Operators are robotic enemies encountered in All 4 One. They serve both the Collector minions and Frumpus Croid, often controlling defensive mechanisms or mechs. Known turrets they operate include the proton turret, ion turret, and the proton excavator. The only mechs they are seen piloting are the Croid Bot and Groundpounder.
A minor but common variant, the Slambot, functions as a security mechanism. It features a button on its head that must be pressed via a slam attack to bypass security measures. A Slambot is also located atop the Turret Minion enemy, and they are also used as a 'panic button' in the competitive multiplayer mode in Full Frontal Assault.
History[]
Operators are the only robotic foes found within both Nevo Binklemeyer's Collector minions and Croid's private army, suggesting they predate the split between them. Since Slambots are also present in Luminopolis, it appears that either the operator-type robot has since spread to Igliak, or that they originated before the divergence.
The first operator encountered appears in the Deadgrove, seen drinking from a water cooler. Subsequently, many are found operating turrets throughout the Deadgrove, Phonica Moon, and Uzo City, as well as piloting Croid Bots in Terawatt Forest and the Groundpounder in the Polar Sea.
Characteristics[]
A Slambot.
Operators are humanoid robots wearing mining helmets with headlights.[a] They have thin limbs, a rounded body, and a V-shaped eye in the center. Operators come in two color schemes: orange with a yellow helmet, or purple with a dark green helmet. Despite being machines, one is shown drinking water from a mug.
Slambots share the same body structure but possess a large button on their heads, visually similar to the head of a Blade Minion.
Combat[]
Operators do not fight directly but instead control turrets and mechs. Their combat effectiveness depends on the machine they operate. By themselves, they are relatively weak, provided one can bypass their turret's defenses.
Proton turrets[]
Proton turrets are encountered only in the Deadgrove's Orthani Gorge and Root Cavern sections. They are armored, yellow, cone-shaped cabins with a short but thick turret barrel and an open back, through which the operator is visible.
Their firing pattern varies by location. In the Gorge, they fire a steady stream of low-speed bullets. In the Cavern, due to the 2.5D camera perspective, turrets fire wide bursts of bullets in rows, covering the entire area and requiring targets to jump over them. The operator always tracks one target, allowing another player to attack from behind.
Proton excavators[]
A Proton excavator.
Proton excavators are wall-mounted laser turrets encountered in the Deadgrove's Access Shaft and Phonica Moon's Security Tunnels, appearing only during Jet Pack segments. The operator is encased in a glass semi-sphere, while a larger laser cannon underneath sweeps up and down across the terrain.
Players must use the Jet Pack's sideways ram attack at least twice to break the glass sphere and defeat the operator.
Turret Minions[]
A Turret Minion.
Turret Minions are robotic turrets controlled by Slambots, encountered only once in both the N.E.S.T. and Uzo City. These stocky brown towers feature a Slambot on top and four narrow turret barrels pointing in different directions. The turret and barrels can tilt, enabling it to fire into the air.
Each Turret Minion is surrounded by a floor ring with six mounted shield panels. When active, these panels rapidly spin around the ring's circuit, deflecting ranged attacks and preventing direct approaches. The turrets also power nearby barriers, preventing players from bypassing them.
In combat, they target one player at a time, firing several shots from the nearest barrel. After a few shots, they tilt all barrels skyward and spin rapidly while firing, ensuring complete devastation in the surrounding area. This attack temporarily disables the turret, allowing players to hit the Slambot with a mortar toss.
Ion turrets[]
An ion turret.
Ion turrets appear in both Phonica Moon and Uzo City, serving as security. These turrets are low and wide, with multiple barrels that fire continuous ion beams over long distances when activated. The operator is positioned on top, shielded by a barrier. While normally stationary, they can also be mounted on moving platforms, allowing them to sweep across terrain. After five seconds of firing, the turret must cool down for approximately three to four seconds.
The Reflector is almost mandatory for bypassing ion turrets, as only the Quantum Deflector can ignore their beams. With one player using the Reflector, others can safely follow or take alternate actions. The Plasmabomb Launcher can destroy the turret and its operator entirely, as its arcing shots bypass the barrier.
Notes[]
Annotations[]
- ↑ This, along with their presence in proton excavators within mineshafts, suggests a history of being used as mining robots.