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Spell Scrolls

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If "mana" is just "magical energy", will it be used for *all* magical acts? Or just spell scrolls? We use magic when we click the "freeze" action, will that use up "mana"? Would the maximum mana be the same for *all* users, or linked to trophy level? How much mana would be used per spell-scroll, and how long would it take to recharge?

 

All things to think about / discuss. These are concerns/issues that pop up in my mind as someone who's just hearing about mana for the first time, so some of you may find these questions stupid or whatever, but... something to think about.

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If "mana" is just "magical energy", will it be used for *all* magical acts? Or just spell scrolls? We use magic when we click the "freeze" action, will that use up "mana"? Would the maximum mana be the same for *all* users, or linked to trophy level? How much mana would be used per spell-scroll, and how long would it take to recharge?

 

All things to think about / discuss. These are concerns/issues that pop up in my mind as someone who's just hearing about mana for the first time, so some of you may find these questions stupid or whatever, but... something to think about.

All of those questions make sense, and are worth exploring--if it is decided that mana is the way to go. I'm not sure we're at that stage yet.

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Idea for the length of time it takes for mana to restore itself:

It takes 2 days for the mana points you used to restore themselves from the time you did an action that required mana to do? Kinda like how our BSAs have a cooldown, you used 2 mana to do something, so 2 days later that mana is back. You used 5 mana to freeze an egg, and 2 days later the 5 mana is back.

 

My thinking is since this game is about patience, that waiting 2 days is not too bad for mana restoration. You work with a total pool, there is no limit to how many points you can use in a specified time, you just have a set amount you can use before the pool runs out. Kinda like the freezing ability. The total time is 15 times, and whenever you use it, it takes what, 2 weeks for that 1 point to come back?

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I'd rather not see them drop like eggs in the cave, but more like items for the trick-or-treat event or the Easter egg hunt. Just much more rarely than those.

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I'd rather not see them drop like eggs in the cave, but more like items for the trick-or-treat event or the Easter egg hunt. Just much more rarely than those.

My suggestion for this is that they drop in a more predictable manner. Not as things you randomly get in the cave, or randomly find around your scroll.

 

I had one or two ideas around this:

 

1. Unlock scrolls by clicking on people's eggs/whatever. Either every X clicks, or each scroll takes a certain amount to unlock.

 

2. Each scroll has some sort of achievement-like unlock condition. Maybe unfreezing requires the achievement for freezing ten hatchlings first. Or just unlock at certain scroll totals. This would be more for if scrolls aren't consumable.

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My suggestion for this is that they drop in a more predictable manner. Not as things you randomly get in the cave, or randomly find around your scroll.

 

I had one or two ideas around this:

 

1. Unlock scrolls by clicking on people's eggs/whatever. Either every X clicks, or each scroll takes a certain amount to unlock.

 

2. Each scroll has some sort of achievement-like unlock condition. Maybe unfreezing requires the achievement for freezing ten hatchlings first. Or just unlock at certain scroll totals. This would be more for if scrolls aren't consumable.

that could actually be fun, especially the special tasks idea. Using your example: If a person never freezes anything they aren't missing out if that only unlocks the unfreeze ability so it doesn't affect peoples preferred play-style either. Might be difficult coming up with an action for any given thing, but if the cave does head that way, we have plenty of creative users. smile.gif

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If "mana" is just "magical energy", will it be used for *all* magical acts? Or just spell scrolls? We use magic when we click the "freeze" action, will that use up "mana"?  Would the maximum mana be the same for *all* users, or linked to trophy level? How much mana would be used per spell-scroll, and how long would it take to recharge?

 

All things to think about / discuss. These are concerns/issues that pop up in my mind as someone who's just hearing about mana for the first time, so some of you may find these questions stupid or whatever, but... something to think about.

I sorta started envisioning something like this...

 

Mana is magical energy. So yes it would be used for all magical acts.

 

BSA dragons use magical energy (mana) to do what it is they do (influence, incubate, teleport, etc). The mana being used, however, is built into their very nature. Depending on the BSA being used, there is a wait time for that mana that was used up by that dragon to "recharge" (i.e. the 2 day to 2 week cool down period we already are familiar with).

