more spells or less???

[paxx]

Ok here is the question, and I?m asking mainly because this is a pet peeve of mine, and I want to see what others think.

Would you all rather have 15+ versions of the same basic spell, for example:

Minor healing = heals 1-5 hp
Lesser healing = heals 3-8 hp
Minor Refreshment = heals 5-12 hp
Lesser Refreshment = heals 8-15 hp
Minor Renovation = heals 12-20 hp
Lesser Renovation = heals 15-30 hp
Healing = heals 20-35 hp
Refreshment = heals 25-40 hp
Renovation = heals 30-50 hp
Improved Healing = heals 42-65 hp
Improved Refreshment = heals 48-70 hp
Improved Renovation = heals 50-80 hp
Greater Healing = heals 60-110 hp
Greater Refreshment = heals 80-130 hp
Greater Renovation = heals 100-150 hp ?

 Or a system where based on skill, mana, and choices you have one Basic heal spell and based on a number of options you can customize this spell to act as you wish it too.

So in essence, what would you rather have?

[Rageburst]

I like the variety... others may not. I think skill should also be implemented as well too.

For example, 5 points in red magic = 40% chance of casting

The more you use a type of spell (eg, red, brown,...), the more you slowly develop your skills. Once your skill is high enough, you can choose to use more powerful versions of the same type.

In other words, I\'m rooting for both ideas.

[Elentor]

Just to show my opinion, I think there should be *many* different effects, with all the customizable power. So, we would have lots and lots of spells, but this lots means 3 or 4 about healing for u to play with, etc.

[Kada-El]

I would like to see you being able to customise magic around the basic spell type, but isn\'t that ultimately the same as having a massive spell list, just presented in a slightly different way?

I think it would also be good to have the ability to specialise in magic types, but in doing so would restrict your abilities in other types i.e. everyone cannot just become a master at all types of magic - some magics would conflict with other types and others would compliment. Maybe also include race/allignment/reputation/deeds (if such things are going to exist) restrictions and bonuses in certain ways of magic - makes life a bit more varied and interesting with magic almost becoming directly linked to your RPing.

For this to work, as in every aspect of skills, very well balanced ways of magic would be needed.


I\'m not sure what I\'m talking about anymore....

[Kendaro]

My opinion is that you have the set list like you have shown but for the different ways you have different abilities. Cource Azure is healing so that will be the only way with heal spells but it is also wind. What I see there is that under the wind attribute you have a line of spells called wind shield. Basicly it works as a repelent for melee damage so in a sense boosts the armor class of the person it is cast on. In the Brown Way I see an earthen shield line that toughens the skin and in doing so boosts the AC as well. So you have same abilities to the different ways so that you can choose a way and be more specialized in it.

This would have its limitations as well cause of course were earth is protective, fire is destructive and also symbolises strength. So as Brown would be defensive at its base it would have nature for some attack power. Where as Red Way would be destructive at its base but have its enhancing attribute spells as well.

Ok so I might be off cource there a bit I think I can get back on the right rail. Though some spells are similar but have their own attributes to other lines... the spell itself is still customisable. It is so by the fact that you, at spell creation, can asign the amount of power you wish to give that spell. You do this by setting its mana cost. The more mana you spend on the spell the more it will boost ac, heal, or destroy. For example two people get the same two spells. Azure Way of Healing and Red Way of Nova Blast. One places 25 mana points into the casting of his heal and 50 into his nova blast. the other places 50 into his heal and 25 into his nova blast. Where the first guy casting both spells would heal 100 hit points and do damage of 500, the other would heal 500 and do damage of only 100. Cource the numbers could be more balanced but thats not my job. :p

[TheGeneral]

I would vote for an option of having about 5-6 spells of the same kind per skill lvl, and more diff spells as you move up in skills. I would hate to have 15+ of the same spell. The choices would kill me.
All in all, i vote for either...

[Rageburst]

TheGeneral, I agree totally. More spells doesn\'t necessarily equal better, and also, certain spells shouldn\'t be usable by say a low level character.

A high level heal spell would either use too much mana points or the skill requirement (say only 5 pts in earth magic... or something related to restoration-type magic) doesn\'t allow a character with low skill to use it....

....or like I suggested before, the low skill level allows only a low chance of casting it. This is a great way to allow balance between low level and higher level characters who would benefit more from buying a more powerful heal spell.

Here\'s an example using those healing spells:

Healing (types range from level 1 to 10):

Type of spell:
brown magic (includes restoration, buffers, some area of effect damage spells)

formula for success rate:
(# of brown magic skill points / # level heal spell) * 100% = percentage of healing\'s success rate.

or an even simpler condition...
if # of brown magic skill points < # level heal spell,
then you can\'t use it.

