How do Divine Casters work?

[Raizic]

I think I've figured out how the normal casters work (Tower of Ancestors really makes that much easier doesn't it?)

But how do you level up Disiple units. Those are the ones who cast divine magic right? Or am I confusing them with something else.

 

[Demus]

most priests can cast divine magic (unlike paladins for example, who i think are still desiples, but not spellcasters). You need units with the "divine" promotion (just like sorcerers have sorcery, and summoners summoning). Besides that, they work pretty much like the normal mages, exept for different spells (look in the pedia to check which mana type gives which spells for which type of unit). For example, the elves require on their priests of leaves to cast the divine nature-II spell "bloom", which creates forests.

 

[Chip56]

Once you get priests you are able to cast divine spells.
However you can only build priests of your state religion.
Since they cant learn new spheres you only need to get a few to lvl 6 through battle for high priests and inquisitors. The other ones can be build and cast from start on

 

[xienwolf]

And, just as the Cave of Ancestors will give your adepts more experience on creation, so will the Altar of Luonnatar give your disciples more exp. Otherwise it is just waiting for random exp gain, or weak enemies nearby (though it is easier for most priests, as they tend to be stronger than adepts)

 

[Raizic]

Thanks for the quick replies. I just saw the technology priesthood and realized that i was confusing the disciple with the divine lol

 

[Raizic]

Only the unit inthe stack that kills gets the xp right? Do conjurers get xp for their summoners killing stuff or wizards w/ their fireballs?

 

[xienwolf]

No exp is earned for killing with a spell. Just for direct attacks.

 

[westamastaflash]

Speaking of that, xienwolf, I would really like the mechanic to change to allow for that (like in Age Of Ice, my scorcess kept getting xp via fireballing everything in sight). I think that maybe they should only get xp if their summon kills something though.

 

[Nikis-Knight]

Who a fireball or summoned creature belongs to is not tracked. It worked fine in AoI because there was only one caster, so any time a spell killed someone she got an XP. Doesn't work with multiple casters, which is why there is a gradual XP system.

 

[westamastaflash]

Ahh, thanks for clearing that up Nikis. Oh well, Epona and a boatload of swordsmen, longbows, horsies, and catapults captured the godslayer from evil macemen & crossbowmen. That archery barrage is such a pain!

 

[MagisterCultuum]

Still, it might make sense if every time an arcane unit casts a spell it had a small chance of earning some xp, because whether it works or not it does give the caster some more practice using his powers.

 

[westamastaflash]

Still, it might make sense if every time an arcane unit casts a spell it had a small chance of earning some xp, because whether it works or not it does give the caster some more practice using his powers.

Then I'd be microing every caster I had every turn, casting something. I like the "auto-gain" feature. Perhaps have a feature wherein if you build one of the towers in a city, mages in that city gain XP faster? Or perhaps a regular building "wizard's sanctum" which provides +1 happy for reagents and allows arcane units stationed in the city to gain xp faster?

 

[zxcvbnm]

Who a fireball or summoned creature belongs to is not tracked. It worked fine in AoI because there was only one caster, so any time a spell killed someone she got an XP. Doesn't work with multiple casters, which is why there is a gradual XP system.

If the xp were divided to all casters who have casted that in range? So if you have 1 fireball mage then he gets all xp, if you have 3 of which 2 have casted a spell that could have been the killing one (ie. they can cast fireball, their fireballs can travel from their current position to where it exploded, and they have casted that turn) then they 2 share the xp.

Quite vague but requires no markers as far as I've understood, just promotion/distance checks

 

[Calavente]

issue is :
only conjurers and firemages would gain xp this way ...
what about the unit-booster mages ? or the city booster mages ..?

 

[Demus]

just thought of something:

how about changing the "already cast this turn" to an "already cast x spell type this turn". It'd still allow for only 1 spell per turn, but would give an added bonus: you could add an additional x % chance of the caster learning the next level of the spell sphere (given the caster has the right level of channeling to learn the next level).
For example, if you upgrade your fire-2 mage to an archmage, you get to choices: eighter upgrade to fire-3 using your exp promotion, or keep him in the city for a couple of turns casting fireballs, hoping he'd notice by himself how he could turn those fireballs into meteors.
You could still have an (downgraded) version of the exp-gains we have now, to allow them to learn combat+, spell extension and new spheres.

 

[Calavente]

a lot of micro ... (you would have to launch spells from each of your mages... each turn, else, you would be losing something)

free xp is an automated way to do the same thing...
(the free xp represents the fact that they are always training, always perfecting their spells, always trying new things...).
I only resent (a bit) the way the free xp rate is lowering with each levels...
it is true that as you are more experienced, learning new things get harder... but this is already implemented as levels are more and more expensives in terms of xp.
This issue is reduced for the arcane units due to free promo when upgrading, but it is damaging to mage unique units (govanon) or divine casters. and it is not really realist ... the arcan unit you get from the begining of ages... upgrading upon being an archmage can know way less spells than a very late unit... (free mana spheres from 2-3mana nodes) and even archmage levels units do rarely get 100xp (out of fighting).. while your firsts warriors usually get around 100xp if they not die.

 

[zxcvbnm]

issue is :
only conjurers and firemages would gain xp this way ...
what about the unit-booster mages ? or the city booster mages ..?

If a boosted unit kills an enemy x% of the xp will go to mage(s) able to have boosted that unit, like in fireball example. For spells that don't kill, like contagion, the caster would gain y xp based on the number of harmed units and the amount of damage done.

The free xp wouldn't be eliminated, it would only be counted for turns the caster is still, ie studying new spells instead of travelling around. Cities with mage guilds would give free xp faster as mg:s allow the mages to hone their skills with better equipment than just any hut somewhere. Catacomb Libralus would do the same as mg in addition to it as there's so much arcane knowledge. Perhaps the Infernal Grimoire also. Towers would increase the free xp rate similarly but only for mages who have spells of those types, ie Tower of Elements would add free xp to mages who have elemental spells, the more spells, the more xp.

Even more complicated on paper

 

[westamastaflash]

Wow I didn't realize this would evolve into such a complicated discussion. Remember - simple is better than complex in a mod. The auto-xp gain is simple. Perhaps the only change could be made that the xp gain chance is increased by, say, x1.5 in a city with a mage guild, and x2 in a city with the catacomb libraelus, great library, infernal grimoire, or tower. Perhaps this needs its own thread, since we've thoroughly hijacked this one.