Spell Ideas and posible tweaks

I was bopping around as a Runemage with some other players, and we got to talking about spells and little tweaks we’d like to see in the game. I assume none of these spells are already in the game, since I haven’t heard anything about them.

Spells:

Arcane dagger - a spell with a short cast time and range, but that’s persistent and locked to your wand. The spell stays active until you press the activation button a second time, and can be swung at enemies like the warrior’s sword. Mages can struggle with soloing because all of our damage is based on range, requiring space to have time to draw the runes properly. Having a close range option that doesn’t involve casting Fire2 over and over would help that balance.

Explosive Runes - A spell a mage can set up before the battle, casting it on the ground between themselves and the enemy that does damage when someone steps on it.

Elemental Enhancement - or something like that. Mages have a single support spell, Runic shield, that make them even better than musketeers at giving defense buffs. Unfortunately, once a backup mage has shielded everyone, they have nothing to do but go back to attacking. In the interests of opening up mages to mixed DPS/Support, Elemental Enhancement would add an elemental damage buff to whoever it hits.

Healing - Again in the interests of opening mages to more support role options, A healing spell wouldn’t go amiss. Maybe a less effective one than the Musketeer can use, to make up for the reduced casting time.

Metamagic Runes - Less actual spells and more spells that affect spells, Metamagic Runes would act like rituals, but the extra parts after the first rune would be actual spells.
Twincast - A metamagic rune that lets you cast two spells in quick succession. The second rune would be a combat spell, which would be cast twice once you completed the rune. Useful for the level 3 spells that take a while to cast.
Overcharge - A rune that enhances the power of the rune cast after it at the cost of giving your wand a “burnout” period where you can’t cast spells for a while.

Tweaks:

These are just a few things I noticed or thought might be useful.

Everyone can see your lines - I don’t know if this is actually feasible due to latency issues, but being able to write messages in the air with your wand for other people to see would be helpful. My microphone went out the other day while I was playing, and I couldn’t get my party’s attention at all.

Rituals are too finicky - I’ve been working for two days now to just get the portal ritual working, and I can’t even get the first step of it done. I get that being a rune mage is all about being precise, but it just seems like for traveling spells who’s only use is outside of battle, it shouldn’t take you half an hour to cast.

As an unabashed lover of magic in games, I agree that there is so much potential for awesome spells and mechanics with the runemage that they should run with! That said, I don’t think the rituals are too finicky. Once you get it down and know HOW it’s supposed to go, it’s not terribly hard to reproduce. The more you learn of the spell and it’s intricacies the easier it becomes. I say this even though I have yet to whip off a single Ice3 spell:P Level 8 ATM.

Pro trick for teleporting…just whip your wand back and forth four times in one line, and then a longer slash through it. Probably something they should fix, but for now it’ll help you get around and learn the portal runes for after the initialization.

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I love some of these ideas. Honestly, to cast a healing circle, I think it would be cool to spin in a circle, then have to cast a healing rune on each cardinal direction, which would imprint and hold. This would give the same effect as the musketeer healing circle, and if people end up spamming it somehow, just add a cooldown similar to the warriors blasting horn.

This could also be the same way you make traps, spin in a circle drawing the pink line, which establishes the ritual cast method. Then you cast 4 of the main type of damage you want, but this could be varied as well. So, let’s say four firebolts, north south east west. And if you really want to amp it up, in the midways you could do a minor secondary, like affliction on nw/sw/see/ne, or maybe main icebolt, secondary ice Lance, for combo damage.

It allows for really high power, but long set up, something you really couldn’t do mid combat, and would have to drag the mob through. There could be a cooldown on ritual casting of 1-5 minutes after activation, so you couldn’t spam them.

I love the suggestions for Runemages to have healing spells and the admission that their shield buff is better than musketeers. They already have resurrection instead of Musketeers having the spell. Maybe we should give Runemages a musket also so they can dual wield a musket and wand? Then we wouldn’t need the Musketeer at all.

