MM X - Blessings (what would you change?)

The role-playing games (I-X) that started it all and the various spin-offs (including Dark Messiah).

Are the Dragon Blessings well designed in your opinion?

Yes, they rock, paper and scissor.
0
No votes
No, they suck like something really bad and scary.
1
33%
I don't know, so I click here.
0
No votes
Yeah, but they could be different. Because...
2
67%
 
Total votes: 3

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MM X - Blessings (what would you change?)

Unread postby Panda Tar » 23 Apr 2014, 22:09

And here I am, after...maybe almost 2 years of absence due those odd stuff which happen with us out of the computer (called 'life'), I'm rather curious about some features seen in Might & Magic X Legacy.

If my opinion matters to you, I thought the game was entertaining in a way. Rather boring sometimes and linear, and foreboding. But all in all, 56% of my composition thinks it's OK.

So, I feel like asking you guys some questions regarding some features, starting now with Blessings.

As you know, Dragon Blessings bestow upon your party some bonus after you attain them. You have 6 of them. Right now, I think you can beat the game having only 3, which are mandatory to unlock all places you must go. The other 3 give other bonuses which you can, in some sense, have by using spell casting. And therein lies my thought where these blessings could be tweaked to be really important things. I'll comment them later, and everyone is welcome to share your views on the subject. Shall we start then?
"There’s nothing to fear but fear itself and maybe some mild to moderate jellification of bones." Cave Johnson, Portal 2. :panda:

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Unread postby Panda Tar » 23 Apr 2014, 22:45

Before you start reading this all, mind you there might have spoilers. If you don't mind it the slightest, then read this aloud: "Panda Tar is the most fluffy thing I've ever seen!"

Thank you.

Now, starting:

SYLANNA'S BLESSING

This is the first one you get, so you can actually keep playing into the Act II. The funny thing I find about this one is that you couldn't be at the areas where the Sylanna's seals are present before unlocking it. So, when you get to those places, you'll be able to explore them all, no matter what. So, why bother?

To fix this matter, and with the other blessings, I believe they need to give up to 4 different bonuses regarding categories:
  1. Map/Adventure exploration
    Might bonus
    Magic bonus
    Terrain bonus
Currently, it gives 2 distinct bonuses:
  • Unlocks seals blocking 'hidden' paths in woods
    Gives the team fixed quantity of Earth Magic Resistance
Why do I support that approach? Because right now, you can visit those locked places as if they weren't locked at all, given that you couldn't access them beforehand, right? When you get the chance to start exploring more wild places, you already have Sylanna's Blessing, so it has no meaning having those seals spread about. And the earth resistance itself doesn't look like sufficient to make a Blessing something really meaningful.

Applying this argument, Sylanna's Blessing would require a bit of map adjustments, so you had some sealed places accessible BEFORE getting it in the first place, nothing too critical, but a dungeon or two, so you could think: ah, now I can get it!

New Sylanna's Blessing
  1. Unlocks Syylanna's Seals spread about the peninsula.
    Grants 5 points to Earth Resistance to the party, + 5 for each 10 levels reached by each hero individually [i.e.: a level 31 hero would have 5 + 5 (10) + 5 (20) + 5 (30) = 20 points as Sylanna's Blessing bonus in Earth Resistance].
    Grants 2 points to Earth Magic Skill to the party, + 2 for each 10 levels reach by each hero individually.
    While wandering about woods, the party is immune to poison.
I think that even having a unique Blessing to each kind of class would be more balanced. Might heroes get Resistances, Magic heroes get Magic Skill Points and Mixed heroes get half of these two bonuses, rounded up (3 (+3 ...) and 2 (+1...)). So, it would look like this:

New Sylanna's Blessing
  • – Unlocks Sylanna's Seals spread about the peninsula.
    – Grants 5 points to Earth Resistance to MIGHT heroes, + 5 for each 10 levels reached by each hero individually.
    – Grants 2 points to Earth Magic Skill to MAGIC heroes, + 2 for each 10 levels reach by each hero individually.
    – Grants 3 points to Earth Resistance and 2 to Earth Magic Skill to MIXED heroes, + 3 and 1, respectively, for each 10 levels reached by each hero individually.
    – While wandering about woods, the party is immune to poison.
"There’s nothing to fear but fear itself and maybe some mild to moderate jellification of bones." Cave Johnson, Portal 2. :panda:

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Unread postby Panda Tar » 23 Apr 2014, 23:56

