Let me say before I begin that I do not blame Balrog for the problems I have with this mod (except for one minor thing he added which irks me), but I figured since he appears to be the one managing the mod now, I might as well address the matter in his topic.
First thing: I would suggest that the name of this mod be changed. Even most versions of this mode's TF2 variant are called 'Freak Fortress' now, instead of simply 'VS. Saxton Hale'. Saxton Hale isn't really the main boss anymore, and the name of the mod should reflect on that.
Secondly: This mod is dripping with unoriginality (once again, not Balrog's fault). The fact that it's a mod derived from a mod of another game doesn't help, either. To be fair though, the original TF2 mod was pretty bland as well. The biggest problem is that with about one or two exceptions, every boss is the same; instakill melee, super jump item, and a 'rage' to turn the tide of the game. MM8BDM is a game based on variety, and it confuses me how the only variety present between most bosses is their rage, which only comes into play once or twice in a given round. So, while I'm willing to accept the 'boss character(s) versus everyone' concept that this mod revolves around, the bosses themselves really need to be more creative and diverse. That is, they should at least attempt to break away from the generic boss moveset, as described previously. Prepare yourself, for I will now go over each boss, looking at how interesting they are. What makes each boss stand out, if at all? Is this character worthy of being a boss?
(Note that bosses I dislike the most are at the top of the list, so that this post will progressively become more positive.)
Robo Christian Brutal Sniper: The mangled remains of what was once a TF2 meme. Adding onto this character's list of adjectives by turning him into a robot is unnecessary and only degrades his character further (or at least in my eyes). He doesn't really have any traits that make him stand out (except for his theme; Millionaire's Holiday is a pretty good song). Since this boss also seems to reference YD's Dark Man 3 class, I would suggest shifting further towards that aspect of this character; more emphasis on projectiles, actual sniping, you know (that is, projectiles outside of his rage). Otherwise, I would simply cut this boss.
Saxton Hale: The original boss from the TF2 mod, and the father of all TF2 meme characters (probably)...Which is the only real thing this boss has going for it. Instakill melee, super jump, and a rage that makes him invincible. Yep, doesn't get any more basic than this; nothing in particular makes him stand out. Honestly, I wouldn't mind if he was cut. The sheer simplicity of this boss outweighs the fact that he represents the mod's roots.
Ninja Spy: This boss appears to be a composite character, based on Shadow Man, YD's Shadow Man class, and TF2's Spy. Honestly, this boss made more sense as Gentle Spy, since that was an actual character from the TF2 world, like Christian Brutal Sniper. His current theme belongs to the Gentle Spy character, as well. What makes this boss stand out is his 'multiple lives' gimmick, but this gimmick is deceiving. Having multiple lives (with less health for each one) does not change his overall health in the long run. So, there's quite a bit of wasted potential with this guy's lives system. Using something based on TF2's Dead Ringer instead could be interesting...Although now I'm being hypocritical for suggesting that TF2 elements be incorporated.
Ghost of Starman v2: Another terribly bland boss, with ear-raping screeches for sound clips. The character is pretty obscure, and judging from the boss weapon's pick up message, it appears to be a mere inside joke of some description between Silversin and Lobsters. However, I prefer this character over the TF2 meme characters.
Ra Thor Reborn: A Mega Man character? That's cool...Except his attacks are completely irrelevant to his character. Seriously, if you're going to base a boss on a particular character, try and stick to the canon established (the same goes for other mods, mind you). I would suggest replacing his attacks with, well, moves that are actually relevant to his character. Otherwise I would suggest cutting him, because I just can't stand to see the sheer misrepresentation of his character. The idea of a boss having minions is worth reusing, though.
Pissed-Off Roll: Well, Roll is known for using a melee attack, I'll give you that. However, she just doesn't seem worthy of being a boss character. Not very unique, either.
Seeman and Seeldier: Another boss ported from the TF2 version of the mod, and quite possibly my least favourite character(s) in this mod. However, they get bonus points for the 'dual boss' gimmick, but there is wasted potential (as always). That is, there is no level of cooperation encouraged or required between the two bosses. I have seen a suggestion for a 'Incredible Wood Man and Kung-Fu Cut Man' dual boss posted, which I would prefer over Seeman and Seeldier, since a Wood Man and Cut Man boss fight would actually be relevant to MM8BDM. Not sure if they would encourage cooperation any better, though.
Morshu: Another meme-based boss...Except from the world of CD-I and Youtube Poop, and not TF2. This is what you get if you took YD's Bomb Man and made him into a boss. I heard that someone was in the process of giving him moves that use lamp oil/rope, but I fear that they won't be used to their greatest creative potential. Bonus points for a lack of an instakill melee.
Gilgamesh: This boss is pretty bland as well, but he gets bonus points for the character itself. His slower-than-average speed doesn't make for the most intense of fights, though. (Note that I generally prefer characters that are from video games to characters from memes spawned from video games.)
Cave Johnson: What's this? Something that isn't an instakill melee attack for a primary? Incredible. Having a secondary character from Portal 2 as a boss doesn't sit right with me, though. Also, it's spelt 'combustible'...Not 'combustable'.
Captain Falcon: Very mobile; with speed like that, he seems possibly too strong with his equivalent of an instakill Charge Kick. The focus of this post isn't really about balancing, though. Perhaps more of his moves from Super Smash Bros. could be used to potentially make this boss more unique?
Slenderman: Another meme-based boss. However, the emphasis on survival makes this boss unique, so I guess I can dig it, to an extent.
