[Suggestion] Make a second "Path of the Mage"

from Elemental Forums

Half the fun of playing the game is using your sovereign as a mage.  Magic plays a core role in the game.  But only one out of five specialization paths really focus on this ability.  That seems like a waste.  I propose two mage paths: one with reduced mana cost and increased damage.  And one which allows you to cast two spells in a round.  Note that this is a high mana drain path choice.  You don't get the mana reduction, and you don't get the damage increase.  

For lack of a better term, "Path of the Sorcerer".  Of course, it needs its own supplemental abilities.

5,181 views 14 replies
Reply #1 from Elemental Forums Top

Yeah, i think every Sovereign should be a mage and casts spells, too, because it fits to the lore and enemy Sovereigns without spells are harmless. It would be perhaps better to give every Sovereign Life I or Death I for free and reduce the starting points from 6 to 5.

Reply #2 from Elemental Forums Top

Rather than add more paths or replace existing ones, another option is to put in specialization classes. So maybe once you reach level 10 you get to choose one of three new paths that are determined by the original path you chose. This would allow more customizations like teh ones you suggested.

Elemental: Reforged
Reply #3 from Elemental Forums Top

I think they ought to rename Path of the Mage to Path of the Spellcaster or Shardmaster or something more lore-y like that.

Also, they ought to rename Path of the Assassin to Path of the Rogue or Bandit.

Terms like Mage and Assassin tend to conjure up fairly specific archetypes to some of us old school rpg'ers, archetypes more specific than what seems natural at the time of Path selection.

Reply #4 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting UmbralAngel, reply 2
Rather than add more paths or replace existing ones, another option is to put in specialization classes. So maybe once you reach level 10 you get to choose one of three new paths that are determined by the original path you chose. This would allow more customizations like teh ones you suggested.
End of UmbralAngel's quote

I was just thinking something along these lines!

Reply #5 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting mqpiffle, reply 5

Quoting UmbralAngel, reply 2Rather than add more paths or replace existing ones, another option is to put in specialization classes. So maybe once you reach level 10 you get to choose one of three new paths that are determined by the original path you chose. This would allow more customizations like teh ones you suggested.

I was just thinking something along these lines!
End of mqpiffle's quote

By level 10, the game is over or close to it.  There's not a whole lot of specialization left that's going to matter.   

No, really.  The "Paths" *are* the specializations.  We're playing a game where everyone is supposed to be these powerful magic users.  Magic itself is a resource.  There's a spellbook UI component.  This is the sequel to War of Magic.  One of the ways you win by casting a spell.  Yet 4 out of 5 of the specializations have nothing to do with magic.   You might as well name the other ones Path of the Baker, Farmer, and Goatherd, because the one most people are going to want to use is Path of the Mage.

I use Path of the Warrior and Defender.  Mostly for my non-sovereign champions.  There's nothing wrong with those paths.  I just think there needs to be more magic-based options, since that's the core of the game.

Reply #6 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting UmbralAngel, reply 2
Rather than add more paths or replace existing ones, another option is to put in specialization classes. So maybe once you reach level 10 you get to choose one of three new paths that are determined by the original path you chose. This would allow more customizations like teh ones you suggested.
End of UmbralAngel's quote

 

I like the idea of sub-paths at level 10, maybe with elimination of defender (turned into a warrior sub-path)

 

This would probably require too much work at this late stage, but might be a good idea for the 2nd expansion.

 

 

Reply #7 from Elemental Forums Top

They're getting paid to work too much!

Reply #8 from Elemental Forums Top

I think a subpath at level 10 is a good idea. However a subpath that rules out gaining traits from the previous level 5 path choice is a horrible idea. Simply because traits are so random you might not even get any of the traits you wanted or needed from the four choices you get. The trait choices half the time are too random on what you can choose from I have a levle 9 governor still waiting on his first governor trait.

Reply #9 from Elemental Forums Top

Yeah I was thinking it just adds new traits to the pool you randomly choose from each level, it doesn't remove old ones. I am not sure if you even could remove them if you wanted to.

 

I could see it branching like this:

 

Governor -> Economist, Engineer, Researcher 

Mage -> Sorcerer, Battlemage, Enchanter

Warrior -> Defender, Berserker, General 

Rogue -> Assassin, Archer, Bard 

Reply #10 from Elemental Forums Top


Half the fun of playing the game is using your sovereign as a mage.  Magic plays a core role in the game.  But only one out of five specialization paths really focus on this ability.  That seems like a waste.  I propose two mage paths: one with reduced mana cost and increased damage.  And one which allows you to cast two spells in a round.  Note that this is a high mana drain path choice.

