Topic: Interesting coincidences I've noticed in D1/D2 official missions

[Kaiaatzl]

A running list of some interesting coincidences and general odd stuff in D1 First Strike, D2 Counterstrike, and D2 Vertigo.  I may have mentioned some of these before.  D2 Counterstrike has far more strange coincidences than any other Parallax-made mission.

If you play with the default midi music enabled, and don't count secret levels, the most dangerous robot in the game that only appears in this game will always be faced for the first time on the last level with the level 1 music.  D3 does not count because it never reuses music, doesn't use midi music, and it's very hard to tell what the most dangerous non-boss robot actually is.

In D2 Counterstrike, which robot is on more levels, the Diamond Claw or the Thief?
I tallied them and it depends entirely on whether you count cloaked diamond claws as diamond claws.  There are just enough levels that contain cloaked diamond claws but not regular diamond claws to swing the balance.

On the fourth planet in D2 Counterstrike all four levels have diamond claws but only two have a thief.  On the next planet all four levels have a thief but only two have diamond claws.

The only times you face smart-mine laying robots in D2 Counterstrike are on boss levels in the planets that have no lava.

Level 19 of D1 is highly similar to level 4 - in fact, there are some metal textures that are only ever used on those two levels.

Why do so many of the later levels in D1 have signs that say "Mercury Solar Lab"?  That was level 6!

And why is Europa portrayed as a smoky, fiery hell?  It's Europa!

No matter what anyone says about Alien 1, I still say Baloris Prime is a desert.  A fiery, alien desert maybe, but still a desert.

BPer bots were originally found only on Baloris Prime in D2.  In D2 vertigo and Descent Maximum, suddenly they're everywhere.  It's especially funny because the name stands for "Baloris Prime Excavation and Refinement".  Talk about a robot out if its element!

Speaking of the BPer bots, the design for the Old Scratches from D3 seems to mirror them.

Bulk Destroyers are harmless on Trainee, but deadly on any other difficulty.  Their design seems to be "A Class 1 Driller with gauss cannons".

In D2's last secret level, why does destroying the first reactor start the countdown, but destroying the other reactors make it longer?  Logically they should stabilize the system while they still exist, and the countdown should shorten when they stop existing.  Gameplay reasons, pffft.

D2 actually has at least two miniboss robots: Red Fatty Junior is a mini red fatty boss, and Boarshed is a mini water boss.

How the @#!& did the Fox Attack bot get its name?  It makes no sense, unless its an acronym.

All the planets in D2 Counterstrike except the first one have their own themed robot that only appears on that planet.  The list - Quartzon: Class 2 Supervisor; Brimspark: TRN Racer; Limefrost Spiral: Ice Spindle; Baloris Prime: BPer; Omega/Puuma Sphere & Tycho Brahe: Spider, Spawn, and Boarshed.  Also, the systems that only have one name/planet have only one themed robot.  The system with three names (Puuma Sphere and Tycho Brahe are the different locations, Omega is the entire thing) has three themed robots.

Boss levels in D2 Counterstrike often have a reoccurence of a robot from the previous planet that didn't appear on this planet up till now.  The more notable ones are Brimspark - a couple of sidearm modula and sometimes an ITSC, and Limefrost Spiral - Red hornets.  The most subtle one is Quartzon - level 8 is actually the only water level with Internal Tactical Droids.

In D2 Counterstrike, if Seekers are going to appear on a planet, they'll never ever appear on the first level of that planet.

In D2 Counterstrike, level 16 is the last appearance of many robots in the original game.  Ice Spindles, Fox Attack bots, Seekers, and Sidearms.  Not Sidearm Modula though, you'll face them again briefly on level 24.

A couple coincidences that also include D3:
No matter the game or mission, level 11 is always going to be a lava-themed hellhole.  At the very least, it will have a mine section that's lava themed (like in D3 Retribution).

In D1, Titan Mine is portrayed with gray and pink rock.  In D3, Titan is portrayed almost the same way - except it's the facility that's made out of gray and pink concrete!  The rock itself is yellow!

Every sequel in the series has a robot with the same name as a robot in the previous game.  In D2, it's the Spider.  In D3, it's the Pest.

