Can We Get Different Casting Motions Per Magic School?

[Krausus]

Howdy!

I sent your feedback about casting animations to the development team and they were happy to give a response.

They mentioned that to start out, they would be separating the casting animations into healing-type magic and attack-type magic, and they are also looking into changing animations for specific spells.

Race-wise, they have not been looking into different casting animations, but said that if there seems to be a high demand for this that they would look into it as they explore whether it is physically possible from a memory standpoint.

Both of these things would be geared for 2.0

that's good news, will make it easier when two healers are in the party to see if the other healer is casting cure or a buff so a cure isn't wasted

[Nakiamiie]

Here is a small list of things I'd appreciate to be implemented into the 2.0 client regarding spellcasting and spell animations.

• Projectile animations: this means spells would be visible seen coming from the hands/weapons of the caster, and could be followed to the target with projectile tails. Currently all spells just suddenly appear as blobs of light on the target -- giving no indication of where or who casted the spell(s).
• Animations for type and school of magic: this means creating a special casting animation for enhancing, enfeeble, healing, damaging, etc.
• Unique casting animations for elemental types would also be much appreciated. Why should a fire spell have the same animation as a wind spell?
• Casting animations based on race would be welcome.
• Impactful spell animations. Currently most animations for spells just look like blobs of light and color. Please make sure that spells look important... ie: if we're casting fire, the target better look like it was burning... not just standing in a fire cloud.
• For area of effect spells, it would be nice to have some type of marker that would show up to ensure we were attacking in the range that we want to. Clearly this should be toggleable if desired on/off.
• Persistent spell effects where appropriate. Spells like Protect/Shell/Stoneskin/etc -- should have some type of persistent effect that shows they are active on that character. For instance, protect could have floating shields around the characters that fade in and out for the duration of the spell. Persistent damage over time spell effects should also occur. Ie: Heavy could show chains on the character slowing their movement.
• Unique exceptions to the norm. There should always be some awesome spells that have unique casting animations due to how cool they are. Ie: the previous ancient magic in game (CNJ spells Flare/Flood/Tornado) should have had some really uber casting animations and spell animations themselves... instead they were just more blobs of light...

Exactly what I'd like to see in FFXIV, I was really disappointed last year when FFXIV started and the spells were similar to FFXI (blobs of light, not projectile tracing from the caster to the target -- even for arrows!!, only 2 spell casting animation). Many other MMO have plenty of casting animation and all of the above, why is it so hard for FFXIV to get it in? It shouldn't be. Hopefully they don't make the same mistake with the 2.0 servers and get rid of all the stupid limitations they put on themselves.

[Luvbug]

I agree that the current animation for spell casting is kinda, not too impressive. While I was reading through this thread on the subway, I came up with a few ideas. Lots of animation will be involved in this...and sorry if this have came up before
and apologize for the bad grammar.

For the upcoming job system, the blm.

Ancient Spells will be acquire from primal battles. It will not be a drop nor quested, instead the player must find a way to capture that spell within the primal battle.

Fire(Eruption from Ifrit)
Ifrit's eruption, cast animation will be similar to Ifrit at the beginning, but will have a longer cast time from the player. The animation will start with the player plunging the staff into the ground and raise their hand into the air. After, will create little cracks on the ground heading towards the target. The cracks will get bigger as it gets to the target. Once it reaches the mob, it will explode, as like in the primal battle.

Water(whatever the Dev will call it for Leviathan)
without taking out the staff, the player will make a crouching stance and slowly raises both hands into the air. Water will start soaking the ground in range from the mob, then once the player's hands are fully raised, water will be forced out of the ground dealing high dmg to target.

Lightning(Whatever they will call it from Ramuh"
Player starts off with tossing up the staff high above the mob's head. Player will have their hands raised up high, then slowly dragging the hands down. By the time the hand reaches the chest, it hurries down to the waist, then lightning began blasting out of the staff hitting the target.

Earth(Whatever is called from Titan)
Player will begin with their hands stretched out to their sides. Slowly lifting their hands with a shaking motion as if they are really lifting a ton of rock. Then two HUGE rocks will begin to rise from the ground to mid-air. Player then, slams their hand together causing the two rocks to collide into the target.

Ice(Whatever name from Shiva)
Player will put their hands up in the air, then slowly bringing them down like this motion ( ) to create the ice crystals. Once the hands touched each other the player will span the hands out creating the ice crystals to burst.