 

Spell scrolls would need a certain amount of mana to be activated/unocked. The amount of mana a spell scroll would require varies depending on what that spell is. Small things would require less mana than a major thing (kinda like the difference between a magi teleport and a pink's influence). How many spell scrolls you can use at one time of course is dependent on the total amount of mana you have (or still have left) to work with. There would be a recharge (cool-down) period to replace the mana used in the spell(s). [ Just throwing out... Say 1 day per mana.. so if a spell required 3 mana, then 3 days to get it back.]

 

However, spell scrolls are not BSA dragons. The mana used to make those spell scrolls work is not built into them. The mana needed to work the spell has to come from an outside source. That outside source could very well be the non-BSA dragons. One could then tie the total amount of "collected mana" to the person's trophy level. [bSA dragons do not require outside mana to do what they need to do]

 

All dragons are magical creatures. Non-BSA dragons simply have far less magic than BSA dragons (which is why they don't have BSAs). But when you gather a large group of non-bsa dragons together (i.e. raising them up on your scroll) they "give off" small amounts of energy that can be collected and concentrated and stored by the scroll owner in a jar or chest for future spell. The more dragons one has (higher trophy level), the more energy that is being given off and collected by the dragon owner.

 

No trophy would have a base amount of mana that could be collected. Bronze would have a higher amount (because they have more dragons), silver the next higher amount, and gold the highest amount. So a person with a gold trophy could work more spells at a time on a regular basis than someone with a bronze, but everyone is limited to the same recharge rate which should keep things fairly balanced.

 

 

As for magical actions such as freezing & reviving.. they seem like a prime candidates to move from actions over to spell scrolls. It's the dragon owner doing the action of casting a spell - not the dragon itself conducting the magic (like a BSA does). Right now there is a limit to how many hatchlings you can freeze before you are forced to wait a while. Perhaps if the freeze action is made into a spell, then that limit could possibly be lifted altogether (or increased to a higher amount). Revive could be a spell as well which could give people a nice chance for making zombies outside of halloween (though should still have a a significant fail rate to prevent people from going nuts). The time it takes to recharge the mana would help balance their use out. The kill action probably can stay as an action because the dragon owner is killing the dragons with a sword - not a spell.

Edited by WraithZephyr

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I can imagine DC-world is very much different from our own, but does every dragon-tamer have to be a magician?

True magicians are usually born with some unique powers - what for then they need this "in built mana bar" if they cannot use it at all without developing some skills (unlocking spell scrolls) through communication with tamed dragons? (wouldn't they be bored to death then being full of mana and short of skills and just wondering about the DC world aimlessly xd.png )

 

What I offer is this: what if instead of the in-built mana-bar on each scroll, players could have a special item, containing magic energy (mana) - some kind of a mana-ball? which they first needed to find. This item would function similar to leetle trees - obtainable in the cave but only allowed one per scroll. Once you find this magic item and touch it (naturally as you grab it with great curiosity xd.png) a strong connection is created between the player and the item, enabling the player to use mana for his own purposes (i.e. - casting spells, which yet they need to unlock).

 

The mana-ball could look like a transparent sphere, containing sparkling light-blue energy (probably, slightly animated?) and offer a list of actions:

1. Cast a spell --> the player then would need to choose a spell they want to use at the moment (out of the list of currently available spells)

2. Break to pieces ninja.gif --> if the player doesn't want to have/use the magic ball at all for some reason they can break it and find another one later on if they wish :33

3. Amount of mana available - 11/15 mana points (MP) (for ex.) - here we could check on how many mana points are still left unused

4. CD - 5 MP will be restored in 2 days ---> For exampe, the player used 2 MP for one spell, then in three hours they used 4 MP for another spell. The CD will then be displayed for the mana points which will get restored first, i.e. it will be like "2 MP will be restored in 2 days" and only after it happens, then it will change to "4 MP will be restored in three more hours" etc. (I dunno, maybe this is too comlicated, but probably could help to plan mana usage xd.png ).

I understand that sometimes spells could be cast within minutes and not hours. But as of now, we're unable to tell the exact time we used our BSAs unless we write it down ourselves. So, I believe, the same will be true for mana CD unsure.gif

5. ? - any other actions which seem useful?

