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A Question of Magic
Topic Started: February 15, 2013, 1:21 pm (1,094 Views)
Onime No Ryu
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The magic system. Personally, the bane of my creative process, as I try to make every RP I make with a different magic system in mind. Whether shooting fireballs is done at will, by speech, by writing a magic letter on paper, every RP that's fantasy based has a magic system.

I've got some ideas, but first I wanna hear what you guys think. What kind of magic system do you guys PREFER? What kinds do you dislike? What are some problems that you commonly have with the usual types of magic systems--the kind where you simply will it to happen, or shout out the attack name, and the spell is released? What are some advantages of those systems?

Once I hear back from you guys, I'll post some of my ideas and we can start modifying them.

By the way, if it wasn't obvious, this is a followup to the "A Question of Evil" topic. So keep that setting in mind, and let's come up with a magic system that fits it.
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Kazemitsu
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I prefer gesturing really. Cuz invocation sounds kinda stupid. Who wants to keep shouting "FIREBALL" whenever they wanna fart out a ball of fire? Gestures seem better to me, since it also puts a weakness in. If you bind someone and they have no way of moving then no more spell. Invocation, you could still muffle mumble the spell name and you got your spell. But I'd prefer magic to be severely limited since we tend to spam the fuck out of our spells.
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NTNP
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Hmm, good questions...

I prefer a magic system with inherent, logical limits to keep people from becoming masters of all. We shouldn't have a super hybrid with all the best spells, abilities and stats running around. Balance is the key in just about anything really.

I dislike the willy nilly magic systems that allow for anything without any sense of balance. Realistically if you become a spell user, there should be limits that keep you from being "mr. amazing" at everything.

I have a number of issues with the current "elemental" magic system. Firstly, many spells are just shoehorned into an element without any real sense of balance to it. Also there is no real "connection" between many types of spells. I feel like schools of magic (destruction, restoration, transmutation, necromancy etc) would provide a much better balance all the way around.

As far as what "triggers" the effect, I really don't care. But I dislike the incantations. I like using them when I feel like it, not because I have to. It stipples creativity and lessens the ability to use stealth. I feel like most spells should have "charging" times. The weakest could just be thinking it -> it happening (like abilities) to moderate strength ones that require standing still (thus being open to attacks) for a turn or so, all the way to ones that require complex rituals that take days upon days of preparation. Also I feel like we should be able to use large scale magic that way, if we research something, get enough parts together and prepare long enough I think a teleportation spell, creating a big damn tidal wave, summoning a dragon or forming the megazord should all be possible. But it requires a lot of time and makes a signal to the powers that be.

Using the "evil, broken world" example. Say we choose to summon a dragon from another world to attack the general's castle. We should be able to do that. If we gather the right materials (perhaps as a mini quest, self led by the RPers) and then spend 2-3 days getting the components together, sitting down with our spell casters to make it happen and having our warriors defend them, I see nothing wrong with conjuring up a dragon, setting it on it's path and watching the destruction just like the powers of evil do. There is a balance to both sides being able to do about the same thing.

But you should expect that the evil powers that be will learn about our plan, either through scrying for it or common sense, and will attempt to stop us. Both of these things make perfectly logical sense and offer up another option for us to explore. Large scale magic, let us use it and see how well we can really plan.
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Keith
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simplest of spells can be performed by thought, like lighting a candle

majority of spells are done with gesture(s), like a fireball

upper tier spells require incantations with gestures THAT CAN BE DONE WHILE MOVING also incantations dont have to be some cheesy long-winded line, can be a single word, like a firestorm

only the most powerful of spells should require people to stand still + gesture + incantation, like a nuclear bomb

people who specialize in magic can break these rules, ie cast an upper tier spell without an incantation or with a shortened incantation, but nuclear bomb-tier spells would lose effectiveness by doing this

ALSO bastardizing physics in order to "explain" magic is dumb because no matter what it boils down to "its fucking magic" - if it were physically possible we would be doing it instead of sitting in our basements writing out fantasies about it
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Onime No Ryu
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Kaze
 
I prefer gesturing really. Cuz invocation sounds kinda stupid. Who wants to keep shouting "FIREBALL" whenever they wanna fart out a ball of fire? Gestures seem better to me, since it also puts a weakness in. If you bind someone and they have no way of moving then no more spell. Invocation, you could still muffle mumble the spell name and you got your spell. But I'd prefer magic to be severely limited since we tend to spam the fuck out of our spells.


