Generic effects is the price of a construction kit approach. I've always felt D&D had too many spells that did the same thing as it is anyway.

 

Being able to make your own spells is nice, but there is a limit on how many are actually useful and how many you make just to see what you can make.

You suggest that the only unique spells are lightning damage/fire damage, etc. I suggest you haven't really played the game.

 

Flying, levitation, attribute boosting, attribute drain, fatigue drain, fatigue boost, health drain, health boost, water breathing, summon creature, conjure item, etc. all count as unique effects.

 

I think I counted 26 unique effects.

 

I think if you really break down a good percent of D&D spells there are the same thing. How many spells are summoning, illusion, damage/evocation, or conjuration spells? The only difference between one damage spell and another often merely is duration, target, damage, element, etc.

 

Given that Morrowind had as many unique spells as any other CRPG, but thousands more combinations, I'd say you can't really bad on the system.

You suggest that the only unique spells are lightning damage/fire damage, etc.  I suggest you haven't really played the game.

 

To answer the first assessment, no, I do not. You're simply "reading between the lines", and doing so in a rather inacurrate manner to boot.

 

Regarding your second assessment, you're dead wrong. Completed both expansions with numerous characters, and spent a few too many weekends with that game than what I would have wanted to, in hindsight.

 

Flying, levitation, attribute boosting, attribute drain, fatigue drain, fatigue boost, health drain, health boost, water breathing, summon creature, conjure item, etc. all count as unique effects.

 

Yes, they do. And D&D has those effects, and more. Many more. Especially if you expand your horizons beyond the PHB.

 

Here's some spells from BG2 with unique effects not mentioned above, for example:

 

Timestop.

Simulacrum.

Spell trigger.

Spell Sequencer.

Stoneskin.

Skull Trap.

Polymorph Other/Self.

Any continous AoE spell.

Mirror Image.

Improved Alacricity.

Imprisonment.

Disintegrate/Finger of Death/Power Word: Die and similar spells.

And finally... Goodberries, the best spell in the saga.

 

Given that Morrowind had as many unique spells as any other CRPG,

 

This assessment is faulty, regardless of wheter you choose to count summoning spells in a single category (Gate and Summon creature IX being the same thing) or not.

You suggest that the only unique spells are lightning damage/fire damage, etc.  I suggest you haven't really played the game.

To answer the first assessment, no, I do not. You're simply "reading between the lines", and doing so in a rather inacurrate manner to boot.

 

Regarding your second assessment, you're dead wrong. Completed both expansions with numerous characters, and spent a few too many weekends with that game than what I would have wanted to, in hindsight.

 

Flying, levitation, attribute boosting, attribute drain, fatigue drain, fatigue boost, health drain, health boost, water breathing, summon creature, conjure item, etc. all count as unique effects.

 

Yes, they do. And D&D has those effects, and more. Many more. Especially if you expand your horizons beyond the PHB.

 

Here's some spells from BG2 with unique effects not mentioned above, for example:

Timestop.

Simulacrum.

Spell trigger.

Spell Sequencer.

Stoneskin.

Skull Trap.

Polymorph Other/Self.

Any continous AoE spell.

Mirror Image.

Improved Alacricity.

Imprisonment.

Disintegrate/Finger of Death/Power Word: Die and similar spells.

And finally... Goodberries, the best spell in the saga.

Given that Morrowind had as many unique spells as any other CRPG,

This assessment is faulty, regardless of wheter you choose to count summoning spells in a single category (Gate and Summon creature IX being the same thing) or not.

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And don't forget Summon Familiar! :cool:

Compare D&D magic.

 

D&D has spells that englarge, levitate, shrink, conjure items, summon creatures, damage, etc.

 

Overall, the Player's Guide probably only has say 40 unique spell effects.  Most CRPGs don't really have more than 20.

 

Morrowind had something like 20 truly unique main effects.  However you can modify if the spell effects an area, a target, self, etc.  You can modify if the spell is instant, duration, etc.  You can modify if the spell does static or ranged damage.  You can modify elemental attributes.  It can drain life, or regen life.  Then add the truly unique affects like levitation, summoning, conjuring, enchanting, etc.

 

To say there are only a dozen effects is really a folly.

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I have to agree with Ender here, Morrowind was nothing short of fantastic.

 

Most games use the same things but with different flavorings.

