casting bar???

[Kydrone]

I haven't seen a thread about this so I figured why not make one.

So I've been watching Vids from the beta as everyone else has, and as everyone I am also amazned by the level of detail and ingame content available in the first weekend of closed beta.

I've noticed that when Mages cast a spell or when healer cast a spell if they get hit the cast bar doesn't go back or slow down or anything. I was wondering if anyone has any info on that because I think that would OP spells. I'm use to casters havign to deal w/ agro and not get hit so they can cast their stuff, but I wonder if I'm just on drugs or if something is up.

So besides the info on this if anyone would care to play devil's advocate for not having a penalty occur when a caster is hit.

Discuss

[auragin]

Originally Posted by Kydrone

I haven't seen a thread about this so I figured why not make one.

So I've been watching Vids from the beta as everyone else has, and as everyone I am also amazned by the level of detail and ingame content available in the first weekend of closed beta.

I've noticed that when Mages cast a spell or when healer cast a spell if they get hit the cast bar doesn't go back or slow down or anything. I was wondering if anyone has any info on that because I think that would OP spells. I'm use to casters havign to deal w/ agro and not get hit so they can cast their stuff, but I wonder if I'm just on drugs or if something is up.

So besides the info on this if anyone would care to play devil's advocate for not having a penalty occur when a caster is hit.

Discuss

You must be from WoW. That was the first time I ever saw it when getting hit restarted the cast bar. NCsoft usually just gives a percentage that the cast will cancel, otherwise it shots at the same time as if you didnt get hit.

[Haeretik]

I broke a keyboard over damage affecting cast time in WoW.

I seriously, seriously, beat its keys into oblivion in frustration.

gogo Aion

[Marchosias]

Seems like I'd get more upset over having a spell canceled completely on a percentage chance than if it just got slowed... At least with the delay it's consistent. I don't like when things are random... it leaves too much to luck instead of skill.

[Omegaforce]

Originally Posted by Marchosias

Seems like I'd get more upset over having a spell canceled completely on a percentage chance than if it just got slowed... At least with the delay it's consistent. I don't like when things are random... it leaves too much to luck instead of skill.

I agree. There is nothing more I hated in WoW then random luck when raiding. Best example is the Prince fight in Karazhan (sorry for the WoW referance but that is all I could think of)

I'm sure it would be something that I get used to when Aion comes out.

[srinknorei]

i would prefer a slow down as well, or the ability to interrupt a spell completely based on a skill specifically geared towards interrupting (ie, rogue kick ) but, its only up to level 10 at this point. there's so much combat and abilities we've yet to see.

and where is the 'rune' casting bar? :O i liked the fact it was scripty and looked like a spell being spoken instead of a cast bar. an in-game option maybe>

[Kydrone]

I guess I wouldn't mind NCSoft's method, it might be a welcomed change, we'll see once more people play the game/beta.

[knite16]

Originally Posted by Kydrone

but I wonder if I'm just on drugs or if something is up.

Your avatar is on drugs.

For the record, and action in LOTRO that requires prep time (indicated by a bar) can be slowed (by taking damage and making the bar "move back" a bit), or canceled outright by damage. Its more realistic in this manner, in my opinion. If you've got 12 people beating you with various weapons and you can still concentrate enough to utter an incantation, well, then your head will probably explode some day from all the power you have.

[Kydrone]

Originally Posted by knite16

Your avatar is on drugs.

If you've got 12 people beating you with various weapons and you can still concentrate enough to utter an incantation, well, then your head will probably explode some day from all the power you have.

I couldn't agree more

[plasma06]

o cra* my head is bulging maybe its a sign of my power.
they wore casting backwards so maybe they are still working on it

[Marchosias]

Originally Posted by srinknorei

and where is the 'rune' casting bar? :O i liked the fact it was scripty and looked like a spell being spoken instead of a cast bar. an in-game option maybe>

I noticed that, too. I really like the old rune casting bar. It was something different. I'm with you that it should be an in-game option.

[Chu]

Sorry, I'm not siding with the original poster on this one. I like fast paced games. I like signing off at night with raw fingers from button mashing.

Besides, I don't see any delay on the melee characters either. In fact, the wizards have casting delays, Aion just isn't cheap enough to put an ugly little bar over their heads. The delay is in the animation.

[Clef]

Spell push back is cool, but limit it. Thats the problem in WoW, is the spell push back doesn't have a ending number, like after 6 hits or something. I've seen 1.5 sec cast spells become 30 second spells.

[Postiez]

I will use the standard ugly as crap one till i get quartz(its a wow mod) for aion =P

Also, i love the spell push-back idea and hate the cancel casting one, I hate losing to random bad luck.

Spell push back is cool, but limit it. Thats the problem in WoW, is the spell push back doesn't have a ending number, like after 6 hits or something. I've seen 1.5 sec cast spells become 30 second spells.

Ya... they could limit it, i don't think that would really be a bad idea, i kinda feel its not necessary if it has the same kind of system wow does, and from what i have seen it does. I seem to remember a 30 cd frost spell that knocks back a target.

[Marchosias]

Originally Posted by Clef

I've seen 1.5 sec cast spells become 30 second spells.

SHENANIGANS! In order to push the spell back that consistently you're talking about multiple fast DPSers hitting the caster, and casters' life and armor is such that you would need multiple healers to keep them up constantly in order for anything like this to happen.

The fact is, if you have enough people on you in WoW that your cast is being pushed back more than a couple seconds you're probably not going to live long enough for it to make a difference. What's I'd like to see is the same sort of thing where getting hit delays casting, but if mages are stigmad into plate armor, since they feel each blow less they would get knocked back less. This would have to be offset by a reduction in mana pool or overall casting time though. I would favor both, as the mana pool hints at the endurance loss (carrying around 40 lbs of armor is obviously more draining than 2 lbs), and the slower casting time would perfectly offset the decrease cast knockback effect. It would make the cast time slower when they're away from you and faster and more consistent when they're attacking you. What you'd end up with is essentially a close-combat mage.

As I've said in previous posts, the heavy armor would have to be better than cloth, since they're giving up other stigma possibilities to get it, but I think it would still be important to have certain drawbacks with the benefits. That way, instead of just making you simply die slower, there's a very distinct play style difference. Say you have less mana overall, but instead of running around and using that mana on roots, slows, knockbacks, etc. you'd be able to absorb the damage a lot better and focus on all-out DPS. Again, the slower cast time would come into effect here, so the straight nuking DPS would be lower than a traditional mage.

This is what I'm talking about when I say the stigma system opens up a whole bunch of possibilities for increasing diversity beyond just adding new skills to a class. Like this heavy armor, I think it will be important to stress play style differences based on which stigma you choose. It'd be pretty easy to just let people get dumbed down version of other classes' abilities, but to make the system shine I think NCSoft is going to have to take it a whole lot further. To be honest I'm pretty doubtful that this will actually happen, but we can hope.