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Re: CF: Cone spells for electricity



> Date: Tue, 06 Jun 2000 20:29:54 -0700
> From: Mark Wedel <mwedel@scruznet.com>
> Sender: owner-crossfire@ifi.uio.no
> 
> John Cater wrote:
> > 
> > I would really, REALLY, like to implement a cone spell for electricity, for
> > electric dragons etc to cast.
> > What I am looking for really is something equivalent to burning hands/icestorm
> 
>  Implementation should be fairly easy - I believe the cone spell logic is fairly
> abstract, so extending it with another type should be pretty easy.

_IF_ it were just like all the other cone spells, yes.  (see below)


>  I don't have a problem with this being an ability monsters can have, but I
> don't like the idea of players having it.
> 
>  Right now, electricty is one of the more difficult attack types to get immunity
> against.  If given to players, the need/desire for immunities for this will
> likely increase, which will decrease the effectiveness of lightning spells in
> general.

So, don't make it a normal cone.  Make it "forked lightning" -
unpredictable, untargetable, and real tough to dodge.


>  The other point is that I don't really want to see all the different attacktype
> with the same attack forms - I think it is more interesting if the attack types
> are different.  Having cone, bolt, and explosive ball spells of all the
> different attacktypes would reduce some of the uniqueness.  I think it would
> also reduce gameplay - if you have all the same variations of all the spell
> types, it becomes a simple matter when you encounter some creatures which
> element you use.  But, if for example, your choice was fireball, cone of cold,
> or lightning bolt, you may need to at least think a little bit which one will
> work best.

Agreed.  That's why I didn't make a cone-lightning spell months ago.
I was thinking about it, but I decided forked lightning was a better
idea, then never got around to actually implementing it.  Ball
lightning is good enough, as area effects go.  It gets even better
when you make the ball of lightning randomly emit little lightning
sparks as it moves.

Forked lightning would randomly cover part of the same 90-degree area
as a normal cone spell.  Possible tricks to include would be weighted
random flickering, making the lightning tend to go toward higher
concentrations of metal.  Blue dragons breathing this kind of
lightning would be bad news for a warrior in plate mail, high shield,
full helm, gauntlets and boots, carrying a dozen heavy metal weapons.


-- 
            -Dave Noelle,                 dave@Straylight.org
            -the Villa Straylight,  http://www.straylight.org

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