User blog:Qwertyxp2000 the second/Path 4 Spike Factory

The original idea of Lava Factory originally came from thinking about wanting a Wall of Fire type of Spike Factory, which can counter a majority of its pierce weaknesses. The earlier upgrades was formerly similar to Long Reach but with additional projectile speed as a bonus, but we already have Long Reach, though Long Reach would suit this new path better, in my personal opinion. The idea of Double Dispensing was also in my mind earlier, but didn't quite get the idea out in a document until 25th January 2021.

Tier 1: Double Dispensing

 * Description: Produces two spike piles every shot.
 * Cost: $1200

With Double Dispensing, the Spike Factory produces two spike piles per shot, with around 3 track units deviations between each other. Basically like Bigger Stacks but split between two stacks and with more track deviation. Consumes Alch buffs in the same way a Double Shot Ninja would, and therefore a 0-0-0-1 will have the the same rate of consumption per attack compared to a 1-0-0-0.

Tier 2: Sticky Spikes

 * Description: Spike piles latch onto bloons, dealing damage to them over time until the spikes become fully consumed or the bloon fully pops. Drops the remaining spike pile where the final bloon popped.
 * Cost: $750

Sticky Spikes allows the spike pile to attach onto bloons once during its lifetime. It will pop bloons as long as it contacts bloon, as usual. Spike piles attached onto bloons will always stay onto the bloon until fully popped. The spike pile always follows the front-most bloon if a popped bloon splits. If fully popped, the spike pile is dropped where the bloon popped, but it cannot attach onto another bloon again.

Tier 3: Lava Factory

 * Description: Replaces spike piles with molten lava. Molten lava burns up bloons hit by the lava, and produces a constant wave of fire around its radius.
 * Cost: $5000

Spike piles are now molten lava with the fire damage type, prioritizing over most other damage types. These spike piles are now molten lava pools, and the sprays are referred as lava pool segments. If White Hot Spikes is added, the molten lava pool segment (molten lava "spike pile") becomes normal damage type, effectively popping any bloon type with the molten lava itself. Each molten lava pool segment works like a 20 pierce Sticky Spikes spike pile with 1 damage. In addition, the molten lava pool segment continually emits one 15 pierce Wall of Fire of ~8 projectile size in the center of where the spike pile is, and any bloons hit by the spike pile (but not the Wall of Fire) will receive a napalm effect that deals 1 damage every 1.0s for 3.0s.

Adding Bigger Stacks doubles the pierce of these molten lava. So the molten lava will increase to 40 pierce for the spike pile and 30 pierce for the Wall of Fire.

Inspired by that fire lotus plant ("Volcano Plant"/"Volcano Lotus") from Super Mario World and all other Mario series that contain this enemy.

Tier 4: Volcanic Generator

 * Description: Generates more molten lava every time molten lava is produced.
 * Cost: $20,000

Generates 3 separate independently distributing molten lava with sprays of 2 each. The 3 molten lava pools are distributed randomly from each other, but the 2 lava pool "segments" are still around 3 units apart from each separate lava pool. According to Alch buff rules, a Volcanic Generator Spike Factory consumes Alch buffs 3x faster.

Crosspathing affects similarly to Lava Factory. It is worth noting that 0-0-2-4 Spike Factory is affected by the special targeting, so all congregate at the same spot that any special target settings may target.

Also inspired by similar means to the Lava Factory.

Tier 5: Mini-Vesuvius

 * Description: Just like what happened to Pop'pay during 79 AD.
 * Cost: $125,000

Increased range, increased numbers of separate molten lava pools, increased damage, and increased molten lava pool "segments". Increases range from 34 to 80. With Long Reach, the range bonus is +16 instead of +8. Numbers of separate molten lava pools increase from 3 to 10, segments from 2 to 3, and the napalm from molten lava pool segments now deal a napalm damage-over-time of 10 damage per 1.0s for 6.0s. For the Walls of Fire spawned by each molten lava segment, themselves deals 5 damage per 0.1s contact instead of 1 damage per 0.1s contact.