Unfortunately, unlike Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, I doubt the magic system is going to be a clever derivative of D&D.
Goblin Squad Member
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I would love to know what they're thinking for this specific mechanic, mainly because I have never seen magery done in any interesting way in an MMORPG.
Target monsters, hit hot key, watch casting bar, cast spell, lose mana, hit hot key...
Nothing especially wrong with it, it's not broken. The animations/spell effects/quality of spell mechanics are the acid test in an effective method of using magic, but I would always welcome something entirely new - simply for the sake of being different.
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I hope it is a lot like Morrowind, with a handful of spell effects and every spell a combination of some degree of those... wait, I just had a thought to using Linear Algebra and Matrices to program a spell system... anyway, and then allow players to craft their own spells (though possibly unable to actually cast them if they go too far overboard).
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Goblin Squad Member
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I hope it is a lot like Morrowind, with a handful of spell effects and every spell a combination of some degree of those... wait, I just had a thought to using Linear Algebra and Matrices to program a spell system... anyway, and then allow players to craft their own spells (though possibly unable to actually cast them if they go too far overboard).
We must be careful Derek. The MMORPG genre struggles to get a primitive game out which functions as intended whilst, if we're lucky, delivers a glimmer of innovation or originality. The way this forum reads, people should be able to build everything, anywhere, with anything, through telekinesis, whilst painting a portrait on the back of a flying polar bear on route to finish decorating their new subterranean ice cream parlour.
In reality, I'd be happy with the spells we got from the RPG with any deviation from the standard norm in how exactly we cast them.
The neverwinter games had the vancian spell casting mechanic, and worked alright to me... but then it becomes an issue of the 15 minute work day.
If PFO is going to be a skills-based leveling system, then one option is to have a Words of Power skill similar to the one implemented in Ultimate Magic. As players advance their magic skills, they learn more words of power and are able to create different combinations of spell effects which can be designated as hot-keys.
Now, I have no idea how effective this will be as a versatile magic system in an MMO, but, it’s a thought.
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Goblin Squad Member
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If PFO is going to be a skills-based leveling system, then one option is to have a Words of Power skill similar to the one implemented in Ultimate Magic. As players advance their magic skills, they learn more words of power and are able to create different combinations of spell effects which can be designated as hot-keys.
Now, I have no idea how effective this will be as a versatile magic system in an MMO, but, it’s a thought.
Going to read Ultimate Magic just so I know what your talking about. Sounds cool though. Am I right in assuming you would be using combinations of powerwords to create spells?
Would it be similar to this?
Say F1 = In (make, create) & F2 = Nox (Poison)
F1 + F2 > Target monster = Player casts poison on monster.
This the right track?
If PFO is going to be a skills-based leveling system, then one option is to have a Words of Power skill similar to the one implemented in Ultimate Magic. As players advance their magic skills, they learn more words of power and are able to create different combinations of spell effects which can be designated as hot-keys.
Now, I have no idea how effective this will be as a versatile magic system in an MMO, but, it’s a thought.
Going to read Ultimate Magic just so I know what your talking about. Sounds cool though. Am I right in assuming you would be using combinations of powerwords to create spells?
Would it be similar to this?
Say F1 = In (make, create) & F2 = Nox (Poison)
F1 + F2 > Target monster = Player casts poison on monster.
This the right track?
Now I don't know UO that well, but, if those spells can be combined, then "yes".
Pick up a copy of UM. It is a greant read. I am nearly sure that some of the content in that book will make it into PFO at some point in the way of feats.
Thematically, Words of Magic is a functional magic system for Pathfinder that simulates the magic system from LaGuin’s “Earthsea” novels. The power of the universe is hidden within magic and mages are able to speak the "true words" which control the universe.
