Thaumaturgy

[fluffydino2000]

The forms of thaumaturgy currently planned are:

Displacement
Energy
Light
Body
Mind
Force

Based on this, what possible effects do you think we can create? Remembering that "You will initially have a basic command of your power, using it in its simplest form. With time you will learn more elaborate ways of shaping its outcome, refining its use and combining your individual insights into completely new effects. As a basic example, you may learn to turn Force Blast into an omnidirectional effect, pushing things away in any direction; you may also learn to make the force highly coherent, thus turning it into a shield. The two things combined may lead you to make a bubble that shields you from all directions."

 

[Mimel]

Displacement:

I can see this as being helpful for thieves. Perhaps, making your appearance change, or giving your appearance a blurred look or hurting your opponents chances of hitting you as you blink from place to place. Perhaps on a grander scale, this could be a teleportation or fast movement.

I could see magic that moves walls or sections of stone to make openings or to seal off openings.

 

[Mimel]

Energy or Body:

Either of these I could see having healing or rejuvenating properties. They could even increase strength, stamina or resistances to magic, poisons or alcohol.

 

[Algea]

I think Displacement is more like telekinesis. Hmm, though Force seems more likely. Mind is telepathy. Body is healing, stamina and resistance, Energy is for mana (or magical energy used in thaumaturgy in any form) replenishment and pool. Light - is for lightning spells. That's my opinion influenced by many CRPGs I played anyway.

Hmmm, really Displacement is probably more like Mimel said - teleportation/camouflage.

 

[MNONE]

The concept is actually getting a lot more of my interest. Consider what you quote "With time you will learn more elaborate ways of shaping its outcome, refining its use and combining your individual insights into completely new effects." [emphasis added] and Maddoc's comment in this thread " Thaumaturgy might be trickier [as a UI] because we have a sort of cloud diagram in mind for it." might imply. That suggests different strands might converge within the 'cloud' and combine to do new things. If someone were to focus more on two or three strangs of thaumaturgy, to the detriment of more physical survival skills, they might still be rewarded, after a good deal of patience, with something completely novel that the average sword-and-shield wielding player can't quite reach.

This could become quite insane when stuff starts getting combined:
Perhaps combining Displacement and Energy effects would lend an ability to alter or direct thermodynamic properties - they could move fire around (presuming fire were made to burn you, which is a possibility given the team's philosophy); or perhaps freeze an enemy by sucking the heat from the air around them. These sound like pretty basic effects in standard cRPGs, but given the low fantasy setting in SG, freezing someone would be a pretty huge achievement.

 

[Mimel]

@ Algea

Yeah, I'm not too worried about the magic. We have many alpha and beta sessions to work through.

 

[Mimel]

@ Mnone

Aye, that's the part I was excited about. It's almost like we are seeing the weave, forming the weave, stretching it and using it to create the mystical-magical affects. That could have some great implications.

However, I don't want this to overwhelm the low-fantasy aspect of the game either.

 

[fluffydino2000]

The concept is actually getting a lot more of my interest. Consider what you quote "With time you will learn more elaborate ways of shaping its outcome, refining its use and combining your individual insights into completely new effects." [emphasis added] and Maddoc's comment in this thread " Thaumaturgy might be trickier [as a UI] because we have a sort of cloud diagram in mind for it." That suggests different strands might converge within the 'cloud' and combine to do new things. If someone were to focus more on two or three strangs of thaumaturgy, to the detriment of more physical survival skills, they might still be rewarded, after a good deal of patience, with something completely novel that the average sword-and-shield wielding player can't quite reach.

This could become quite insane when stuff starts getting combined:
Perhaps combining Displacement and Energy effects would lend an ability to alter or direct thermodynamic properties - they could move fire around (presuming fire were made to burn you, which is a possibility given the team's philosophy); or perhaps freeze an enemy by sucking the heat from the air around them. These sound like pretty basic effects in standard cRPGs, but given the low fantasy setting in SG, freezing someone would be a pretty huge achievement.

