tAPI Arcanity: Create your own spells (WIP - unreleased) ideas needed

Kalciphoz

Kalciphoz

Plantera
So some of you may remember me from my BetterForging mod on TO (which I will update at some point, hopefully)
I am back with another mod in the same genre, although this is one is still in its very early stages. It allows you to create your own spells by combining some "modules", so to speak.

Basically, for each spell, you will choose a base spell type, such as fireball, candlelight or boulder. You will then choose a movement pattern, such as projectile or guided (flamelash-style)
You can then add some modifiers and there you have it.
Here's an example:
BaseType: Candlelight
MovementPattern: Shielding
Modifiers: Prosperity
Result:


For something more complicated, you can add a trigger condition, that is, a condition for when a spell should trigger another spell
Below is a Projectile Boulder triggering a Candlelight Nova of Explosions
bWqtIO7.gif

Here's where you come in: I need ideas for these modules, divided into these categories:
  1. Modifiers - I especially need ideas for these EDIT: Oh wow that is a lot of ideas, so while more ideas are still welcome, this is no longer my first priority.
    I currently have only one actual modifier, called Explosions.

    In order to give a picture of what they could be, I also have a few more planned:
    - Prosperity, which will make the spell fire multiple projectiles
    - Enlargenment, which will make the spells larger

    Basically, they are secondary effects that can change how the projectiles behave or make slight changes in their MovementPattern
  2. BaseTypes - I currently only have four base types. This is basically my top priority right now.
    These decide the appearance of the projectile and they can have effects similar to the modifiers. They also decide the damage and cast speed.
    Not much else to say here, except perhaps explain the current basetypes
    - Fireball: A generic fiery projectile, going to have burn effects when I get around to adding it.
    - Candlelight: Cannot deal damage, but pierces terrain and gives off a strong light. Lasts a long time.
    - Boulder: Is affected by gravity, which can make it difficult to use in some cases. Deals very high damage, but lasts shortly and has lower cast speed.

    Things that are variable here:
    You can decide whether the projectile pierces terrain or not, whether it pierces enemies or not, if it has on hit effects, or perhaps some slight effects on MovementPatterns.
  3. Triggers - I guess I am about settled for triggers by now, although more ideas are always welcome
    Allows you to cast two spells with one item, and decides how the next spell is triggered.
    - On Projectile Death: Next spell is triggered when a projectile from the first spell is destroyed
    - Periodic: Next spell is periodically triggered while the first spell is active
    - Timed: Next spell is triggered after an amount of time has passed.
  4. MovementPatterns - These are "the meat" of the spell, they decide how the projectiles move.
    MovementPatterns decide how the projectiles behave. Current examples include:
    - Projectile, which is pretty self explanatory, acts basically like a gun or something
    - Halting: Like Projectile, but stops upon reaching its target, which defaults to the cursor position
    - Guided: Think Flamelash or Magic Missile
    - Shielding: Demonstrated by the first picture
    - Nova: 6 projectiles fire outwards in different directions

If you have ideas for other features, those are appreciated as well, although they're less likely to be workable, but I can always try
Thanks in advance
 
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This looks awesome! I especially liked that first one. I had an idea that blows all the NPC's around you back. I think it'll be one of those items that people use when they don't want to fight anyone. It should only do really light damage also.
 
Sounds great!
I suppose, there could be:
Modifiers: usual debuff/area debuff, piercing, positive/negative aura(6 tiles, maybe takes summon slot, don't move), timebomb, smartbomb, fast, ricochet, armor piercing (ignores armor, or even does more damage depending on it), ability to charge before releasing, lifesteal/manadrain, push and pull, with damage replaced by force strength. Also, damage depending on amount of enemies hit with explosion/penetrated by projectile?
Maybe, somehow allow multiple of those later ingame, or divide them on effect and projectile modifiers?
Also, will there be any sliders for damage for instant and time for lasting effects? Those could affect speed, knockback and manacost. Or damage affecting manacost and speed reducing knockback.
For basetype, i suggest at first picking basic terraria projectiles like laser, demonic sickle, star, feather, pellet etc, and later add more curious ones from bigger pool of fan suggestions. Also, forked lightning.
Also, are those old waterbolts on .gif? oO
For patterns, there could be useful spray (autocast, 1/4 of manacost, knockback and damage, 4x attackspeed, 30̊-90̊ spread depending of distance from player to the mouce cursor, fixed max range.), homing (with two-three levels), kind of starfall.
Also, i kind of like the idea of "chaotic" pattern, which would greatly increase attack speed for lower mana cost, but makes a missle movement completly unpredictable.

Anyway, good luck with making this happen!

P.S. Huge chaotic pellets. Of doom.
P.S.S. Pull shielding candlelights. Meatshield? Hmm...
P.S.S.S. Blue piercing boulder, pulling enemies with it, exploding with freezing effect upon meeting tiles?
 