Some of the most powerful D3 robots look eerily similar to the later bosses from D2.  For example, the Thresher looks like the Alien 2 boss.

The squids in D3 are redesigned Fox Attack Bots.  Ironically, they look more like jellyfish than actual squids.

Edit: I just thought of another devious one in D2 Counterstrike.  Opposite planets.  And there's a pattern to it.  The first three planets are the opposites of the last three, in reverse order.  I'll explain.
Zeta Aquilae vs Omega (systems 1 and 6/7): Zeta Aquilae has a mishmash of texture schemes, to the extent that the differences between the levels in the system are determined more by texture scheme than by actual structures.  There is sometimes a little lava.
Puuma Sphere and Tycho brahe are incredibly monotonous, taking the colour green to the extreme where it's used like shades of grey in an old black and white movie.  There's some white and blue as well, but even they have a greenish tinge.  Even the robots are almost all green coloured.  Also, at one point in level 22, you find some water - the level is designed so that you have to find it.

Quartzon vs Baloris Prime (systems 2 and 5): Tropical, water themed, very earth-like (from the intro movie and the exit cutscenes) planet versus a fiery, arid alien wasteland covered with an eerie mist and strange spires.  Enough said.

Brimspark vs Limefrost Spiral (systems 3 and 4): Fire vs Ice.

[Sapphirus]

How the @#!& did the Fox Attack bot get its name?  It makes no sense, unless its an acronym.

Yeah, my brother has the same feeling (back in the day when he used to play Descent) about the Fox Attack Bot, He knows that foxes don't howl.  And he decided to call it the Wolf Attack Bot.  Descent tends to be surreal, when it comes to like Levels and Robot sounds.

[Kaiaatzl]

Well Arctic Foxes do make a "cawing" sound that sounds a lot more like the Fox Attack bot than a howl does.  I thought it could be that.  I have an audio taunt of it for D3, but I can't find the video on youtube where I got it now...  I've also heard it in real life, believe it or not.
But still the name makes no sense, even barring the sounds.  The bot looks like a jellyfish.

EDIT: I found something else in D2 Counterstrike that I tacked onto the bottom of my first post.  This, at the very least, looks like something that would have been done on purpose.

[Shroudeye]

Speaking of coincidences:

D1, D2, D2 vertigo and D3 all introduced at least on robot that is spider-shaped...

D1: O'l famous red spider and its siblings, D2: Ice spindle defenfer, Green spider D2 Vertigo: Spider "Arachnid" (The one with real "claws" and an ugly face) D3: the "Pest" (Grounded and easy kill)

[Kaiaatzl]

The D3 dragon boss too.

[Sapphirus]

The D3 dragon boss too.

Yeah, I have no Idea why they made the Dragon boss look like a spider.  o_0

[Shroudeye]

The D3 dragon boss too.

*facepalm* and I totally forgot it, even after some fierce battle!

[Scyphi]

Well, it DOES breathe fire, so you can give it that much.

[SaladBadger]

still, a gigantic mechinical flying dragon, fought outside in a hilly area, would be completely awesome.

[Scyphi]

I could see D3 rolling over and dying trying to create that, though.

Still, that would be cool, and would make that particularly monotonous and anti-climatic level worth playing.

[TechPro]

... would make that particularly monotonous and anti-climatic level worth playing.

Monotonous and anti-climatic?   Well, maybe anti-climatic but not all that boring.  While it does have some mostly empty halls, it was always fun to taunt the bots into fighting each other just before you wipe them all out.    Plus there was usually a room or two that could really hurt you if you weren't careful (or just plain good).   The champions certainly added to it as well, especially just before you meet the 'dragon' bot.

The dragon itself... that was monotonous.

[Shroudeye]

The dragon itself... that was monotonous.

Unless it decides to use its "black shark" module on its back... I've got killed, NO thanks to that, just before I blow him!

You know, its really irritating to be dead... (Just ask GlaDos :D)

[Scyphi]

@ Shroudeye: But it kept her busy, she even confessed as such.

[Kaiaatzl]

If machines have gender, then all those spider robots must be female too - think about it.

[Shroudeye]

I can get along with that red one, the rest is... well, the green spider has some "face" too.

Also, that Thief-bot must be male, and a f@&in* BUM!