Hmm, freezing in a physics based combat system would be exceptional. The rigidity that it would give something would mean knocking it around would be incredibly easy. I wonder if typical elemental effects will be available after combinations of thaumaturgy.

Also, considering that the manipulation of other creature's minds is inevitable, do you think the manipulation of plants will be a feature? And, will the absorbing of thaumaturgic power and knowledge apply to the death of plant life?

 

[Algea]

Don't get me too excited, friends! MNONE you made an excellent point that I wouldn't even consider beforehand.

I really like how revolutionary you lot approach seemingly mainstreamed magic. Keep it up, it's very interesting to read.

 

[MNONE]

@Mimel
Yeah, it should feel like an achievement to get something really specific and powerful. Stopping someone's heart, for example, ought to be a massive accomplishment, requiring a lot of experience in Force, maybe filtered through/combined with Mind at some point, then working in conjunction with a specific focus on a strand of Body that is directed outside of your own body and onto others'. That's a lot of effort, absorbed power and time. It shouldn't be easy. Even Gandalf could only basically create magic lights, throw his voice and (only just) survive a Balrog fight.

Algea, that's right, it's easy to get carried away when we haven't even seen what the team are considering yet!

 

[SergeDavid]

The thing I'm most excited for with "magic" includes fire. I can just imagine setting my sword on fire in a dark cave lighting up my general area, then a be-ragged skeleton shows up and attacks me. My sword swings and hits setting the rags on fire.

Another thing I'd love to do is using those push and pull powers to give my swings extra ooomph such as letting me use a mace WAY larger then I could normally swing effectively or tripping up one of those giant enemies allowing my blows to land more effectively.

 

[Algea]

Or some kind of telekinetic defense field to minimize the impact from those huge morgensterns!

 

[fluffydino2000]

I wonder if putting one of these bubble shields on someone else, and then removing the air within it with displacement would be possible. It would make you think twice about using thaumaturgy against a thaumaturge.

 

[Pantheon]

While we're at the topic of thaumaturgy, will there be weapons infused with it?
I'd love to have a two-handed hammer with added force that catapults enemies away
I have something like that on my character in Dead Island. Best. Weapon. Ever!

 

[fluffydino2000]

I'd be surprised if there weren't many ways of achieving this. Using body to empower you, potentially displacement to remove air resistance, energy to help you hit things.

 

[Algea]

Pantheon, did you kill them with it or did you have to run to them to finish what you started?

 

[Zervostyrd]

I will be satisfied when I lift up a [insert heavy intresting object here] with my mind and hurl it towards the enemy!

 

[Pantheon]

Pantheon, did you kill them with it or did you have to run to them to finish what you started?

The normal zombies mostly got killed with it, the bigger ones just flew away and came back for more or I had to run to them and finish them, yes
It only happened on critical hits, so it wasn't THAT common. Would be a bit owerpowered if it was otherwise.

 

[JamesButlin]

You guys sure are innovative! I absolutely adore the idea of being able to combine and improve a set of basic magical principles to create new and interesting spells/magic. I think it will be a fantastic addition to the game and improve upon the vast sandbox we're allready looking at playing with!

 

[Pilluminati]

I really like physics based abilities and things that are dynamic. Mind control/disguises and stuff like that can be incredibly fun too. The most simple & intuitive abilities are often the most fun and offer the most depth.
There's no need for the standard "Buffs player for X seconds giving the player X amount of bonus damage if player is in X position X seconds after buff has been activated"-crap that many games have.
It just becomes bloated while adding to the complexity without offering much depth.
So far we've seen only one spell, although it looked simple and fun. Got high hopes.

Also the combination thing they seem to be going for seems to resemble the system Magicka is using, unless I got it wrong.
Hopefully abilities won't be too flashy like in pretty much every game where the screen is completely covered with fireworks (Yay for low-fantasy again).
This game is promising in so many aspects it's crazy.