 

As for the amount of mana contained there - well, as this is a magic item, which has a strong connection with the dragon-tamer (or vise-versa - the dragon-tamer has the connection with it ^^), once the player upgrades to the next trophy, the magic ball capacity should enlarge as well. The item must look the same - what must change is the amount of mana available, I think (the dimensions of the ball doesn't matter, what matters is the mana concentration inside :3333).

 

So, when a player grabs the magic ball in the cave its capacity is immediately calculated according to the player's trophy level (which happens due to the connection, formed between the player and the item "at first touch"). Thus, these objects cannot be traded/gifted/abandoned. Once you grab it - it's yours and can only be used by you. The only way to get rid of it - is to break it to pieces xd.png

 

I also thought it'd be great if some kind of "mana draining sequence" could be implemented. I.e. we could have different images of the mana ball, depending on the amount of mana that has already been used/is left unused.

 

Sorry if the whole idea may seem a lil bit crazy xd.png If it can be improved in any way - you're more than welcome to share your thoughts or it can be easily shut down as well.

Edited by Ae0nian

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I can catch anything in the cave, but I am opposed to base anything off catching skills. Scrolls, or manaballs, or whatever items, should be accessible to players with lower connection speeds and less time as well - I'd very much like to see some kind of,tasks that can be achieved in dc, whatever they are or their reward is.

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My suggestion for this is that they drop in a more predictable manner. Not as things you randomly get in the cave, or randomly find around your scroll.

 

I had one or two ideas around this:

 

1. Unlock scrolls by clicking on people's eggs/whatever. Either every X clicks, or each scroll takes a certain amount to unlock.

 

2. Each scroll has some sort of achievement-like unlock condition. Maybe unfreezing requires the achievement for freezing ten hatchlings first. Or just unlock at certain scroll totals. This would be more for if scrolls aren't consumable.

I just love this, ok? happy.gif

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Sounds cool and clicking on eggs is nice (but that is what click sites are for), but how about something different like: Maybe flash games on the actual dc site that sometimes helps your eggs hatch faster and grow up sooner. The more points you get or the more miraculous things you do on it while it just gets harder and harder each time you reach a certain thing. Plus, um… maybe it only happening once every 2-3 days? It doesn't have to be flash, maybe something more simple to create?

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I can catch anything in the cave, but I am opposed to base anything off catching skills. Scrolls, or manaballs, or whatever items, should be accessible to players with lower connection speeds and less time as well - I'd very much like to see some kind of,tasks that can be achieved in dc, whatever they are or their reward is.

Sure thing, that's why I never mentioned manaballs should drop in the cave like eggs do... Probably, they could be obtainable via quests/tasks?

The problem with these magic items dropping in the cave could be the following - being common enough for everyone to grab one, they would soon become more like an eyesore for those players, who already caught one for themselves... So getting them via quests sounds more reasonable.

Still it's completely up to TJ and the majority of DC players (if anyone likes this idea at all wink.gif)

Edited by Ae0nian

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Sounds cool and clicking on eggs is nice (but that is what click sites are for), but how about something different like: Maybe flash games on the actual dc site that sometimes helps your eggs hatch faster and grow up sooner. The more points you get or the more miraculous things you do on it while it just gets harder and harder each time you reach a certain thing. Plus, um… maybe it only happening once every 2-3 days? It doesn't have to be flash, maybe something more simple to create?

Many of us block flash because of slow connections etc. And many of us have LIVES and haven't the time for this kind of thing, so that would disadvantage some (many) players. As many have said many times, the joy of this game is that you can play it at your own pace without losing out. Games to speed things up would spoil that joy.

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Many of us block flash because of slow connections etc. And many of us have LIVES and haven't the time for this kind of thing, so that would disadvantage some (many) players. As many have said many times, the joy of this game is that you can play it at your own pace without losing out. Games to speed things up would spoil that joy.

This. So much.

 

I don't understand the argument that "catching" spell scrolls would be too limiting, take too much time, etc.... When flash games would be even *more* so. If I can't watch a 2 minute YouTube clip without my computer freezing, I highly doubt I'd be able to play multiple flash games in order to "earn" spell scrolls. And how long would these games take? I can log onto DC and spend 5 minutes refreshing in the AP to get the eggs I want, and if spell scrolls are common enough it wouldn't be all that different. Flash games, on the other hand, can be *very* time-intensive (especially when your computer won't load it right!).

 

Instead of jumping through all these hoops (games, accomplishments, etc) to get a one-use scroll, why can't it just be simple?

