[Testing] Dark Magic

[WildX]

and those who chose it by accident were stuck with it for the last 3 years. they should be rewarded.

Sure, but I'm talking about those who were forced to pick the other option because of bad development. The state of Dark Magic in the past years was a mistake, it should be fixed by allowing people to choose again. It's a bit like double exp weekends to compensate for rollbacks, there should be an NPC (maybe just for a short time) that allows us to do the quest(s) again.

[tux9th]

I suggest you come up with a way that fits into the story to switch paths. Since I don't have the time to do so, you do it.

If this story checks out and makes sense, someone might script it, if it makes sense to me I will do it.
For me this discussion ends here.

Because there was some confusion about this:

On the Testing Server you can get Dark Magic Skill 2 out of Waric also you can get 3 spells out of Waric. Those spells are Quest variable dependend (meaning if you don't do the quest you cannot use the spell). If you want to use the other spells as well you have to go to the FlowerDebugNPC standing infront of the cave on 017-1 and set your quest variable to 51. With a quest state of 51 you're able to do all spells.

[WildX]

NPC: "Hi, my name is [NPC name], for a price, I will teach you the path of Dark Magic. Once I have tought you Dark Magic, you will not be able to use Light Magic again."
You: "Alright, Dark Magic sounds fun and totally not dangerous!"
NPC: "To initiate the ritual I will need [items to collect]."
You: "I sure love collecting random items for people!"
*special effects*
NPC: "Good!"

There's your story.

[Hysoka]

Kill 10000 squirrels and you will be able to change to the Dark Path, or kill 10000 scorpions to change to the Light Path.

[veryape]

Whats all this about changing schools of magic?

I know i will sound like a kid that feels hard done by, but here goes:

I chose the dark path for my main, quite soon i realized my mistake and just knew that my mage would never be able to compare with those who made the "right choice" with the mouboo. I knew i would not stand a chance in PVP because of this, i knew i could not spawn stuff and i knew i could not use #chipchip..

Touch luck, I did as many others have done before me, I raised an alt that chose the "right path" to be able to have a mage that is as powerful as a mage can be.

I have not yet seen anyone who did this choice ask for a chance to reverse their choice, just been hearing frustrated comments such as "should have read on the wiki" etc.

Now when the dark path is getting upgraded to be on par with the light path people are moaning because they can't change to the dark path? Come on. Do what people in this game has done for three years, make an alt that chooses the magic school that you think are the best - now when the dark magic are implemented the differences are not as big as they used to be.

At least now you can't make the wrong choice.

[WildX]

Whats all this about changing schools of magic?

I know i will sound like a kid that feels hard done by, but here goes:

I chose the dark path for my main, quite soon i realized my mistake and just knew that my mage would never be able to compare with those who made the "right choice" with the mouboo. I knew i would not stand a chance in PVP because of this, i knew i could not spawn stuff and i knew i could not use #chipchip..

Touch luck, I did as many others have done before me, I raised an alt that chose the "right path" to be able to have a mage that is as powerful as a mage can be.

I have not yet seen anyone who did this choice ask for a chance to reverse their choice, just been hearing frustrated comments such as "should have read on the wiki" etc.

Now when the dark path is getting upgraded to be on par with the light path people are moaning because they can't change to the dark path? Come on. Do what people in this game has done for three years, make an alt that chooses the magic school that you think are the best - now when the dark magic are implemented the differences are not as big as they used to be.

At least now you can't make the wrong choice.

You know there's something wrong when a quest is so broken that you have to start over with a new character just to be able to keep playing as you want to. I don't see how giving a chance to those that have been a bit more careful and read the wiki before doing the quest would be unfair to people who actually fell into this development hole, if anything you could make *everyone* happy instead of just some.

[Fortunato]

Kill 10000 squirrels and you will be able to change to the Dark Path, or kill 10000 scorpions to change to the Light Path.

If this were implemented, I'd make it one-way: once you went to the dark side, there's no turning back (no vader-ish redemption on the death bed ).

Also: instead of killing 10k squirrels, how about making that "Collect 1000 squirrel pelts, a wooden staff and 5 gems of each sort" to create some sort of "totem of death"

The latter could then also be used as an alternative staff for dark mages...

[tux9th]

Chayenne,
for now only wicked shroom and snakes are going to be released.
also spawned mobs don't live forever but vanish after a certain time.

did anyone find any bugs in the questline?

[o11c]

I haven't looked deeply into this, but I can't help but skeptical. This seems like yet another addition that could turn out to break balance in a new an unexpected way, and the players will get mad if we nerf it later.

