The Magic Squirrel

Name: The Magic Squirrel
Type: Morph
Palette: Hexen
Summon: TheMagicSquirrel
Use Type: Inventory
Duration: 60 seconds
Brightmaps: Yes
Actor Modifications: None
ACS: None

Credits:
Decorate: Ghastly_dragon, Tormentor667, TheDoomedArchvile
Sprites: Raven Software, Neoworm
Sounds: FreeSounds
Idea Base: Icon of the Raven Variants

Description: Deep in the forests there is said to be a magic squirrel that can grant those who are able to catch it the power to morph into a squirrel themselves.



Try and catch: The Magic Squirrel

Again, an interesting item.

While I was testing the rat, the I would transform back into the Doomguy if I got killed but I didn't seem to transform back from the Squirrel. Is that what the duration is referring to?

-Copied from The Starving Rat thread as the same comments are addressed in both-

I noticed the projectile's spotty hit ratio as well, but I decided to leave it as is for now to see if maybe it should be something to change. The idea is that, for both the squirrel and the rat, that the player is so small they would be able to sneak past most everything and not be spotted as easily. I can change the player pawn's height a few tics to make it a little more likely to be hit at the very least if that seems better?

That is also why, unfortunately, the player pawn is slightly translucent because I don't know how to lessen the aggro to monsters without giving the player the invisibility functions while still being completely visible. With the Icon of the Raven's setting I felt it was a little too high for something that is this small.

As for the item duration I timed it and I was reverted back to normal after a full minute. However, after a little more testing I did find that when the time does run out and the player is in a spot that a regular sized player would not be able to fit I stayed morphed. (In this case I used to stalagmite wall in level one of Hexen blocking access to the silver key and stood in between two of them) Were you in a place that a normal player would not have been able to fit inside?

I actually just tested this with the Shrink Sphere and the same issue happens.

The Wiki says that a morphed actor, by default, will not unmorph if there isn't enough space for it to do so--if an unmorph fails, however, the engine will wait 2 seconds and try again. It doesn't seem to be doing that here.

Part of a big update. I have optimized all of the sprites! Yay!

EDIT: I also included the fix for the crash that occurred in the Starving Rat item.

I like this one, and unlike the Fly King, I think it looks better as a mobile item. If there's one thing I would change, is the inventory icon to something smaller.

doomedarchviledemon wrote: That is also why, unfortunately, the player pawn is slightly translucent because I don't know how to lessen the aggro to monsters without giving the player the invisibility functions while still being completely visible. With the Icon of the Raven's setting I felt it was a little too high for something that is this small.

You can use the "Opaque" powerup mode to be rendered normally, but still treated as invisible. Maybe this wasn't an option 3 years ago when this was made.

EDIT: It seems to have the same problem as the Starving Rat, you can morph back with full health if you have enough space.

Updated

Changed the powerup mode to opaque, switched the Pulse light to a Point light on the sparkles, organized the code a bit, and changed the inventory icon.

Added