Spell system mark I

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Automaton
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Posts: 88
Joined: Sat Aug 28, 2004 10:49 am

Spell system mark I

Post by Automaton »

I read through a post recently that tryed to take a vote on the best spell system. It was interesting reading and since I've given a lot of thought to what would have been the perfect DM CSB spell system for me, I thought I'd ramble a bit.

First off, I think as far as spell systems go DM and CSB got it almost right. Ive extensively played NWN, Everquest and DiabloII and a little of most RPG's and each has is own points to offer.

Spell casting
I think the NWN system gets this completely wrong. If I cast a spell I want my own knowledge of which runes to push to have an effect on the game. This works by a) recalling the correct sequence and b) your own finger dexterity determines how fast you can get a spell off. None of this "select spell, push button and sit back and watch a complex anim whilst creatures are free to batter you to death". Thats why we also called the power 4 fireball in DM "The emergency spell" (3 times rune 4...very quick to get off in a tight spot). Just clicking on an icon and waiting X seconds to cast and then Y seconds to recover seems to take a fun element out of spell casting that IMHO should be left in.

Can anyone relate to this? The first time you meet a giant scorpion in a dimly lit passage. Your warriors are down to a handfull of hitpoints and most of your casters mana is spent. You back down into a dead end with the giant menacing death machine following you. You quickly rush over to the spell bar and frantically hammer out the runes for a fireball - its your last chance or death. MON....FUL....OH. OH! Oh shit, wrong symb......your dead. This happened in DM and I cant remember any other RPG giving me the same buzz as having to be precise and fast in order to get spells out.

Range, duration and effect concepts
This is where I think Everquest (and NWN to some extent)has something to say with how spells should affect the game world. The concepts of AOE (area of effect) and PBAOE (point blank area of effect) are easily exportable to a DM style game.
AOE - effects everything in a given radius around target
PBAOE - effects everything in a given radius around caster
BOLT - bolt/ball eminating from caster in given direction
ARC - persistant beam effect

examples:-
Ice Storm (AOE) direct damage to a target creature and everything around it to a lesser extent
Wave of Fear (PBAOE) Radiating waves of fear emminating from the caster designed to scare monsters off (a la horn of fear)
Fireball (BOLT) standard DM effect
Lightning (ARC) Beam arcing from caster to nearest wall in a straight line, peircing and damaging all foes in the way (This to my mind is what lightning should have been but I understand the technology constraints of the day...).

Spells
I think that in order for a spell system to be balanced, any parameter within the game world should be taken into consideration and used postively and negatively to either the party or the creatures benefit. i.e. when you fight what would be useful to know, what would be useful to see, how do monsters and creatures perceive information? What would hamper you sitting there behind you mouse and screen from fighting effectively?
A spell school could be developed around perception of the game world, from the players POV and from the monsters POV. The senses. From the monsters point of view (and its AI), how do I hunt? Via sight, smell, sound, infrared, thaumic (my own sense of what creatures sensitive to mana fluctuations would detect) and probably a combination.

Spells a party (or creatures) might have linked to sensory perception:-
Sight.
Sunstike - either a single target or PBAOE blindness spell
Blur - hamper vision making the screen take on a nasty gaussian blur type effect - speed and combat effectiveness reduced
Restore sight - Anti blindness spell used when the party is struck blind by creatures
Infravision - Change party view to detect heat (a la predator). You could effectively see the "heat blooms" of creatures through doors and walls.
Ultravision - See in the dark spell (view in tones of violet), usefull when hunting creatures that rely on sight.

Obviously, I imagine a blinded party to have a totally black screen until a timer wears off or a restore sight spell is cast powerful enough to remove the effects.

I also imagine some poisons having the effet of making the screen display "blurry" as well as the blur spell, also cured by restore sight.

Sound.
Sonic boom - damages and deafens creatures
Restore hearing - Not hard to work out.

I imagine a party with hearing difficulties having all sound cut off and replaced with a very annoying high pitched ringing.

Both sight and sound are the best, because you can apply effects to screen/sound effects that not only make your party suffer - but also the RL person behind the screen uncomfortable!

Smell.
Attract - A creature ability. Spraying the party with pheromones doubling the effective smell hunt range (A party would have a certain radius at which creatures hunting by smell would pick them up, this would increase it)
Stinking cloud - This would be a PBAOE that creatures hunting by smell would hate forcing them to flee. Used by creatures on a party it would cause STA drain, blur vision a bit and casue any movements or attacks to have speed reduced.
Hide scent - A party spell to either negate the attract creature ability or even shorten the effective scent radius of the party further.

Infrared.
Mask signature - Masks the heat given off by the party, reducing the effectiveness of any creatures hunting and acquiring by this method.

Another part of the game mechanics that, depending on the game, you see is creature stats, damage done etc etc.

DM and CSB don't show the HPs creatures have, but it does show you what dmg is done.

Everquest and NWN show you pretty much everything and diabloII shows you how many HPs a creature has left plus what its resistant to.

It's always interesting to see these stats and know what you are doing dmg wise to a creature, but I don't think it should systematically be there, I think it should be merited. Therefore, a spell to show a creatures HP bar on screen, Creature lore. A spell to show how much dmg you are inflicting Weapon Lore, and of course, differing durations on these based on the power of the spell.

I also see integration of the "Auras" from various RPGs too (notably DiabloII).
Aura of Barbs
Aura of the Vampire
Aura of the Hero
Aura of Perception
Aura of the Warrior
Aura of Divine Grace

These would be non stacking, mutually excluding (i.e. only 1 at a time) timered effects that covered the whole party. Most are easy to work out as I've plaigerised (...the best ones)

Barbs=%reflection of dmg
Vampire=%life steal
Hero=add a small amount to all main stats
Perception=hightened senses
Warrior=%increase attack spd and movement spd
Divine Grace=%regeneration

Enough rambling for one day, I have way to much in my head and in my note books to write here ;-)

Cheers!

Autom
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Strangely
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Good ideas.

Post by Strangely »

I've been thinking along the same lines for my clone. You've thought of some that I hadn't so I might have to steal them.

Ideas like this really need to be play-tested to see how useful they are. It might seem like a great idea but be horrible in practice. I guess I'll know in about a year...

http://www.redmooninc.com/dungeon/
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