Design: Spells

[Maian]

May I request some spell automation? I know this could take a while to implement, but it would make a part of the game less tedious. For example, there should be some way to automate spring, vitalize, and bloom.

Actually, automation is the wrong term here. I don't mean worker-like automation, in which you can forget about the automated units. I mean some ability that you can click to make it move to the nearest <insert condition here> tile and case <spell>. For example, if I have a priest with bloom, and I click this automate ability for bloom, the priest would go to the nearest spot that can be bloomed and bloom once it gets there. Just to avoid any confusion, when I mean "move", I don't mean instantaneous moving; I mean normal move missions.

Ideally, this should be implemented so that no new abilities have to be added - right-clicking the spell to do this automation would work perfectly. I don't know if that's possible though, and there needs to be some ingame way to inform players of this feature.

Automation is not limited to just bloom and other plot improvement spells. Some spells would have their specific automation behavior. For city buff spells (e.g. hope, wall of stone) and unit regen spells (e.g. regeneration, courage), right-clicking the spell sets it to autocast mode: the mage casts it automatically right before the turn ends if the mage hasn't casted a spell yet. The spell will stay in this autocast mode until the player right-clicks the spell again. (Think Warcraft 3.) Haste also would have an autocast mode, where the spell is cast when the mage moves. Again, right-clicking toggles autocast. No two spells can both be in autocast mode. Toggling on autocast for one spell toggles off the current autocast spell.

So far, all the above are simply convenience features and make no gameplay changes. Time to deviate from that. This next one is a gameplay-changing feature.

In the public design a spell contest, there was a spell called "Just War". This spell is a defensive spell - it is autocasted when an enemy attacks the stack the mage is in and only if the mage didn't cast a spell last turn. I like this idea a lot, but I think it shouldn't be limited to just a single spell. Rather than creating a new spell, I'm extending this concept to all unit buff spells (e.g. enchanted blade, bless). Right-click a unit buff spell, and this defensive mode is activated until the next turn.

That's all the ideas I have for now. Aside from the defensive autocasting feature, all the rest are low-priority convenience features. They aren't necessary, but they sure add some polish to the game.

[Kael]

Originally Posted by Maian

May I request some spell automation? I know this could take a while to implement, but it would make a part of the game less tedious. For example, there should be some way to automate spring, vitalize, and bloom.

Actually, automation is the wrong term here. I don't mean worker-like automation, in which you can forget about the automated units. I mean some ability that you can click to make it move to the nearest <insert condition here> tile and case <spell>. For example, if I have a priest with bloom, and I click this automate ability for bloom, the priest would go to the nearest spot that can be bloomed and bloom once it gets there. Just to avoid any confusion, when I mean "move", I don't mean instantaneous moving; I mean normal move missions.

Ideally, this should be implemented so that no new abilities have to be added - right-clicking the spell to do this automation would work perfectly. I don't know if that's possible though, and there needs to be some ingame way to inform players of this feature.

Automation is not limited to just bloom and other plot improvement spells. Some spells would have their specific automation behavior. For city buff spells (e.g. hope, wall of stone) and unit regen spells (e.g. regeneration, courage), right-clicking the spell sets it to autocast mode: the mage casts it automatically right before the turn ends if the mage hasn't casted a spell yet. The spell will stay in this autocast mode until the player right-clicks the spell again. (Think Warcraft 3.) Haste also would have an autocast mode, where the spell is cast when the mage moves. Again, right-clicking toggles autocast. No two spells can both be in autocast mode. Toggling on autocast for one spell toggles off the current autocast spell.

This would be nice to have, it will probably not be until later, because it will be a considerable effort to add.

So far, all the above are simply convenience features and make no gameplay changes. Time to deviate from that. This next one is a gameplay-changing feature.

In the public design a spell contest, there was a spell called "Just War". This spell is a defensive spell - it is autocasted when an enemy attacks the stack the mage is in and only if the mage didn't cast a spell last turn. I like this idea a lot, but I think it shouldn't be limited to just a single spell. Rather than creating a new spell, I'm extending this concept to all unit buff spells (e.g. enchanted blade, bless). Right-click a unit buff spell, and this defensive mode is activated until the next turn.