Exactly. Whether it is "Fireball" or "Flame dart" or "Flame arrow" or "Inferno", it always basically has the same incediary results.

Or worse,like final fantasy.

 

Fire

fire 2

Fire 3

 

 

You think they could come up with names for each

Or worse,like final fantasy.

 

Fire

fire 2

Fire 3

 

 

You think they could come up with names for each

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Fire

Fira

Firaga

 

(corrected).

Or worse,like final fantasy.

 

Fire

fire 2

Fire 3

 

 

You think they could come up with names for each

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Fire

Fire 2

Fire 3

 

(corrected).

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CORRECTED.

 

Go play Final Fantasy 3/6

One thing I will say about Morrowind's spell creation system, it's the only game that allowed me to crash my own game

Fire

Fire 2

Fire 3

CORRECTED.

 

Go play Final Fantasy 3/6

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I was correcting my post not yours.

 

I had

 

Fira

Firaga and one I couldnt remember. Which of course was because the first one is still called Fire.

Or worse,like final fantasy.

 

Fire

fire 2

Fire 3

 

 

You think they could come up with names for each

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No no no no

 

It's Fire. Firaxa, Firaga or something goofy like that now

 

 

EDIT: Nevermind, ShadowPaladin beat me to it, and even then you didn't care

Fire Cast multiple Fire spells initially learned

Thunder Cast multiple Thunder spells initially learned

Water Cast multiple Water spells initially learned

Blizzard Cast multiple Blizzard spells initially learned

Fira Cast multiple Fira spells Learn Fira

Thundara Cast multiple Thundara spells Learn Thundara

Watera Cast multiple Watera spells Learn Watera

Blizzara Cast multiple Blizzara spells Learn Blizzara

Firaga Cast multiple Firaga spells Learn Firaga

Thundaga Cast multiple Thundaga spells Learn Thundaga

Waterga Cast multiple Waterga spells Learn Waterga

Blizzaga Cast multiple Blizzaga spells Learn Blizzaga

Bio Cast multiple Bio spells Learn Bio

Demi Cast multiple Demi spells Learn Demi

Death Cast multiple Death spells Learn Death

Drain Cast multiple Drain spells Learn Drain

Osmose Cast multiple Osmose spells Learn Osmose

Flare Cast multiple Flare spells Learn Flare

Ultima Cast multiple Ultima spells Learn Ultima

Exactly. Whether it is "Fireball" or "Flame dart" or "Flame arrow" or "Inferno", it always basically has the same incediary results.

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Yes, obviously. And Morrowind is so different because... uh... you can cast said generic spell and then proceed to cast another similarly generic spell AT THE SAME TIME.

 

Who would have thunk it?

Ender, what do you like so much about MW?

 

I thought the spell creation was well done. The fac that you could create your own magic items, and make unlimited power ones, was a real benefit. Ditto with Darque's "uzi".

 

But, as Tingling says, that has little to do with the arcane magic range in D&D.

I still don't see why you needed to get the help of another wizard to create your own spells, even after you became the head of some wizard house (clan? can't remember). Lame-O.

The game has a wizard guild.

 

And yes the fact that the strongest wizard needs another one to create his spells is quite lame.

 

My biggest beef with MW is not the magic but the boring linear main plot.

 

Wiki style dialog.

 

Boring generic NPCs.

 

Horrid combat.

 

The only positive things about MW are the the books and the background.

 

A nice read,if you have the time.

Deus Ex

 

p4wn50xz0rz

 

ALL

 

Dues Ex and Morrowind were a lot alike.

Morrowind can be played in 3rd person.

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True..But the game was meant to be played in first person. IMHO, it kinda defeats the purpose of a game that depends so much on immersion into the gameworld to switch to 3rd.

Dues Ex and Morrowind were a lot alike.

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Deus Ex had a tight storyline.

And a bit less open ended exploration.

I will defend any game's magic system that allows for unique spell creation, which is extremely rare in CRPGs. I will defend any magic system which offers thousands of spells, which is extremely rare in CRPGs.

 

Could they have added more? Yes. And fans can script new effects and put them in with the editor.

Dues Ex and Morrowind were a lot alike.

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Didn't it take a lot of poking and prodding to get you to eventually pick up Deus Ex?

Dues Ex and Morrowind were a lot alike.

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Take that back! :Darque: