Post by Whoa Constrictor on Nov 3, 2016 10:25:58 GMT -8
Hey Kami-Sama,
Sorry for the delayed response. Short answer, the builds you describe were encountered in development and I personally gave the greenlight to include them in the current version of the game.
If I recall we actually show off this build in one of the trailers for the game. I'm pretty sure it's even a loading screen tip. It was one of the first things I ever built with the repulsor energy material and is one of my favorite spells. I think it brings a unique spin on movement and is really chaotic in a fun way.
I've personally witnessed some newer magicmaker players try their hand at this spell, and it's not the easiest to control. While yes, you can attain this build with only F-grade materials, there is a sizable amount of skill involved in controlling your character in a way where it is useful, or even functional.
I feel like the inevitable endpoint of serious* magicmaker loadouts is Utility Wand, Mobkiller spell, Bosskiller spell, Defensive/Utility robes, and some artifact to round it out or augment existing strengths. With a very small number of exceptions, spells usually excel at boss or mob destruction, not both, and that's a limitation I'm a fan of. The handful of exceptions fit squarely in the power fantasy category- these are your minion armies, doom lasers, etc.
*: When I say "serious", I mean "this is a toolset specifically crafted to complete the objectives presented by the game". Whether or not that's fun or even required is up to taste- I consider Magicmaker more sandbox than objective-driven like a traditional RPG. Earlier in this thread I said something that can't be overstated:
Sorry for the delayed response. Short answer, the builds you describe were encountered in development and I personally gave the greenlight to include them in the current version of the game.
Using bouncy ball on robes with Repulsor enrgy on a wand knocking you back actually makes you immortal as well as resemble a fiery meteor.
If I recall we actually show off this build in one of the trailers for the game. I'm pretty sure it's even a loading screen tip. It was one of the first things I ever built with the repulsor energy material and is one of my favorite spells. I think it brings a unique spin on movement and is really chaotic in a fun way.
I've personally witnessed some newer magicmaker players try their hand at this spell, and it's not the easiest to control. While yes, you can attain this build with only F-grade materials, there is a sizable amount of skill involved in controlling your character in a way where it is useful, or even functional.
Fun as heck and utterly devastates normal enemies but doesn't affect bosses
I feel like the inevitable endpoint of serious* magicmaker loadouts is Utility Wand, Mobkiller spell, Bosskiller spell, Defensive/Utility robes, and some artifact to round it out or augment existing strengths. With a very small number of exceptions, spells usually excel at boss or mob destruction, not both, and that's a limitation I'm a fan of. The handful of exceptions fit squarely in the power fantasy category- these are your minion armies, doom lasers, etc.
*: When I say "serious", I mean "this is a toolset specifically crafted to complete the objectives presented by the game". Whether or not that's fun or even required is up to taste- I consider Magicmaker more sandbox than objective-driven like a traditional RPG. Earlier in this thread I said something that can't be overstated:
Speaking to spell balance, my philosophy is this: There are going to be outlier spells that melt the biggest HP bars in the game in seconds (or less!). If a player figures out the most efficient damage hose spell, then they were designing for damage, and that is their appropriate reward. The health bars in question are supposed to be balanced around the player having a slightly-above-average damage tool at their disposal. This allows players who try things that aren't Silk Minion or Philosopher's Quiver and still be able to complete the game and have fun with their creation.
New Game+[++] is intentionally unbalanced. It's "close", but as you add more +s, things start dipping into insanity. And it's a lot of fun that way! There is absolutely no way NG+ could realistically be balanced- even at the original 4 spell slots, monster health to potential player damage out rests at a very blurry "good enough" because the range of damage spells are capable of is so wide. By the time you get to 7 spells slots, 6-digit damage becomes totally possible. Those SAME seven slots can make something that deals 100-300 damage. Where would one even begin to define a midpoint or average to scale enemy health around?
As you mentioned, since it is a single-player game, what "balance" means is completely different from say a multiplayer context. If there was an online wizard battle, yeah we'd constrict the hell out of damage ranges. But since people aren't actively ruining eachother's days with broken spells, we're content to let players have fun with whatever they cook up.
New Game+[++] is intentionally unbalanced. It's "close", but as you add more +s, things start dipping into insanity. And it's a lot of fun that way! There is absolutely no way NG+ could realistically be balanced- even at the original 4 spell slots, monster health to potential player damage out rests at a very blurry "good enough" because the range of damage spells are capable of is so wide. By the time you get to 7 spells slots, 6-digit damage becomes totally possible. Those SAME seven slots can make something that deals 100-300 damage. Where would one even begin to define a midpoint or average to scale enemy health around?
As you mentioned, since it is a single-player game, what "balance" means is completely different from say a multiplayer context. If there was an online wizard battle, yeah we'd constrict the hell out of damage ranges. But since people aren't actively ruining eachother's days with broken spells, we're content to let players have fun with whatever they cook up.