I hope we see lots of cool ways to cast spells including but not limited to ground targettable AE spells.
I'd like to see more shapes than just a circle too... For instance it would be cool if summoners could lay out a flaming wall in a rectangle shape.
Maybe Ice Comet could be a bunch of smaller circles that hit in a random pattern.
How about an Ice patch on the ground that lowers a mobs avoidance as they slip around on it ?
Do any of you caster players like spells of this nature or do you just want to stick to regular tab targetting for all spell casting ?
Thanks as always,
Kiz~
When you came up with this idea, did you have any notion as to where it would be applied? Under what situations or circumstances? I think back to the EQ1 wizard and all those PBAE spells which, for the longest time, were totally useless.
The ice patch on the ground can work as a snare or even a root. Usable in many situations. But a ground targeted AE? DAoC had one which was great for Keep fights. Not so much for PvE.
Tab targeting? I hope not.
And AE spells in a keep? Great way to pull every mob in the radius onto your group.
I loved early EQ spells, before they were nurfed.
When the Wizard cut loose with a fire ball, the ball of fire cannoned across the space between her and her target. And if you got in the way of it, it went right thru you.
Each spell had it's very own aura and was very easy to identify, once learned, you had a split second to come up with a counter spell.
Spells and casting them, and their aura's and all, that was some of the best part of being a caster...the sheer fun of it.
Edited: can't spell
GW2 had some nice stuff. Guardian for example had a barrier spell, a wall type spell he could cast in front of him, and which blocked opponents from getting close, or attacks hitting through the wall. Excellent for blocking an entrance for a moment :) Or the wizard could lay fire walls, and rangers shooting through the wall would ignite their arrows for extra damage. And of course ice fields to snare opponents.
I would however prefer if these spells were not ground targetable, but instead would be PBAOEs (for ice fields) or appeared right in front of you. Also don't forget cone type of AEs :) True targeted AEs should just work around your current target, instead of requiring you to select an area for them first.
Vandraad said:When you came up with this idea, did you have any notion as to where it would be applied? Under what situations or circumstances? I think back to the EQ1 wizard and all those PBAE spells which, for the longest time, were totally useless.
The ice patch on the ground can work as a snare or even a root. Usable in many situations. But a ground targeted AE? DAoC had one which was great for Keep fights. Not so much for PvE.
This creates situations where to be most effective you will have to place the mobs in specific places... The spells would be inneficient for just using on 1 mob mana wise but hit 2 or 3 and now you are increasing the efficiency of your mana pool.
This gets me thinking tho that mobs shouldn't just stack on top of eachother like in EQ1 but instead they should actually take up space so you can't just stack mobs up under an AE...
Hmm that sounds like a whole thread on its own ;/
Kiz~
Angrykiz said:
This creates situations where to be most effective you will have to place the mobs in specific places... The spells would be inneficient for just using on 1 mob mana wise but hit 2 or 3 and now you are increasing the efficiency of your mana pool.
This gets me thinking tho that mobs shouldn't just stack on top of eachother like in EQ1 but instead they should actually take up space so you can't just stack mobs up under an AE...
Hmm that sounds like a whole thread on its own ;/
Kiz~
Well, it would be nice if there was some level of AI. Mobs should at least try to avoid an AE that creates burns or freezes the ground. That way if you cast it in an area that is enclosed like a hallway, they are more likely to take damage. Out in the open they should step out of it and range attack you or find another way around.
+1 for different types of area effects.
I like the way Mage AE spells were handled in EQ in the rain series. If you or any of your group were in the area where the rain fell? you also got hit with the rain. I think AE's should be inherently dangerous and rarely used, except in some certain circumstances where rains are not nomrally used but the team or group is feeling bold and decided to do so, on a lark, a potentially dangrous lark- an Atom Bomb/Oppenheimer " Hey, you know when we set this thing off, there is a possibility of creating a nuclear chain reaction and destroy the atmosphere" kind of lark.
For me, I like variety - but it comes down to "how does it make me feel when I play." Here's what I mean (and I'll use ground targeting as an example).
Say we're playing a game that has ground targeted spells - they are hard to get off - they require some set up - but when you get them off... they do something absolutely spectacular. That, to me, makes me feel like my wizard / mage / whatever - is very powerful. I like feeling powerful.
Now say we're playing a game where you are running around like a bunny that has just finished drinking 8 red bulls and chased it all down with an espresso... and you are trying to lay down a ground targeted spell. In this case, even if it's a spectacular result, I feel more like I'm running away and trying to hit you with something out of sheer desperation. I don't like feeling cowardly.
I think all sorts of ideas can work in regard to targeting spells and abilities... just as long as they fit within the game and make you feel like your class is herioc and worth playing.