Not the functionality of it or anything, but the look of it. Am I supposed to feel powerful when I shoot a little blue ball at someone?

Can we atleast just make the magic LOOK good? Have some magic course through my body before I launch it at someone, or have the animations look different for different spells. Maybe I could "pull" flames up from the ground under an enemy or hold them in place with one hand while simultaneously blasting them with the other.

Magic is supposed to be powerful and taxing, but it's never felt like it in these games due to poor execution. So is anyone else in favor of a massive overhaul in the magic department?

I'd love to see a hierarchy of spells, maybe starting with a little blue ball and ending with a blizzard of 'em. You know, fireball and as you increase in skill, eventually you could reign fire down from the heavens.

I am sure they revamped it. But I wonder how good it will be, it's impossible to imagine what they've done with it.

Well, in my opinion, truly powerful magic hasn't existed since AD&D. The days when the purpose of all your fighters and rogues in combat was to defend against the mage while he powered up to cast one giant, mind-bogglingly deadly spell.

In any case, making magic look cooler would be pretty cool. It would be interesting if spells had effects on the surrounding environment... Fire sets foliage on fire, cold causes frost, lightning sends sparks through water and metal... That sort of thing.

It definately needs some improvement yea. The magic-system is okay(except it needs more spells/effects) but the graphics/animations of it really need improvement.

yeah magic can be a very awesome aspect of the game, oblivion sort of had it but it didnt give me full satisfaction.

I believe that Skyrim will inhance there magic and graphic look, i am not worried..the game will be incredible

I think the magic needs to be given a more "epic" feel, so that as the power of your spell increases (magnitude), the effects look the part. Perhaps fireballs would be larger as they increase in power, and area effect with duration in a fire spell would cause the area to go up in flames.

I agree with what everyone has said; the effects on the environment, the power coursing through you, all that. I have one thing to add, however. I think that some spells should have cast times. Not to steal too much from WoW of course, but I think having all spells being cast instantly does not fit into my feeling of how magic works. Perhaps a master of destruction could cast his spells instantly, and magical touches could be instant (like a fiery punch, maybe), but a novice orc warrior should not be able to shoot fireballs from his hand every second. I liked how spells could fail in Morrowind, it made the game feel more realistic. Of course anyone can try to cast powerful spells, but only a master could cast them easily. Imagine the effects on the charge up of a big spell? The earth rumbling, the fireball building, your veins coursing with raw magical energy. These are all things that could make magic feel powerful, not just some little orb of red glowing mush that flies ever so slowly after your opponent.

I would like to see the Planescape (and BG2/IWD2) equivalent (of spell animations) in modern 3d, and on the same scale for the high level spells; and some spells you can't learn (but can cast from scrolls), and undocumented spells (I'd REALLY want that), Spells you can ferret out with tenacity.

High end expensive spells that sometimes implement a similar camera system as was used in Vats.

Here are 9th level examples (highest level attainable):

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAj9DVH4RNA
  
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_bgE5Rq8xo
  
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vn58158ygXI
  
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fHJ3Dqy1ZY
  
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcGC2byVmoA
  
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKZZEPoVb4c

That's a good idea, games like that and Temple of Elemental Evil in particular had some really nice looking spell effects.

Also, I don't see how it could be *too* difficult to incorporate a different "aura" for each element. You can only ready one spell at a time - so readying a lightning spell could signal small flashes of static to form around your character. Not over-done, but enough to be a subtle, yet noticeable, effect. Schools of alteration, mysticism, and illusion are different altogether, and probably shouldn't emit any aura. Especially if you're trying to sneak and cast open lock at a door.

How about spells that do that as their effect; and affect the PC's appearance to NPC's... for intimidation (both in combat and in dialog).

**Would a bandit think twice about mugging a mage on the road, with hands afire and smoldering eyes?

Yes, it'd be great if NPCs reacted to it. I remember in Gothic, the NPCs would react as if you were wielding a weapon. If you were powerful enough they would say something along the lines of "Not wanting any trouble with you!" If you were weaker, of course, they would threaten to attack.

I remember that if you never developed lock picking skill, he'd say, "I know nothing of Locks".

I find Mages more unpredictable and dangerous than obvious Knights charging at you.
I'm sure the effects they made look epic.

if they can make it look like the voldemort vs dumbledore fight than we should be fine. :biggrin:

For a lighting type move I would love to see your character lift up his hand and see electricity start sparking out the fingers and then start converging into a ball of electricity in your palm then when you go to cast it he crushes it with his fist then puts his hand out as a large blast of electricity shoots out frying anyone in its way leaving a charred trail in the direction it went but not one as large as say a fire blast.

Yeah we need pure mage to be a much more viable option. They should do it more like the old Might and Magic series where the mages always felt incredibly powerful with some pretty awesome spells.

This too. It is very rewarding to go from a wet piece of tissue paper to a still physically frail, but extremely powerful force to be reckoned with. I remember running a lot of SSSC groups.

Including anything like Armageddon would be a way over the top, though. However, area-effect spells (with the graphics to match) such as Meteor Shower would be very welcome!

Pure mages were *hilariously* overpowered in Oblivion if you knew how to game them, but yes, the cheap holes need to be closed up and the whole system needs to be overhauled. Gameplay and Lore simply do not match with TES magic, there's no real danger or unpredictability, yet lore says there should be an awful lot.

They REALY need to revamp conjurations as it totaly blew last time.

At lower levels they're not overpowered , but I see your point at the higher levels. lol

Agree that some serious improvement needs to take place. Here are the easiest/most obvious things:

-appearance of spell fx constant regardless of spell magnitude. A Flare looks like Armageddon; Shock looks like Fingers of the Mountain.

-spells aren't all that diverse. The 3 destruction elements differ only in appearance. Everything else is fairly mundane. Stuff like "feather" and "light" shouldn't even count as spells.

-spells aren't complex enough. A very simple example: in D2 we have "blizzard" and "frozen orb" each with their own unique appearance/characteristic. These spells appear to be more than just something taken from a very general template, which is literally what Oblivion spells are.

-as a consequence, no depth or meta-game in spell casting. At least with melee you can block and time power attacks. Infinitely simple that it was it still contained more complexity than spell casting.

-spell balance: too much to list.

I completely agree, but I am not sure how this could be easily fixed. I suggested being able to charge up spells, for instance tapping the fireball button might net you a small fireball, but charging might net you a large one (stupid and overused I know, but it works). Perhaps different combinations of spells would yield different spell effects? A combination of fire and water would yield steam (to blind an opponent)? First wetting an opponent before electrocuting him would yield greater damage, as well as a damage over time electrocution effect? Telekinesis and a damage spell to add a knock back effect? I'm running out of ideas...

I know many people are against this, but I feel like Magicak Regeneration was the wrong direction to go for Oblivion.

One thing I was unhappy with is when you try to invent a spell and your limits are far below purchasable spell limits. Like feather spells with durations far past your max duration or whatever. I am also in the probably small group that preferred it when magika did not naturally regen.