forth one of your successful test subjects. The subject shambles forward at a constant rate, though can be signaled to approach your current location upon use of Alt Cast while at least one is still present. A dome of spiritual energy emerges from their experimented craniums, the results of which depend on whether an enemy or you/an ally pass through the dome first. If comes within a certain distance from them, they take Spirit damage and are slowed. If you or an ally pass through it first, it instead provides healing, and are granted increased Bullet Resistance. Upgrades to the ability allow it to heal allies and harm enemies at the same time, while also expanding the dome, and increasing both the movement speed and healing/damage rate of the Lobotimite.
2 - Memetic Signal
Attach a radio telescope to a nearby surface, which begins sending out a signal in a wide range around it. Opponents who find themselves within range will have their figure be revealed through walls and ground as the signal bounces off of them, as well as appearing on the minimap even if they otherwise wouldn't. A lingering effect occurs when coming in contact with this signal's range, dealing low damage over time, and causing the opponent's minimap to appear blank, as well as hearing auditory disturbance, such as white noise (which grows in strength/franticness the closer they are to the source radio telescope), and even hearing false sound cues such as footsteps and ability voicelines. These effects linger for a bit after leaving the Area of Effect or destroying the radio telescope. With upgrades, this effect can also be given to opponent's allies if a close enough distance to them and still under the effect, as well as having the damage snowball more in numbers the longer the opponent remains within the signal. Also with upgrades, these signals can actually boost Quasar's and her allies' healing rates.
3 - Emergent Behavior
Passive - Allows for utilization of Extra Limbs protruding from the back, providing increased dash speed/distance, as well as the ability to climb along vertical surfaces. Stamina Bars slowly drain while climbing or clinging to vertical surfaces.
Active - Stretch forward one of your arms a greater distance than normal, utilizing your movement keys to manually aim the end of the arm as it bends forward. Upon touching an enemy Hero or minion, you grasp onto them with the clawed limb, remaining attached to them for the duration, or until manually severed for remaining out of sight of one another for too long or going out of reach. While attached, the opponent suffers a portion of the damage Quasar takes while she is attached to them, as well as being slowed, the numbers of each being amplified the more arms attached to them. Multiple arms can be sent forth while the ability is active with each press, allowing to attach to multiple enemies at a time, with the number of arms able to be sent out dependent on how upgraded the ability is.
Using Alt Cast with the ability active causes opponents Quasar is currently attached to to be yanked towards her, the strength of the pull dependent on how many arms are attached to them, as well as upgrades. This momentarily stuns opponents who are yanked in, but also prematurely detaches all arms and ends the ability's active time.
This ability was actually mostly inspired by the character Churnwalker from Vainglory (RIP).
4 - Broadcast Interruption
A constant wave of disruptive radio frequencies emerges from Quasar's eye, targeting the very cognitive function of opponents. Opponents within the area of effect, will first have static begin to fill their vision, alongside images of Quasar, and her message. Spend too long within her gaze, and it will escalate to having your controls fully reversed in both movement and camera. Upgrades to the ability also allow for momentary changes/shuffling to the opponent's abilities' mapped buttons for the duration.
Some other stuff
Misc
Alongside usual spoken dialogue, Quasar will also quite frequently appear to communicate, or otherwise seem to be collecting and projecting, various radio frequencies, likely in communication with The Ones Between the Stars. While this can be from the radio and staticky sounds/white noise, she also seems to be able to collect them from distant planets/celestial events, as in-game various sounds from playback audio of celestial frequencies from the video below would be able to be heard. While likely not necessary to project them, she likely does so as a sort of intimidation/disruption tactic to the enemy, purposefully picking the strangest and most antagonistic sounding ones. Ones you'd be able to hear in-game occasionally include Phobos, Ganymede, a Quasar (fitting), Albion 15760, the Orion Nebula, the Helix Nebula, and even Interstellar Space, among others. It can probably even be somewhat reactive, like hearing the sonification from a Supernova or Hoag's Object upon getting a killstreak.
Obviously, she's still rather unfinished, but I at the very least have the bedrock of what I'm looking for with her. I'm gonna be updating her overtime with new stuff such as the finished comm (and any other comms of her I end up getting), and likely stuff like dialogue/interactions as well.
Thanks for if you did sit through to read this. Any and all comments and critiques are appreciated.
