[MOD-WIP] Levitation Redone - Variable Speed

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kiskoller
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[MOD-WIP] Levitation Redone - Variable Speed

Post by kiskoller »

With this mod levitation has not just duration, but magnitude. Higher the magnitude, faster the caster moves. Just like in Morrowind.

Video Demonstration:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivp1KN2kjKI

Before release I want to also add fail chance and I need to tweek the formula.

The standard levitation speed is 4. Currently in this mod speed is magnitude/4. So you need 16 magnitude to have the same speed as before. I'm thinking of replacing the linear graph with a logaritmic one so you don't end up buzzing around like an SR-71 at high levels. Or maybe I keep it here because it looks fun.

I'm also working on chance of failure. Instead of having a roll for it when casting, I want to check it each round, so you can lose your levitation buff mid-flight if you are not careful. I'm not sure of the math of this either.

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Jay_H
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Re: [MOD-WIP] Levitation Redone - Variable Speed

Post by Jay_H »

I'm loving the new spells, great work!

kiskoller
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Re: [MOD-WIP] Levitation Redone - Variable Speed

Post by kiskoller »

Thanks! What are your thoughts on turning this spell Chance based?

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Jay_H
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Re: [MOD-WIP] Levitation Redone - Variable Speed

Post by Jay_H »

I like it in theory, but Daggerfall's scaling makes it difficult. The level-based scaling makes it so the change would be either abrupt or slight.

Base 10% + 5 every 1 level means you'd only have a 30% chance of succeeding at level 4, which is pitiful. At level 10 you'd usually get it.

Base 10% + 10 every level means you'd get it half the time at level 4, and perfectly by level 9.

Base 10% + 25 every level sounds exorbitant, and would eliminate all chance of failure by level 4.

I want you to do it, but balancing it sounds like heck to me.

kiskoller
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Re: [MOD-WIP] Levitation Redone - Variable Speed

Post by kiskoller »

I share your sentiment, which is why a mod like Unleveled Spells is so needed. We need to remove the simple X + Y * char level math and have a bit more complex one, that uses your skill level and attributes and has a nice curve.

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Ralzar
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Re: [MOD-WIP] Levitation Redone - Variable Speed

Post by Ralzar »

Skilled Spells work pretty well for this. It's not quite the forumla I would want but it is way closer than vanilla mechanics..

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Jay_H
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Re: [MOD-WIP] Levitation Redone - Variable Speed

Post by Jay_H »

Ralzar wrote: Mon Jul 12, 2021 10:24 am Skilled Spells work pretty well for this. It's not quite the forumla I would want but it is way closer than vanilla mechanics..
I sort of agree, but I still think it isn't quite the solution. It would be nice if there were some way to make a weighted distribution for magicka costs rather than a linear progression. A spell could have an acceptable cost while the chance ranges from 30 to 70, and then get exorbitantly high above 70 and incredibly low under 30.

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DunnyOfPenwick
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Re: [MOD-WIP] Levitation Redone - Variable Speed

Post by DunnyOfPenwick »

I had a similar 'flight' spell in an earlier aborted mod that only worked outdoors (manipulating wind currents and what-not).

I found a nice wind-noise sound effect that I could pass on to you if you want. You can also vary the sound pitch for different speeds.

(How do you attach files here anyway?)

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Jay_H
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Re: [MOD-WIP] Levitation Redone - Variable Speed

Post by Jay_H »

You have to attach it as a zip file. I personally try to avoid attachments to save on the forums' bandwidth. Google Drive and other things work just fine :)

kiskoller
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Re: [MOD-WIP] Levitation Redone - Variable Speed

Post by kiskoller »

Jay_H wrote: Mon Jul 12, 2021 12:53 pm
Ralzar wrote: Mon Jul 12, 2021 10:24 am Skilled Spells work pretty well for this. It's not quite the forumla I would want but it is way closer than vanilla mechanics..
I sort of agree, but I still think it isn't quite the solution. It would be nice if there were some way to make a weighted distribution for magicka costs rather than a linear progression. A spell could have an acceptable cost while the chance ranges from 30 to 70, and then get exorbitantly high above 70 and incredibly low under 30.

I agree some kind of logarithmic scale would be nice. While we are here discussing cast chance I would entirely remove it from spellmaker. You either game the system to make the most chance/cost version or just make the cheapest 100% cost one. The result is that you spam the same 5% spell again and again at low levels and at higher levels you are lowering the chance/level variable more and more, thus making cheaper and cheaper spells thanks to the ridiculous scaling. At level 10 you might make a spell with 10% * char level, then you have to lower it to 5%*char level once you reach level 20, since the rest is overkill. So the higher level your character is, the easier spells he is casting.

Instead he should be casting more advanced spells, which then could potentially be cheaper thanks to his skill.

Morrowind's approach to this was better, where the cast chance wasn't baked into the spell itself but was entirely dependent on the character's abilities and the spell's power.

I think DFU at it's current state would allow us to make such a robust, complex system inside a mod without touching the base code. We could later then add spell backfire or special advantages during char generation that mitigate them (mage birthsign vs. apprentice).


But all this talk is really going away from this relatively small mod. I've decided to release this as it is, without any cast chance. This whole other thing should be a separate mod which overhauls magic in general.

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