In table top, Words of Magic has a word for each spell effect - spell duration, damage type, summoning, healing, area effect vs. single targets, whatever. Not all of these can be combined (a summon spell that deals damage directly makes no sense). As in UM, the skill rating of the player would limit the power of the combined effects of the spell. So, basically, a more skilled mage can cast a more powerful fireball that effects more targets. It is actually quite complex. Now this is an insane amount of bookkeeping in table-top, but, in an MMO, this problem would hopefully be a non-issue.
What I was thinking is that there would be some sort of “Words of Magic” GUI where PC casters could check mark their available spell effects they wish to associate with each spell they create. Then, save that as a hotkey and add it to their toolbar. Preping for spells in this way would be a good "RP" simulation for reading a wizard spellbook.
Casters would gain Words of Power by exploring the world and
finding/trading magic tomes and whatnot. This could either be player driven or developer created quests. Higher skilled PC mages could teach those which are less skilled.
When PFO is released, there would be a set amount of Words of Magic and a set number of combinations – each with a unique spell animation. This would mean that all magic would be frontloaded in the release. Now I am not a programmer, but I think this would be a far easier method than adding individual spells with each patch like most themepark MMOs
UOs spell system had nothing to do with words of power. It simply inhereted them from older Ultima games and I was using them as a metaphorical illustration. Thanks for the post though and explaining it clearly.
In summation, yes. I really like what you suggesting.
Well, that's my bad. It is far too late at night for me to comprehend metaphors of any kind...haha.
Glad you like the suggestion.
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Goblin Squad Member
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Yeah, it's difficult. In a tabletop RPG, you often get the feeling of being an advanced mage with powerful spells that can only be cast once or a couple of times a day. It's difficult to rectify this and the pace of an MMO with parties blasting through enemy after enemy. Also, you'd like to make sure the mage can still play solo when they would like to.
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Goblin Squad Member
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Yeah, it's difficult. In a tabletop RPG, you often get the feeling of being an advanced mage with powerful spells that can only be cast once or a couple of times a day. It's difficult to rectify this and the pace of an MMO with parties blasting through enemy after enemy. Also, you'd like to make sure the mage can still play solo when they would like to.
Hey, at least you're not trying to make a Dragonlance MMO.
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Goblin Squad Member
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An interesting idea is a 'hybrid' system between the old Psion system and the Words of Power. Each Word a caster strings along to cast a spell drains a set number of points.
But a low level caster can only cast spells using one or two 'Words of Power' at a time. Higher levels can modify their spells even further, and do so more often.
As an MMO, a recharge mechanic should be available, so that Spellcasters need not hoard their spells like misers, but at the same point, Spells can be such huge 'spikes' in Damage, Healing or Mitigation that being able to fire them off endlessly could be unbalancing.
At the same point I would like to see the melee types being subject to a similar mechanic, albeit with a somewhat faster recharge mechanic to compensate for the invariably lower damage of the non-magical types.
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Goblin Squad Member
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I don;t care what it is, as long as it makes sense and is useable.
Mana bar with spells is an MMO standard, and there's nothing wrong with that, imo.
Spell slots and such can prove inhibitive to fun, but I hardly ever play casters so I don't care.
The main thing with getting magic right in an MMO is making sure that the destruction and crowd control aspects of the class aren't rediculous. The casting difficulty needs to be proportionate to payoff, and the destruction needs to be proportionate with melee survivability. The more one goes up, the other should go down. They're called glass canons for a reason.
make it real time
spell per day means SPELLS PER DAY. 8 hours rest means 8 HOURS REST
SAME GOES FOR REMOVING FATIGUE AND SUCH
As long as there are more options than available in Words of Power, I'd be all for it.
I am sure WoP could be expanded since there are always new spells being released in new Pathfinder Products. New words would need to be created to simulate the effects of new spells.
But, would they need to? As a caster's magic skill levels, they would theoretically be able to cast limitless combinations of words and create countless spell effects.
foe example, a cone shaped fire which slows and paralyze
make it real time
spell per day means SPELLS PER DAY. 8 hours rest means 8 HOURS REST
SAME GOES FOR REMOVING FATIGUE AND SUCH
Oh hell no.
