please consider using spell level modifiers to initiative similar to 2e in balancing spells, rather than the heavy nerf to all spells that is present in this edition. Magic does not feel dangerous or deadly in this edition. I dont see why anyone would fear or cower from mages in the real world of pathfinder.
It is my opinion that a lot of the balance issues 3.0 and 3.5 was due to the addition of concentration checks, do I agree with their removal, but another issue was the removal of speed modifiers. casters were able to cast extremely power high level spells with no tactical considerations. high level spells should be powerful, giving the casters an initiative modifier equal to the spell level is to me a better solution, than the watering down of magic, to where the word I would use to describe many high level spells is quaint.
They kind of have. Spells take different amount of actions to cast depending on how many components they use. Acid Arrow takes 2 actions. MAgic Missile 1 action or more if you want to power it up a bit. Summon Monster is 3 action
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What Greylurker said, your 'casting speed' is now the number of actions it takes to cast your spell. Many spells are 2 actions, and a few are 3.
To expand on the Magic Missile:
1 action (Verbal) = 1 missile for 1d4+1 damage
2 actions (Verbal/Somatic) = 2 missiles for 1d4+1 damage each
3 actions (Verbal/Somatic/Material) = 3 missiles for 1d4+1 damage each
IF you heighten the spell you get 1 extra missile for each action beyond 1 (2 actions = 3, 3 actions = 5)
Many other spells share this same kind of action economy.
Note, if you spend all 3 actions on your spell, you can't do anything else that round. The idea behind that is to show how much more can be done by focusing on the spell rather than doing things like moving. Of course it also means you now have to weigh the benefits of extra actions vs. things like moving or readying a wand.