Custom spell system(s)

[Narf the Mouse]

I've added a simple Prefix/Suffix spell system to my game. I'm
wondering, however, if I should instead use a Prefix/Verb/Suffix system.
It would allow greater customization of options and probably not be too
much harder to impliment, but I'm wondering if it would be too unwieldy
on the players' side.

(And if there's other possibly better ways to do custom magic, send them
in, too. :) )

Thanks for any and all help.

[jot...@hotmail.com]

So you attach prefixes and suffixes to a spell name to cast a variant?
Pretty cool, I don't know if you'd gain much by adding verbs.

I'm more inclined to the sort of "emergent behaviour"-kind-of-spells.
Like you get components to create your own spells, and there are weird
rules and all. Haven't seen it in a RL yet, I hope to implement it
some day.

Jotaf

Jotaf

[Narf the Mouse]

No reason I can't add that later. :)

No spell names. :) To cast a spell, you select a prefix, verb and suffix
(I've decided to go with that, as thinking about it, just a prefix and
suffix weren't enough - Although I'm still interested in other systems
:) ), such as 'Bolt, Damage, Perception' - And the target(s) take(s)
perception damage.

Or, 'Touch, Boost, Perception' - And the target gets a perception boost.

Or, planned, 'Ball, Make, Wall' - And you get a sudden explosion of wall. :D

The great thing is all of this can be handled with general cases, I
think. I've already got statistic boost and I'm adding statistic damage.

(Dictionaries with <int, float> and (int)TheEnum really help :) )

[Nate879]

On Mar 25, 4:08 pm, Narf the Mouse <largemo...@gmail.com> wrote:

Sounds cool, but don't make it overpowered. 'Ball, Make,
Friendly_Dragon' would be way too powerful. :)

[Narf the Mouse]

In the system I'm planning on using, it wouldn't be too powerfull -
Because there is a magic point cost based on how much the spell affects. :)

So if you have enough MP to cast 'Ball, Make, Dragon', then you are high
enough level that a ball of dragons is probably individually
underpowered for whatever you're up against. :)

(And you must be reading my mind. '*, Make, *Something' is the 'Create
construct' sequence I've planned. '*, Call, *Something' is the 'Summon
help' sequence I've planned. :) )

If, that is, I do that. It is a hobby. It's done when I decide it's done. :)

[jot...@hotmail.com]

Ah you're on the right path then :) I like it.

One thing I notice is that maybe sometimes it might not be appropriate
to have those 3 words, maybe 2 are enough. Make Something could be one
of those examples (unless you have a way around that, of course!).

Jotaf

[Narf the Mouse]

Generally, Prefix determines the Where, Verb determines the Affect and
Suffix determines the What.

So, 'Make Something' would have to have a random 'Where'. :)

Could add a random option to the list. :)

[jot...@hotmail.com]

On 26 Mar, 02:16, Narf the Mouse <largemo...@gmail.com> wrote:

Or have "random" as the default when the keyword is omitted. Wait --
better yet!

Prefix/Where: default value is "right where the player is
standing" (fun for fireballs and such).
Verb/Effect: default value is "a verb chosen at random" (fun!!).
Suffix/What: default value is "a random object around the
player" (hehe).

Okay then, that's cruel enough. Novice players would love it,
experienced players would know better than forgetting keywords :)

Jotaf

[Narf the Mouse]

I like this idea. It is win.