Metroid: From Within (Storyline ideas only)

[Sir_Furious]

Ooka, first of all, I've been lurking for a while and enjoyed seeing and playing y'alls work! So, here's my two cents in for Storyline, you guys can worry about coding! XD

This begins after Fusion, and is supposed to fit in with it. I decided the Super Metroid Engine would be a better idea than fusion, simply because it was a lot funner to play IMHO.

Basic Plot-line & Concepts:

As Samus has Chozo DNA, has had Direct contact with the Metroids before, and later had Metroid DNA injected during the events in Fusion, I found it interesting that the X parasite was able to live at all after the initial surgery. When you think about it, the Metroid Larva from Super Metroid had direct contact with Samus, not withdrawing anything, but putting back into Samus. SA-X was the most advanced form of the X Parasite. What if the SA-X at the end of Fusion didn't die because of it's sophistication, but went dormant and will later strike out From Within? That's the entire idea.

We can't leave Samus without the Power suit, and as we've seen in the Prime arc, the Power Suit is actually an energy-matter transfer. What if the SA-X has the actual Power suit, although lacks the ability to use it. It could reproduce a mostly accurate representation of it (supposedly) because the Power suit was a part of it. What I'm suggesting is that this storyline involves the SA-X leaving a dormant state and escaping Samus, thus robbing her of her abilities. The X parasite will make a return, taking the mockery forms of Metroids and various other creatures on another planet or station... Y'all can decide that.

As it's just a concept, I've got just that basic part. Lemme know what y'all think of it and if y'all like it enough, I'll keep on working on it! The only real skills I have are writing type stuff, and I messed around with sprites once... Although not very well...

~Sir_Furious

[FullOfFail]

We're willing to give you all the help you could ever want, but if you're asking other people to make the hack for you, you're dreaming a bit. People are way to busy with their own projects to do something like that.

[Sir_Furious]

I'm not asking other to do it for me. I'm asking about what they think of concept at this point. I personally believe the main point of any game should be Story, then gameplay. If story is good enough then I'll get into learning how to make it.

[FullOfFail]

Ohh, my apologies. The "here's my two cents in for Storyline, you guys can worry about coding! XD" part threw me off. But know that I reread it, I understand what you meant, the ASM stuff and not design.

In alot of other games storyline is important, but in Super Metroid not so much. IMO anyway. If I was you, I'd focus on learning SMILE fluently, then later once you understand enough, focus on a full-hack with storyline and all. It's a long process, other ideas will pop up too.

If you want feedback on the storyline thus far, I like it.

[Zhs2]

Unfortunately, this is just an ideas post in a released and WIP hacks board. If you like, I can move this to Off-Topic - or possibly the Creativity Center, if you so desire - and you can keep discussing it there. PM me if you do.

So, while this topic is devoid of screenshots, *KACHUNK*

[Zhs2]

And... moved. Have fun discussing.

[Sir_Furious]

Ooka Thx man. :grin:

[MelanyKoura]

I don't believe that would work at all as a story, mainly because once an X parasite is absorbed, it's done for. We saw in the game that once the Metroid Vaccine was administered, the X were absorbed by Samus' body within minutes (no medicine works as soon as you swallow it or are injected; it takes time). Now that said vaccine is bonded with her DNA, the X are now a source of energy and ammunition (the respective X are probably slightly different in molecular makeup for the different effects of restoring energy and Missiles/Power Bombs). Fusion also shows us that if the X Parasite has developed enough (Read: becomes an X Core) and has an ability that coincides with a function of her (now) Fusion Suit, she can absorb that core and not only restore herself by a significant amount energy wise but also regain the (then) lost ability as a function of her suit.

If the SA-X were to somehow break free (after being broken down and absorbed by Samus' body) then what's to stop the X-Cores from getting out as well? What's to stop them from stripping Samus of every ability she has when they leave? The answer is quite obvious; the parasites are no more.

Think of this in terms of a predator consuming its prey. Once the prey is devoured and digested, it can't suddenly reconstitute and leave the predator's body; that's impossible. Instead it is broken down and the body uses it for energy and whatnot.

That applies here with Samus. She absorbed the X into her body and her Metroid DNA broke them down into energy. When absorbing the Cores, the latent ability was also regained because her suit is tied to her on a biological level, which of course allows it to regain its energy through X absorption as well as the ability to regain suit functions.