I can see it now.Group wandering through a dungeon about to engage the last boss.
Mage : "Sorry guys, I'm out of spells. I'll see you guys tomorrow"
Log off.
Rest of group: "..."I'm a fan of the recharge mechanic.
Cast a spell, wait a few seconds before casting again. The stronger the spell, the longer the wait. Maybe include the option of casting earlier for emergencies but it fatigues the caster in some way?
In first edition, when this happened, the mage died with the rest of the party. All for one, death to all. Good times!
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Goblin Squad Member
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I am curious to see how potent spells are.
Imagine a Fireball being cast into a small village of thatched roof cottages. BURNINATED!
There are a lot of things that could be done with spells from Pathfinder Table Top that they my not include in the Pathfinder Online game. They may strip out most of the utility spells from the spell lists and replace them with a variety of buffs. They may try and balance spells to be very similar in damage out put to a warrior's melee or ranged attacks of equal skill level. I do not know what they will do, but if in game Fireballs can BURNINATE numerous thatched roof corteges at once, and Stone to Flesh can collapse city walls, then there will need to be some sort of counter weight balance to the awesome might magic users can bring to bear upon their enemies and their communities, be that a matter of very limited spells per day, expensive material components, or whatever Goblinworks dreams up.
I risk being flamed by mentioning 4th Edition D&D, but one of the ideas that table top MMO had about magic may work. Spells that are basically combat spells like Magic Missle, or area effect combat spells can be cast relatively quickly and often enough that Wizards are not lame duck members of an party adventurers. Though spells that can change the landscape of the game, destroy buildings, move earth, and bring walls tumbling down are cast through rituals that take far longer then traditional combat spells.
Imagine a city under siege by the enemy. Once that enemy force get's their Wizard in position to start ritual casting you can either react by sending out a band of heroes to try and fight their way to him to interrupt the spell, or get ready for whatever hell that wizard will be unleashing after the ritual is through.
Goblinworks Founder
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Has anyone here ever played the D6 RPG rules before? I think West End Games were the publisher. The original Star Wars RPG used D6 prior to Wizards taking over.
They had an interested mechanic for force users (later translated to magic in the D6 fantasy setting).
The game used a skill system without classes and players were allocated a set number of Dice or "D" that they could distribute among their primary ability scores (Str/Dex/int etc). The decision to be "force sensitive" had to be decided prior to allocating these points. This was because Force became an extra ability score that required "D" from the ability score pool. A Jedi or Force sensitive player would have to sacrifice some of their primary ability scores in order to put dice into the Force score. The same was done for magic in their fantasy system and psionic powers in their modern fantasy rules. It was good because you would sacrifice knowledge or strength in order to place dice into "magic" to make your magic skill worthwhile from the beginning.
As your characters gained experience they were awarded CP's or character points that could be spent on their ability scores and skills. Also, if you decided at a later date that you wanted to learn the force or "magic" you could allocate points to it with CP's albeit you would not be as good as someone that dedicated a whole dice or two at character creation.
Spells were still discovered and taught much like the Vancian system if you wanted. The magic D was just used to determine your skill with magic (and i think as a modifier for damage). Much like you would roll dice with your strength score to make a strength check, you would make a magic roll with your dice to make a magic check. Your martial abilities like brawling and melee combat would use a strength check vs a difficulty class, and your jedi (or magic) abilities like force lightning or force jump would use a force or magic check.
Prior to 3rd editions release in 2k I used the D6 rules for a Dragonlance setting. That magic rule worked great for the wizards that had been taught in the tower of High Sorcery as the Dice they sacrificed for magic mirrored the sacrifice that magic users would make in the Test of the Towers. You could easily make a character like Raistlin who would sacrifice his health for his magic.
