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Morrigan, the False Phoenix

UPDATE, May 8th, 2024: Though we're still working on the project, Morrigan has been facing major delays while I recover from an auto injury that has severely limited how much I can use my hands, and particularly, my drawing tablet. This has been going on since November, but at the time, I didn't realize it would have so much of an impact on my ability to draw.

If this finds the Workshop Contest judges, thank you for including me. Although Morrigan wasn't complete by the contest deadline, I was still excited to finish her and have her reviewed live by my favorite indie dev team of all time. This is a real bummer. I still have high hopes that Morrigan can be finished and tuned for use in official workshop tournaments (current goal is Riptide), and when she is ready, I'll be sure to submit her for the Workshop Highlights on Twitter.

To everyone else, thank you for your ongoing excitement, support, and most of all, patience. If you want to show your support, please leave a good review when version 1.0 goes live, and check out @PuppieChow, our portrait artist's Twitter and Bluesky channel. I hope you're looking forward to Morrigan as much as I am!

-Haribo

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Morrigan, the False Phoenix, rises to join the Rivals Workshop cast! Functionality Update #1 is now live. We added an ace pride skin, beta Genesis skin, and Valentine's Day skin to celebrate. All moves have been programmed, though they are far from their finished versions. No bugs should occur that break the game during a match, so Morrigan is usable in friendlies at Genesis X. (Sorry to miss the roster itself!) Keep in mind that this is still a late alpha build, so some functions are still broken or unfinished and some sprites are still placeholders. But we're making fast progress! Up and coming are Functionality Update #2, a major Graphics update, and a major Gamefeel & Balancing update. Sit tight! -Haribo, Feb. 15th, 2024

Patch 0.72.0 is live. This patch vastly improves the functionality of Morrigan's Specials, with various other tweaks to gamefeel and balance. Though many changes have been made from the previous patch, this is not the next major update. Many thanks to CyberneticNyewt for getting a lot of this code online! --Haribo, Mar. 6th, 2024

Profile
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Morrigan was once a diplomat for the Air Armada, but has long been declared MIA after her airship crashed years ago. She was thought to be dead, until a sighting in the crow's nest of a humble salt seller's boat.

Oakley rescued the unconscious crow, bewildered by her presence, but smitten by her charm. Amidst the chaos created by shadow creatures throughout the lands, she'd seized an opportunity to infiltrate the Archai Mountain's defenses. Morrigan then glided her way down to the sea from the mountain base, gravely wounded in battle with Absa, but alive -- and though she'd not gone undetected, her mission was a success. Under her wings lay an invaluable artifact from the Air Temples: a lantern able to contain and harness a fragment of the Abyss.

Morrigan can no longer fly, but by bending Abyssal Wisps to her will, she mimics control of the Flame -- and maybe even other elements. As to why she sought this power, it's a mystery. Nevertheless, together with Oakley, they sail the S.S. Shirley in search of new adventures. Do they search for further plunder? Or is there a deeper motive in play?

Elemental Powers
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WILLOW WISP - Morrigan's Neutral Special charges her Willow Wisp up to three times, and a direction can be input each time. After charging, pressing Neutral Special or Down Special will release the wisp, which will travel in the path she specified, keeping opponents guessing if they're really safe.
HALLOW SEED - Morrigan's Forward Special releases her Hallow Seed, which strikes in a set path along its vines and can absorb a single hit for Morrigan if it overlaps her when she's damaged.
KINDLED COURAGE - Aerial Down Special functions differently than on the ground. Both modes will release her charged wisp if it's ready, but if placed in the air, it will also propel Morrigan forward for an aggressive aerial approach.
WILLOW WHIRL - Up Special places a firewhirl beneath Morrigan. It recognizes her, and will lift her up and out of pratfall if she makes contact with it. But it functions differently against enemies -- a soul it isn't familiar with will be pulled down into it.

Gameplay
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Morrigan is a love letter to anime fighters. Anime fighting games are often called "airdashers" for the importance of aerial mixups and crossups, and though Rivals is no airdasher, there's plenty of movement options to capture that feeling. Projectile setups and tricky movement options keep opponents guessing if Morrigan will approach left or right, from above or below -- allowing her to make risky approaches safer, or to cause opponents to question their own certainty when spacing.

With powerful combos, unique approach options, and a toolbox of projectiles, Morrigan rewards both brave and calculated playstyles.

Credits
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Haribo -- Character Concept & Design, Animator, Pixel Artist, Scripter
CheckCheck -- Implementer, Balancer, Playtester
PuppieChow -- Portrait & Background Artist, inspired by the style of Marc Knelsen @ puppiechow.carrd.co/#

Guest Developers
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Felyner -- artist for Morrigan's platform
CyberneticNyewt -- Guest Programmer

Special Thanks
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To Qazzquimby -- for continuing to be available for Workshop Assistant help years(!) after writing the program
To Muno -- for the cool cell phone
To Supersonic -- for additional code
To everyone who helped with coding questions
And to the Rivals 2 Contest Discord, for going on this adventure together with us!