That's all the ideas I have for now. Aside from the defensive autocasting feature, all the rest are low-priority convenience features. They aren't necessary, but they sure add some polish to the game.

Aqll buffs last through the opponents turns. So instead of setting the catser into defensive mode, just have him cast the spell. Spells wear off at the begining of a players turn.

[eerr]

but you can add vitalize and spring to be used by the automate function for automated magic users and stuff right?
instead of just node building
(they won't do that over a worker if they're not close to the node either)

[Maian]

Originally Posted by Kael

Aqll buffs last through the opponents turns. So instead of setting the catser into defensive mode, just have him cast the spell. Spells wear off at the begining of a players turn.

Never knew that. I misinterpreted the "Just War" spell as well - it gives a 15% bonus for each enemy buff instead of what I thought it was for.

[Chalid]

Originally Posted by Maian

May I request some spell automation? I know this could take a while to implement, but it would make a part of the game less tedious. For example, there should be some way to automate spring, vitalize, and bloom.

This can be easily archived when the Scripts that controlls the AIs Buff and Terraforming mages works as inteded. (Still a way to go). The same script (excep the combat actions) can be used as automation option for the player. Those Mages would than terraform you Land, go form city to city and buff all units there with positive Buffs and finally will use the city-spells when there is nothing else to do.

[Maian]

I don't mean that type of automation, since mages are a lot less common than workers and you don't want a situation where you forgot where a mage was (and have to search the military panel, etc.) when you need him the most. As I mentioned before, a "find nearest available plot" option would be better.

Another polish feature: Show the nearest available plot when the player hovers over the a plot improvement spell.

[Chalid]

If the high level Available, that means automatically that the lower leewsl are available as well. So finding plot and those thing coult be easily implemented afterwards (or an automate as long as we are in peace or such things)

[AlazkanAssassin]

You could add a level 3 sorcery or divine spell that acts similarly to the vanilla nuke. (how about entropy sorcery 3 {I never liked enervation or found it usefull at all})

Usable from a substantial distance away (5 or more tiles? anywhere?)
Damage/death/disease to units in targeted tile and surrounding tiles.
Random application of taint in area (radiation)
Kills city population, destroys some improvements/roads.
The damage could be weaker than the Pillar of Fire to compensate for the range of use and area of effect.

But it should come at a cost to the user: it would remove the Entropy 3 promotion from the caster. Of course, he could get it again the next time he levels up, but it would get more expensive every time, and would really detract from the longterm abilities of the caster who uses it it get ahead quickly.

Other possible flavors:
1 Randomly summons Barbarian entropy/infernal units near the target.
2 Has a small chance of detonating on the caster instead of going where it is supposed to.

[eerr]

perhaps you could add a way to gain instant xp, but at a cost of potentially losing the caster
demonic bet(requires a level 8 lich and a demons altar)- double or nothin!
50/50 chance of doubling his xp vs dying

[Xyshi]

I have some ideas for the spheres that arent yet implemented:

Force Sphere

Summoning 1- Summon Entity- Summons a creature that is a manifestation of the caster's will. Summons a str 3 creature that causes collateral damage when it attacks a stack.
Summoning 2- Summon Ancient One- Summons an ascendant made of pure energy from a time long past. Has str 10, ignores all movement costs, and gets a bonus vs living beings.

Shadow Sphere

Summoning 1- Shadow Seal- gives life to the caster's shadow creating a str 3 hidden shadow unit that can explore rival territory (the summon is permanent).
Summoning 2- Summon Shadow Stalker- Summons a powerful assassin from the shadow plane that has str 9 and both the marksman and hidden promotion.

Divine 1- Gather Shadows- Makes the caster have the hidden promotion until he casts another spell.
Divine 2- Devour in Shadows- Targeted spell that deals great damage to a single unit and has a chance of converting that unit.

Sun Sphere

Sorcery 3- Junil's Favor- Gives all units level 3 and above in caster's stack the Sentry II and Mobility I
promotions.
Summoning 2- Summon Light Elemental- Summons a str 10 creature from the plane of light that has undead and demon slaying promotions and can cast the spell Heal.
Divine 1- Sun's Strenth- Gives all allied units in the caster's tile the undead slaying promotion.
Divine 2- Final Judgment- Targeted Spell that instantly destroys all creatures designated as evil in the square and kills the caster.

