Addressing Runemage Rune Sharing and Favoring Advanced Spells Over Basic Counterparts

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So, I LOVE Runemages.

I love having to perform a ritual (through runes) to cast specific spells.

I love that making a mistake in the ritual punishes you through having wasted time.

I love that combat is somehow both slow and fast paced.

Nearly everything about it feels like what a mage type might actually need to do in order to manipulate mana and create miracles.

My problem, though, with being Runemages in the real world with the internet is 1-to-1 data sharing and what that brings to the game. Right now, I see many Runemages that can’t reliably cast a level 1 spell but can perfect cast a level 2/3 spell the majority of the time. I think that is because all they bothered to practice was the highest tier of spell that they had learned (either from fellow mages or from the internet). And why shouldn’t they? Why bother with the lowest tier of magic that you know if it only costs a small increase of time to cast something significantly better?

My proposed solution is a “proved experience” system that builds on the already present meta of practicing casting for battle. The Runemage will still likely need to practice the spell cast over and over, but will need to “prove themselves” to the spirits by perfect casting a number of times in a row to impress the spirits and earn a point of some sort to unlock a spell modifier rune that can be applied to their spells.

Potential modifiers could be AOE, travel speed/range, damage/duration, buffs/debuffs, etc.

Applying a rune modifier (or even modifiers) could be applied in sequence similar to Resurrection or Portal, but that might add a lot of cast time should multiple modifiers be added. If this is so, the modifiers would potentially need to be quite worth the time in order to be balanced for the cast times and/or be quite simple in comparison to the spell runes.

An alternative to drawing modifier runes could be a “mana channeling” tree that the Runemage could draw over (or even ping-pong across) after drawing their initial spell rune to apply different earned modifiers.

The hope is that this would alleviate only becoming proficient in a small handful of spells.

Alternatively, it could be applied to accomplish the exact opposite if getting larger and larger perfect cast chains can unlock more modifiers for that single spell. Thus rewarding becoming a particular element mage.

Either way, I think that it could bring more depth to the runecasting system that I would just love to see.

What do you all think? Is this something that sounds good to you? What problems will arise from my suggestion?

I was just dreaming on this topic before actually falling asleep last night (and I’m definitely not even a game designer) so I am very curious to see what others might think about it.

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What I would prefer instead is that all greater level spells build on the previous levels drawing, like affliction, fireball level 3, and frostbolt level 3. Then it makes sense to get good at lower levels before moving on to the higher levels.

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I think your approach is creative. It’d be cool to see a type of “runemage questline” to prove oneself regarding the ability to cast each spell and maybe get something neat with each trial passed, whether the modifier idea or something else.

I also like how it’s currently set up in that our deficiencies limit us. I find much utility in tier one spells, especially tier 1 frost, because I do NOT want to get any closer to that mob! I have a significantly higher chance of surviving if I can strike something as far as possible from me and hopefully end it before it reaches me, and tier 2 stuff is usually too close for me to accomplish that. So for those who never bother with the faster-and-further tier one spells, well, I guess more power to them if they can make it work.

As for encouraging some runemages to expand beyond their three-used-spells comfort zone, your idea may help.

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It’s not that lvl 2 is the only thing practiced. lvl 2 fireball and frostbolt are actually much easier to cast than their lvl 1 counterparts.

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This.
It’s a hell of a lot easier to draw a runic F and do double damage than it is to do that monstrous M.

