Magic in MS:C

[[FSM]Higgins]

Well a suggestion, and 2 questions about spells. First of all I know there aren't as many... players who rely on their spells as much as their UBA or GIB so I would never expect many new spells. So first I really haven't ever done much work for HL1 mods but doing some PVK maps a couple years back, but how difficult is it to add new spells in the game compared to the obvious simplicity of adding a weapon? Seems like we deserve one or two here and there I guess. (Don't really know when the last new spell came out) Maybe some epic SC 20 spells or something ya know. (already mentioned uber glow in the felewyn's light thread)

Lightning Storm- Does the DOT give you the XP?
Freezing Sphere- Hows this work and get better?

 

[Shurik3n]

Thothie has been talking for a while about redoing SC entirly and adding new elements, like earth. If theres going to any advances in SC that will have to happen first.

 

[Blasto121]

yup magic is at a cross roads, on one hand new spells would be neat. On the other hand magic is also the most powerful set of skills already and throwing new stuff into would just make it more powerful.

lightning storms DOT should pass exp, or at least I think it does

and freezing sphere is what it sounds like, its a giant sphere that freezes things nothing more nothing less.

 

[PBarnum]

If new spell categories were added (and old ones deleted), would everyone's SC level drop down dramatically?

 

[Jelly]

DOT damage usually doesn't pass exp.

 

[The Man In Black]

I don't think there's been talk of categories being removed

 

[Thothie]

If new spell categories were added (and old ones deleted), would everyone's SC level drop down dramatically?

SC is already averaged out as if there were two more spell categories than there are.

 

[[FSM]Higgins]

Ok relatively new question! Is there a clear cut way to know how many advances you need for the next SC or is like... my fire 28 advance worth more than my... affliction 23->24 for an SC level

 

[The Man In Black]

Your SC level is calculated by (All_SC_sublevels_totalled + 2)/7 and rounded UP.

 

[[FSM]Higgins]

Ah thats... useful! Thank ya very much!

 

[Tull]

Is "UBA" supposed to be short for Unbreakable Golden Axe? Shouldn't it be "UGA"? Yes, it's a very important question!

 

[DocMombo]

WHEN DO WE GET FORCE JUMP?>

 

[[FSM]Higgins]

Yeah how over powered with haste be! Or even more needingly a healing spell thats effective on friends! It would even more encourage teamplay.

 

[The Man In Black]

Yeah how over powered with haste be! Or even more needingly a healing spell thats effective on friends! It would even more encourage teamplay.

Please...PLEASE tell me that's a joke...

 

[Thothie]

Heal spell is about half as effective on others as it is yourself, as otherwise, it is very easy to have one character go out and solo bosses while you heal him. Becomes less team play, and more team sploit.

 

[Evaan]

Well, you aren`t supposed to die fighting bosses if you`re strong enough, and besides, that boss self heal thing is a great argument to use a healer.

However, I vouch healing being less effective on others, but keep in mind - the healer has to keep himself busy casting shields and heal, while keeping up his mana pool.

I expect a lot of sitting, or a lot of mana potions. Expensive potions.


Hmmh... Earth... I would expect the starting spell to be conjuring pebbles?

Would be very interesting.
Perhaps also an armor spell more protective than Ice Shield, but slows you down (for them fights where you're not going to run anyways).

 

[Thothie]

Well, you aren`t supposed to die fighting bosses if you`re strong enough, and besides, that boss self heal thing is a great argument to use a healer.

Well, I expect ya to die a few times, lest you simply overpower the boss. Just not so many times that you give want to give up straight away.

However, I vouch healing being less effective on others, but keep in mind - the healer has to keep himself busy casting shields and heal, while keeping up his mana pool.

It's not as if we hadn't tried this the other way. We did, and it just lead to invulnerability. Healing doesn't drain mana quickly enough (if you have 300 mana, and divine 30, you can heal about 30,000pts of damage on another player before you need to refresh). If you make it drain mana more quickly, it becomes useless at all but the highest levels.

Hmmh... Earth... I would expect the starting spell to be conjuring pebbles?
Would be very interesting.
Perhaps also an armor spell more protective than Ice Shield, but slows you down (for them fights where you're not going to run anyways).

Any spell you see a monster cast, is setup in such a way that a player can cast it too (at least, any of the spells I made monsters cast - which, aside from Keledros, whose spells are all player spells to begin with, I think is all of them). So yes, not only simple stuff like pebble blast and stone skin, but boulder summoning, as the Lesser Stone Masons do, and rock storms, as the Greater Stone Masons and the Fragment of Maldora do.

But agian, not come up with a way to add those spells in without doing something extremely unpopular to the spell system.

 

[Evaan]

Well, I expect ya to die a few times, lest you simply overpower the boss. Just not so many times that you give want to give up straight away.

Well, yes, of course, if you're alone, you're bound to die, partly because the boss has so much health, but a fully packed team offensive and defensive magic various weapons and damage types, strong enough to partly match the boss, should have survivability.

 

[Thothie]

If yer alone against a boss of yer own level, you should die so many times you find it not worth your time.

But yes, the intention is, a sufficiently organized team of sufficient level (say 4-6 players, depending on how organized and how leveled) can take a boss of their own level out without death, most of the time. Should still be dicey though.

There are exceptions to the rule though, when hazards get to be involved. Most teams with sufficient levels get killed by Atholo, at least a few times, being tossed into pits by either him or his minions (if they aren't corralled properly). It is also difficult to take out Lord BS, without getting dunked running horror-blind into the lava at least once, but ya at least don't lose XP for death by hazards. The Ice Lord/Queen can usually dunk a player or two before he/she goes down too.

I dunno if you've seen what all I've done to your Lord BS yet.

 

[Evaan]

My precious Lord...

Anyways, I expect losses, only not that it would be required for the party to die and make their way to the boss over and over, like low level players did before on i.e. Calrian.

I think I remember people luring him to the spawnpoint and just attack him and die until he died himself.