Metamagic Sphere

Summoning 1- Summon Dragon Whelp- Summons a str 5 creature with magic resistance promotion and has immunity to spells.
Summoning 2- Summon Ravager- Summons a creature that is the bane of all magic. It has str 7 and starts with an inherent +40% vs arcane, the magic and fire resistance promotions, and when it attacks a stack it gives all spell casters in that stack the casted promotion during their turn.

[Xyshi]

Feel free to use any of my ideas and names without asking me guys.

I love this mod!

[Nimbus]

Is there any way that when you get to upgrade your units and select a new promotion that you get to see what spell you would be recieving? i.e. if I had a mage and hover the cursor over Fire II it would show fireball but if i hovered it over earth Ii it would show Rust, etc. this would help a lot in being able to choose what to go after when you do level.

[Kael]

Originally Posted by Nimbus

Is there any way that when you get to upgrade your units and select a new promotion that you get to see what spell you would be recieving? i.e. if I had a mage and hover the cursor over Fire II it would show fireball but if i hovered it over earth Ii it would show Rust, etc. this would help a lot in being able to choose what to go after when you do level.

Yeah, thats on our to do list.

[Frozen-Vomit]

sorry - wrong thread

[Maniac]

In case nothing better is found, perhaps a Creation Sorcery spell could - like Hope and Inspiration - give a city a temporary building that keeps 20% of the food when the city grows? Or increases food production by 10% (that way a heavy farm strategy would benefit more of this spell)?

[AlazkanAssassin]

i'd go for the +%food.

if it was a food storage on growth I could see myself moving a mage around to every city as it is about to grow to make best use of it.

[H.GrenadeFrenzy]

wrong thread, sorry!

[SchpailsMan]

Reacting on something posted in the Lizardmen Poll thread :

Originally Posted by BlazeRedSXT

I agree that having the Lizardman units have water walking is annoying, and seems a bit much... but then, there are so few Water based units as is... Would it be possible to allow the water walking spell to be granted to them if they are in a tile when a mage casts it? Kind of like awakening ancestral abilities, and allowing the water walking spell to be a little more functional(not that it isn't useful as is...). It should be technical possible.. and would add an interesting "upgrade" feature.

Cheers!

How about making Water Walking a targeted spell ? Having it target all units in the caster's stack would probably be too powerful, I understand that, but allowing the caster to enable water walking for a single unit wouldn't in my opinion. Besides, allowing a unit to WW for a single turn would only be effective for mobile units (mounted, recons etc), so that you would have a hard time launching a great melee offensive oversea by this means.

I guess the main issue would be something like "the AI wouldn't use it", but what use does it make of Water Walking the way it is now, anyway ?

[Kael]

Originally Posted by SchpailsMan

Reacting on something posted in the Lizardmen Poll thread :




How about making Water Walking a targeted spell ? Having it target all units in the caster's stack would probably be too powerful, I understand that, but allowing the caster to enable water walking for a single unit wouldn't in my opinion. Besides, allowing a unit to WW for a single turn would only be effective for mobile units (mounted, recons etc), so that you would have a hard time launching a great melee offensive oversea by this means.

I guess the main issue would be something like "the AI wouldn't use it", but what use does it make of Water Walking the way it is now, anyway ?

Even as it stands water walking is a significant benifit. An archmage that can stand off shore and meteor swarm enemy units and cities is very powerful. The AI is valiud concern, but I was even more concerned about the power of it. The ability to make your entire army water walking is to powerful and negates the need for ships, so it was limited to only the caster.

[Bad Player]

1) Succumb to Temptation:
Target Paladin unit is transformed into an Eilodon and gifted to the civ who has the Ashen Veil holy city. If the Ashen Veil holy city is destroyed then Eilodon is destroyed.*

2) Blinding Light:
Target Eilodon unit is transformed into an Paladin and gifted to the civ who has the Order holy city. If the Order holy city is destroyed then Paladin is destroyed.*



*Would it be too hard to code to gift it to someone with state religion of Ashen Veil/Order or if this is not possible then it is destroyed?? Also would it be possible to have more than 3 Paladins/Eilodons if you got gifted them? I think you should be able to in this situation.