New Buggy Suggestion: Jumping Spider Mount

[am3945]

Role & Distinction

• Orb Weaver = Combat mount (stuns enemies, summons allies).
• Jumping Spider = Mobility mount (master of climbing, falling, and leaping).
• Designed to solve fall damage frustration and unlock vertical + gap traversal as a core mechanic.

 

Abilities

1. Web Crawler Mode (Toggle)
   • Activated with a simple toggle, not tied to surface type.
   • Lets you crawl up walls and ceilings at any angle—even smooth ones.
2. Power Jump (Hold Jump / A Button)
   • The longer you hold A, the further you launch.
   • Uses stamina proportionally to distance jumped (up to all 6 bars for a maximum cannon-shot leap) and will cannon you further on a parabolic scale the more stamina you use.
   • Great for crossing the park’s massive gaps or reaching high spots without building ladders.
   • Encourages strategic stamina management: small hops are efficient, big leaps are costly.
3. Fall Immunity (Passive)
   • As natural pouncers, Jumping Spiders negate all fall damage.
   • Ideal for risky exploration, allowing fearless descent from picnic tables, tree branches, and birdbaths.

 

Balancing Factors

• Power Jump cooldown: short reset time keeps it from being spammed endlessly.
  • Note: Cooldown only applies on a full 6-stamina jump. Smaller jumps can still be chained if stamina allows.
• No direct combat power: unlike Orb Weavers, Jumping Spiders don’t stun or fight well—they’re purely traversal companions.
• Attraction mechanic: a full-charge Power Jump creates a loud “impact thud” on landing, potentially alerting nearby hostile insects (risk/reward flavor).

 

Narrative Fit

• Jumping Spiders are curious, energetic hunters—perfect for a mount that feels eager and agile rather than terrifying.
• This also means they could be tamed directly, rather than requiring players to steal an egg.
• Likely found in sun-exposed vertical zones (tree trunks, fences, siding of the shed), making them thematic and challenging to tame.
• In Arachnophobia Safe Mode, they could appear as balloon-animal grasshoppers or crickets.

Summary

The Jumping Spider Buggy gives players unprecedented mobility:

• Toggleable Web Crawler for safe vertical climbing on any surface.
• Stamina-based Power Jump with charge scaling—small hops to mega cannon leaps.
• Fall damage immunity, eliminating one of the game’s biggest frustrations.