This page contains information about content from the Alpha Test Phase or Pre-Alpha Development Phase. This did not appear in the final game.
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Grumpy Darkling | |
Theme | Darklings |
World | Vanguard Outpost, early Forbidden Valley, likely other early worlds |
Weapon/Tool | Hammer |
Grumpy Darklings were one of the first enemies designed for LEGO Universe.
Grumpy Darklings were spawned from Maelstrom Shards, along with Hyper Darklings and Freak Darklings. According to an interview with Professor Brickkeeper, the goal of the Darklings was to overrun the fun in LEGO Universe.[1]
Grumpy Darklings appeared in the Vanguard Outpost, the first world to be truly playable in LEGO Universe. They also appeared in an early version of Forbidden Valley, where players would have been sent by the Bricksmith to smash six of the Grumpy Darklings attacking the Dragon Forge.[2] A Grumpy Darkling object listed as being for a survival minigame exists in the database (object 6392); given other nearby object listings it was most likely used in early versions of Avant Gardens Survival.
A Grumpy Darkling was the first LEGO Universe enemy revealed to the public. At the end of LEGO Universe's first trailer, a Darkling Battle was showcased, in which a Minifigure was attacked and ultimately smashed by a Grumpy Darkling. Perhaps because the Grumpy Darkling became well-known due to this trailer, despite not appearing in any of the released worlds, Grumpy Darklings continued to appear in much promotional material.
In the "Answer the Call" trailer, Grumpy Darklings and a Maelstrom Dragon emerge from a Maelstrom vortex and begin smashing rooftops of buildings in Zorillo Plaza. When the Maelstrom army and Nexus Force converge, Grumpy Darklings fly towards their opponents. However, Grumpy Darklings do not appear in the Battle of Nimbus Station based upon this trailer.
In the Creation Lab, a Grumpy Darkling serves as the icon for the "Create a chaos battler!" challenge.[3] According to Professor Brickkeeper, this challenge was created as the result of Darklings attacking the Creation Lab; the news article's artwork showed a Grumpy Darkling attacking Professor Brickkeeper.[4]
In a LEGO.com advertisement, Grumpy Darklings appeared alongside Maelstrom Dragons and Thwok as they emerged from Maelstrom clouds to attack the Faction Leaders. In the Gnarled Forest segment of the advertisement, a Grumpy Darkling emerges from the Maelstrom to attack Hael Storm, but the Venture League Faction Leader fights back.
Grumpy Darklings even appear on the boxart of LEGO Universe, where they can be seen emerging from a Maelstrom vortex in the upper right corner. It was speculated that Grumpy Darklings were intended to eventually be reintroduced in-game. However, before this idea was realized, LEGO Universe's closure was announced, and Grumpy Darklings remain unused in the final product.
Trivia[]
- On January 20, 2012, a Grumpy Darkling was spawned by a GM in Nimbus Plaza before being quickly smashed by players. More Grumpy Darklings were later spawned on January 28 and January 30, and unlike the previously spawned Grumpy Darkling, could not be smashed, and did not attack players.
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