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I started to use rank 1 fireball when it would one shot low level mob I want to kill because it travels so much faster.
Affliction 1 is useful.
Haven’t played with frost 1 yet, might be useful to kite, but so far frost 2 is superior for me with quick casting. I found the range sufficient and for tough mobs I prefer to open with affliction 2 so the extra range on frost 1 doesn’t benefit me.
But combining spells would be cool, more depth in runemage should be welcomed as its often the reason we picked the class😉

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Level one spells go faster and travel farther. I use them every time I go out to grind for experience to pull mobs that are in packs or far away. Not learning the lower levels of spells is just lazy and reduces your overall usefulness. Also damage is capped by level so a level 1 runemage that’s taken the time to practice that level 3 frostbolt, can get some use out of it, but it’s rare to see them cast it consistently. For Frostbolt… that level 1 is ridiculously hard to master for a level 1 rune. the level 2 frostbolt is much much easier. not to mention, the higher the level of frostbolt the more the target is slowed.

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All your idea will do is make people spam a spell until its considered mastered on the practice dummy. Then they will use the better until its mastered. Then they will never look back.

To me your idea will force people to do something that doesn’t make any sense realistically. They would only be doing it as some sort of pre-req, that is essentially extra work, just so they can cast the next spell.

They have no additional incentives to use the weaker spells after they grind these masteries out, and you’re suggesting they should be put into the game only to make it feel more immersive in a sense. Sure you’re attaching bonuses to mastering them but these are basically pre-reqs to get maximum efficiency out of whatever spells.

And does it address being proficient in a small handful of spells? No. People will still use the better ones at the end of the day and stop practicing spells they won’t be using often. After all you did attach bonuses to mastering the harder spells that are better right? So its a short term solution where people grind it out and then forget about it once they are done.

If the devs want to gate-lock spells they should have just ensured that certain spells require a certain level to use. But then if they did that, people would bring up how if they know a spell they should be able to cast it if they have the ability to draw it. And we end up back here.

Runemages have so many things they can master already. I don’t think they should be forced to spend the time to repeatedly cast some spells to master them temporarily just because you are bothered that they might not be able to cast Light or Decurse or Fireball 1 when they are excellent at casting higher tier spells.

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There seems to be a lot of suggestions for ways to get runemages to stop exclusively casting high level spells so soon, but I think the best solution to the problem is the easiest. Just give each tier of the spell type it’s own unique effect.

Example: Frost 1 - enemy slow movement and cold debuff that sets of combo.
Frost 2 - Enemy slow attack speed and some increased damage (no cold debuff)
Frost 3 - Temporary AoE freeze (stun) with reduced damage (less than frost 2) and reduced effects if reapplied.

I’m sure whatever I suggested here is in no way balanced, but the idea is just to give you a reason to want to cast each spell depending on what the situation calls for.

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I agree with Nathan-if you have every spell add something different to the fight (other then range/velocity) then there is incentive to use and learn them. Right now there is NO incentive for me to use fireball 1 or ice 1. Fire/Ice2 still have decent range for pulling and offer more power and are easier (for me) to cast on the fly.

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I respectfully disagree. Frost 1 is still my primary pull spell in a group. It gives massive range and enough time to let the party mentally set up for the 2-3 incoming. Additionally, because of that distance you can safely hit a second incoming with other spells before it reaches melee range.

Different players, different playstyles. I’ve seen plenty of folks open up close with Frost 3… No thanks. I like my avatar alive! :wink:

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Tip and trick: Cast frost 2 and start walking backwards as soon as you cast it. Huge range increase :smiley:

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Different players, different playstyles:)

I use frost 2 as an opener and either back up before it hits or I whip off two to three of them before the first one hits. Then I can prep another spell to use such as lance or Fire 2 or 3 for when it reaches me. I’m still playing around with what I like to do best though. Unless I’m trying to one hit then opening with fire 3 isn’t really the best. Frost 3…haven’t done one of those right yet. Someday.

I still thinking adding more incentive to use different levels of spells would be a boon for the class and make people mix it up more than many peoples standard rotation.

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I’ll use frost 1 if I want to pull an enemy from super far away but I immediately cast frost 2 because the initial slow doesn’t slow enemies down that much. After that is just whatever spells. Level 1 spells definitely have their uses but you don’t have to use any spell you don’t want to. Want to spam only fireball 2? Go ahead.

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