I risk being flamed by mentioning 4th Edition D&D, but one of the ideas that table top MMO had about magic may work. Spells that are basically combat spells like Magic Missle, or area effect combat spells can be cast relatively quickly and often enough that Wizards are not lame duck members of an party adventurers. Though spells that can change the landscape of the game, destroy buildings, move earth, and bring walls tumbling down are cast through rituals that take far longer then traditional combat spells.
A 4th Ed reference? Very risky ;)
I played 4e for a number of years. Two. I stopped in 2010 when “Essentials” was released.Actually, I would agree that the Power system of 4th Edition is absolutely relative to the conversation. It is based off of the mechanics of an MMO after all. However, as a TTRPG, it should have never gotten off of the drawing board. But, that is either here nor there.
As we all know, 4th edition mimics (very well) spell casting of MMOs. Daily powers are basically spells which, in MMOs, take a long time to charge. This is the SAME system WoW uses. But, WoW is a Themepark MMO and it has been stated multiple times that PFO will not be that.
So, I ask the group – is a time-based casting system appropriate for a Sandbox-styled MMO?
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Goblin Squad Member
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Well if it's skill based, you could easily end up with a full armor full caster with maxed melee and magic skills, that can stealth and uses poison.
I'm ok with this...in raids, you'd still have to pick a role and play it, becasue of or lack of action economy.
I'd kinda like to make a druid/monk and get my beastlord on...
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Goblin Squad Member
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Well if it's skill based, you could easily end up with a full armor full caster with maxed melee and magic skills, that can stealth and uses poison.
I'm ok with this...in raids, you'd still have to pick a role and play it, becasue of or lack of action economy.
I'd kinda like to make a druid/monk and get my beastlord on...
Maybe yes, maybe no.....
For example in Eve Maxing out your small scout class skills have almost zero effect on you when you are flying around in your Capital ship.
If Mages can not cast while wearing armor then one needs to make a choice between being the Full Plate Tough Guy/Gal for the adventure, or being the Spell Slinger. I like the idea of being able to pursue various different skill sets with one character, but not always being able to call upon all of them at once. It's all up in the air spit balling until Goblinworks or Scott Betts tells us how it is gonna be.
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Goblinworks Founder
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I think it was possible to cast spells in heavy armor in Darkfall Online, but you had to channel your spell through a staff (please do correct me if I'm wrong)
Magic might also be penalized while wearing armor with a chance of failure. We don't know yet.
I am kind of hoping for a nice range of spells like Pathfinder provides, both combat,buffing and non-combat utility.
How the spell is delivered I would like to see something similar to Skyrim or Darkfall, where the spell you want to cast is equiped (Skyrim) or you need to channel spells through a staff or focus (Darkfall) that takes up a free hand.
As for how spells are learned, I am in favor of finding spells as though they were blueprints, scribing them from a scroll or spellbook and adding them to your repertoire could be one possible way. Discovering them by combining effects could be another.
I am impartial to Vancian memorization or a spell point system. They both work. Although Instead of Mana, I would rather see spells and physical actions use the same points pool (action points > mana). Your ability score would reduce the cost of the ability, and the resource pool would stay the same. Mana really only works with class systems where the template class all uses the one pool. Action points work better but this is purely my personal opinion.
Finally, for the actual magic skill to be developed in the same way all of the other skill mechanics work in the game. For continuity.
Disclaimer: The above is in my opinion only. If it stinks I don't want to know what it smells like. I smell roses and cotton candy.
make it real time
spell per day means SPELLS PER DAY. 8 hours rest means 8 HOURS REST
SAME GOES FOR REMOVING FATIGUE AND SUCH
Best idea I've heard yet
Well if it's skill based, you could easily end up with a full armor full caster with maxed melee and magic skills, that can stealth and uses poison.
I'm ok with this...in raids, you'd still have to pick a role and play it, becasue of or lack of action economy.
I'd kinda like to make a druid/monk and get my beastlord on...