It's probably not too far off to say that the Fusion Suit was in part "modified" by each Core X that was absorbed, resulting in a change within the suit's function or look/makeup like the Varia or Gravity suit does. We also see Samus regain her ability to use the Ice Beam at the end! That not only shows that the Fusion Suit was once again changed, but part of Samus' molecular makeup has been changed to allow her to use it at all. It might stand to reason that she might have also overcome her weakness to cold brought on by the Metroid Vaccine (one could surmise that the weakness to cold prevented its use until the SA-X was absorbed. Or the Ice Beam just wasn't needed in game until the Omega Metroid fight). Hell, the SA-X represents the pinnacle of Samus' Power Suit (minus the Gravity Suit). What's to say that if Samus didn't somehow absorb it from the get-go that she wouldn't have recovered ALL of her abilities?

But all that aside.... I'll break it down as a summary.

Samus touches an X, absorbs it, breaks it down, and her body uses it to provide energy/health and ammunition. At that point, the X is dead. Finished. Done. Gone. It isn't coming back.


Nice try with a storyline, but from my point of view not much thought was put into it. Then again, I don't know that. It's just my opinion on the matter. However I don't believe it's possible.



And I apologize if I come off as rude with this post, I'm not trying to be.

[Scyzer]

You've thought into this WAY too much...
I think it's a good story line, but you'll need a lot of ASM for that

[MelanyKoura]

You've thought into this WAY too much...

If it's a game/series I like, I try to know my stuff about the universe it takes place in and other such related things. Really, if you think about it it's quite simple. I just went WAY in depth on it.

[Sir_Furious]

Most of the X were absorbed. Depending on how advanced they were, the effects of absorption would change. If it were a normal creature, then it'd repair health or ammo. A few medium advanced could restore almost everything (The red ones). The most advanced could restore abilities. But your saying the SA-X is on the exact same level as Nightmare X, Serris X, and all the others? No offense, but I doubt that. SA-X could have mutated. Notice that it took a while for the vaccine to work. Granted, that could be the effect of the Metroid DNA taking time to merge with Samus' DNA. But, it could also take that long for it to start effecting the X parasite. Like destroying ants with Dawn soap. It softens the exo-skelly. This can take about 30 seconds, but once it's soft, they die almost instantly. If the same thing happens with the X, then there is time for a possible mutation/evolution/reconstruction. Cells can duplicate quickly, and since the X are a parasitic creature, it stands to reason that they can change like cells. SA-X being the most intelligent X parasite, Per se, might hold the knowledge to counteract the Matroid vaccine, if only enough to survive. Once survival is achieved, then the SA-X can focus on other things, like escaping.

And, what Metroid game HASN'T started with Samus being stripped of all her abilities? If Samus were her fully awesome self from the get-go, then it wouldn't be as much fun.

Nah, No problem. You probably do know more about the Metroid stuff than I do, so you have the right to pound me into the ground. :P Thanks for the info. I'm still trying to understand it all! (No, not you, me.)

[MelanyKoura]

Yes, I am saying the SA-X is on the same level as Nightmare X or Serris X. Why? Because at the base they are a CORE X. The outer shell may be different as well as the respective abilities and (borrowed/imitated) intelligence, but at the center they are a Core X. No more, no less.



"The serum was prepared and injected without delay. The X parasites were immediately and completely destroyed."

^

A quote directly from the game.

From reading that I would think that the X had no chance to further replicate or even TRY to mutate. It's my understanding that anything needs a substantial amount of time to change and/or mutate. I mean, in order to mutate they would require some sort of change to be introduced into their cellular make up that would cause the change. If it happened over time, it would be an evolution (I'm sure you know that). As for replication, it isn't an option anymore (within Samus) since Samus' body kills and absorbs the parasite. Not only that but any and all X that were on the planet and the station have all been vaporized (just to put the frosting on the cake, so to speak).

The X may have acted intelligently within the game, but remember something. The B.S.L. station was FILLED with HUMANS. Their intelligence isn't their own; they copied it (in essence) from their victims. They just follow their instinct: Infect, replicate, duplicate, repeat. Their instinct also dictates that they try to survive. How do they do that? They try to attack Samus when she arrives in the station. To them, she's essentially their predator. A Metroid. Meaning that they know they could become sustenance for her. To that end, they fight back. And also note at the end of Fusion when it's you,the SA-X, and the Omega Metroid. It saw the Omega as a much larger threat than Samus and tried to attack it. Provided that it failed due to our heroine initially weakening it just moments before, it still acted on the instinct to survive.

What am I getting at here...? Well for a minute I lost track of that (oops). But the (probably by now lost) point is, I highly doubt the X survive more than a minute after contact with Samus. Meaning there is no time for replication, mutation, or evolution. Once they touch Samus in their base X parasite form, they're done.


As for Samus not having her abilities, it's just game play stuff. I mean for all we know, if the story were told straight from Metroid 1/Zero Mission all the way up to Fusion... she'd probably have her latent abilities the whole time (save for where she was actually stripped of them in the games, however that can be left up to debate due to it being done for game play).