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lol, I’m not sure if you’re being sarcastic or serious, but that’s actually not a bad idea overall - it solves the need for an “auto attack” for wizards, as desired above, it would allow you to ‘precast’ spells and store them in orbs to use as a musketeer (really like this idea) and then active cast as well as a traditional rune mage.

Honestly, I kind of wish I could equip a wand or musket in my offhand when I’m playing as a warrior, too. My ideal character would be a paladin - a melee/healer hybrid, and I think the off-hand musketeer allows for this. Additionally, this could allow for a “DPS” warrior that fights with melee combo’s and auto musket attacks but would have to put the sword away to use the orbs (which would a fair trade off IMO).

1000 percent sarcastic. It is bad enough that Runemages started with resurrection instead of the healer class. Maybe I am wrong (as it seems the class can already do things from other classes) but Runemage isn’t supposed to be an all powerful “I can do anything with magic” class.

There are plenty of mmo’s that have different classes do similar things. No need to be upset-just play the class you enjoy and try not to poop on others.

It isn’t pooping on others or a problem to raise legitimate questions about class abilities. Trying to keep dissenting opinions from being raised, however, is a problem.

Runespells should be able to be saved on paper and stored for later use, at least for portals. Maybe even for other novelty spells as well and equipped to the toolbelt for emergency cases.

Not trying to stomp on dissent at all! Love for one class doesn’t mean we have to detract from others though. I think that musketeer needs some more ammo to do fun other things, no doubt. That doesn’t mean we have to take away or hate on mage classes for having fun for being what they are.

I am not taking away or hating on any class. My main point was that adding healing to Runemages’ list of neverending abilities begins to seem a bit much. They already shield better than the healers and started with resurrection which is widely considered a healer ability. The devs gave states that resurrection for musketeers will be added in some form later which will alleviate some of the issue.

In any event, I disagree with the premise that being critical about class abilities is hating on them or taking away from them. It is called community feedback and is an integral part of the development process.

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Guys, let’s not stray from the topic here. Musketeers can do DPS better than mages can do support, and Musket is so far the best solo class available. There’s cross class going on both ways, and I honestly wish they would give Ranger and Warrior more varied abilities. Being able to fill any role with any class means a player can choose to play in whatever way they want without being limited by what the creators think they should do.

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I like the idea of being able to put any weapon in your offhand. That kind of thing would destroy the meta, something I personally have no problem with. The only issue is that Musketeers and rangers need both hands free in order to properly use their abilities, so you’d have to put away your main hand weapon in order to use it.

Also, the issue with spinning in a circle to activate an ability is that we’d have to do it in the real world, where we’re both liable to fall over if we have subpar balance and where we’re tethered to a computer with cables. Spinning around in a VR game is just asking to trip and fall.

I think this is a horrible idea. The idea of a class is that it has unique abilities and is not just a different skin on a generic class that can fill any role.

Are they generic if the mechanics are completely different? Make it so the classes are customizable outside of combat or at a home or something so people choose the play style they like and you’ll still need a varied group of people for role filling.

I see nothing wrong with people having many options.

That’s right. There’s a major difference between “able to fill any roll” and “generic cookie cutter point and clicks”. Giving the mage class a healing spell doesn’t make them identical to the Musketeer. the Musket would still be an easier weapon to use, but a good mage would be able to run healing faster. Likewise, changing the Warriors battle horn into a customizable AOE support skill wouldn’t make them just like any other support, and neither would giving the ranger support arrows or (better yet in my opinion) giving the ranger the ability to craft their own arrows from a limited pool of parts, with higher levels being able to fit more parts on an arrow. Imagine high level archers being able to stack healing, multishot, and some kind of homing mechanic on an ability arrow with a long cooldown. Full party restore with only one move.

I think this is one different community members will just agree to disagree. I think people tend to be in favor of unique classes rather than all having similar abilities just different VR mechanics. Although if the Devs go your way I guess I am looking forward to teleport arrows, the fireball sword swing, and the musket polymorph shot.

Edit: and I almost forget the warrior shield resurrection.

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