True, true, I just found a few projects that are trying to do the same thing on the web, but that will not deter me. The plan I have for my system is different enough that it truly is unique.
I shall draw strength from it''s uniqueness, for is it not true that it is unique in it''s similarity?
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A unique (hopefully) magic system idea....
Sadly, the internet would impede the challenge secret spells - as soon as someone learns a spell combination, it will be on the internet down to the smallest detail. A novel idea, but you''d have rookies running around with the top of line spells from day 1 that they sucked off a list on the internet.
Author
The beauty of this (now revised) system, is that the user cannot specify the MP (or any other stat used for magic) that the magic drains, or the magic sphere mastery required. Another point is, that even mastering a sphere, some spells will kill you (as in DEAD) if you even try to attempt them (dont wory, you're guy will give you a warning... maybee say "This spell is beyond me...")
Now to counter your 'secret spells' thing; anyone should be able to cast the simple, straitforward spells -- but it takes true genius to cast a spell in a new and creative way (take my wind shell example). Or maybe a spell scripter wants to be artistic, and has his spell lift the target off the ground with a gust of wind, and strikes him with lightning from all directions while he is in the air.
It's about the user, and I believe that this type of game will encourage a type of 'spell trading' that has never before been seen in a game. I honestly believe that it could also lead to mage's taking on true apprentices, teaching them all the tricks and spells they've learned/created. Such deapths of magik users has been seen before.
P.S. There will be massive balancing so that level 1 mages can only cast level 1 spells (or the equivilent thereof) and, if they're lucky, level 2 spells
Edited by - Solthar on August 21, 2000 1:11:54 PM
Now to counter your 'secret spells' thing; anyone should be able to cast the simple, straitforward spells -- but it takes true genius to cast a spell in a new and creative way (take my wind shell example). Or maybe a spell scripter wants to be artistic, and has his spell lift the target off the ground with a gust of wind, and strikes him with lightning from all directions while he is in the air.
It's about the user, and I believe that this type of game will encourage a type of 'spell trading' that has never before been seen in a game. I honestly believe that it could also lead to mage's taking on true apprentices, teaching them all the tricks and spells they've learned/created. Such deapths of magik users has been seen before.
P.S. There will be massive balancing so that level 1 mages can only cast level 1 spells (or the equivilent thereof) and, if they're lucky, level 2 spells
Edited by - Solthar on August 21, 2000 1:11:54 PM
Wow, I must say that is a very original way of doing it... I think that would add a LOT of RP into the game... for instance, a band of evil players assaults the home of an old, wise, mage, and he concots a massive spell never seen before that wipes out the entire assaulting party -- that situation could go down in the "history" of the world in the game. And the player could become famous for his spell... spells themselves could have a history of their creation. And the spellbook of a powerful mage could become a very precious item!!
I think that games would end up being a lot more like tabletop AD&D and books written about the universes that tabletop games take place in (ie the Forgotten Realms stuff).
- SantaClaws
I think that games would end up being a lot more like tabletop AD&D and books written about the universes that tabletop games take place in (ie the Forgotten Realms stuff).
- SantaClaws
I am just pointing out that any one starting the RPG late in the game will have pretty much a complete list of spells already so the fun of discovery will be gone from the magic side of the house. You can only have so many permiatations of magic combinations not unless you figure out a universal way to get the spell pieces to interact in a new manner so that you can have nearly infinite spell steps (like anyone is going to sit and wait for someone to finish a 1005342 step spell to cast on them) after a point, spell combinations will become tedious as fighters with uber weapons will dash Mr Wizard as he is trying to cast a high level spell.
If you add a speed enhancement as a result of casting each different spell step or type after each casting or X number of castings, it might balance out. Of course spell queing would also be a must for a player (que the combination and assign it to a hot key).
Still all said and done, it won''t be as exciting for the first person to learn spells as it would be for the 105th person as all the combinations that work would have mostly been found. The fix for that would be to assign each player a unique hash key that randomly causes combinations to work for that individual and only that individual. For training, the NPCs know the key and can teach spells to the player in that player''s style of magic. Some spells will have a common set of actions that can only be used by certian allignment characters and their key set (or magically orientate themselves to the character''s key set so that the scroll, once picked up, will be encoded to that player''s key). This will allow a common base of known spell combinations for the computer, yet allow/force each player to learn their own magic combinations.
If you add a speed enhancement as a result of casting each different spell step or type after each casting or X number of castings, it might balance out. Of course spell queing would also be a must for a player (que the combination and assign it to a hot key).
Still all said and done, it won''t be as exciting for the first person to learn spells as it would be for the 105th person as all the combinations that work would have mostly been found. The fix for that would be to assign each player a unique hash key that randomly causes combinations to work for that individual and only that individual. For training, the NPCs know the key and can teach spells to the player in that player''s style of magic. Some spells will have a common set of actions that can only be used by certian allignment characters and their key set (or magically orientate themselves to the character''s key set so that the scroll, once picked up, will be encoded to that player''s key). This will allow a common base of known spell combinations for the computer, yet allow/force each player to learn their own magic combinations.
Author
OK. Lets explain how I envision the actual workings of the system, from scratch...