SHALASSA'S BLESSING

Shalassa, although not mandatory, might be your second shard unlocked. When I played this game the first time, I got both water and fire shards, if I’m not much mistaken, because I wandered and explored, and dying a lot actually, many places before returning to the main tasks.
Currently, it gives 2 distinct bonuses:
  • Allows you to walk over shallow waters
    Gives the team a fixed quantity of Water Magic Resistance
Now, this one has a broader impact overall. You’ll actually reuse paths over water when needed be, and they are a bit scattered. Withal these circumstances, it’s still needed to balance it accordingly to my last proposal regarding Sylanna.
New Shalassa's Blessing
  1. – Allows walking over shallow waters.
    – Grants 5 points to Water Resistance to MIGHT heroes, + 5 for each 10 levels reached by each hero individually.
    – Grants 2 points to Earth Magic Skill to MAGIC heroes, + 2 for each 10 levels reach by each hero individually.
    – Grants 3 points to Earth Resistance and 2 to Earth Magic Skill to MIXED heroes, + 3 and 1, respectively, for each 10 levels reached by each hero individually.
    – While wandering next to water sources, the party is immune to paralysis.

YLATH'S BLESSING
Ylath is the last Blessing you must unlock to allow you exploring every place in the game, as far as I know, and it’s necessary having it to get Act III done.
Currently, it gives 2 distinct bonuses:
  • Allows the use of the ‘teleportation’ devices scattered around.
    Gives the team a fixed quantity of Air Magic Resistance
Unlike the others, this one starts to become harder to propose a Terrain bonus, but I think something nice is suggested below:
New Ylath's Blessing
  1. – Allows the use of teleportation devices.
    – Grants 5 points to Air Resistance to MIGHT heroes, + 5 for each 10 levels reached by each hero individually.
    – Grants 2 points to Air Magic Skill to MAGIC heroes, + 2 for each 10 levels reach by each hero individually.
    – Grants 3 points to Air Resistance and 2 to Air Magic Skill to MIXED heroes, + 3 and 1, respectively, for each 10 levels reached by each hero individually.
    – While wandering in dry and open places (world map and cities only and having 1 free tile in all directions from party), the party has additional 10% for evasion and blocking values.

ARKATH'S BLESSING
Arkath is the only elemental Dragon not bound to any unlocking feature.
Currently, it gives 2 distinct bonuses:
  • It grants the part the constant effect of Danger Sense spell.
    Gives the team a fixed quantity of Fire Magic Resistance
This is where I think these Blessings start to be messy, rather than nicer. It simply makes one of your spells useless (and hireling for that matter). My suggestion affects also the Fire Spell List design, which I shall post on another thread. But taking that as example, Danger Sense wouldn’t be a spell anymore:
New Arkath's Blessing
  1. – Gives permanent awareness of surrounding foes [allows surviving in volcanic areas and allows melting icewalls => this is just an idea in case someday we’d have dungeons with those kind of terrains].
    – Grants 5 points to Fire Resistance to MIGHT heroes, + 5 for each 10 levels reached by each hero individually.
    – Grants 2 points to Fire Magic Skill to MAGIC heroes, + 2 for each 10 levels reach by each hero individually.
    – Grants 3 points to Fire Resistance and 2 to Air Magic Skill to MIXED heroes, + 3 and 1, respectively, for each 10 levels reached by each hero individually.
    – While wandering in open places (world map, cities and dungeons, but cannot be in tight places), if consecutive fire damage is inflicted upon a target, an additional (too much fire becomes a flame, but need air, space) fire damage is inflicted upon that same target, equal to 5% all initial fire damage at the end of the turn.

ELRATH'S BLESSING
This is another one that makes one of your spells useless, as well as a hireling. So, I’d propose a reworked Clairvoyance spell, with a more broad use.
Currently, it gives 2 distinct bonuses:
  • You have the permanent effect of Clairvoyance, which means you can see traps on the ground
    Gives the team a fixed quantity of Light Magic Resistance
New Elrath's Blessing
  1. – Allows seeing traps and ambush-bidden chests and barrels.
    – Grants 5 points to Light Resistance to MIGHT heroes, + 5 for each 10 levels reached by each hero individually.
    – Grants 2 points to Light Magic Skill to MAGIC heroes, + 2 for each 10 levels reach by each hero individually.
    – Grants 3 points to Light Resistance and 2 to Light Magic Skill to MIXED heroes, + 3 and 1, respectively, for each 10 levels reached by each hero individually.
    – During the day, armor value is increased by 15% and all HP restoring potions have 20% more effect.

