Spellcasting system

[Xudo]

Spellcasting system. (current version 0.4.005)
This is a part of my RPG, which allows player to cast spell by right click on unit.

Main feature of this system is temporary effects on units.
There are pieces, what can be used to create spell:

• 1) Instant effect spells
  2) Constant amount healing/damage over time(HOT/DOT) effects for some number of turns.
  3) Dynamic amount HOT/DOT effects for some time.
  4) Temporary increasing/decreasing of some stat(buff/debuff).
  5) Temporary drain effect. (both positive and negative effects can be faded)

How to use this system?
First. Download this files:

Animations_for_scs.cfg

(3.36 KiB) Downloaded 155 times

Spells.cfg

(8.97 KiB) Downloaded 165 times

Second. Put this files to any SP campaign in /campaign/<name_of_campaign>/scenarios/
Third. Open any scenario map and put there this strings:

Code: Select all

[event]
name=prestart
{LOAD_SPELL_VARIABLES}
{LOAD_SPELLS}
[/event]
{LOAD_BUFF_SUPPORT}

A little tip. This will run completely correct, if player will control side=1, ally ai - 2, enemy ai - 3 and 4. Or you just kill your units and overheal enemy.
Next. Run changed scenario and right click on different units.
In my version spells have cooldown, but you can change it.

What future awaits this system?
_._.XXX - Increase number of spells and third number of version(XXX).
0.5.XXX - Make full support non-spell effects (effects from abilities)
0.6.XXX - Spellbook on leader of side 1. Way to use more, than 7 positive and 7 negative spells. Without bugs and with animated effect of each spell.
0.7.XXX - Set types of buffs. Do this to limite number of different buffs, what will have one unit. Type will show as overlay.
0.8.XXX - Cooldown influenced by number of magician-like units on player side. (Does it can be balansed?)
0.9.XXX - Adopt this for MP.
1.0.XXX - System will have more, than 30 spells, with overlays and animated effect. No bugs, sophisticated spellbook. Adopted for MP.
1.5.XXX - Tool to make new spells inside campaign.
2.0.XXX - All listed above, adopted for MP.

Existed spells:

• Healing spell - 5hp instantly
  Healing touch - HOT 3hp/turn
  Incinerate -DOT 3hp/turn
  Fortitude - +5max_hp for 1 turn
  Revenge (It's non-spell effect, what will be completely supported in 0.5.XXX) - effect lasts 5 turns, do 10+8+6+4+2 damage.
  Curse of weakness - drain points of damage(weaks damage of target, improve damage of leader) to leader of side=1.

Known unfixed bugs:

Tell me in this thread all your ideas of spells, bugreports, some unpleasant words, because it's pleasure to see, what someone envy me and try to break my good mood.

[StandYourGround]

How about REAL poison? The longer a unit is poisened, the weaker its attacks, the slower it can move, and it will die automatically 2 turns after reaching 1 HP if not healed. In the case of a regenerating unit, the poison's effect would be steadily weakened until finally cured, weakening the poisoned unit a little each turn, but less and less until the poison is finally self-cured. Of course, if more poison shots hit, the effect could be worse and take longer to heal. This would probably require than a single hit of a poisoning weapon should hurt less than two hits...

So stats:

First poison knife hits, unit loses 4 HP a turn, 4 additional for each hit. Stronger poisoning attacks can deal more poison drain per hit.

When a poisoned unit has reached half of its health, its attacks deal half damage and it can only move half its normal HP. Applicable to each following tier of weakness.

Regenerating units overpower poison by weakening its effect 4 HP drain a turn, until finally cured. A stronger regenerating unit can recover faster. A good magical healer (or a village) can cure a poisoning up to 16 health drain, but will need additional turns if the poison is stronger. A good healer can heal up to 8 HP, and cure up to 16 poison drain, but not both in the same turn. The most a unit can receive in one turn is 10 HP, or 20 Poison recover.

The "healthy" trait allows a unit to overcome poison, but only by 2 HP drain per turn.

Etc.

[Xudo]

and it will die automatically 2 turns after reaching 1 HP if not healed.

And who will take experiense from this death? Unit, what use poison, or unit, what hit poisoned unit? Both?
I feared, what Incinerate can burn unit to the death and points of experience will fade to atmosphere, but

Code: Select all

[object]
 [effect]
  apply_to=hitpoints
  increase=-9999999999999
 [/effect]
[/object]

don't lower hp below 1. And it's good.

First poison knife hits, unit loses 4 HP a turn, 4 additional for each hit

Stacking buff... good idea.

[StandYourGround]

Okay, instead of death, a unit could go into a petrified-like coma two turns after hitting 1 HP, and must be revived and healed by a healer, else an easy target for anyone to finish it off? That way we don't have to deal with XP vanishing into thin air, even though that might introduce some interesting strategic challenges...

[Jacobian]

Well, in the case of a coma, that could be implemented without any extra modifications. If the unit is weakening and losing MP and attack strength each turn, then sooner or later the unit will reach 0 MP and won't be able to move. The weakening effect on the unit's attacks could also reduce the unit's attack strength to zero at the same time the unit finally collapses with 1 HP and 0 MP.

[Xudo]

You both talking about effects, what will be faded if healer nearby. This system provide effects on some time, what can be counted or predefined. Then time ends, unit must come back to it's normal state (with other hp, xp, mp). How effects, what violate damage, max_movement, max_hitpoints forever, can be balansed?

EDIT:Looks like I have lot of work under optimisation whole system. It allow to make types of buffs and support of non-spell effects.