For the Elemental Spheres:
1. Each spell shall be of one or more spheres/aspects
2. Mastery in one sphere shall give your spells greater power and shorter cast time for less MP
3. Each spell must take the form of an object, in game terms a model. This can be any of the models used in the game (yes, you can make a firetree)
4. Each object gives the user the ability to set its Size, orientation, and velocity, with higher size''s and velocitys requireing more mp than small, stationary objects (eg, weak stationary traps use less mp than huge fast fireballs)
For the other spheres:
1. Each spell shall be of one or more spheres/aspects
2. Mastery in one sphere shall give your spells greater power and shorter cast time for less MP
3. The caster must specify a target object or being
4. All but the good and evil sphere''s require a secondary sphere to be defined (eg, enchant/weapon and air/lightning or enchant/armour and good/light)
and a whole lot of other stuff :-)
For the Elemental Spheres:
1. Each spell shall be of one or more spheres/aspects
2. Mastery in one sphere shall give your spells greater power and shorter cast time for less MP
3. Each spell must take the form of an object, in game terms a model. This can be any of the models used in the game (yes, you can make a firetree)
4. Each object gives the user the ability to set its Size, orientation, and velocity, with higher size''s and velocitys requireing more mp than small, stationary objects (eg, weak stationary traps use less mp than huge fast fireballs)
For the other spheres:
1. Each spell shall be of one or more spheres/aspects
2. Mastery in one sphere shall give your spells greater power and shorter cast time for less MP
3. The caster must specify a target object or being
4. All but the good and evil sphere''s require a secondary sphere to be defined (eg, enchant/weapon and air/lightning or enchant/armour and good/light)
and a whole lot of other stuff :-)
This idea is inspiring. What I was imagining as I read it was that the scripting of these spells would be done outside the game, ie in notepad or something. I think what would be really cool would be if the scripting was done in the game, say in a wizardry college or whatever. This would mean you could limit the creation of the spells such that they cannot be made to be unbalanced. (that would take a looooooong time of beta testing though!) I think if you provided the player with enough options in spell creation that you truly could make a near-infinite number of spells.
Author
YIPPIE! Someone finally grasped my idea!
Ok... I think I found a format for my spell scripting system (or systems in this case)
Basically, the implementer would create a caste based magic system, one like the outlined one which follows:
1. War Mage: Mage warriors that control the very elements themselves.
A. The Sphere of Air
I. Wind*
II. Lightning*
B. The Sphere of Fire
I. Flame*
II. ?????*
C. The Sphere of Earth
I. Rock*
II. ?????*
D. The Sphere of Water
I. Water*
II. ?????*
2. Enchanter/Enchantress: Mages devoted to the manipulation of the magical energies surrounding objects and other people.
A. The Sphere of Imbuing (gives magical properties to items)
I. Fire
II. Earth
III. Lightning
IV. Water
B. The Sphere of Curses and Blessings
I. Strength
II. Dexterity
III. One for each other stat....
3. Necromancers/Demonologists: Mages that are fascinated by the energies of the nine hells, they will do anything to further their power.
A. The Sphere of Necromancy
I. Vampyrism
II. Raise dead (cant use on Players bodies)
III. Poison*
B. The Sphere of Demonology (demons greater than users level/2 will destroy his soul)
I. Succubus
II. (list other demon types here...)
C. The Sphere of Summoning (must of defeated summoned creature monsterlevel/2 times before)
I. (each defeated monster)
4.Light Mage: Mages that focus on doing right in the land. These mages get xp for helping others.
A. The Sphere of Holy
I. Holy*
II. Light*
III. Turn (undead)*
B. The Sphere of Health
I. Heal
II. Cure
III. Regenerate*
* denotes an aspect that requires it to be bound to an object. Absence of a * means that the spell cannot affect an area, an must be targeted specificly
Ok... I think I found a format for my spell scripting system (or systems in this case)
Basically, the implementer would create a caste based magic system, one like the outlined one which follows:
1. War Mage: Mage warriors that control the very elements themselves.
A. The Sphere of Air
I. Wind*
II. Lightning*
B. The Sphere of Fire
I. Flame*
II. ?????*
C. The Sphere of Earth
I. Rock*
II. ?????*
D. The Sphere of Water
I. Water*
II. ?????*
2. Enchanter/Enchantress: Mages devoted to the manipulation of the magical energies surrounding objects and other people.
A. The Sphere of Imbuing (gives magical properties to items)
I. Fire
II. Earth
III. Lightning
IV. Water
B. The Sphere of Curses and Blessings
I. Strength
II. Dexterity
III. One for each other stat....
3. Necromancers/Demonologists: Mages that are fascinated by the energies of the nine hells, they will do anything to further their power.
A. The Sphere of Necromancy
I. Vampyrism
II. Raise dead (cant use on Players bodies)
III. Poison*
B. The Sphere of Demonology (demons greater than users level/2 will destroy his soul)
I. Succubus
II. (list other demon types here...)
C. The Sphere of Summoning (must of defeated summoned creature monsterlevel/2 times before)
I. (each defeated monster)
4.Light Mage: Mages that focus on doing right in the land. These mages get xp for helping others.
A. The Sphere of Holy
I. Holy*
II. Light*
III. Turn (undead)*
B. The Sphere of Health
I. Heal
II. Cure
III. Regenerate*
* denotes an aspect that requires it to be bound to an object. Absence of a * means that the spell cannot affect an area, an must be targeted specificly
People could make a living out of their skills for real in a game with magic like this. Enchanters wouldn''t have to be all-powerful beings, they could just be simply mages with a few spells. All the other mages might come to them to have their spellbooks made theft-proof. Maybe a farmer would stop in to have their pregnant pig blessed. Or maybe that same farmer would contract a team of enchanters to come and bless his entire corn field!
As I think about it, a magic system like this would turn spell-scripters into programmers (in some sense). Think about it...they''d all be trying to write optimized spells! There would eventually be a definitive "fireball" or "heal" spell, because these would be refined until they could no longer be...but the best spells would be both powerful and efficient!
As I think about it, a magic system like this would turn spell-scripters into programmers (in some sense). Think about it...they''d all be trying to write optimized spells! There would eventually be a definitive "fireball" or "heal" spell, because these would be refined until they could no longer be...but the best spells would be both powerful and efficient!
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