Why wouldn't magic be skill based? If fighting and crafting are skill based, then magic will be as well. Remember, the FAQ states that PFO will not function off of traditional class leveling but a progression and advancement of specialized skills.
You could very well be an armored caster who uses poison if you like. However, you would probably find yourself as a jack of all trades. Being mildly proficient at wearing magic and armor but sacrificing both for the sake of versatility – increasing and maxing skills takes time – time that will be divided in multiple skill paths.
Besides, I don’t see PFO doing away with limiting casters to light armor. Every MMO has had this standard – the precedent is too respected to ignore – BUT there could very well be an armored-blaster wizard archetype which could be played.
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Goblin Squad Member
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I like the idea of needing a free hand or a traditional wizardry item equipped for spell casting, but I would not want to have to open up some menu to sort through all of my spells each time I want to switch from casting Burning Hands to Ray of Frost. Creating some sort of free-hand/ Wizardy Item in a hand slot is good by me, just do not limiting Casters to only equipping one spell at a time.
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I am kind of hoping for a nice range of spells like Pathfinder provides, both combat,buffing and non-combat utility.
I would love to see utility spells in PFO. However, a great number of them are designed to affect NPCs. Since PFO is rumored to be a game with few NPCs and a PC generated world, utility spells will probably be not practical or too obtrusive to the game play of others. But, if the developers can make it work - AWESOME!
As for how spells are learned, I am in favor of finding spells as though they were blueprints, scribing them from a scroll or spellbook and adding them to your repertoire could be one possible way. Discovering them by combining effects could be another.
Interesting. Blueprint could be the framework of learning spells. But, when a PC's magic skill gets high enough, they if would be able to modify the original blueprint...in the way that WoP modify and specialize spell effects.
make it real time
spell per day means SPELLS PER DAY. 8 hours rest means 8 HOURS REST
SAME GOES FOR REMOVING FATIGUE AND SUCH
Don't forget an hour-long "study your spellbook!" minigame.
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Goblin Squad Member
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Magicka is a fun little game with an interesting mechanic for spells.
DAoC had a good way to prevent mages being OPed and it also made battles quite tactical:
There were almost no instant spells which seem to rule the current MMO scene. A caster was supposed to actually cast 95% of all spells. Additionally there was no concentration check - if someone hit you, your spell was interrupted (but there was an ability that let you get off one spell every minute without interruption).
So, while casters were extreme powerhouses when left alone they were almost helpless when someone beat on them.
This created a fluid battlefield and many tactical options I sorely miss in todays game of instant-casting-never-worry-ranged-dps-is-always-better-than-melee-dps.
Again....Neverwinter Nights already has made D&D style magic casting for their games...or at least as close as it gets...
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Goblin Squad Member
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Well if it's skill based, you could easily end up with a full armor full caster with maxed melee and magic skills, that can stealth and uses poison.
I'm ok with this...in raids, you'd still have to pick a role and play it, becasue of or lack of action economy.
I'd kinda like to make a druid/monk and get my beastlord on...
Why wouldn't magic be skill based? If fighting and crafting are skill based, then magic will be as well. Remember, the FAQ states that PFO will not function off of traditional class leveling but a progression and advancement of specialized skills.
You could very well be an armored caster who uses poison if you like. However, you would probably find yourself as a jack of all trades. Being mildly proficient at wearing magic and armor but sacrificing both for the sake of versatility – increasing and maxing skills takes time – time that will be divided in multiple skill paths.
Besides, I don’t see PFO doing away with limiting casters to light armor. Every MMO has had this standard – the precedent is too respected to ignore – BUT there could very well be an armored-blaster wizard archetype which could be played.
I'm pretty sure it would be skill based.
If the skill based works like it does in Oblivion, for example, you gain skills simply by doing the action, like jsut putting on Heavy armor give you the skill, and the longer you waer it, the higher it raises. When you make a character in Oblivion, you chose 5 skills, then 7 to start at apprentice level, and these skills will raise faster than normal.If using that template you could choose: Blades, Heavy Armor, Evocation, Conjuration, Stealth as your main five, then choose Marksman, Poison Use and whatever else as your other 7. As you use them they increase.
