We Want Truly New Spells

[Freebytes]

I would like to see some new spells that are not simply a rehash of similar game elements. While having additional tiers of certain spells is fine, I would like to see spells that truly change the game.

This is not a "please fix RDM" thread. Instead, I am simply using RDM as an example.

For example, Red Mage could receive a spell such as 'float' that would prevent damage or effects from the next earth based spell but increase damage from wind based effects.

A spell named 'Demi' could remove the top 2% of HP from any mob; however, it could only be used on the top 100%. If you used it at 99%, it would still only bring the mob down to 98%. Then, effects could be added to the spell through equiment and merits that could eventually boost it to 10% instead. If you used that spell at 70%, though, it not take ffect. Red Mages would be desired at the beginning of most fights if such an ability existed. This could also be the replacement 2 hour from some other job but make it work regardless of mob HP.

An ability for DRK called Pressure that doubles or triples your damage but puts a Doom type effect on you that will cause you to die if you do not kill the creature you used it on quickly enough.

An ability where a THF can set a trap (similar to the Qiqirin bombs) and if a mob passes over it, they would be impaired in some way, would also be a helpful addition.

An idea such as "Benediction could have merit changes to make it so it removes Weakness to improve the 2 hour." is nice, but it is not truly unique. It is simply a change of what is existing. I would like to see an expansion of the capabilities given to jobs. When I first began leveling certain jobs, I kept thinking, "Wow, this changes a lot of things!" when I got those abilities. The closer my jobs get to 99, though, the more they all seem to blend in together and become less unique to each other because certain abilities are given to certain jobs and not others.

These are just examples of what I mean. I would like to see real gameplay changes instead of rehashes of the same spells and game elements. It takes a lot more creativity, but these are some of the changes I want to see. Not things like Slow II or Bio III that simply result in the same effect with no real creativity.

[Merton9999]

I couldn't agree more. I loved Abyssea but the 99 climb was disappointing from the ability progression aspect. After being so impressed by a random 2009 update offering something creative and fun to WHM (Afflatus/Esuna/Cura/Auspice) and RDM (Composure), I had expected a similar level of creativity from the ->99 abilities. I was disappointed to find the same old spells with bigger numbers and, in the case of SCH, a grab bag of lemons. Kaustra and Embrava were a step in the game-changing direction for me, so thanks for that.

I don't know if you meant your spells as serious suggestions or just illustrations for doing something different. Either way what I support is the creative aspect. I'd like merit abilities or just random job adjustments that actually cause an evolution in thought process rather than just putting a different Roman numeral in my macros.

[detlef]

Float is a nice concept but I always thought it was unfair that there was something like that to avoid earth spells but no analogs for other elements. Technically we do have spells that increase resistance to elements; would the devs add spells that let you avoid an element altogether? Seems like if they did it would have some god awful recast so you could only have it up 1 minute out of 5 or something.

[Gokku]

Float is a nice concept but I always thought it was unfair that there was something like that to avoid earth spells but no analogs for other elements. Technically we do have spells that increase resistance to elements; would the devs add spells that let you avoid an element altogether? Seems like if they did it would have some god awful recast so you could only have it up 1 minute out of 5 or something.

alot of what your talking about is whats planned for rune or so it seems from what SE has said about rune being able to buff MDB / res towards X element/elements

[Demon6324236]

Damage negating spells wouldn't work in this game due to balancing problems admittedly. When you look at many types of mobs they are actually very specific in elements, Worms (with exception of some NMs) use Earth, so for instance Float would kill worms magic damage completely, due to this I understand why these types of spells have not been given to us.

[Freebytes]

Oh, and now that I think about it, my suggestion for Demi would work almost exactly like Curse.

Those were merely examples. Perhaps BLU could get a Mimic effect that allows one spell to be repeated as a job ability with a long recast, or RDM could get Reflect that worked once every time the spell is cast but had a long recast time. The whole point is that the players would like to see some originality and creativity... not the same old, same old. Merton knows exactly what I mean by this: Same spell, another roman numeral, nothing new, and the spells even work the same way.

In an old post, I remember someone mentioning additional spikes for the water (poison), wind (silence), earth (slow) spells or buffs based on the missing elements of fire, ice, and lightning. To keep the buffs consistent, the spikes would need to be added, but I think this would be a great idea for enhancing players and it would be more original than what we have been seeing. The players suggesting these ideas in the past even had them planned out pretty well for what those effects would have been.