So you'd prefer something more like the hand seals of Naruto's magic or the movement based bending of Avatar's abilities? How could that be limited to prevent spamming, though?

NTNP
 
I prefer a magic system with inherent, logical limits to keep people from becoming masters of all. We shouldn't have a super hybrid with all the best spells, abilities and stats running around. Balance is the key in just about anything really.

I dislike the willy nilly magic systems that allow for anything without any sense of balance. Realistically if you become a spell user, there should be limits that keep you from being "mr. amazing" at everything.

I have a number of issues with the current "elemental" magic system. Firstly, many spells are just shoehorned into an element without any real sense of balance to it. Also there is no real "connection" between many types of spells. I feel like schools of magic (destruction, restoration, transmutation, necromancy etc) would provide a much better balance all the way around.

As far as what "triggers" the effect, I really don't care. But I dislike the incantations. I like using them when I feel like it, not because I have to. It stipples creativity and lessens the ability to use stealth. I feel like most spells should have "charging" times. The weakest could just be thinking it -> it happening (like abilities) to moderate strength ones that require standing still (thus being open to attacks) for a turn or so, all the way to ones that require complex rituals that take days upon days of preparation. Also I feel like we should be able to use large scale magic that way, if we research something, get enough parts together and prepare long enough I think a teleportation spell, creating a big damn tidal wave, summoning a dragon or forming the megazord should all be possible. But it requires a lot of time and makes a signal to the powers that be.


So you would like a more research/object based type of magic, perhaps in a system where PEOPLE don't have the power but OBJECTS do? Say, for example, there are crystals of pure magic energy in the environment, trees that feed on mana instead of water, etc? This would be the kind of environment I would think would be appropriate for a magic system where you have to gather materials. Otherwise, just gathering up stuff to use as spell components doesn't make much sense.

Perhaps I'm missing the point, though. Could you give a clearer example of some of the spells this kind of system would use, similar to what Burnt did?

Burnt
 
simplest of spells can be performed by thought, like lighting a candle

majority of spells are done with gesture(s), like a fireball

upper tier spells require incantations with gestures THAT CAN BE DONE WHILE MOVING also incantations dont have to be some cheesy long-winded line, can be a single word, like a firestorm

only the most powerful of spells should require people to stand still + gesture + incantation, like a nuclear bomb

people who specialize in magic can break these rules, ie cast an upper tier spell without an incantation or with a shortened incantation, but nuclear bomb-tier spells would lose effectiveness by doing this


So again, you would prefer something like Naruto's hand seals or Avatar's bending, this time combined with simple verbal phrases like how we usually shout out attack names?
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Kazemitsu
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The handseals just help focus the jutsu. I'm thinking more along the lines of movement, intent, and thought. All combined, without one of the three the entire thing just doesn't work. Although a specified movement would be best, like a throwing motion for ball type spells. A sweeping motion for waves/blade type spells, etc etc.
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Keith
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Onime No Ryu
February 15, 2013, 5:20 pm
So again, you would prefer something like Naruto's hand seals or Avatar's bending, this time combined with simple verbal phrases like how we usually shout out attack names?
Yeah. I would lean more towards the Avatar-style bending though. The verbal phrases would only be for stronger spells that aren't used frequently, to avoid people shouting LIGHTNING BOLT LIGHTNING BOLT LIGHTNING BOLT LIGHTNING BOLT all the time. Instead they'd just do something like raise their arm above their head, clench their fist, and bring it down. As the fist comes down, lightning strikes the desired spot. But if they wanted to create a thunderstorm to constantly rain lightning down on an area they'd have to get fancy with the words, even if it's just "Thunderstorm!"

As far as spam prevention goes I'm not really sure. Maybe make it so that magic is much weaker than what we're used to? Realistically, getting hit in the face with a lightning bolt would be nasty, but if it were a ~*~*~*~magical~*~*~*~ lightning bolt maybe it would only be akin to getting punched in the face, only more tingly and maybe with a temporary weak side effect, like numbness if the same spot is constantly struck. This would put mages more in line with fighters while giving hybrids some utility and now my train of thought is derailed and I feel like I'm starting to ramble.
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Onime No Ryu
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burntmeat
February 15, 2013, 5:53 pm
Yeah. I would lean more towards the Avatar-style bending though. The verbal phrases would only be for stronger spells that aren't used frequently, to avoid people shouting LIGHTNING BOLT LIGHTNING BOLT LIGHTNING BOLT LIGHTNING BOLT all the time. Instead they'd just do something like raise their arm above their head, clench their fist, and bring it down. As the fist comes down, lightning strikes the desired spot. But if they wanted to create a thunderstorm to constantly rain lightning down on an area they'd have to get fancy with the words, even if it's just "Thunderstorm!"