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Many of us block flash because of slow connections etc. And many of us have LIVES and haven't the time for this kind of thing, so that would disadvantage some (many) players. As many have said many times, the joy of this game is that you can play it at your own pace without losing out. Games to speed things up would spoil that joy.

I'm not going to endorse adding Flash games to DC, but I'm curious about your perspective.

 

Hypothetically: If you can raise dragons the same exact way you do right now, and you're happy with the pace at which you can raise dragons right now, but some other people have the option to raise dragons faster than you because they have more time to put into the site (which is true to an extent right now anyways), what is it that you are "losing out" on?

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I'm not going to endorse adding Flash games to DC, but I'm curious about your perspective.

 

Hypothetically: If you can raise dragons the same exact way you do right now, and you're happy with the pace at which you can raise dragons right now, but some other people have the option to raise dragons faster than you because they have more time to put into the site (which is true to an extent right now anyways), what is it that you are "losing out" on?

 

 

 

Hi, TJ, I suspect the reasoning in at least some cases may well be that some suggestions, such as those involving Flash games or Facebook, seem to represent a departure from the idea that everyone playing DC should at least be able to try for all of various activities and do so onsite into ground where a number of members may not be able to participate in certain activities not directly on the site or requiring programs not feasible for some or many of the players.

 

And gaining things via activities like clicking people's eggs (which also might upset some few who like no Clicks on their eggs,) somehow, to some of us, at least, probably doesn't seem very DC-like, although if others particularly want it, I personally don't much care.

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Sounds cool and clicking on eggs is nice (but that is what click sites are for), but how about something different like: Maybe flash games on the actual dc site that sometimes helps your eggs hatch faster and grow up sooner. The more points you get or the more miraculous things you do on it while it just gets harder and harder each time you reach a certain thing. Plus, um… maybe it only happening once every 2-3 days? It doesn't have to be flash, maybe something more simple to create?

The idea of having to play a "game" (read: chore) in order to play the bigger game better... no thanks.

 

You can argue all you want about how the existing DC is already in this structure, but I surely don't want more of it.

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I'm not going to endorse adding Flash games to DC, but I'm curious about your perspective.

 

Hypothetically: If you can raise dragons the same exact way you do right now, and you're happy with the pace at which you can raise dragons right now, but some other people have the option to raise dragons faster than you because they have more time to put into the site (which is true to an extent right now anyways), what is it that you are "losing out" on?

People spending more time - sure. People who can't use flash - or who block it because it can often carry nasties - no. I am FINE with people spending their entire lives on here if they like - but not to adding flash games which would - I suspect - mean you would HAVE to spend more time even if you didn't want to, just to keep in the game. If that's not the case - I still don't like the flash idea because of connection and safety issues. (For the record I was just on a GOVERNMENT site where my browser blocked a flash thing because it deemed it unsafe. Now I don't particularly trust governments, but that kind of summed up how I feel about being forced to use flash for anything.)

 

As CNR4806 just said, too

The idea of having to play a "game" (read: chore) in order to play the bigger game better... no thanks.

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My opinion:

 

I think there is some kind of entitlement-feeling with players who spend less time but have been here for some time, that it is only good and fair that the only thing you gain by being here more often is the chance to grab more shinies from departure threads, and hunt the AP and cave more often.

 

People seem to think, that this should be the only advantage you can ever get by being here more often. I plainly just disagree with that notion. But in this (suggestion) forum, it's not the majority vote, that much is clear, from every suggestion that got shot down by very vocal posters about how it would be unfair to add anything that relied on well, playing the game more. Be it quests, achievements, spell scrolls, higher limits, added benefits - it always boils down to - poor one time a week player, now its unfair to them!

Edited by whitebaron

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I am also against flash games being added to the cave, unless said flash games have no use to them when it comes to getting "special" things. I am ok with the games being added just for fun, not for working towards an egg or special dragon. I would play them, but only to pass the time.

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My opinion:

 

I think there is some kind of entitlement-feeling with players who spend less time but have been here for some time, that it is only good and fair that the only thing you gain by being here more often is the chance to grab more shinies from departure threads, and hunt the AP and cave more often.