*******************

In order to raise the level of brown magic skill points, simply use spells of that type more often.

[Vengeance]

As usual, I think the answer should be a combination of both.

I think you need about 4 or 5 healing spells, for example, and then the ability to customize within those.

For example, Arwen heals Frodo with a Lesser Healing Against the Undead, and does much better than Aragorn because of her Elven aptitude for magic.  But only Elrond can weave the Greater Healing Against Undead spell which gets Frodo functional again.  Aragorn can\'t even think of casting that spell, and Arwen is of insufficient skill, but the nature of the wound is such that it takes all of Elrond\'s strength poured into that spell to get little Frodo to wake up.

But not even Elrond, alas, can completely heal poor Frodo... for that requires the Uber magic of the Ancients, which was lost forever in the great Wars and is now only myth.  Most believe it is gone, but *some* believe that books concerning such magic are still to be found, if only they can find the \"mythical\" underground world of Yliakum...

:-)
Vengeance

[Vengeance]

On the other hand, having more spells might give magic-type players more of a sense of accomplishment more frequently... what we commonly call the \"ding\" factor.

But if there are, for example, Healing vs Fire, Healing vs Ice, Healing vs Drowning, etc., we could probably spread access to those out in such a way as to keep people dinging every day or so.

- Venge

[valcrist3317]

Here\'s my idea. Has anyone here played Final Fantasy II (the one NOT released in America)?

If so you\'ll know what I\'m talking about.

OK, here\'s how they did spells in that one. You buy the Cure spell book and use it on a character. Everytime you use the spell it adds up. Every 100 times you use it, it goes up to the next level. So after one hundred it goes to Cure 2, and another hundred, Cure 3. Get it?

Now, I think the spell system should be a combination of that and Daggerfall and Morrowind\'s skill system. Get it? The more you use it, the better and more effective that spell is.

So basically, the second one.

[AendarCallenlasse]

I agree with Valcrist, I think the power of your magic should increase as you use it.  This way the people who have been studying magic longer will have more powerful spells.

[TheGeneral]

Does not work that way. I can just see myself now, putting that spell in the shortcut menu, going to a dungen, and overnight lvl Cure to lvl 999+96. You can just stand there, while some weak/medium mob beats up up, and you cast it on yourself. Same thing can be done with other spells, just auto cast it on some training dummies over and over again untill it\'s lvl 999+96. I would hate for that system to be implemented.

[Kiern]

i think it should be less, at least in combat magic....because when playing a magic user i usually have a hard time choosing a spell that i want to use fast enough, if there are too many of the spells i end up choosing one i dont really like half the time

unless, of course, the combat is turn based, which i really hate anyways

but with healing spells or some other there should be more of a choice, since you dont want to heal someone too much, wasting magic on them...or something like that

[Xandria]

I would really like to see some cool things done with magic in this game.  The first would be to have magic be really customizable (however you spell that).  I\'m still not quite sure what I mean by that, but I think it has something to do with my other idea: spell macros.  Think of it this way, you have the different orders of magic, like fire, ice, wind, whatever.  Then you have standard casting abilities, like wall, circular, explosion, and my personal favorite \"from the sky,\" all of which have varying skill levels.  Now, you have a macroing system where you link together spells/orders/methods together in such a manner, then give it some name you like and be on your way.
For example: I want to create a spell macro called \"Nature\'s fury.\"  The first cast is a blast of wind aimed at the target(s) and stuns them for a brief period of time.  The next cast is a wall of fire that rises up around the target(s).  The final is an icy comet \"from the sky\" that hits the target(s) and explodes.  I\'m sure you could achieve a similar effect by casting all these spells separately, but it would be cool if you could macro them together into something really neat.
Does anyone else understand this, or am I just in a world of my own?

[Genner]

here is the thing about Magika.  

You got your main spell lines such as:

Heal
DD (Direct Damage)
AoE (Area of Effect)
Buff - De-Buff
Speed-Slow

But after a while, those get hella boring...especialy when you have nine-hundred heal spells and 87 DD\'s. Why not be inovative and come up with new lines altogether?

Maybe like...

Retrospect
Artisan
Improved Hygene

I don\'t know, but something new and interesting.  Let me tell y\'all...more different types of spells...the better.

and another thing for ya...3 words.

Spell Crafting.

Combining (sp) different spells to make new spells altogether? sounds inovative to me!

peace