As far as spam prevention goes I'm not really sure. Maybe make it so that magic is much weaker than what we're used to? Realistically, getting hit in the face with a lightning bolt would be nasty, but if it were a ~*~*~*~magical~*~*~*~ lightning bolt maybe it would only be akin to getting punched in the face, only more tingly and maybe with a temporary weak side effect, like numbness if the same spot is constantly struck. This would put mages more in line with fighters while giving hybrids some utility and now my train of thought is derailed and I feel like I'm starting to ramble.
Maybe we could weaken magic by saying it's mankind's attempt to control the forces of nature, but because nature was made by the gods, and the gods made mankind, mankind can therefore only make weak imitations of nature. Thus getting hit with a magic lightning bolt isn't the same as a real lightning bolt.
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Keith
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Yeah I suppose that could work.
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NTNP
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Onime No Ryu
February 15, 2013, 5:20 pm
NTNP
 
I prefer a magic system with inherent, logical limits to keep people from becoming masters of all. We shouldn't have a super hybrid with all the best spells, abilities and stats running around. Balance is the key in just about anything really.

I dislike the willy nilly magic systems that allow for anything without any sense of balance. Realistically if you become a spell user, there should be limits that keep you from being "mr. amazing" at everything.

I have a number of issues with the current "elemental" magic system. Firstly, many spells are just shoehorned into an element without any real sense of balance to it. Also there is no real "connection" between many types of spells. I feel like schools of magic (destruction, restoration, transmutation, necromancy etc) would provide a much better balance all the way around.

As far as what "triggers" the effect, I really don't care. But I dislike the incantations. I like using them when I feel like it, not because I have to. It stipples creativity and lessens the ability to use stealth. I feel like most spells should have "charging" times. The weakest could just be thinking it -> it happening (like abilities) to moderate strength ones that require standing still (thus being open to attacks) for a turn or so, all the way to ones that require complex rituals that take days upon days of preparation. Also I feel like we should be able to use large scale magic that way, if we research something, get enough parts together and prepare long enough I think a teleportation spell, creating a big damn tidal wave, summoning a dragon or forming the megazord should all be possible. But it requires a lot of time and makes a signal to the powers that be.


So you would like a more research/object based type of magic, perhaps in a system where PEOPLE don't have the power but OBJECTS do? Say, for example, there are crystals of pure magic energy in the environment, trees that feed on mana instead of water, etc? This would be the kind of environment I would think would be appropriate for a magic system where you have to gather materials. Otherwise, just gathering up stuff to use as spell components doesn't make much sense.

Perhaps I'm missing the point, though. Could you give a clearer example of some of the spells this kind of system would use, similar to what Burnt did?
I think that for low level spells (using say FF spells for simplicity) that pure thoughts should work for the lowest tier spells like fire or blizzard. These spells come from the individual and are personal magics.

For moderate level spells, such as say Watera, Cure, Shield or even semi magical abilities like Flame Slash, it should require a gesture. I personally prefer to stick with the idea of it being less a particular movement than a visual cue of what is coming. A visible aura appears, the person drops into a particular stance, they maintain that pose for a moment etc. I also think that most physical abilities (akin to limit breaks) should also function this way. Basically a heads up that something is coming. These sorts of spells come from the individual and are personal magics.

For upper level spells, like Firaga, Haste or maybe even some upper level magical + physical abilities like Ultima Blow, that an incarnation should be used alongside the gesture. I would even include that this requires a person to take no other action that turn. These moves are usually fight changers after all and thus deserve the opportunity to be stopped by the opposition before they take effect. This is the top level of personal magics and for less skilled magicians, often times require additional resources like catalysts to use effectively.

For high level spells, like summoning of various "spirit creatures", casting powerful spells like Death, Flare or entire group hitting spells like Celestial Stop, I think that it should require a person to remain stationary for multiple turns, usually equal to the number of targets or equal to the number of turns that this spell will remain in effect along with requiring more than just the spell caster to use. These types of spells usually destroy a single target in one hit or decimate large groups and thus should have clear signs that they are coming. This level of magic cannot be used by spellcasters without materials and as such, are relatively rare. Although the process of casting them might be easy enough to learn, getting what you need to do it can be limiting.

