Charging up buff spells for longer durations : V

» Wed May 18, 2011 11:38 am

We know that we can cast Destruction spells different ways by holding down the cast button. What about beneficial on-self spells, such as Shield or Light? I think holding down the cast button should charge up the spell, giving it a longer duration depending on how long you charge it up. For example, charging up for 10 seconds will give you 10 minutes of the spell (assuming you have enough magicka.)

» Wed May 18, 2011 3:31 pm

We know that we can cast Destruction spells different ways by holding down the cast button. What about beneficial on-self spells, such as Shield or Light? I think holding down the cast button should charge up the spell, giving it a longer duration depending on how long you charge it up. For example, charging up for 10 seconds will give you 10 minutes of the spell (assuming you have enough magicka.)

Yeah, thats exactly why I want spellmaking :/

I assume that with no spell making that would be exactly how it would work, but its still a tiny fraction of the customisation spell making allows.
We will just have to wait and see how it turns out.

» Wed May 18, 2011 11:03 am

It would be interesting. As you hold the cast button you see the duration in the corner increasing (hopefully they use actual numbers this time instead of the terrible bars in Oblivion) and you see the Magicka bar depleting. So you either increase until you have used all the magicka you wish to spare or until you have the duration needed.

But what about magnitude? Some spells like Detect Life you may not need for more than 5 seconds but want a really big area, so you can see if you want to head down path A to the "Super Happy Million Septim Bonus Funtime" room or down Path B to the "Endless Pit of Adoring Fans"

By Azura, by Azura, by Azura...

Edit: Although it would be nice to have a Restore Health spell that is 1 point for 1 second, then hold it for a long time to make mana basically just regen health as you go lol.

» Wed May 18, 2011 5:03 am

Or they just make it a status spell, that burns your magic.

» Wed May 18, 2011 9:55 am

It's a nice idea as long as magicka drains accordingly to the amount of time the beneficial spell affects you.
For example: if a restore health 10 pts spell costs 30 magicka, casting it for 5 seconds (50 pts) will cost 150 magicka.

» Wed May 18, 2011 2:03 pm

It's a nice idea as long as magicka drains accordingly to the amount of time the beneficial spell affects you.
For example: if a restore health 10 pts spell costs 30 magicka, casting it for 5 seconds (50 pts) will cost 150 magicka.

I agree with the point of your post, not with the math. We have 2 spells 1 with a magnitude of 10 and duration of 1 (cost: 30) and the other is 50 magnitude and 5 seconds (In Oblivion that would mean healing 50 points a second for 5 seconds so 250 points of health) for a cost of 150.

If you break down the first spell the Base cost is 3 magicka for per one magnitude, with every additional second costing an additional amount. So 10 by 1 = 30, and 10 by 2 = 60.

So that means that the second spell would be 15 points for the base spell, then multiply it times the number of seconds. You are looking at a cost of 750 if my math was right. Anyone wanna check that?

» Wed May 18, 2011 11:54 am

I keep hearing this thing about charging spells but I don't know where this comes from. I may have missed it since I haven't read all the articles and stuff. But iirc in Todd's podcast he only mentions throwing a fireball (on target spell), holding down the attack key (flamethower for constant damage, but drains magicka quickly), a rune type you place down and is triggered when an enemy steps on it, and possilby doing a two handed cast for more damage. Where is it mentioned that you hold down the cast button, the longer you do the more powerful the spell is, and when you release the cast button the spell fires off?

Not trying to be snarky, just haven't heard of this except on these forums. I don't even think the PCgamer review mentions it. Not that it means it won't be there just that it's the last review I've seen.

"Destruction spells are now more flexible tools: a fire spell is not just a fireball, it can also be used as a flamethrower or to place fire traps on the ground. And Bethesda say they’re hoping to let you combine them with one another when you wield different spells in each hand, though exactly how won’t be nailed down until they’re sure they can do it." from the PC Gamer review http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/03/18/elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-preview/

» Wed May 18, 2011 8:04 pm

I keep hearing this thing about charging spells but I don't know where this comes from. I may have missed it since I haven't read all the articles and stuff. But iirc in Todd's podcast he only mentions throwing a fireball (on target spell), holding down the attack key (flamethower for constant damage, but drains magicka quickly), a rune type you place down and is triggered when an enemy steps on it, and possilby doing a two handed cast for more damage. Where is it mentioned that you hold down the cast button, the longer you do the more powerful the spell is, and when you release the cast button the spell fires off?

Not trying to be snarky, just haven't heard of this except on these forums. I don't even think the PCgamer review mentions it.

"Destruction spells are now more flexible tools: a fire spell is not just a fireball, it can also be used as a flamethrower or to place fire traps on the ground. And Bethesda say they’re hoping to let you combine them with one another when you wield different spells in each hand, though exactly how won’t be nailed down until they’re sure they can do it." from the PC Gamer review http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/03/18/elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-preview/

You know, I'm not sure. I think it has something to do with the AoE thing but I can't for the life of me remember an official mention.

» Wed May 18, 2011 10:40 am

From http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1174797-the-new-spellsystem/ thread a poster puts this quote

From the Nerdtrek podcast with Todd;

'The thing that we DON’T like about the previous systems that we’ve done, is it becomes very “spread-sheety.” It takes the magic out of magic. There’s a bigger emphasis (in Skyrim) on how the magic physically acts. Just a spell like fire; there are different spells for how the fire moves. Like putting down a rune that explodes when you walk over it. Or fire you can spray that lingers on the ground, like you’re spraying a wall, and you can spray the ceiling. Or fire that travels like a flamethrower out of your hands. Or a fireball that you charge up and throw and it explodes at a distance. So our main goal is to make magic feel like this arcane powerful thing. And once it goes into a spreadsheet in the game where you can just say I want something at this distance and this power, it removes the illusion of like how this stuff actually works. So we have some ideas of ways around that, but we don’t know where those are going to go yet.'

So does that mean in order to throw a spell (on target spell) you have to charge it? Or do you throw a spell just by hitting the cast button and if you want it to be AOE or more damage you have to charge it?

Hope they give us more info, but I guess they are still working on how to implement it from how it sounds.

» Wed May 18, 2011 2:18 pm

From http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1174797-the-new-spellsystem/ thread a poster puts this quote

So does that mean in order to throw a spell (on target spell) you have to charge it? Or do you throw a spell just by hitting the cast button and if you want it to be AOE or more damage you have to charge it?

Hope they give us more info, but I guess they are still working on how to implement it from how it sounds.

As I said in that thread, there's evidence in the trailer to suggest that the charge-up casting mode for attack spells becomes available when you equip the same spell in both hands and hold down both buttons.