Problems with Spells (v0.05)

[Gambit37]

Des Ven (Poison Foe) is still implemented incorrectly. In PC DM, when you cast this spell, the same graphic as the poison cloud is launched NOT the poison bolt that is currently shown. Also, a cloud should appear briefly when the object hits a wall or monster, the 'magic' sound should be heard, then the cloud disappears instantly and the damage is absorbed by the creature. Note that the bolt graphic IS used by monsters with this spell.

[beowuuf]

Something I realised today is that fireballs (so probably other spells) do impact damage, which is why large level fireballs seem to be able to kill golems/knights that are almost dead. I haven't been able to tell if this was implimented in RTC, and I don't remember if this was common knowledge.

[George Gilbert]

The DesVen thing I think should stay as it is. There should (IMHO) be a difference in the graphics between the two spells and the fact that monsters do it differently would seem to be that the way DM does it is a bug.

The impact damage of fireballs isn't implemented in RTC, and I'm not convinced that they are in DM either (how can you tell the difference between impact damage and just a very high fire-resistance?).

I'm willing to be convinced otherwise on either point but in the absence of any compelling evidence...

[Gambit37]

I think that the Des Ven graphic may have been corrected in CSB - can't quite remember. I suppose you're right - there should be some visual distinction between the spells. But the effect of the spell in RTC is still wrong, and should be changed.

I agree about impact damage - how can one tell if it happens or not? Although, according to Zyx, fireballs DO make this kind of damage. Using DMute, he made a dungeon with a ghost that had very high hit points, exploded a fireball on the square next to the ghost, saved the game, and checked the ghosts hitpoints. He said that it had decreased (but only by a few points), proving that impact damage DOES occur. I haven't tried this myself, but it might be worth looking at. Of course, this only proves that damage is calculated on a tile basis, and it may have been a bug in DM that allowed the ghosts helath to be affected as normally ghosts can only be affected by Vorpal or magic.

[Lubor Kolar]

Yes, this is true. I remember when I was playing CSB on Amiga, I fought with one dragon and I escaped though the stairs. After I rested and got some mana, I prepared MON-FUL-IR fireball, went down and I tried to get the dragon. But when I casted fireball, dragon went to the next tile so fireball hitted the wall, but it caused dragon died! This creature wasn`t poisoned since I didn`t use Des-Ven spells so it was damage from explosion. But i tried to get some damage from fireball fired from launcher/monster, but fireball exploding on the next tile to party doesn`t make any damage to anyone in party as I saw.

[beowuuf]

I think what zyx did with the ghost was more highlighting my 'damage as a physical object' present on a tile. It must be a bug though, that damage from the explosion against a wall turned 'sourceless' in DM (otherwise a fireball explosion effect would damage anyway).

For the actual impact feature, I had 4 knights all with 1 health, having archmaster MON fireballs thrown at them. The knight it hit was killed, but the other were unnaffected. Since fireball is, I thought (it always seemed that way) a uniform effect, then I was assuming this had to be from a secondary feature that the knight was not immune to - physical 'impact' damage.

The dragon death thing sounds odd though...I've never heard of fireball affecting the next tile along! Sounds buggy, but that must have been a nice thing to happen at the time : )

[cowsmanaut]

Yeah I remember the higher powered fireballs (anything past level 3 I think) had an area effect that covered 3 other squares one in front one on each side but the dammage on these was probably 50% of the dammage on the source square. it makes sense really.

cheers

[beowuuf]

Oddly timed, I found this in the Un-fficial board just now. I rememeber it but had no idea what he meant at the time :

"Did you ever try this?
Place a monster behind a corner (it has to be a big one, e.g. a dragon or a scorpion). Then shoot fireballs at the wall, so that they hit the wall right beside
the monster. Most of the time the fireball explodes harmlessly, but sometimes the monster takes the damage (and blows up).

Feren "

Wow, so a property of fireball i never knew existed! I wonder if lightning bolts have a similar effect but travelling in a straight line for higher powers....

[George Gilbert]

Fixed the original point for V0.06