an idea for limiting the number of spells cast

from Elemental Forums

I was thinking it might be nice to consolidate movement and spell casting into the action points pool, this way you have to make a choice between how much you want to move, perhaps interact with objects on the map (such as a goodie hut or quest hut) cast spells, and in the combat map attack as well.

your movement uses action points with your movement score determining how efficient you are at it. Moving  over a flat  clear square would cost 1 action point, but if you have travelers boots it might improve your ability by 20% so moving over that clear square would instead cost you 0.8 action points.

We would need to add a casting skill to determine how efficient you are at casting.

a level 1 spell would cost 2 action points

a level 2 spell would cost 2.5 action points

a level 3 spell would cost 3 action points

a level 4 spell would cost 3.5 action ponts

a level 5 spell would cost 4 action points.

this sounds like a big increase in point cost but then you have items that add action points to your character, as well and items (and potentially skills) that improve your casting efficiency. perhaps a staff of casting that gives a 20% casting speed boost so a level 1 spell would cost 1.6 action points.

I think a simple system like this has two benefits:

1) it deals with spell spam in combat

2) it gives us a better benchmark we can use to compare spell strengths, i don't think we have a list that says something like:

a level 1 spell should have such and such damage range  compared to casting range to gauge the strength a caster can have on combat.

 

 

 

I also think there should be a cap on the total global mana pool reservoir with the ability to generate mana crystals that can be used in unit creation, item creation and trade. These mana crystal can be used to restock your mana pool if it is getting depleted and gives us more choices. Perhaps the crystals we mine can be used for this purpose. And goodie huts can drop mana this way as well.

This gives us a nice way to implement movement/ pathfinding skills such as forest walking or mountain walking (water walking?)

stealth at a cost of movement speed etc etc.

 

 

 

3,287 views 4 replies
Reply #1 from Elemental Forums Top

Frankly, I think that actions like attacks and spells should have stricter action point costs than they do.

 

For instance;

All spells should require 100% of your remaining action points, but no less than 50% of your total.

Ranged Attacks should require 100% of your remaining action points, but no less than 50% of your total.

Melee Attacks should require 50% of your total action points.

Movement requires 1 square per space.

 

Then you institute abilities which modify this;

"Skilled" unit attacks use 33% of their action points, but no less than 1 (3 attacks per turn)

"Highly Skilled" unit attacks use 25% of their total action points, but no less than 1 (four attacks per turn)

"Skilled Caster" Spells only cost 50% of the unit's action points (second casting per turn)

"Slow" units use 100% of their action points to attack, but no less than 50%.

and so on.

 

Fast units benefit from improved movement, but not the ability to vomit attacks all over. Just because you ride a horse does not give you an extra attack, it just makes you get there faster.

In terms of magic, this system creates CLEARLY better spells by level because you only get one each turn. This allows you a little more overlap in spell design (a fireball "light", and a regular fireball as it were), and makes decisions about magic more important. Do you use your cheap damage spell and let your minions finish them off, do you use your big blast spell and take out a couple, or do you buff your units so they are far more effective? Choices, choices...

Reply #2 from Elemental Forums Top

hmm not sure how i got one reply and no views... weird

Star Control: Origins
Reply #3 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting Glowing_Ember, reply 2
hmm not sure how i got one reply and no views... weird

 

It is clearly witchcraft. :D

Reply #4 from Elemental Forums Top

hmm i think thats how the might and magic system works of the top of my head. I don't know if they are going to put feats or skills in so that might not work. I was trying to buid of the system they have working atm.