Still using Oblivion as an example, one you reach journeyman skill in Stealth, you no longer take penalties to it for heavy armor.
If this is they way PFO will work also, then you can easily have a jack of all trade character, but suffer in none, as long as you dedicate the time to it, and make sure you're doing as much as you can regularly.
The elder scrolls games are the only skill based one that im familiar with, so that's why I'm using it as an example...
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How about sliders to let you customize your spells?
The default setting is 100%, and you can mix and match to customize the spell to fit your needs.
Fireball, for example:
Range: 100%
Power: 100%
Area of Effect: 100%
Casting Time: 100%
Mana Cost: 100%
Duration: N/A
You can change and alter the spell to suit your needs at a safe spot, and your spellbook can keep a certain number of pre-altered versions of each spell.
For instance: You are going to help clear out an abandoned mine. The hallways are tight and danger is around every corner, so you prep fireball like this:
Range: 50%
Power: 125%
Area of Effect: 80%
Casting Time: 78.5%
Mana Cost: 125%
Duration: N/A
Because of confined spaces, the need for range and area of effect is lessened. You want more punch and want to get the spell off faster, so you raise those values of the default spell. It's all mobs and no PvP, so you increase Power and Casting Time at the cost of Mana because you know you will have more opportunities to rest.
The higher your magic skill, the more % you can add without increasing the cost, and the farther you can max out a bar.
Fireball sniper:
Range: 200%
Power: 150%
Area of Effect: 30%
Casting Time: 130%
Mana Cost: 200%
Farming low level mobs:
Range: 50%
Power: 100%
Area of Effect: 110%
Casting Time: 100%
Mana Cost: 85%
This idea could be horribly bad or just okay. It's 4am, nothing good really happens about now! :)
How about sliders to let you customize your spells?
Interesting idea. I like the customization options that this idea provides. It makes every spell completely situational – which is what I think spells are supposed to be. This is great for spells which have some sort of numerical effect. But, what about spells that do not damage or heal – entangle, open lock, or even detect magic?
If there is to be a working real-time magic system then it needs to be all encompassing. It is too much work to develop a system which works for some spells but not others.
And, no, the OGL spells-per-day is NOT a real-time magic system.
Àla the rulebook?
You know....Pathfinder....right?
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Goblin Squad Member
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Necro'ing this thread, but an interesting article on magic:
Magic Needs To Be Mysterious and Unpredictable In Games
(magic) It’s about breaking the rules, and thus doesn’t do very well when it’s forced to strictly abide by them.
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I risk being flamed by mentioning 4th Edition D&D, but one of the ideas that table top MMO had about magic may work. Spells that are basically combat spells like Magic Missle, or area effect combat spells can be cast relatively quickly and often enough that Wizards are not lame duck members of an party adventurers. Though spells that can change the landscape of the game, destroy buildings, move earth, and bring walls tumbling down are cast through rituals that take far longer then traditional combat spells.
Imagine a city under siege by the enemy. Once that enemy force get's their Wizard in position to start ritual casting you can either react by sending out a band of heroes to try and fight their way to him to interrupt the spell, or get ready for whatever hell that wizard will be unleashing after the ritual is through.
This sounds very cool, and was one of the reasons why I thought 4E was structured that way, to make it ideally suited to convert to online play.
Having the single target spells be primarily 'at will powers' that use up X amount of 'mana' (measured in spell levels or spell slots), and then the larger area of effect or game-changing spells require extended casting times, material components and / or having lengthy recharge times, could definitely be one way to go.