End of quote

 

not really

you just dont look from the right angle

this path would just mean the mage does the same exact thing anohter mage would do,  just in half the turns

 

tbh the game is just not balanced to have such a thing atm and i suppose devs will never change such a core thing at this stage

 

 

anyway teh idea is not bad, i kinda like it

i always wanted to have supportive mages, able to cast stuff helping party, not only heal, this kind of mages would need buffs and debuffs strong but with short durationg like +10 attack for 2 turns 100% dodge for 1 attack and stuff like that

i think it woudl be fun to have such a role

Reply #11 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting ddd888, reply 11

quoting post
Half the fun of playing the game is using your sovereign as a mage.  Magic plays a core role in the game.  But only one out of five specialization paths really focus on this ability.  That seems like a waste.  I propose two mage paths: one with reduced mana cost and increased damage.  And one which allows you to cast two spells in a round.  Note that this is a high mana drain path choice.



 

not really

you just dont look from the right angle

this path would just mean the mage does the same exact thing anohter mage would do,  just in half the turns

 

tbh the game is just not balanced to have such a thing atm and i suppose devs will never change such a core thing at this stage

 

 

anyway teh idea is not bad, i kinda like it

i always wanted to have supportive mages, able to cast stuff helping party, not only heal, this kind of mages would need buffs and debuffs strong but with short durationg like +10 attack for 2 turns 100% dodge for 1 attack and stuff like that

i think it woudl be fun to have such a role
End of ddd888's quote

Wasn't really hung on that particular suggestion.  Another choice could do, I just would like to see another path that provides some sort of spell bonuses similar to the Path of the Mage because I think it's one of the strongest and most likely picked off all the options.  

Also, you likely would NOT be able to do the same sort of things given that your spells are going to cost TWICE as much as a mage who went Path of the Mage, and they're only going to do a third of the damage.  Haste on the other hand, would be pretty awesome with this suggested path.  Healing too.

Reply #12 from Elemental Forums Top

The mechanics allow for the D&D system to be incorporated verbatim. Why is it not ingame? Do the devs think that D&D will be off-putting to geeks and nerds?  o_O

Reply #13 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting UmbralAngel, reply 10
Yeah I was thinking it just adds new traits to the pool you randomly choose from each level, it doesn't remove old ones. I am not sure if you even could remove them if you wanted to.

 

I could see it branching like this:

 

Governor -> Economist, Engineer, Researcher 

Mage -> Sorcerer, Battlemage, Enchanter

Warrior -> Defender, Berserker, General 

Rogue -> Assassin, Archer, Bard 
End of UmbralAngel's quote

:thumbsup:   I like this. Don't think it will happen because of the closeness in proximity to final release, but it would sure be nice if your champs could specialize a little more at a later level.

 

Reply #14 from Elemental Forums Top


Half the fun of playing the game is using your sovereign as a mage.  Magic plays a core role in the game.  But only one out of five specialization paths really focus on this ability.  That seems like a waste.  I propose two mage paths: one with reduced mana cost and increased damage.  And one which allows you to cast two spells in a round.  Note that this is a high mana drain path choice.  You don't get the mana reduction, and you don't get the damage increase.  

For lack of a better term, "Path of the Sorcerer".  Of course, it needs its own supplemental abilities.

End of quote

 

Path of the Mage is already such a single-minded and bland class that I would strongly hesitate to water it down any further. All it does is buff the very narrow range of summons and improve tactical combat casting via increased damage and decreased cost. It is already bland, and coupled with the potential for not being able to actually improve your magic on any given level, it is one of the weakest of the classes.

 

I never choose Path of the Mage unless I am testing something.

 

The Path of the Mage needs to have;

  • Its own spells; powerful abilities which mimic magic and are exclusive to the class., such as:
    • "Siphon Magic" which allows the caster to use another caster's magic spells in combat
    • "Reinforce Enchantment" which locks the enchantments on a city, and requires that it be dispelled before any other enchantments are added.
    • "Reflect Magic" which acts like counterspell, and allows you to redirect a casting time spell as if you had cast it.
  • The capacity to improve two schools for one pick, otherwise how are you differentiating between a fighter who can cast and a dedicated wizard?

 

Of course, adding the requirement on level up of "Level one school" provided that you can make any choice is key to making this class work.