Electro Hypostasis/Design

==Developer Insight==
"Paper, Scissors, Rock" — Requires a turn-based approach
We hope Travelers will be able to adapt to the attack and fortification cycle and use the right moments during the fortification to deal damage. As such, Travelers will need to move fast while the Hypostasis is attacking, and then fiercely counter-attack afterward.
In order to achieve this, we utilized close-range attack methods. During combat planning in July 2019, we decided to give it a "Rock, Scissors, Paper" close-range combo attack. Each of the three stages was to have a slightly varied range, direction, and preparation movement in order to make it harder for Travelers to grow accustomed to, and simultaneously require appropriate yet varied evasion maneuvers
Developer Insight Electro Hypostasis 2.gif
Developer Insight Electro Hypostasis 3.gif
In order to increase the intensity, we then decided to allow the Hypostasis to randomize its attacks. Later iterations were then also allowed to seamlessly string together any of the three "Paper, Scissors, Rock" attack types, so be careful when you come across one, as it may perform the exact same move twice in a row! _(:з)∠)_
Based on this design, mindless attacking or long-range aimed shots are bound to get you killed. This is intentional, so as to switch up the tempo and prevent Travelers from just using one character to simply smash the Hypostasis to death.
==="Rotating Lazer" — Designed to end continuous dodging===
We hope that when Travelers come across a Hypostasis, they don't have to start learning its combat mechanics from scratch, but also cannot simply use dodges to evade everything it throws at them. So, the Hypostasis was also given an attack that is often seen in other creatures or traps that can't simply be dealt with by dodging.
To give an example, when Travelers first come across Kaeya and enter the Temple of the Wolf with him, they come across a flamethrower that breathes fire across your path. Sure, you can try to sprint right through it and take the damage, but it's smarter to use Kaeya's Elemental Skill to freeze the flamethrower's core temporarily. Other locations feature flamethrowers that breathe fire in four directions, making simply dodging through the flames very dangerous. These past experiences should allow Travelers to at least have a vague idea of how to deal with the "Rotating Lazer" attack.
We hope this inherited design will get Travelers to try a methodical and tactical approach to taking on the Hypostasis, given that its "Rotating Lazer" attack is another step up from the four-way flamethrower.
1. The Hypostasis cannot simply be stopped with elemental reactions unless it has gone into its "Rebirth" formation.
2. The lasers can be blocked by obstacles made from Geo.
3. Once the lasers have ended, and the cubic components have yet to come back together, the entire area becomes completely safe for a brief while.
4. The lasers do heavy damage, and may even launch Travelers, to prevent them from quickly dodging through the lasers.
Developer Insight Flamethrower.gif
Developer Insight Electro Hypostasis 4.gif
==="Rebirth"===
As was just mentioned, when the Hypostasis' health drops it may enter a "Rebirth" cycle. Hypostasis can't be thrashed around, only blown apart at best, and unless they are out of energy, they can then enter a "Rebirth" cycle.
As such, when Electro Hypostases are defeated, they don't simply die, and instead split themselves off into separate crystal chunks. If these chunks are not destroyed in time, then the Hypostasis will be reborn with health corresponding to the number of chunks that remained when time ran out. By using the appropriate corresponding elements, Travelers can drain these crystal chunks of their energy and destroy them.
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It was October 2019 when the Electro Hypostasis first came off the production line. The first time it was given to internal testing teams, there was a wave of disgusted cussing, given the number of ways in which the Hypostasis was driving them nuts:
1. The earliest version of the Electro Hypostasis gave an opening of no more than five seconds, with a high frequency of attacks, making it absolutely demonic to try to deal with.
2. Given it would always move a set distance, it would often rigidly move outside of the combat radius and proceed to return to its original location and have its health reset.
3. Once all of its skills were used up and in cooldown, it would just sit where it was without moving (and subsequently giving no opening for the testing team to attack).
What followed from this testing was rather torturous for the team. On the one hand we were implementing changes based on large volumes of internal feedback, on the other hand we had the beta fast approaching, and on the third hand (that we don't have) we were busily trying to work on new content as well.
Category:Developer Insight
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