[Beta 4a/5 Suggestions] Magic & Spells

from Elemental Forums

One of the main things I'd like to see out of the magic system is more variety of ways to do damage as a low level caster outside of fire magic. Currently if you're not melee focused and not taking fire magic, your sovereign tends to seriously lack any bite in the early game.

It would be fine to make some of these spells more situational, short range, prone to resists, or ineffective on certain types of monsters, but some basic damage spells are really lacking in the early game.

Things such as Air - Sparks, Water - Ice Shards, Earth - Rock Blast, Life - Searing Light.

It would also be great to see researchable spells in the magic tree that were populated based on the schools of magic selected by the player. I am really frustrated by the fact that all spells are essentially laid out to the player every game. A melee focused sovereign may get a different weapon or a different set of perks upon leveling to choose from, but a spellcasting sovereign plays exactly the same way every single time they choose a certain school of magic. It'd add a bit of excitement, and a bit of interest in the magic tree to include a random selection of spells to the tree.

2,790 views 5 replies
Reply #1 from Elemental Forums Top


Despite not doing damage, water's 'slow' and air's 'haste' really allow your units to do more damage. Earth tends to prevent damage.

However, I do agree, it would be nice if you could choose any elemental shard route and have at least some way to doing ranged elemental damage as the caster...

Reply #2 from Elemental Forums Top

I like the current balance between spellbooks. That said, getting new offensive spells should come as a trait specialization for that hero. Once you are at level 2 in any element, it should be common to get levelup options that add offensive spells. Of course we would need about 20 new damage spells spread out over the elements to really make this option viable. If that is too much, just add them in the Magic Tree under Sorcery.

Star Control: Origins
Reply #3 from Elemental Forums Top

They used to have ranged attacks for each spellbook but they did away with it to give each book a separate identity - they also brought in the magic staves to give wizards ranged attacks and they're pretty easy to get to.

I would like to see some traits that allow mages to use magic staves more effectively - maybe +4 initiative and +2 damage when using staves and allow sovs/champs to pick it 3 times as perks

Reply #4 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting GFireflyE, reply 1

Despite not doing damage, water's 'slow' and air's 'haste' really allow your units to do more damage. Earth tends to prevent damage.

However, I do agree, it would be nice if you could choose any elemental shard route and have at least some way to doing ranged elemental damage as the caster...
End of GFireflyE's quote

 

^This.

Reply #5 from Elemental Forums Top

I don't have any specific ideas for spells, but Earth not having any Tactical spells at all at the first level is total bollocks.