Scrooge McDuck: The first meme-based boss to actually be relevant to MM8BDM. I'll be honest, this is one of the few boss concepts I enjoyed. Including Hogales in his 'Moon Party' rage ability is a silly idea however, simply because Hogales didn't exist back when Moon Parties existed.
So, you may be thinking to yourself:
The words creative and diverse have been thrown around a lot here. Does Shade even know what could make a boss creative and diverse? Well, I'll let you see for yourself if I can think up a creative boss. That's right; I'm making a boss suggestion.
Name: Wario
(Yes, I know this has been suggested once before, but this is specifically based on his Wario Land 2 and 3 incarnations.)
Skin: Dusty's Wario skin.
Theme: ...Not sure. Probably something from Wario Land 2 or 3, for consistency's sake.
Health: Average/High. See primary gimmick for more information.
Speed: Low/Average.
Color Scheme: Yellow and purple.
Primary Gimmick - Money makes the world go 'round: Going by his Wario Land 2/3 incarnation, Wario is invincible!...In a sense. His health bar instead keeps track of how much money he has left. Whenever he is hit, Wario drops coins, which bounce around. Both Wario and the other players can pick up these coins; if Wario picks up his own coins, it effectively replenishes his health. Therefore, players are forced to hang around Wario to pick up his dropped coins before he can. The amount of cash a player has is kept track of in their inventory. If a player who is carrying money dies, they will drop a portion of it.
Wario leaves when he loses all his cash, meaning the survivors win.
Attack: Shoulder bash: Makes you charge forward, dealing melee damage. You can cover more distance if you use it on the ground, then jump while using it.
Obituary: Player was bashed by Wario (Player).
Secondary Attack/Super Jump: Ability roulette: This item replaces the regular super jump item. Upon use, this item will randomly select one of Wario's 'reaction abilities' from Wario Land 2/3! Wario cannot use his regular attack while using an ability. All abilities end after a short period of time. The abilities the roulette can choose from are:
Bubble Wario - Wario is trapped in a bubble, causing him to float upwards. Can also end if Wario hits a ceiling. A mobility ability.
Puffy Wario - Wario's cheeks puff up, causing him to float upwards. Can also end if Wario hits a ceiling. A mobility ability.
Bouncy Wario - Wario's legs become a spring! This lets him bounce around and can do melee damage. Similar to Sakugarne. Both a mobility and an offensive ability.
Hot Wario - Wario spontaneously combusts. This causes him to continuously sprint forward, dealing melee damage. Similar to Oil Slider. An offensive ability.
Ice Skatin' Wario - Wario is suddenly frozen and slides backwards, dealing melee damage. He cannot control his movement during this. Can also end if he hits a wall. Both an offensive ability and a dud ability.
Flat Wario - Wario is flattened. His movement is slowed, but his air control is lowered, as well, letting him cover large distances by jumping. A dud ability, but slightly mobility oriented.
Zombie Wario - Wario is zombified. In this state, he is immune to all damage, but his movement is slowed. A dud ability, but not that bad.
Crazy Wario - Wario is suddenly dazed, and his movements are disoriented. The duddest of dud abilities.
Obituaries:
Player was crushed by Bouncy Wario (Player).
Player was set alight by Hot Wario (Player).
Player was smashed into by Ice Skatin' Wario (Player).
There is a small delay between when the ability is chosen and when the ability takes effect, for Wario to prepare himself for whatever it is (ie. if Ice Skatin' Wario is chosen, he may want to make sure a death pit isn't behind him).
Rage: None. He already has enough abilities!
So, let me criticise my own boss suggestion (inherently flawed, but bear with me) as I have with all existing bosses in this mod.
What makes this boss stand out? Two things; his health revolves around his money, which he can pick up, and he has an ability roulette system instead of a regular super jump. However, some of the possible abilities do fit the mobility aspect that a super jump is included in a boss for, therefore it does not cripple Wario. Also, in case I didn't properly get the idea across in my suggestion, but Wario's melee attacks aren't instakill. It would be pretty unfair if they were, seeing as his primary lets him charge forward, when players are forced to hang around him to pick up dropped coins.
Is this character deserving of being a boss? I would argue that yes, yes he is. Wario follows the trend in bosses that I've picked up; they heavily revolve around memes. Dusty's Wario skin is rather popular, and hordes of players using the skin at once isn't uncommon. The skin's popularity has boosted it to near-meme status.
In comparison to what I established the generic boss to consist of (instakill melee, super jump, rage), this suggestion subverts all three norms. This is what I want to see in this mod; possibly a more gimmick-based approach, treating each round/boss like a minigame; a unique experience each time.
And another thing! The mod's file size is currently half the size of MM8BDM v3a. Let's fix that.
I would suggest a limit to how many sound clips a boss can use. Saxton Hale has a whopping 22 sound clips; 5 for his intro, 3 for his death, 4 for super jumping, 4 for his rage, and 6 for when he kills someone. Robo Christian Brutal Sniper, Ninja Spy and Pissed Off Roll are also offenders.
The music should also be looked over. The songs EARRAPE and YOUTIED are unused, and should be removed. TSUTMUS is 5.38 MB, which is ridiculous for a single music file.
And another another thing: The SAXMAPs. As a mapper, these maps offend me...Mainly the first two, but Icy Forts was never that great of a map, even for CTF. Now, I understand the point of having additional maps; each one is supposed to be based on a boss...Except they're not. SAXMAP2 and 3 have no ties to any of the bosses, defeating the purpose of including them. So, I would suggest removing these two.
SAXMAP1, while actually relevant, isn't a very good map either...So I would suggest removing that map as well. It is possible it could be reworked and improved, but with the map's creator (assuming Silversin made it) missing in action, it's highly unlikely.
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