Cosmetic spells should be changed.

from Elemental Forums

well after playing some of the new beta, i have to say i don't care much for the cosmetic spells.  i think they are fluff, and i don't see why anybody would waste any spell points on them. i personally think they should be redone with some sort of strategic element.

mushrooms - this could be some sort of poison cloud mushroom patch that you could use around your cities.  passing through it would cause units in the army to fall asleep.  when they fall asleep it makes the units stay in place even as other units keep going.  this way it cause confusion for the player trying to pass through the area having to micro their units back into the army again.

so how many of you actually use the cosmetic spells?

6,777 views 12 replies
Reply #1 from Elemental Forums Top

Min/Maxers will never use them.

 

A lot of people that care about RP'ing and the general atmosphere will enjoy them, and there is no harm in including 'fluff' spells.

Reply #2 from Elemental Forums Top

You are lucky enough already, those CTD me everytime I intend to cast them...

see here:

https://forums.elementalgame.com/385477

 

About the fluff, I can agree that adding a strategic aspect to the solely aesthetic one would be good.

But I would just be glad enough if I could visually customize my kingdom.

 

The problem is that, if you had strategic aspects to these, the cost of casting should rise sharply; and I am personaly already bothered enough that casting a simple "Garden revival" (I forgot the name) costs 3 Essence, which is nearly as much as a city in the middle of wastelands..

 

Anyway and After all, these beautification spells are first meant to be cast over and over again, covering all your territory with patterns you deem adequate for your desired visual environments.

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Reply #3 from Elemental Forums Top

Um, i like them but why do they cost points to cast? they should be free! and beautify land doesn't seem to do anything but make yellow streaks on the ground... what's up with that? 

Reply #4 from Elemental Forums Top

Well Garden Revival isn't cosmetic. I built a farm on mine. Granted yeah it CTD'ed me right after.

Yeah they are fluff, yeah I will never use them. But meh they are pretty and they will appease those who like that stuff without taking anything away from those of us who don't.

Reply #5 from Elemental Forums Top

yeah i suppose. i dunno... i cast that mushroom spell and i was hoping for some kind of affect or something from it.  even if it was 1 prestige.  i still think they should have some sort mini effect.

Reply #6 from Elemental Forums Top

It would be cooler if the game tracked the type of spells you used, and started transforming the areas  you control with these fluff spells automagically. 

Reply #7 from Elemental Forums Top

I don't oppose some vanity and cosmetic improvements for those who want them but... the tiles don't look too good. All cosmetic changes should be consolidated into one spell and the flowers etc. need to look organic instead of a square tile of flowers next to a square tile of mushrooms.

Reply #8 from Elemental Forums Top

yeah i would recommend the devs to create several of each kind of tile.  when the spell is cast, it puts down randomly a tile.  maybe even have merging ability so that the tiles could merge together or something.

Reply #9 from Elemental Forums Top

On this note, does anyone know how easy it would be for us as players to simply make our own cosmetic spells that create our own tiles and just plant them into the game? 

Reply #10 from Elemental Forums Top

From the little I understand it should be relatively easy. Particle and Tile Editor FTW!!!

 

Reply #11 from Elemental Forums Top

Or, how about as you cast spells, you get to cast free cosmetic spells where you want? That way you can transform your kingdom as the game goes on. or how about wherever you cast your spell, its cosmetic affects kind of start popping up in the area you are casting?

Reply #12 from Elemental Forums Top

Age of Wonders had spells that 'radiated' from your cities. Rejuvination, for example, would spread grasslands outwards. Why not do the same here? Casting a cosmetic spell, instead of just targeting one space, you could target a city. From there, flowers, mushrooms, or yellow streaks would spread out naturally. You could still cast it on individual tiles (perhaps have those tiles be the 'center' for the radiating spell) if you so chose.