[spoiler]I mean, in Metroid: Other M it's been confirmed that Samus still has ALL of her suit power ups from her last excursion on Zebes, but she has to be given permission to be able to activate them.[/spoiler]

[Sir_Furious]

Very Valid Arguements. But, a few things;

Unlike normal RL parasites, The X retain the form of cell's, at least in appearance, unless they are core X, at which point they have an armor shell. They are also Asexual, and can reproduce VERY quickly. Like standard cells. Consume, Divide, Expand. You said that they had knowledge form the humans...

Their intelligence isn't their own; they copied it (in essence) from their victims.

Out of everybody in the universe, Samus and the scientists that were on the station had the most knowledge about Metroids. Would it be plausible that, upon knowledge of the Omega Metroid, the X expanded and mutated cells that were more resistant to Metroid attacks? I mean, I'd bet that if you took a baseball bat to an X, nothing would happen. This convinces me that there was something else int he attack of the Omega Metroid, probably the Metroids Energy draining abilities. This would be stronger in the Omega than the pre-alpha phase (I think that's what the first level after hatching are...) And, Samus isn't Metroid. Yeah she shares SOME DNA, but she is more Chozo and Human than otherwise. If the SA-X had mutated a limited form of resistance to the energy draining capability's of the Omega, I'm almost sure that it would be enough to hold off the limited emulation of that function within Samus. I mean, it took the Omega multiple hits to defeat the SA-X, right? At the least, if the outside of the SA-CX (Core X) were resistant enough to survive, then the inside could continue to mutate and evolve until it could break out. Multiplication is out of the question for now, as the newly spawned cells would be annihilated. Once the external Biofilm had formed, The X could rearrange it's DNA through mutation and evolution to produce a string of proteins that would form Silica, a substance that the body rejects, and slowly pushes outwards until it comes out, typically thorugh a cyst-like growth.


I know I said a few things, and only covered one. Excuse my brain for dieing on me. The point is that with the knowledge assimilated, The more advanced X could probably form a slightly protective barrier against the Omega Metroid. Samus' immune system being much lower in strength than an Omega's strength, the protection formed could have enough strength to survive Samus' immune system.

[personitis]

Guys, the X have the ability to absorb knowledge that its host had. So when we look at an X infested Seris compared to an X infested Samus, which one do you think has more brains?

Also Furious, it only took the omega metroid one hit to break the SA-X's outer layer, not multiple. After that Samus just absorbed it (good job for the sa-x knowing when to give up... finally).

In other news, I think it's safe to conclude that we know more about the X than even the federation does. Unless.... (don't read if you haven't beat fusion)

* person701 is going to give a prediction out on a limb... a far-fetched limb.

[spoiler]The federation was able to figure out about the X through Metroid research. Remembering that the BSL had a restricted section that housed Metroids and that it doesn't exactly tell why the Federation went back to SR-388, they could've already known about the X existing and their abilities through research on the metroids. Samus was merely dragged along to help assist the team with "research." First you look at why the federation is recreating Metroids. Well, we already know because of super metroid that metroids have great power harvesting abilities that can be used for good. Then you wonder WHY are they creating the other stages of evolution a metroid undergoes. They seem more dangerous than a regular ol' Metroid. So then ask why would the federation go back to SR-388 knowing about the X and what they could possibly do. Well, they needed a test subject...
"Oh hey Samus! We need you to escort our team around the surface of SR-388. Can you do that?"
"Uhhh, su--"
"Thanks a bunch! Here, now go go!"
Samus gets infected, blah blah. So then after research is done on infected Samus, they've figured out how the X work and what they do to survive. Already knowing that the Metroid hunted the X and that a vaccine of the "last remaining" metroid could be used, they held back for their studies. Once Samus is saved, the whole ordeal is made to look like an accident, something that was never meant to happen. Then we fast forward to when Samus wants to finally rid the station of all X noticing that their abilities are way to powerful, especially after the federation wants to "study" them. That meaning they'd like to capture them like the metroids because let's face it, the computer CO "Adam" is sending data back and forth between the BSL and Fed. Headquaters and you don't think they haven't gotten enough research done on the X? At this point, Samus is locked in the station to await federation arrival but through some quick witted words, is able to crash the station into SR-388 and destroy what X there were. Who knows if any survived but my one point that is backed up by this story: the Federation is actually a very power hungry organization smarter than the pirates using the word "peace" as cover up.[/spoiler]

Metroid 5 anyone?

This is actually a story line for another hack I've had planned but it fit here so... go ahead, analyze away. Remember though, it's a far out prediction.

[Parabox]

That made quite alot of sense. But the Federation only went corrupt after the Super Metroid was delivered to the on Ceres. Before that time they actually were peacekeepers.