For the top level spells, such as say the conjuration of large otherworldly creatures (like say Bahumat) or calling down a Meteor to destroy an entire town, it would require a ritual. These rituals cannot (or should not) be done in combat and require significant planning to have work. But the effects are downright magnificent. If there is any sort of "catalyst" such as giant naturally occurring magic crystals, veins of energy etc flowing through the world, then it is only spells like this that would demand it. Just like with the various "big bads" of the narratives, this power would be accessible to either the good guys or the bad guys.

So basically, magic is split in half. The weaker end is "personal" magic. The upper end is "ritual" magic. Personal magic is gained through experience and manipulating the radiant magics of the world. Ritual magic requires knowledge (fairly easy to acquire, all things considered) but require various, increasingly powerful catalysts to be used. Personal magic can be used in battle effectively. Ritual magic is used more often for plot purposes. Personal magic is 'quick' while ritual magic is slow. Basically a ying to the yang.

In the example of the super weapon that altered the balance of power, imagine a sorcerer with access to one of those "super" catalysts who is able to fire off a meteor to anywhere that pissed him off too much or summoning massive fiends to demolish the opposition. He could be a master of ritual magics (which are highly powerful) but it also explains why he doesn't just use it to finish everything because it likely drains that location's magic for a while. Like say in the entire kingdom under his control there are only 6 "super" spots. In the last war he had to use 4 of them to win, leaving only two remaining. The first one he used, now say 3-5 years ago, has just started to regain enough magic to use again. Thus another balancing tool is realized, top level ritual magic can't be spammed. Personal magics can (although perhaps over use causes the person to pass out eventually or something) but ritual magics drain the immediate area, or require a sacrifice or something that keeps them powerful but rare.
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Onime No Ryu
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Alright, now that we've had some feedback about what we like and don't like in magic systems, here are some of my ideas. After hearing what everyone has said, I realize that these systems may not be to everyone's tastes--especially since Movement (gesture) based magic seems popular. But that's why I'm opening the floor to you guys so that whatever system is the most popular can be further modified to suit our wants.

RUNE MAGIC

SIGN MAGIC

MYSTSPHERES
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Garm0099
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What if we tried bringing in Psionics? Where to cast (or the official term is use I guess) a power, one merely has to think on it and materialize it. Now this could technically become a problem where someone without moving or anything at all could technically shoot out lasers of pure thought, what if the characters lived in a world where they didn't realize it? This opens the possibility of people making their own limitations to use their own powers that come actually just as simply as a thought. Maybe one person makes themselves believe their powers only work in moments of pure emotion/rage. Maybe another only can use their powers by moving their arms around. This also opens up the possibility of different kinds of "magic" being formed. Someone could think their god is giving them powers to shoot beams of light when they pray, someone else may think they made a deal with a devil and with dark incantations they can throw dark energy at others. I think it would be a strange system but an interesting one as pretty much everyone would have their own interpretation of how powers work for their character and you can actually have backstory affect it too. Not only that, but if you say Psionics are open to everyone, suddenly warriors who think they hit stuff hard are actually using something that augments their strength whenever they swing their arms in an arc.

After writing this this probably won't fit in pretty much any system ever since it really isn't magic, just augmented thought, but I still think it is a fun idea nonetheless. Take it as you will I guess.
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Keith
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They're all kinda eh. If I had to choose one I'd say I like Mystspheres the most, since it kind of reminds me of Path of Exile's skill gem system. Would we be able to come up with our own spheres with your approval?
Edited by Keith, February 16, 2013, 5:13 am.
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Onime No Ryu
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burntmeat
February 16, 2013, 2:03 am
They're all kinda eh. If I had to choose one I'd say I like Mystspheres the most, since it kind of reminds me of Path of Exile's skill gem system. Would we be able to come up with our own spheres with your approval?
Sure, but then those spheres would be available to everyone throughout the RP, even the villains--unless maybe that was something your character did over the COURSE of the RP, figuring out how the spheres work and then custom-hacking one to be completely unique. It wouldn't really be something you could start out with.

I realize that, compared to what we've been talking about, these ideas aren't quite up to snuff. What are some suggestions to make these systems better? Or, you could write up your own system, explaining how it works and whatnot, and submit that.
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Keith
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tbh I think the Mystspheres are perfectly fine and the more I think about it the more I like it
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Onime No Ryu
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burntmeat
February 16, 2013, 9:58 am
tbh I think the Mystspheres are perfectly fine and the more I think about it the more I like it
Yay!