 

People seem to think, that this should be the only advantage you can ever get by being here more often. I plainly just disagree with that notion. But in this (suggestion) forum, it's not the majority vote, that much is clear, from every suggestion that got shot down by very vocal posters about how it would be unfair to add anything that relied on well, playing the game more. Be it quests, achievements, spell scrolls, higher limits, added benefits - it always boils down to - poor one time a week player, now its unfair to them!

You are missing the point. Flash can carry all sorts of stuff; many people block it for safety, so do quite a few servers, notably school and university ones, not to mention libraries - and a lot of players rely on such computers, so would be ruled out even if they WANTED to play such games.

 

I spend FAR more time here than many, but I will not allow flash games on my machine (or java, or a few other things.). It isn't the time, it isn't "playing the game more", it's the flash.

Edited by fuzzbucket

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uhm... I've seen this floating around but why not just let them drop randomly? A non page distorting link could appear somewhere at the top of the page and read something like:

 

"A parchment of paper catches your eye..."

 

and when you click the link it redirects you to like your 'scroll inventory' where a new scroll is added at random (kind of like the flower planting event where you clicked on random seed and random seed was added to your list of seeds). In there you just get a list of like

 

Scroll name [use] [Discard]

Scroll Name [use] [Discard]

Scroll Name [use] [Discard]

 

Clicking on use redirects you to the scrolls page where it gives you a break down of what it does and whether you would like to use it. Once you click yes a similar thing to when you use a BSA could happen where if you have to choose a dragon or whatever you do it, then depending on your account settings you enter the scroll name or your password to activate it. Discard simply gets rid of unwanted scrolls. Its simple, it works, and its clutter free. No flash games, no having to mass click or something, just at random intervals. Not even every 5-10 minutes, just completely an utterly random.

 

I do not see the problem with random. if it is random, no one misses out, sure you have to be on little more but being on 24/7 wont make a difference because you could get one in 5 min, 2 hrs, 12 hrs, there is no particular pattern to when a scroll will drop for you. The 'once a week' players can log on, spend 2-3 hours and maybe even find 1-3 or more scrolls depending on how often the thing decides it wants to drop. Random is nice :3

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First of all, I like the idea of a predictable way to obtain these rather than random. Something like freezing 20 hatchlings unlocks a spell of unfreezing. Something like that.

 

Having them pop up as a link, no matter where you decide to put the random link, is going to distort the page some.

 

Also, not to get nitpicky, Ananokimi, but you first of all don't need a text link if you have a sprite pop up to get these. Second, there is no such thing as a "parchment of paper." Parchment is a stiff, flat, thin material made from the prepared skin of an animal and used as a durable writing surface in ancient and medieval times. Paper is paper. Therefore, if we used a text link it would be, "A piece of paper catches your eye." or "A piece of parchment catches your eye."

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First of all, I like the idea of a predictable way to obtain these rather than random. Something like freezing 20 hatchlings unlocks a spell of unfreezing. Something like that.

 

Having them pop up as a link, no matter where you decide to put the random link, is going to distort the page some.

 

Also, not to get nitpicky, Ananokimi, but you first of all don't need a text link if you have a sprite pop up to get these. Second, there is no such thing as a "parchment of paper." Parchment is a stiff, flat, thin material made from the prepared skin of an animal and used as a durable writing surface in ancient and medieval times. Paper is paper. Therefore, if we used a text link it would be, "A piece of paper catches your eye." or "A piece of parchment catches your eye."

It was a suggestion, and that works. Well like many have stated what about those who don't come on as much, those who do not have the time, the ones that for one reason or another take a hiatus, etc. even if it accumulates for example the 20 freezing spells gives you 1 unfreeze, then the casual, busy, etc, players will have one long road ahead of them to get these if they are not very active.

 

Letting them fall at random gives in my opinion everyone a chance at everything, kind of like with eggs in the cave, but if no one likes it then ok.

Edited by AnanoKimi

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You are missing the point.

Actually, I was making my own point, in answer to TJs question,. Flash has nothing to do with it, and while I'm not as obsessed with blocking flash or java, I can understand why some people dislike that kind of game.

 

What I don't understand, though, is the mentality, that more casual players need to fare as well in ALL aspects of the game. That's not true anyway, so why pretend and force that into a policy? Ananokimi gives a perfect example of that wrong kind of entitlement - if you are less engaged and less active, why would you even NEED as many scrolls?

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