To make things interesting, These are "Ancient" spell, therefore it's not easy to control. These spells will inflict dmg to nearby players as well. The caster will have to control on the aoe range in order to minimize the dmg dealt to fellow players. Or players can just simply run away while the spell is being casted.

I forgot what the rest was, felt asleep in the middle of this :T... but I know I got a bit more, just can't remember... maybe later it will come back up. I'm sorry if this is too much to ask for but sometimes I like to let my mind to loose ^^.

Semi conclusion,

Ancient Magic: acquired from primal and primal weapon must be equipped
Effects: AOE everything within range
control: mnd

[Bowen]

@ above post
Interesting idea, something like this would be welcome. Oh, and probably make Primal weapons more useful.

[Scherwiz]

GIVE ME BACK MY ELVAAN ANIMATIONS.

[Nullie]

I also kind of miss the way the older spells looked. I remember when I learned Stoneskin 2 the big towering wall that protects you looked great. I kinda miss that. Although I realize the skill is stoneskin1, conjurers also learn a trait that enhances stoneskin. Perhaps when they do learn the trait it would switch to stoneskin 2 animation.

Raging strike can stack up to 3 times. Perhaps we could get a different burst during those different stacks as well. This is something I would like added with different animations. With similar skills and magics.

[Yelta_Sumasu]

More varied and interesting casting animations as well as cool looking spells please.

Also above poster had neat idea about obtaining spells. Also might be cool if the equipped weapon itself changed the visual effect of the spell. I'm just dreaming now tho.

[SnickleWhiskers]

The cracks will get bigger as it gets to the target. Once it reaches the mob, it will explode, as like in the primal battle.

I like where you're going with this but if the snowball emotes snowball disappears mid flight i don't see them being capable of showing the crack animations going along the floor the entire time. Which makes me kind of sad cause I wish the magic didn't look like crap and this animation would have been really cool to see.

[Bittereye]

Here is a small list of things I'd appreciate to be implemented into the 2.0 client regarding spellcasting and spell animations.

• Projectile animations: this means spells would be visible seen coming from the hands/weapons of the caster, and could be followed to the target with projectile tails. Currently all spells just suddenly appear as blobs of light on the target -- giving no indication of where or who casted the spell(s).
• Animations for type and school of magic: this means creating a special casting animation for enhancing, enfeeble, healing, damaging, etc.
• Unique casting animations for elemental types would also be much appreciated. Why should a fire spell have the same animation as a wind spell?
• Casting animations based on race would be welcome.
• Impactful spell animations. Currently most animations for spells just look like blobs of light and color. Please make sure that spells look important... ie: if we're casting fire, the target better look like it was burning... not just standing in a fire cloud.
• For area of effect spells, it would be nice to have some type of marker that would show up to ensure we were attacking in the range that we want to. Clearly this should be toggleable if desired on/off.
• Persistent spell effects where appropriate. Spells like Protect/Shell/Stoneskin/etc -- should have some type of persistent effect that shows they are active on that character. For instance, protect could have floating shields around the characters that fade in and out for the duration of the spell. Persistent damage over time spell effects should also occur. Ie: Heavy could show chains on the character slowing their movement.
• Unique exceptions to the norm. There should always be some awesome spells that have unique casting animations due to how cool they are. Ie: the previous ancient magic in game (CNJ spells Flare/Flood/Tornado) should have had some really uber casting animations and spell animations themselves... instead they were just more blobs of light...

For some help and awesome ideas of how casting is handled in other games. I've linked a few videos.

Age of Conan Demonologist Spellweaving. Spellweaving is a unique type of spell casting that doesn't apply to XIV, but the animations themselves are impactful, unique, and suitable for the type of magic being cast. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3h-juMLLho Even if you broke up the aesthetic pieces of the spellweaving (the statues, the giant ball, the floating orbs) they would each be a really unique casting animation for XIV. But currently we're just stuck at blobs of light.

Tera Animations -- these are pretty fantastic for casting animations and the spell animations themselves. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKWEx6-Mlrs

Everquest 2 Druid Portal animation.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxAivpNUDB8

Your first bullet is a horrible idea. I will quit this game if I ever see projectile magic animation. If you want to see that go play the 9000 other MMO's out there that have that. Final Fantasy casting has never had any projectile based magic spells and I sure hope they never implement that in any Final Fantasy game. The only indication you need to know where the magic came from are from your soon to be BLM and WHM. Not that hard to figure out. The links you posted are games for you, not for Final Fantasy fans. Go play those games.

[JackDaniels]

I'd like to see different animations based on race!