I've also got one other character I'm hoping to put out in the near future. Quasar and them will be my main two that I continuously post about and update on here, so I hope y'all are ready for that lol
(Also, all the pictures are currently WIP; I'll post the finished comm when it's done)
The idea
One aspect of mid 20th century culture I've always been a fan of was the Retrofuturist Sci-Fi avenue. Pulp magazines such as Amazing Stories, books such as HG Wells' 'The Time Machine', movies such as Fritz Lang's 'Metropolis', etc. Of those, I've always been a very large fan of the various depictions of both the aliens, and robots, that are oftentimes found within them.
So, with a game such as Deadlock, which takes place around the time period in which these designs and ideas were at some of their most prevalent, I figured that it would be a perfect opportunity to include something to represent it within the game. Dynamo already excels at the sci-fi route you can take with paranormal activity within the world, though in this aspect, I wanted to introduce something, or rather someone, who could encapsulate why and how the sci-fi route can also lead down a much more disturbing, horror-adjacent route, as well as extort my love of the genre's designs and aesthetics.
[A Fate's Tale]
As the 2nd Maelstrom begins to rear itself within the Cursed Apple, residents of the more rural areas of New York have began to grow fearful of the disappearances beginning to amount, all seeming to be stemming from the same, or a similar, source.
Eyewitness testimonies point to a series of events to unfold with each new case. First, an interference in the radio or televisions begin, occurring for hours at a time. Then, the abductee would shift in personality, even beginning to sit and listen or watch said interference for hours on end, as though it were actual entertainment... or as if waiting for a signal. Finally, they would begin to traverse away from their abodes, never to be seen again. Those who attempt to stop these affected individuals report suddenly finding themselves falling unconscious, and waking up some time after.
One eyewitness testimony frantically shouted about the flash of lights within the darkened skies, seemingly taking the affected before disappearing once more. Upon hearing this, they were swiftly brought in for questioning.
Upon such further questioning of this onlooker, they gave a more detailed account; even going so far as to mention the sighting of a figure within the forest, seemingly overseeing the collection of the abductee personally.
Suddenly, their posture would change.
"It was human." they would respond. Their voice, frantic before, had shifted, now staying neutral.
"She was. She is." They continued, as their eyes glazed over.
"She is the Emissary, and she means no harm."
"She is the Emissary, and she means no harm."
"She is the Emissary, and she means no harm."
"She is the Emissary, and she means no harm."
The interviewee would continue repeating the phrase, for the rest of the night. However, before they stopped, and closed their eyes to fall into a comatose like state, one more phrase would emerge from them.
"The ones between the stars."
As the rush to aid the now comatose figure began, one of the interviewers reports the sound of white noise turning off.
.
.
.
Quasar is one of the first victims of the secretive race of extraterrestrials to visit our planet. They likely would have found Earth and arrived due to the 1st Maelstrom being picked up on some of their technology, and would probably have taken her and some others before they left for experimental/scientific purposes. With enough time having passed, they would transform her into something far greater than either Man or Machine, leaving only her brain as the one remnant of Humanity she once possessed. As she's originally from the planet, she'd end up becoming an Emissary of sorts for when the 2nd Maelstrom began, using both the knowledge of Earth she kept, as well as the knowledge and abilities granted by her newfound masters, to partake in the Ritual herself. But, who knows whether she'll keep to her word and use it for them, or whether she'd use the Wish to free herself from their grip...and perhaps even take their knowledge and power for herself.
Ability Overview
Quasar is meant to invoke the more horror-adjacent aspects to come with Sci-Fi, as a sort of Juxtaposition to Dynamo. She is one to find, and lead others (whether willingly, or through 'coercion') to her masters for them to brutally experiment upon, and likely even doing so herself at times. She remains more support oriented, doing things such as providing surveillance, and disruption of the enemy. What she lacks in raw burst damage and mobility, she can make up for in the various crowd control and damage over time capabilities, that can ramp up to dangerous degrees if the enemy is not careful in where they tread. In one on one scenarios, Quasar also has means of locking down more mobile opponents, ensuring that while she may be slower... there's only so much time you can run for before you're within her clutches once again. She also compensates somewhat in stature, being even taller than the likes of Abrams.
