Magic System Add-on

Magic users haven't ever really had a system to work with reagents. I'd like to suggest this system while magic is currently weak in the game - as a potential means to give the developers some options in balancing the system

Concept: Spell preparation

* Mix reagents into "spell gems", which are deposited into one or more "spell pouches"

* A gem is a collection of reagents compacted into 1 item which can cast one spell (but, user is still deducted focus for this, as it is only a reagent requirement)- or any one spell within a group of spells: death, life, moon, etc

* Your skill level in a skill called "Spell preparation" can grant you bonuses to a spell if it is cast and consumes a spell gem: e.g. damage increase, healing increase, faster casting, or even chaotic effects

* Player is able to designate a pouch as a "Primary" pouch, meaning gems here will be consumed first

* Player is able to toggle quickly which pouch is active - maybe [ (left bracket) for move one left and ] (right bracket) for move one right between pouches

* spell gems are craftable at an altar or laboratory, depending on the type of magic or gem desired

* magic practitioner must complete a quest to earn the ability to construct the spell preparation alter or laboratory

 

Question for players:

1. Would this simplify reagent management for you? If not, would you enjoy the extra depth of this system?

 

How does adding a bunch of crafting steps, quest requirements, additional consumables and even more grind make anything simpler?


Also, no, I wouldn't enjoy the "added depth" because it doesn't add any depth, it just adds more grind. Someone is going to figure out the ideal way to powergame this system and then going through all the repetitive motions of it will just be another drain on peoples time with no real improvement in gameplay.

To me depth is about making choices that matter, still learning new things about the games after a long time of playing it, finding a task challenging in a new way every time, and being certain that no google search can replace first hand experience. That's not something static crafting provides. There might be a very brief period of discovery with a system like this when you first learn it, and there might be a brief period of satisfaction when you are sure you have mastered it, but if you just have to keep doing it over and over and over long after it's become rote and boring it takes away everything it may have ever added.

Reagents are just a lot of grind with no satisfying payoff in the first place. So is just about all the crafting that's purely done for upkeep for that matter. I mean don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you shouldn't ever need to replace an item, I just find it extremely boring to have the need to do so be a foregone conclusion and not the result of decisions you make in response to emergent challenges.

For example, needing a new sword in the Mount and Blade franchise tends to become an interesting story and have a good reason. If bandits took your sword it's because you made a long chain of decisions that lead you to that point. You underestimated their fighting strength, you took a training cadre into battle with them, you got cocky and charged out ahead, you weren't carrying the right weapons to contend with their doctrine, and didn't pick the skills when you leveled up that might have gotten you out of that pickle. That's depth and complexity. A ton of different elements in the game all coming together into a situation that you can't just look up a solution to. If losing your sword results from that it's an entirely different matter than if a game simply counts down till you need a new sword while fighting enemies who you know are no threat to you.

 

Have to say I have always loved having spell reagents......It was amazing in UO originally. I always remember I used to go out pking with 30 of each, you had to be careful that there were no thieves around that would try to steal your healing reagents, I would obtain more by killing another mage and looting them.............good times.

The main issue at the moment in shroud is the cost of them and where you get them from. Based on the current system a reagent shouldn't cost any more than say 2gp, I would like to see reagents on the corpses of mage elves, skeletons etc. Ultimately within PvP I would like to see full loot attached to consumables which would include potions, reagents and arrows etc.......this would also give greater meaning for thieves that might appear in later episodes.

 

OP is suggesting something very like early Ultimas, we've had this, mages have been able to play with exactly this style of reagent use. Personally I think this will weaken magick and make the game less appealing.