User blog:Tecku/TT: The Other PvZ1 Mushrooms

During my Great Balancing Take 2 blog (now with Lost City changes), I came up with an idea for mushrooms that most people seemed to take a shining to. Mushrooms become more powerful at night, but can be used during the day. Coffee Bean becomes free, and makes mushrooms stronger. For demonstration purposes, I listed the stats that the other mushrooms from PvZ1 could have IF they returned. However, many people seemed to dislike the idea of them returning, so I removed it. Then I got people noting that they would like to see the other mushrooms in PvZ2. Let's discuss this.

Tecku Talks About: The Other PvZ1 Mushrooms

Now, one of the most common reasons I heard people be against the other mushrooms returning was that Iceberg Lettuce makes Ice Shroom obsolete. People would claim that Plant Food powered or Zen Garden boosted Iceberg Lettuce has the same effect as Ice Shroom, but costing 0 Sun. In my opinion.... that is one of the lousiest claims I have ever heard.

For starters, Power Lily has the slowest recharge of any plant, and costs 175 Sun- making it both slower and more expensive than Ice Shroom. So unless you want to use every last Plant Food obtained from the zombies on Iceberg Lettuce, your argument doesn't hold water. As for Zen Garden, the boost only lasts for a single level- after having to dig through countless sprouts to get an Iceberg Lettuce boost. By the same logic, you could call almost any plant redundant by comparing it to another plant when boosted.

Now, with that being said, I think there are some ways to incorporate the remaining mushrooms- Sea Shroom, Scaredy Shroom, Ice Shroom, and Doom Shroom. Suppose, for instance, Popcap added in a nighttime water level- like a ninja Japanese level. Players who have not unlocked both Dark Ages and Big Wave Beach get a warning before using their world key that completing both of the previous worlds is recommended. However, a new implementation Sea Shroom can be used so that the level is completeable even without tools from these worlds.

Nighttime/Coffe Bean Shrooms:

Sea Shroom: Mediocre recharge, never disappears in the water, lasts long enough to have 3 on land

Scardey Shroom: Mediocre recharge, Costs 50 Sun, can survive 15 bites when cowering

Ice Shroom: 100 Sun, same as first game

Doom Shroom: 150 Sun, same as first game

Daytime Shrooms:

Sea Shroom: Can have 3 in the water, 1 on land

Scardey Shroom: Halvened firing rate, takes 2 bites to eat

Ice Shroom: Slows all zombies

Doom Shroom: 3x5 blast zone

This makes the new plants balanced, without being overbearing. NOTE: if players are fast enough, they can plant Coffee Bean on Ice Shroom or Doom Shroom before they blow up. Gloom Shroom and Gold Magnet are still pending.

So, what do you think? Leave a comment and let me know!