1 - Lobotomite
Send forth one of your successful test subjects. The subject shambles forward at a constant rate, though can be signaled to approach your current location upon use of Alt Cast while at least one is still present. A dome of spiritual energy emerges from their experimented craniums, the results of which depend on whether an enemy or you/an ally pass through the dome first. If comes within a certain distance from them, they take Spirit damage and are slowed. If you or an ally pass through it first, it instead provides healing, and are granted increased Bullet Resistance. Upgrades to the ability allow it to heal allies and harm enemies at the same time, while also expanding the dome, and increasing both the movement speed and healing/damage rate of the Lobotimite.
2 - Memetic Signal
Attach a radio telescope to a nearby surface, which begins sending out a signal in a wide range around it. Opponents who find themselves within range will have their figure be revealed through walls and ground as the signal bounces off of them, as well as appearing on the minimap even if they otherwise wouldn't. A lingering effect occurs when coming in contact with this signal's range, dealing low damage over time, and causing the opponent's minimap to appear blank, as well as hearing auditory disturbance, such as white noise (which grows in strength/franticness the closer they are to the source radio telescope), and even hearing false sound cues such as footsteps and ability voicelines. These effects linger for a bit after leaving the Area of Effect or destroying the radio telescope. With upgrades, this effect can also be given to opponent's allies if a close enough distance to them and still under the effect, as well as having the damage snowball more in numbers the longer the opponent remains within the signal. Also with upgrades, these signals can actually boost Quasar's and her allies' healing rates.
3 - Emergent Behavior
Passive - Allows for utilization of Extra Limbs protruding from the back, providing increased dash speed/distance, as well as the ability to climb along vertical surfaces. Stamina Bars slowly drain while climbing or clinging to vertical surfaces.
Active - Stretch forward one of your arms a greater distance than normal, utilizing your movement keys to manually aim the end of the arm as it bends forward. Upon touching an enemy Hero or minion, you grasp onto them with the clawed limb, remaining attached to them for the duration, or until manually severed for remaining out of sight of one another for too long or going out of reach. While attached, the opponent suffers a portion of the damage Quasar takes while she is attached to them, as well as being slowed, the numbers of each being amplified the more arms attached to them. Multiple arms can be sent forth while the ability is active with each press, allowing to attach to multiple enemies at a time, with the number of arms able to be sent out dependent on how upgraded the ability is.
Using Alt Cast with the ability active causes opponents Quasar is currently attached to to be yanked towards her, the strength of the pull dependent on how many arms are attached to them, as well as upgrades. This momentarily stuns opponents who are yanked in, but also prematurely detaches all arms and ends the ability's active time.
This ability was actually mostly inspired by the character Churnwalker from Vainglory (RIP).
4 - Broadcast Interruption
A constant wave of disruptive radio frequencies emerges from Quasar's eye, targeting the very cognitive function of opponents. Opponents within the area of effect, will first have static begin to fill their vision, alongside images of Quasar, and her message. Spend too long within her gaze, and it will escalate to having your controls fully reversed in both movement and camera. Upgrades to the ability also allow for momentary changes/shuffling to the opponent's abilities' mapped buttons for the duration.
Some other stuff
Misc
Alongside usual spoken dialogue, Quasar will also quite frequently appear to communicate, or otherwise seem to be collecting and projecting, various radio frequencies, likely in communication with The Ones Between the Stars. While this can be from the radio and staticky sounds/white noise, she also seems to be able to collect them from distant planets/celestial events, as in-game various sounds from playback audio of celestial frequencies from the video below would be able to be heard. While likely not necessary to project them, she likely does so as a sort of intimidation/disruption tactic to the enemy, purposefully picking the strangest and most antagonistic sounding ones. Ones you'd be able to hear in-game occasionally include Phobos, Ganymede, a Quasar (fitting), Albion 15760, the Orion Nebula, the Helix Nebula, and even Interstellar Space, among others. It can probably even be somewhat reactive, like hearing the sonification from a Supernova or Hoag's Object upon getting a killstreak.
Obviously, she's still rather unfinished, but I at the very least have the bedrock of what I'm looking for with her. I'm gonna be updating her overtime with new stuff such as the finished comm (and any other comms of her I end up getting), and likely stuff like dialogue/interactions as well.
Thanks for if you did sit through to read this. Any and all comments and critiques are appreciated.
I've also got one other character I'm hoping to put out in the near future. Quasar and them will be my main two that I continuously post about and update on here, so I hope y'all are ready for that lol