I was thinking that the Mystspheres also fit very well into the dark setting, as the Big Bad could send his prisoners and whatnot into the mines to mine Mystium or Mythium or Mythicite or whatever I decide to call the crystals that Mystspheres are made out of.

I might also include certain kinds of special physical abilities as Mystspheres too--they can pretty much be used for anything, considering that it's not the materials they're made of that give them their properties, but the programming and work that goes into that material afterwards.

And the whole "limited customization" thing can be somewhat bypassed by just making a whole bunch of preset spells, so that by getting different varieities of spells everyone can still be somewhat unique in their movesets.
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Winters
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Bit late to the party, but here's my two cents.

I'll be honest and say that I can't see much of a difference for the Rune and Mystsphere systems, aside from Runes having finite use. If I had to pick a preferred system out of the two, it would be Mystspheres.

My favorite is still the Sign system, although that could very well be my bias, seeing how I helped you create it. It is admittedly very complex, although perhaps that could be simplified. Really though, what I like most about this is that it actually explains just where the energy powering magic is coming from.

The question of where magical energy comes from isn't easy to answer. While we usually tend to handwave it by using the old concept of mana, that still doesn't explain just how a human/insert creature here is able to contain such an extraordinary amount of energy. So in that regard, I agree with NTNP. Without anything augmenting their energy capacity, a person can't reasonably cast something as crazy as Meteor. They would probably die from the toll that the spell requires from their bodies long before they could actually bring about something so apocalyptic.

At any rate, I don't really have much of an opinion on gestures, other than you shouldn't feel the need to shove them into a magic system, just because people liked the idea.
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Onime No Ryu
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Winters
February 16, 2013, 1:12 pm
Bit late to the party, but here's my two cents.

I'll be honest and say that I can't see much of a difference for the Rune and Mystsphere systems, aside from Runes having finite use. If I had to pick a preferred system out of the two, it would be Mystspheres.

My favorite is still the Sign system, although that could very well be my bias, seeing how I helped you create it. It is admittedly very complex, although perhaps that could be simplified. Really though, what I like most about this is that it actually explains just where the energy powering magic is coming from.

The question of where magical energy comes from isn't easy to answer. While we usually tend to handwave it by using the old concept of mana, that still doesn't explain just how a human/insert creature here is able to contain such an extraordinary amount of energy. So in that regard, I agree with NTNP. Without anything augmenting their energy capacity, a person can't reasonably cast something as crazy as Meteor. They would probably die from the toll that the spell requires from their bodies long before they could actually bring about something so apocalyptic.

At any rate, I don't really have much of an opinion on gestures, other than you shouldn't feel the need to shove them into a magic system, just because people liked the idea.
That's another advantage the rune system and Mystspheres have over the Signs and even the traditional methods of casting magic--there's no mana to keep track of, just these crystals that, for some reason or another, contain a kind of energy that can be manipulated by human hands. The magic doesn't come from the humans themselves, it comes from the crystals. And those crystals are refined, either into Rune Stones or Mystspheres, whichever system we decide to use.

The Sign system also explains where the energy for magic is coming from, but understand it requires a bit more complex thought and a little bit of scientific knowledge. You have to always keep in mind the laws of conservation of energy and mass, you have to know how thermal and electrical energies flow, how pressure works, all that kind of stuff.

But, personally, I also like the Mystsphere system because of its simplicity that can be easily expanded on with player help. So unless someone comes up with some problems or objections that really merit not using it, I'll probably try to change and adapt it so that it's more likeable for everyone.
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Winters
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Hee-ho
And that's part of what I do like about those systems, as it does explain it. At least, to a certain degree it does. I suppose I could also ask where do the crystals get their energy from, but at least we don't have to worry about someone killing themselves via over extension.

And yes, I agree on the Mystspheres being probably the best system. It's simplistic enough to not require walls of text in backstory, and versatile enough to allow for many possibilities. My greatest concern is that it would become generic over time.
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Onime No Ryu
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Winters
February 16, 2013, 1:27 pm
And that's part of what I do like about those systems, as it does explain it. At least, to a certain degree it does. I suppose I could also ask where do the crystals get their energy from, but at least we don't have to worry about someone killing themselves via over extension.

And yes, I agree on the Mystspheres being probably the best system. It's simplistic enough to not require walls of text in backstory, and versatile enough to allow for many possibilities. My greatest concern is that it would become generic over time.
Do you have any ideas as to what could keep that from happening? I realize that if all the spells are pre-set, it quickly becomes generic because there's only so much a character can do to differentiate themselves. But I'm trying to come up with as many spells as possible at the moment, and the floor is certainly open to player created spheres like Burnt suggested earlier.