Even these simple ideas and the ones I have mentioned are not very creative, but they are a bit more than what we have been seeing.

As for the float spell, I guess it could be limited to only once. Then, after someone gets hit with a Stonega, it would negate that damage but allow the next spell or ability to pass through. That would make it so the worms can still work their magic.

Adding another spell for each other element (burrow, ground) would remove the uniqueness of the single spell, though. So, other elements could be added for the other spells. A defensive solution could be added for each element. Something like Deflect for wind that would redirect the damage to another party member for one spell, for example, as a Wind element. Delay for an ice element that would actually delay the damage you take from a particular spell for up to 20 seconds later unless the creature is dead by that time, etc. Converge that would cause damage to MP instead of HP. Float does not necessarily need to be limited to Earth spells. It could simply be a damage negation spell with a really high counter similar to the Ninja spell that functions when you take critical damage.

Float (Wind), Reflect (Light), Absorb (Darkness), Mimic (Water), Deflect (Ice), Delay (Earth), Converge (Lightning), Purify (Fire)

And each mage could get their own spell. RUN gets Float, WHM gets Reflect, BLM gets Deflect, BLU gets Mimic, RDM gets Delay and Converge, and DRK could get Absorb. PLD could get Purify which would be a spell to still receive the damage but would give a stat boost based on the element.

These are just some simple ideas, but even these that I just came up with are a lot more original than what we have seen.

[Freebytes]

Yeah, Demon, however, I think Float could work if it was only for blocking one spell similar to the Ninja critical damage prevention spell.

[Theytak]

I think part of what holds them back in regards to uniquely new things relates to just how much we can already do in some form, and how the mechanics have been engineered such that many things fall into the category of "either entirely useless, or absolutely broken" with no possible middle ground that wouldn't require a complete rework of some existing part of the game's mechanics.

That said, I feel like brainstorming new spells for shits and giggles;

(Note: these are entirely born from boredom and creativity, though I have attempted to keep them from being totally broken or completely useless)

Name: Backfire (can't think of anything better)
Effect: Causes offensive magic to, occasionally fail (similar to paralyze), and upon failing, backfire. Enfeebling effects would apply a reduced effect to the caster (at worst, 50% of it's original potency and duration), while damaging spells would deal reduced damage (at most 50% of what it would have done). How badly it would backfire would depend on the potency of the enfeeble (similar to paralyze or slow potency), with weaker potency (as well as certain effects, like death or doom) only failing to take effect.

Name: Hindrance
Effect: Works effectively the same way as paralyze, however, it only prevents TP moves

Name: MP-lock (another working title)
Effect: prevents the usage of MP. Spells can still be cast, however, they will take double their MP cost from the caster's HP instead, while also preventing "regen" type effects

Name: Reduction
Effect: prevents the use of AoE abilities; or, causes all AoE abilities to hit only a single target

Name: Forced Adaptation
Effect: Prevents repetitive use of either the same TP move/Spell or the same damage type (ie: fire damage); will fail if the target only has a single choice (ie: if it can only use 1 TP move/spell, or it can only deal 1 type of damage) (note that this'd be either or, either it did TP/Spells or it would do damage type, not both, they're separate ideas)

/boredstorming

[Freebytes]

Theytak, Backfire would actually be a decent idea for Corsair since it fits the theme.

Speaking of your Hindrance idea, we still do not have Amnesia. Maybe give Amnesia to Red Mage and give Hindrance to White Mage.

Reduction is a great idea to make AoE single target!

Forced Adaptation could have potential uses, but the name could use some work.

[Theytak]

Theytak, Backfire would actually be a decent idea for Corsair since it fits the theme.

Speaking of your Hindrance idea, we still do not have Amnesia. Maybe give Amnesia to Red Mage and give Hindrance to White Mage.

Reduction is a great idea to make AoE single target!

Forced Adaptation could have potential uses, but the name could use some work.

Honestly, hindrance is how I see them making amnesia work if they ever give it to the players (baring vermeil bhuj), because being able to use amnesia at its full effect on monsters, if it had any actual duration to it, would be beyond broken to the point that they'd never let it actually land against anything tougher than EM, thus adding it to the long list of spells that are awesome but useless against anything that you can't kill by sneezing. Also, absolutely no new enfeebles for whm, the job is fucking overpowered enough, and even though I'm not a rdm, it's really sad to watch every new toy rdm gets be handed to whm on a silver platter the next update.