If you''re looking for spell ideas one might be a combine ability sort of thing. A bunch pepole sit doing the spell and channel their abilities into another out on the field or something. Maybe you get additive strength or inteligence bonuses or something.

(one persons opinion)
I thought about the whole thing magic like this once. I figured it was all an energy related sort of issue. Differnt coloured candles wouldn''t make much differance, but different compositions would. Burn different chemicals, get different results. This way if you''re drawing power from the flame, you''re drawing different types of energy. Or something to that effect anyway.

I like the idea of chanelling into somebody on the battle field. That character must be near once the initial ''link-cast'' is made, but then are free to run off into the fray with the help of magicians . Sounds like a warrior getting a magic benefit from a friend to me .

Drawing the power from the flame can be used with different candles to combine different energies. Different candle colours symbolise different candle energies. That is why colour comes in... That is how it is used currently by beleivers. For some spells, no certain colour is specifically needed, and so a simple cast using X number of candles will do the job. Reminds me a bit of M:tG Mana casting system...

As for balancing... The more you use a certain type of candle, the less effective that candle''s use becomes.. Combined in balance with another different candle colour. This means that the red and blue candles oppose each other and as you use one, the other grows.

Cool effects could be created from combining two opposing forces... Rifts come to mind quickly in the short time it took me to think about it.

I like the idea of communicating with spirits, because that allows information on current standings, what challenges are ahead, where you are required to go etc. to be given to the player who is willing enough to ''waste'' their resources to get such information.

Anyway... Enough ranting, for now

-Chris Bennett of Dwarfsoft - Site:"The Philosophers'' Stone of Programming Alchemy" - IOL
The future of RPGs - Thanks to all the goblins over in our little Game Design Corner niche
          

quote: Original post by dwarfsoft
That''s the kind of responses I was looking for... Daemon summoning... Hmmm.. I LIKE IT! If you can''t fight fire with fire, fight daemons with daemons ... Cool

Or you could resurrect dead bodies and make them mindless slaves. I think undead people just don''t pop up from the graves, someone has to call them...

I think demons running wildly is not a good idea. They should come from "the other side" and stay as some kind of slaves, too, until the wizard runs out of magic power to control it.

Candle flame is a fickle thing. The slightest draft of wind, a spring shower, two mere fingers pressed together: anything can put out the fire. How do you plan to implement these factors into spell casting difficulty? If the wizard wants to summon demons, and it takes, say, thirty minutes to complete the ritual, how hard will it be to keep all those flames lit?

Artwork for these candles will be killer, though. Skull candles, altar candles, lemon-scented candles. I''ve always thought candles were pretty damn cool-lookin''. Animating flame is nigh impossible to do convincingly. Diablo II''s cinematics has some WICKED flames... and some pretty faux flames as well. These people are the masters of gaming cinematics, and even THEIR flames are iffy in some scenes. Radiosity will be especially important. Simple flame sprites will look like ASS. Amorphous pools of light will look awesome.

If enemies attempt to interfere with the candle, will the wizard have the opportunity/chance to use the flame against them? Momentarily intensifying the fire into a pillar of flame, incinerating any would-be interference with the main spell?

You don''t need to worry about the candles going out for these things (''Magic Candles'' ) and as for the graphics, I am doing a 3rd person game, the candles are too small to really make out much detail on the flame.

Graphics don''t matter much anyway... But you''re right - Candles really have an AWESOME touch to them

-Chris Bennett of Dwarfsoft - Site:"The Philosophers'' Stone of Programming Alchemy" - IOL
The future of RPGs - Thanks to all the goblins over in our little Game Design Corner niche