However, one thing that comes to mind is that right now I'm kind of thinking of just one sphere for each element in a number of tiers. For example, Fire>Fira>Firaga. Should I instead make multiple spheres for each element that all do different things? For instance, a Fireball sphere, a Fire Wave sphere, a Flamethrower sphere, an Explosion sphere, etc all under the Fire element and in multiple tiers?
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Keith
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Onime No Ryu
February 16, 2013, 1:34 pm
Should I instead make multiple spheres for each element that all do different things? For instance, a Fireball sphere, a Fire Wave sphere, a Flamethrower sphere, an Explosion sphere, etc all under the Fire element and in multiple tiers?
Yes. Either that or do something like having "Element spheres" - fire, water, earth, etc - which get augmented by "Effect" spheres. For example, a fire sphere and a projectile sphere would create fireball, or an earth sphere plus a wave sphere would cause a shockwave. Or maybe I'm just playing too much PoE.
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Shade
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burntmeat
February 16, 2013, 3:26 pm
Onime No Ryu
February 16, 2013, 1:34 pm
Should I instead make multiple spheres for each element that all do different things? For instance, a Fireball sphere, a Fire Wave sphere, a Flamethrower sphere, an Explosion sphere, etc all under the Fire element and in multiple tiers?
Yes. Either that or do something like having "Element spheres" - fire, water, earth, etc - which get augmented by "Effect" spheres. For example, a fire sphere and a projectile sphere would create fireball, or an earth sphere plus a wave sphere would cause a shockwave. Or maybe I'm just playing too much PoE.
This has some potential. For every "core" sphere, whether it is elemental or not, there could be several or more secondary effect spheres, with a few possible tertiary effect spheres, if you'd like to get complicated. But, I think this particular design would limit the jack-of-all trades magic we'd like to avoid, as to utilize any primary "core" element or effect, the caster would need a secondary sphere. So, while in theory, a mage could potentially lug around the necessary spheres, they could never cast as powerful a spell as one whom lugged around only one primary sphere and just as many secondaries. The latter mage would also be significantly more flexible in battle, able to wield their chosen element or effect under as many different styles as presented by the secondary spheres.
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Onime No Ryu
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Okay, since it looks like Mystspheres will be what we're using, here's what I've got so far. It'll be a bit of a read, but I think it should provide plenty of examples to base player made spheres on, and it will allow me to fine-tune some things with feedback from you guys.

Spoiler: click to toggle

Edited by Onime No Ryu, February 16, 2013, 9:12 pm.
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Onime No Ryu
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Shade
February 16, 2013, 4:03 pm
burntmeat
February 16, 2013, 3:26 pm
Onime No Ryu
February 16, 2013, 1:34 pm
Should I instead make multiple spheres for each element that all do different things? For instance, a Fireball sphere, a Fire Wave sphere, a Flamethrower sphere, an Explosion sphere, etc all under the Fire element and in multiple tiers?
Yes. Either that or do something like having "Element spheres" - fire, water, earth, etc - which get augmented by "Effect" spheres. For example, a fire sphere and a projectile sphere would create fireball, or an earth sphere plus a wave sphere would cause a shockwave. Or maybe I'm just playing too much PoE.
This has some potential. For every "core" sphere, whether it is elemental or not, there could be several or more secondary effect spheres, with a few possible tertiary effect spheres, if you'd like to get complicated. But, I think this particular design would limit the jack-of-all trades magic we'd like to avoid, as to utilize any primary "core" element or effect, the caster would need a secondary sphere. So, while in theory, a mage could potentially lug around the necessary spheres, they could never cast as powerful a spell as one whom lugged around only one primary sphere and just as many secondaries. The latter mage would also be significantly more flexible in battle, able to wield their chosen element or effect under as many different styles as presented by the secondary spheres.
I think this would make things overly complicated, as you'd have to have an Element Sphere, an Effect Sphere, and then you'd have the Modspheres, and it'd be too much to keep up with. I think if we just keep it to "One Mystsphere=One spell," and then have the Modspheres add things like "+1 Charge" or "Increases the strength of the spell" to those Mystspheres, it'll be enough.
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Primera Espada Yggdra
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The Mystspheres remind me a bit of the Stones in CVM. Well, I've never heard of the magic systems you presented until now. I can't think of any suggestions at this point. People seem to like the Mystspheres and I don't really have an objection to it at all.
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