'Noid missile stations[1] are minor enemies in Up Your Arsenal. They are tyhrranoid missile launchers placed underground, which fire airborne missiles against aircraft, and against Ratchet and Clank. Ratchet first encountered them during Operation: ISLAND STRIKE on Kavu Island, Tyhrranosis, on land during the mission "Assault on Kavu Island", and using the hovership during "Operation Thunderbolt". He later encountered them using the hovership during the missions "Countdown" and "Tower Attack". Finally, Ratchet encountered a few during "Reclaim the Valley".
'Noid missile stations initially appear as small platforms, with their launchers popping up when enemies approach. They only have a specific range from which they can target enemies. When targeting Ratchet, they will fire missiles that fly toward him, then bend up into the air before dropping down. They can be avoided by side-flipping just before they land. An easy way to destroy them is sniping them at a distance with the Flux Rifle before engaging them any closer. Alternatively, ranged weapons such as the N60 Storm, Spitting Hydra, or Suck Cannon are useful.
With the hovership, the 'noid missile stations have a more straight-forward targeting pattern, as they simply fly straight towards the hovership. They can once again be destroyed by firing at them from outside of their targeting range. Additionally, the missiles can be shot down mid-air before engaging them.
The missile stations are also seen in a few maps in the multiplayer mode, where they only attack vehicles. They are mainly seen guarding the Siege bases against aerial threats and will rapidly destroy incoming hoverships, but a few also appear on the ground, targeting the turboslider as well. They have a gray coloration, gaining blue or red highlights if a team claims the related node. They also have a much higher rate of fire, and their missiles actively home in on nearby vehicles.
Behind the scenes[]
The 'noid missile stations were the winner of the Snowbeast Award, awarded to the worst thing that shipped in a final game. They received strongly negative reactions both internally and after release, because they are difficult to avoid, give little warning before firing a missile, and it is unclear where the missiles land. Other developers pleaded to change them, causing the programmer to resist them and dig his heels, meaning they remained unchanged.[2]
Citations[]
- ↑ Off 2004 p. 66, 120
- ↑ Stout, Garcia May 2012 12:29
References[]
- Insomniac Games (2004). Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal [Game]. PlayStation 2.
- Greg Off (2004). Ratchet & Clank Up Your Arsenal Official Strategy Guide [Book]. BradyGames. ISBN 0744005000.
- Stout, Mike; Garcia, Tony [@uselesspodcasts] (2012, May 24). Ratchet & Clank 3 Dev Commentary: 12 - Hate Missiles (Snowbeast Award Winner) [Video]. YouTube.