Dark Ages of Camelot had intended to have such a concept, pre-release, with the Theurgist class being touted in earlier documents as being masters of 'seige magic,' but they never got around to implementing it, and by the time they implemented any sort of seige mechanic, it was player crafted seige engines, which had to be constructed on site, and could be 'interrupted' by attacking the crafters. (Presumably the seige magic, had it been implemented, would have worked similarly, requiring the Theurgists to set up a position within archery / interruption range of the target structure, and begin channeling magic, and if not recognized as such and stopped before they finished, unleashing some powerful effect, like, in that classes purview, probably summoning a giant earth elemental or something.)
I'd imagine that part of the problem with balancing that sort of thing would be preventing it from being exploited or used in PvE (I stand outside the goblin camp and summon my seige elemental!), by limiting it to only work in PvP battlegrounds, or only damage PvP-able structures (and not random NPC shops in static settlements or whatever).
Presumably other classes in the other two realms would have had similar seige magics, perhaps Druids calling forth natural forces to tear down structures (like the Ents attacking Orthanc) or Thanes calling down thunderstorms / gale-force winds to blast apart buildings.
The crazy 'spells of mass destruction' like earthquake or firestorm or incendiary cloud or meteor swarm or a high level use of control winds could use a similar mechanic, damaging structures, as well as people, but requiring extensive 'prep time.'
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Goblin Squad Member
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It seems likely that some sort of skill-based system will be used for the PFO magic system. In the current D&D cast-and-forget system two new spells are added each time a new wizard level is gained. There is no reason why this couldn’t be simulated in a skill based system, such as queuing your wizard to learn fireball spell once the other requirements are met.
I really enjoyed the magic system of the “Temple of Elemental Evil” computer game. I liked how once combat was initiated you entered turn-based combat system. And when you cast certain AOE spells you were given a template that highlighted what was actually going to be affected. I doubt a turn-based system is feasible for an MMO, however it would be great if they used an AOE system for the relevant spells.
I like the idea of spells being combinations of various spell components (range, duration, casting time etc) as this would add a huge element of customization. While it would be great to be able to learn a fireball spell, it would also be amazing if you could tweak it slightly to suit your tastes.
I’ve got mixed feelings about being able to sculpt/change a spell on the fly. As long as it was only affecting things like range, area of effect and other minor changes I would be ok with this sort of trade off. I’d hate for a wizard to be able to change a fireball spell to a lightning ball or acid ball on the fly, as it would make wizards too awesome. I’d rather learn/research a spell and then be able to do some minor alterations while still retaining the overall theme of the spell.
It would also be great if through adventuring, discovering hidden lore, or achieving certain merit badges that certain spells or types of spells could be unlocked. Such as corrupt, necrotic, draconic, coldfire or Azlanti spells could be researched. If a players could research/create spells by combining various effects, then perhaps certain achievements could allow a spellcaster to add these restricted elements to their spells.
Another cool option would be to have different levels of specialization with a spell. When a spell is first learn’t (such as fireball) it could start at a basic skill level. Investing additional time in perfecting a spell could in some of the following options:
• reduce the casting time
• increased the AOE
• increased damage
• increased critical chance
• increased range
• increased save difficulty
• increased penetration of spell resistance
• change energy type on the fly
• etc
Recently I watched the new Neverwinter online gameplay video (the one with infinite ? magic missile video)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRAtEIRjRIw
Some may like this kind of combat for a caster, though personally I hope a wizard wouldn't be like this, felt rather like a hack & slash game. ie. Gaunlet legend, the King of dragons
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Goblin Squad Member
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I like the idea of spells being combinations of various spell components (range, duration, casting time etc) as this would add a huge element of customization. While it would be great to be able to learn a fireball spell, it would also be amazing if you could tweak it slightly to suit your tastes.
Having played Ryzom enough to really get my fill of customizing all of my abilities, I really think a better way is to give the player the option of learning a customization. So, once you learn Fireball, you can choose to learn variations on it that have different balances between Power/Cost/Range, etc. Perhaps even allow a "capstone" fireball, once you learn all the variations.