MALASSA’S BLESSING
Another one that makes one of your spells useless, as well as a hireling. So, I’d propose a reworked Whispering Shadows spell, with a more broad use.
Currently, it gives 2 distinct bonuses:
  • You have the permanent effect of Whispering Shadows, which means you can see secret passages
    Gives the team a fixed quantity of Dark Magic Resistance
New Malassa's Blessing
  1. – Allows seeing hidden passages and halves damage taken when failing to breach them.
    – Grants 5 points to Dark Resistance to MIGHT heroes, + 5 for each 10 levels reached by each hero individually.
    – Grants 2 points to Dark Magic Skill to MAGIC heroes, + 2 for each 10 levels reach by each hero individually.
    – Grants 3 points to Dark Resistance and 2 to Dark Magic Skill to MIXED heroes, + 3 and 1, respectively, for each 10 levels reached by each hero individually.
    – During the night, melee and ranged attack values are increased by 15% and all Mana restoring potions have 20% more effect.

After unlocking all Dragons, a FULL SET Blessing could be bestowed upon the party, devoted to Primordial Magic, and more subtle way, however useful nonetheless.

ASHA’S BLESSING
I’d use the name Asha as to relate to those shrines. In fact, this last Blessing could also have the requirement of all shrines having been visited at the right dates (up this day, visiting all shrines at the right time has a relic as a reward).
Asha's Blessing
  1. – Reveals all world map, dungeon maps and their hidden passages already seen by the party (even if not thoroughly explored). Any new place visited after unlocking this blessing won’t have all map revealed though (as a motivation for players to explore everything and then return to check if they missed something).
    – Grants 5 points to All Resistances to MIGHT heroes, + 2 for each 10 levels reached by each hero individually.
    – Grants 2 points to Primordial Magic Skill to MAGIC heroes, + 2 for each 10 levels reach by each hero individually.
    – Grants 3 points to All Resistances and 1 to Primordial Magic Skill to MIXED heroes, + 1 and 1, respectively, for each 10 levels reached by each hero individually.
"There’s nothing to fear but fear itself and maybe some mild to moderate jellification of bones." Cave Johnson, Portal 2. :panda:

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Unread postby Arret » 25 Apr 2014, 00:06

The current buffs in the game are awful. I'll break these into 2 groups: essential quests and optional quests.

There are a few skills that are setup clearly as essential quests, and the idea is all right, but the added benefit needs to go up. I would have expected a +skill to the appropriate magic school at minimum and either a relic or an item of +5 to the corresponding magic school related to the attunement similar to the chests of blue quality items in the rooms behind the elemental lords. As is, the resistances are negligible.

Now for dark, fire, and light:

These need to be massively overhauled. All they do is get rid of the requirement for cheap spells and give a miniscule resistance. Since these are optional but supposedly important quests, they should have appropriate rewards. I'm thinking more along the lines of a permanent +20% bonus to armor, hp, mana, magic damage, physical damage or +10% to all stats similar to the well rested buff.

The final chest for completing this was incredibly underwhelming. This is supposed to be the culmination of the elemental forces choosing a hero for the first time in centuries. This should be a major event with a major reward. Either a big pile of skill points/experience or a stack of relics or special items (maybe related to primordial magic or items with +skill/resistance to all magic schools).

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Unread postby Panda Tar » 25 Apr 2014, 00:19

Arret wrote: Now for dark, fire, and light:

These need to be massively overhauled. All they do is get rid of the requirement for cheap spells and give a miniscule resistance. Since these are optional but supposedly important quests, they should have appropriate rewards. I'm thinking more along the lines of a permanent +20% bonus to armor, hp, mana, magic damage, physical damage or +10% to all stats similar to the well rested buff.

The final chest for completing this was incredibly underwhelming. This is supposed to be the culmination of the elemental forces choosing a hero for the first time in centuries. This should be a major event with a major reward. Either a big pile of skill points/experience or a stack of relics or special items (maybe related to primordial magic or items with +skill/resistance to all magic schools).
I'm happy to see that you agree they truly need a boost.

Hum, given that we don't gain HP and Mana when leveling up, unlocking, say, Elrath's Blessing could allow your characters gain 2-5% of their max HP every time they leveled up henceforth. Malassa would bestow bonus over Mana. Well, one of the bonuses, that is.
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Unread postby hellegennes » 25 Apr 2014, 14:12

I believe that the blessings were designed before they designed the map, hence why Sylanna's blessing seems irrelevant. Perhaps they didn't even notice that you can't reach these areas before you have the blessing. On the other hand, enemies behind these passages can't reach you, so I guess they serve at least one purpose. They can also be utilised in user-created mods.

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Unread postby Panda Tar » 25 Apr 2014, 14:34

But won't that seal break at the same range a monster notices our presence?
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Unread postby hellegennes » 26 Apr 2014, 19:43

IIRC, no. Some monsters where positioned right behind them. I could be wrong though. I am almost sure that they can't attack you from behind the barrier.


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