Balancing magic: How can we help?

[Xanthan]

There's been a number of discussions about how the magic system is out of balance with the rest of the game, and how there is not much developer time available to work on it.  So:

How can we help?  Is there anything that we as player/testers can do to assist?  Some possibilities that come to mind:

1) Discuss and maybe come to a concensus or at least offer different scenarios on what would be appropriate or inappropriate.

2) Help to calculate or come up with formulas for spell effects that match these.

For example, when it comes to offensive spells, should the damage you can do with a spell at a certain level be equivalent to what someone with a typical (or perhaps a basic) sword can do with the same level of sword combat ability?  What other factors should come into play?

Would this sort of discussion be fruitful (i.e. useful to developers)?  If not, what else can we do to contribute.

Cheers,
Xarthen

[Eathon]

I'd say not. As Mu's Game Theory states, magic should be kept magical. Thus, in my mind, it should develop differently to other skills. After all- if it is almost the same as combat, "just another way to kill a monster", it becomes just another tool. Magic should be kept "magical", as it were. As to how to do this... well, I don't know. 

[Caarrie]

the magic system is full of bugs that leads to the inbalance. the system will be rewritten. the players have no way to tell the team how to change the formulas that are used as they have no access.

[Xanthan]

Not seeing existing formulas doesn't mean we can't suggest new ones, or have a potentially useful discussion about what magic should look like in the game.  Are you saying that the devs know exactly how they want it to work and are not open to player input and ideas?  If so, fair enough.  I will forget about this and go do something else.  If there is something we can do to contribute, however, I think there would be a lot of interest in doing so.

[Caarrie]

if you want to help apply to the dev team and help that way. outside the team there is very little you can do to help or change things like this.

[Tuxide]

Go compile psserver from source and become familiar with the progression scripts and how to make a spell.  That will get you started.  If you have any questions, please ask on the appropriate IRC channel.

[Sen]

Is there a list of variables that can be used in that scripts?

Sen

[Xalantyr]

If you don't mind taking inspiration from other mmos...

Ryzom is another skill based mmo with the same kind of open/unrestricted character development that PlaneShift has.

One of their key mechanisms for maintaining 'balance' between magic and melee is equipment.

• Wearing heavier armour debuffs your magic abilities.
  Equipping magic amplifiers (in the weapon slot) buffs magic abilities. The buffs are classed - i.e. applied to PlaneShift each amplifier would have a separate modifier for each of the 6 magic Ways.

This system allows unrestricted character development without classes, but also prevents any single character from becoming an overpowered tank/mage/healer (all at the same time). Their setup has an activation timer for equipping gear to prevent players using macros to quickly change all their gear to circumvent the restrictions.

An easier alternative to timered equipping might be a simple spell buff attached to magical staves.

Example

A player is in a group and intends to act as a 'healer'. They equip a magical staff with modifiers for the 6 Ways.

• Crystal - 40%
  Red - 10%
  Brown - 20%
  Azure - 20%
  Blue - 30%
  Dark - 10%

No bonus is given just on equipping the staff. The player must cast a spell which 'activates' the staff and applies those bonuses. That spell takes 30 seconds to cast.

The player's healing spells are now 40% stronger and they get small bonuses to their other spells. If the group changed and they needed a damage caster, the player would need to equip a different staff and activate it (taking 30 seconds).

________

This setup would still technically allow anyone to cast spells, but the potency of spells cast by players not wielding activated staves would be weak - i.e. like they are now.

[Xillix Queen of Fools]

Whether you see it in game now or not we are somewhat ahead of this question and the proposal. I highly recommend joining the team if you earnestly want to help. Tuxide's suggestion is a good start. I hope to see an application.

[Tuxide]

Is there a list of variables that can be used in that scripts?

I don't know everything about it but the best thing I can tell you to do is to go through progressionmanager.cpp in the source code.  On a side note, I really need someone to do this and document it on http://doc.hydlaa.com/ so others don't have to go through the source.