I can see some technical problems, too, but would prefer to review that after a rebase+squash.

[SudoPlatypus]

/me agrees with ape - if not - i want a permanent 90% off at exotic trader for everyone, because moneysink is not needed anymore and i want to have one of the hilariously expensive useless hats too. ( *notices she just changed topic* )
aye chay

+1
Bringing back the "no longer obtainables" makes sence too, for all the people who have joined long time since they were put into game. If someone playes for three to several years it makes more sense that they would be able to accumulate most if not all items by doing quests or buying from a NPC at a more fair price.

[tux9th]

I just nerfed the summon spells more. Less mobs for the mushrooms and critically shorter lifetime.

please test again

[Quinny]

Everything seems good except the #wave spell. It may just be me but when ever I casted wave I died no matter what is around me,if anything at all is around me. Also with #shadow I cast it a few times before I noticed it had been cast. I am us to the affects showing when casting a spell and I normally think it has failed if I don't see the affects. That is minor though. Nice work!

[Johanne Laliberté]

08/30/13

Hi,

I tested darkspells with level 80, intelligence 99+1=100 magic experience magic at the max.

• #darkmush

It worked, I can cast 2 wicked mush at once and sometimes the magic spell failed.

• #wave

It worked fine but I don't like so much this spell I lose the half of my health so maybe if we get a spell to protect us from this darkspell like the ligth path way gets. Just a suggestion. #morsa for a magic protection spell.

• #snakes

It worked fine but it has a short time life.

• #scorp

short time life too.

I don't know why I can't summon more snakes & scorpions after some seconds like the light path. ok maybe you will say "but they are stronger than the light path)! Then I suggest 2 at once it will be better.

• #skel

Not worked fine or failed for me. I see a red circle appear but no skeleton. Maybe a bug? I don't know.

• #shadow

It's like ingrave but in this case when you cast this spell we lose Health

• #poison

Didn't try on player, so I tried on snails and mouboos and pink flowers. I can kill them like I use flar and not seems to be poisonned just attacked, but I was poisoned except with flower because they don't move

Good works team, but I still to be in the light path way

[wushin]

The spawn times and reductions are due to the Dark Mushrooms and Snakes being tougher mobs. Basically, pre-mob reduction some clown figured out you can spawn enough mobs before they expired to hold down some areas solo with just summons. Last thing I want is someone creating a snake pit to grief players in PvP areas or to AFKcamp red slimes with huge mobs of summons.

This sounds like an an interesting idea

It worked fine but I don't like so much this spell I lose the half of my health so maybe if we get a spell to protect us from this darkspell like the ligth path way gets. Just a suggestion. #morsa for a magic protection spell.

Definitely keep it in mind going forward.

[tux9th]

Everything seems good except the #wave spell. It may just be me but when ever I casted wave I died no matter what is around me,if anything at all is around me. Also with #shadow I cast it a few times before I noticed it had been cast. I am us to the affects showing when casting a spell and I normally think it has failed if I don't see the affects. That is minor though. Nice work!

Good catch about the #shadow spell. I didn't notice that yet. I'll add an effect.

#wave cuts your life in half and if you have below 220 hp you die. maybe you fit this criteria.

08/30/13

Hi,

I tested darkspells with level 80, intelligence 99+1=100 magic experience magic at the max.

• #darkmush

It worked, I can cast 2 wicked mush at once and sometimes the magic spell failed.

• #wave

It worked fine but I don't like so much this spell I lose the half of my health so maybe if we get a spell to protect us from this darkspell like the ligth path way gets. Just a suggestion. #morsa for a magic protection spell.

• #snakes

It worked fine but it has a short time life.

• #scorp

short time life too.

I don't know why I can't summon more snakes & scorpions after some seconds like the light path. ok maybe you will say "but they are stronger than the light path)! Then I suggest 2 at once it will be better.

• #poison

Didn't try on player, so I tried on snails and mouboos and pink flowers. I can kill them like I use flar and not seems to be poisonned just attacked, but I was poisoned except with flower because they don't move )

heh... that poison dart is driving me insane. Everytime I fix an issue a new one arises. I don't have an idea yet how to fix this. I will however. Thanks for the great review.

I don't quite get the concept of #morsa yet. Do you want a spell that protects light mages from the effects of dark magic, or do you want a spell for dark mages that protects them from the malus the spells have?

About the summons I have to agree what wushin said. we tested it and by raising the lifetime it becomes a spawn-fest and one person can take over the whole GY. This was just too overpowered, that's why I nerfed it and I think we've found a great middle ground.
Also you should be able to cast more after 15 to 18s depending on which spell you are using.

with best regards

tux