Spell Mechanics: what is known and what we want

[the itis]

Do we have any information on the spell system? One of the things most intrinsic to the old Infinitey Engine games is the (2.5 ed ad&d) spell system. The depth and variation was really well implemented, and while not always balanced, I would sincerly hope that Obsidian is considering something of similar depth and breadth for Project Eternity.

 

Sawyer, anyone, can you give us any info?

 

Let me talk for a minute about what i mean when i say depth and breadth.

 

The depth of the spell system in old IE games was a reflection of the 2.5 ed rules. Multiple resist types, save types, durations that forced you make hard choices and spell side effects (caster immobilization, chance for summoned fiend to turn on caster, etc) that forced you to think. I feel like mage battles were the best example of tactical combat in IE games being similar to a puzzle. Many spells had an effective counter-spell. All defensive magic spells had certain counters (which if not useful, are burning an available spell slot...), there was spell turning, and hell: you could even cast a resilient sphere on a fighter who was near death just as validly as on an enemy who was wreaking havoc with your back line.

 

I appologize if this is reading a bit like a love letter, but I strongly feel like this is one of the shining features of the old school games I enjoyed so much.

 

The breadth in the spells is obvious to anyone who played the Baldur's Gate or Icewind Dale series. Beyond the cool ideas of some spells, there was a conscious effort to provide low level spells that suited low level players when they needed them, while providing good options for high level players later on. Some of the classic examples are spells that initially do 'a lot' of damage (for a low level party) but don't scale with the player level (ghoul touch, angazzar's scorcher) or others that do something like 1d4 + 1/lvl of caster (shocking grasp, burning hands i think, chromatic orb is similar). There is no doubt that the higher level mage spells were badass, but there was a breadth to the level 1 - 3 spells that let the player grow into them. You would find yourself a point where you needed to reevalute your spell selection because your power plane had shifted, and now the previously weak spells were more effective.

 

What was great about the old system was that this was part and parcel of 2.5 ed ad&d, and if you took the time to learn the spells and read their descriptions, you were rewarded with a depth of gameplay that I haven't experienced yet again in a computer RPG. I sincerly believe there are some people at Obsidian who feel the same way, and I hope they are in charge of developing the spell system.

 

So, with that being said....

 

 

TL;DR: how similar in depth and breadth will Project Eternity's spell system be to the old infinety Engine games?

Edited September 25, 2012 by the itis