Modifiers:
Ichor- Inflicts Ichor for 5 secs.
Cursed- Inflicts Cursed Inferno for 8 secs.
Crippling- Inflicts Weakness for 4 secs.
Rejuvenating- Heals you by x% of the damage it deals if it hits you or an ally.
Dark- Deals +x% amount of damage.
Angelic- Conserves x% amount of Mana.
Parasitic- Will use your health if you are out of Mana.
Berserk (certain types only)- Latches on to enemies.
Smart(certain types only)- Homing
Round(?)- Bouncing
Sharp- Piercing
Magnetic (certain types only)- Slower-moving, takes more mana, deals less damage, attacks like Magnet Sphere.

Movement:
Orbiting- Orbits around you
Showering- Rains from the sky like the Starfury
Guided- Follows Cursor
Projectile- Self-explanatory
Flowing(?)- Like Golden Shower/Aqua Scepter

Those are my ideas!
 
Hmm one that turns the ground damaging in an area when you cast it like say 5 blocks each direction that lingers for a long time like 15 seconds

Another one that creates a cloud of damage around you

Just some ideas
 
GravitronX said:
Hmm one that turns the ground damaging in an area when you cast it like say 5 blocks each direction that lingers for a long time like 15 seconds

Another one that creates a cloud of damage around you

Just some ideas
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Like the Inferno Staff?
That would be cool.
 
GravitronX said:
Hmm one that turns the ground damaging in an area when you cast it like say 5 blocks each direction that lingers for a long time like 15 seconds

Another one that creates a cloud of damage around you

Just some ideas
Click to expand...
Yeah, well, the current system is limited to handling more or less ordinary projectiles, although I might be able to make the latter work.
Darkwraith332 said:
A shielding pattern of Fireballs that fly to the cursor.
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I just finished implementing it, a really great idea btw, a lot of fun to play with

GravitronX said:
Also could these be modifiers on normal spells because I want to get a flowing golden shower
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Sadly they can't, although I too wish they could. Instead, I think I will try to add enough options that people can mimic the spells they would have wanted to modify.

Sorry that I haven't been able to reply to you all; I will try to give more information tomorrow.
 
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GravitronX said:
Hmm one that turns the ground damaging in an area when you cast it like say 5 blocks each direction that lingers for a long time like 15 seconds

Another one that creates a cloud of damage around you

Just some ideas
Click to expand...
Added the damage cloud as a baseType called Poison Bomb.
Basically, it is a purple bomb that releases clouds of damaging poison on impact.
It's able to fill up the screen with poison if you use it with the Nova MovementPattern.
Norzel said:
~snip~
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Thanks a lot for the ideas. As for damage sliders, well, I have yet to do any real kind of damage scaling. I like the idea of sliders, it might be beyond my abilities though, but I will certainly look into it.
Dominic11121 said:
~snip~
Click to expand...
thanks for the suggestions, I especially like Parasitic, Berserk and Angelic
 
Very cool idea for the mod. I love it. I wonder.. Are you going to bring back the same styled weapon mod you had for early tapi?
 
I'm half asleep but I think there is a few Ideas I can part with. This reminds me of good ol' Oblivion, frostcrag tower.

Movement pattern:
  • Erupt - Depending on the spell, the projectile will detect the closest aggressive A.I. and dive underneath, than it will try to attack it from below while ascending into the sky.
  • Circumvent - The projectile will try to get in the way of the closest projectile heading for the player. The projectile is expended.
  • Round about - The projectile will stop in front of the closest enemy detected, purposefully float around the enemy until it is behind it, than collide with the enemy's back.
  • Twister - A fun movement pattern that works well with multiple projectiles present. The projectile(s) will spin around as like a twister as they go flying.
  • Lobbed - When casting a spell, they will instead ascending into the air and fall down on the enemy.
  • Descent - When cast, the projectile will ascend into the air and wait for any enemy to walk underneath, which it will drop down on the foe.

Modifier:
  • Jut - The spell will erupt into solid stalagmites of whatever spell it is imbued with once the projectile hits a surface. The spell will cause elemental spikes to jut from the earth, piercing enemies unfortunate to be impaled.
  • Geyser - Same as jut, will create a geyser of a particular element to spout from whatever surface the projectile makes contact with.
  • Scatter - The caster will fire more than one projectile.
  • Arc - When an enemy is hit with the projectile, the projectile will spawn two smaller projectiles.
  • Shockwave - The projectile will become a wave of energy, that will race along the ground piercing through multiple enemies, the projectile will disappear if it collides with uneven terrain.
  • Plague - Should the caster successfully kill an enemy while affected by the plague modifier, the enemy will erupt and a similar spell fly out, seeking a new target to attack. Devastating against hordes or weak enemies.
 
That is pretty cool! Its unique and interesting! Keep working on it and I'll definitely give it a try! :)

It also reminds me of Planet Centauri. Its a Terraria & Starbound inspired game and you can create your own spells in it! (I don't mean to go a bit off-topic. Very sorry)
 
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