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IDProjectCategoryLast Update
0007281Valley 1Gameplay IdeaApr 27, 2012 1:32 pm
ReporterBluddy Assigned To 
Severityminor 
Status consideringResolutionopen 
Product Version1.001 
Summary0007281: Differentiate spell elements by effects
DescriptionThis one isn't easy to pull off, but it would go a long way towards differentiating spells types. Essentially, each element would have effects that make it unique, based on fairly logical ideas.

- Fire would set things on fire and could spread to other objects/enemies. As such, its initial attack would be weaker to compensate.
- Water would make things wet and damage water-sensitive critters (fire bats). It also has a lot of mass so it could cause knockback. And it dovetails really nicely with lightning.
- Cold is really a sub-element of water and would freeze things, including lakes if it hit them enough times (lakes could have a temperature counter before they freeze).
- Lightning would be amplified by water. Metallic objects/skelebots would conduct also, causing damage to all entities touching the objects.
- Purple (entropy) could have an effect like the improbability drive from Hitchhiker's guide. When you kill things, they transform into random objects. It's funky, but I thought it would be fun in a crazy way.
- Can't think of effects for the other 2 categories.

These are somewhat vague and probably not easily actionable, but any steps in these directions would help differentiate the elements and thus the spells.
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Internal WeightFeature Suggestion

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Terraziel

Apr 27, 2012 1:10 pm

reporter   ~0022852

I behind the concept if not the specific examples.

For entropy as a more "serious" example it could simply have a random chance to apply any of the other elemental effects.

Light spells could have a blinding effect on enemies (no I don't care that espers don't have eyes)

and extra knockback seems like a more obvious choice for Earth.

Bluddy

Apr 27, 2012 1:14 pm

reporter   ~0022853

You don't like the improbability drive idea? Wouldn't you like to see rhinos turn into bathtubs? Anyway your idea is probably better.

OK I'll add this to your version of entroy: it could also (rarely) do something to help the victim -- give them a temporary buff or something. So entropy has a minor risk to use, but it's also got high reward.

Bluddy

Apr 27, 2012 1:28 pm

reporter   ~0022855

I'll add one more thing here, which is that this could also be key to making upgraded spells (tier 2+) feel different from lower level spells.

In Tier 1, all spells will be kinda wimpy and won't have many of these effects. But slowly, these effects will increase, until in Tier 5 you can set fire to an entire forest with your fire spells and freeze entire lakes. The spells are getting 'stronger' against the environment and in some ways against the enemies. They're doing more procedural things, and you'll get a tremendous rush of power from these effects -- you're really becoming a super-powerful wizard. But they're not going to be significantly stronger against the high tier enemies, who can take the punishment (ie this part will stay the same outside of the effects themselves).

Issue History

Date Modified Username Field Change
Apr 27, 2012 12:35 pm Bluddy New Issue
Apr 27, 2012 1:10 pm Terraziel Note Added: 0022852
Apr 27, 2012 1:14 pm Bluddy Note Added: 0022853
Apr 27, 2012 1:28 pm Bluddy Note Added: 0022855
Apr 27, 2012 1:32 pm tigersfan Internal Weight => Feature Suggestion
Apr 27, 2012 1:32 pm tigersfan Status new => considering
Apr 14, 2014 9:30 am Chris_McElligottPark Category Suggestion - Gameplay => Gameplay Idea