Schools of magic
Different schools of magic exist within Ashes of Creation.[1]
- Arcane magic.[1]
- Blood corruption (Blood magic).[1]
- Chaos magic.[1]
- Regular corruption.[1]
- Elemental magic.[1][2][3][4]
- Summoning.[1]
- Teleportation magic.[2]
- Transformation (Shape shifting).[1][5]
- There are a lot of different schools of magic... whether it be transformation, summoning magic, arcane magic, elemental magic, blood corruption, regular corruption, chaos, electricity. There's a whole bunch of influences that exist across the player abilities, but also across the environments and the POIs and unique to each of the cultures.[1] – Steven Sharif
- The developers adhere to a style guide for each school of magic.[1]
The Essence
The Essence is a metaphysical energy or life-force (Chi) that can be manipulated to create what could be viewed as magic. There are different planes of existence (realms) with varying degrees of strength (of magic), determined by their proximity to the Essence. The planes of existence in Ashes of Creation are connected across bridges created by the Essence, referred to as Rivers of Essence.[6][7][8]
- The higher up you go in these planes, the closer to the source of the Essence you really are. And that's where you can see stronger manifestations of the magical aspects of the Essence.[6] – Steven Sharif
- Plane of the gods (Celestial plane). This is where the Gods exist, and is the most connected to the Essence.[6][8]
- Ethereal plane.[6]
- Material plane. This is where Verra exists.[6][8]
- The Void is the plane that is the furthest from being connected to the Essence. Only a minute amount of essence can be found within the Void.[8]
- There hasn't been a definitive understanding of how many planes of existence there are.[7]
- The essence is a stream that exists across all planes of existence, but it exists at different levels of strength essentially at different levels that can be utilized; and the void is the furthest... There is a very minute amount of essence that can be found within the void. However the planes of existence that are in Ashes of Creation- they are connected across bridges created by the essence. So these ley-lines in a sense that exist within the different planes provide conduits of access and on Verra, which was a planet that was made after the ancient- the celestial battle.[8] – Steven Sharif
Souls (also referred to as Mortal coils) are the conduits for The Essence to travel between the different planes of existence. This idea is an integral component of the broader features in the storyline.[6][7]
- When you think about souls being a conduit, what are conduits used for? Conduits are passages: they're methods by which Essence can travel between realms, between planes. And there hasn't been any definitive understanding of just how many planes exist. We understand that there is a disparity between the planes when it comes to their connection to the Essence, and because Essence is so powerful; and it flows through these planes almost like a river. You can think that conduits help to maintain that flow and/or even exaggerate the flow; and there might be something at play, that I don't wanna touch necessarily, as to why one would want to create these types of conduits, these souls, this creation on the material plane: Something of significance.[7] – Steven Sharif
- The Essence is so powerful it flows through the planes almost like a river. Soul conduits help to maintain or even exaggerate this flow.[6][7]
- Souls acting as conduits is a very integral component of some broader features in the storyline. If you think about souls being a conduit for Essence and you think of the gods as masters of the Essence: If you think of the Essence being separate from the Gods- let's say they're parallel to each other- one didn't create the other, but they coexist in this almost symbiotic form with one another: almost to the point where their manipulation of the Essence is perfection: They can perfectly manipulate it and lesser beings- and I say 'lesser' in a sense of their alignment or closeness to Essence. They're still perfecting that manipulation and some never achieve perfection almost to the degree of ascendency or enlightenment- Essence being that sort of Chi that exists. In that regard, when a perfect being such as the gods- and I'm not saying 'perfect' as the correlation between sin and not sin, I'm thinking perfect in the sense of how you can control and manipulate the Essence: That control is perfection for them.[7] – Steven Sharif
- The gods are masters of the Essence, but they are separate from it. One didn't create the other, but they exist together in a symbiotic form where the gods have achieved an almost perfect manipulation of the Essence and of "lesser beings" who exist further from the Essence.[6][7]
- One of the great differentiators between mortal divine races and the gods is that aspect of mortality. And one of the ways that the divine races were created in order to interact with the Essence was through the use of a mortal coil; and that mortal coil was malleable. Your soul was malleable. It could change to adopt a greater connection with the Essence around one particular school of magic perhaps, or one type of magic that you might use Essence for. And the more you experienced that, the more adept you became with utilizing that magic. And that's because your coil would start to mold itself to best facilitate that flow of essence: whatever school of magic you were manipulating with it.[6] – Steven Sharif
- King Atrax was the first ruler of Verra to discover the purpose of The Essence, allowing the manipulation of matter and exploitation of magic for any means.[9]
- When you have the story of the original Ancients, the predecessor race to the divine races, their coil began to warp and change to best facilitate Essence through the use of corruption and corrupt magic, because it was in their history that they learned the most powerful use- or at least what they believed was the most powerful use of Essence was, through corrupt magic. And that's what allured them towards it. So to give you better context about why that conduit is so important is as your base character, as your core archetype continually learns and manifests things in the world of Verra through the use of the Essence. It will continue to shape and change its conduit towards that purpose.[6] – Steven Sharif
- Now, how does the soul act as a conduit to the other races, to the other realms? Remember, that Essence is like a river that flows through the planes; and when it touches mortal coils that use it in a certain way, it has reverberations throughout the river that is felt across the planes. And that's how important the divine races are when it comes to the war over their soul, so to speak, is what impact it has across the universe.[6] – Steven Sharif
- During the Apocalypse, The Ancients created monstrosities and perverted nature with corruption, which is the negative aspect of The Essence.[11]
- Shape-shifting (changeling) is done so through the Essence by focusing on that specific type of magic.[5]
Mana
As you know, a classic MMO thing to do is to sit and rest as you get your resources back.[14] – Steven Sharif
Mana is a universal resource/energy in Ashes of Creation that keeps corresponding stats for mana pool, consumption and regeneration relevant.[15][16][17]
- All archetypes use mana to varying degrees.[15][16]
- Even pure melee players use mana to manipulate The Essence for their extraordinary abilities.[18]
- There are various ways to mitigate mana consumption, such as gear and set bonuses, tattoos, enchantments, and specs.[15]
- Mana management I think, not just for mage players but for really every class, is a relevant resource mechanic that they have to take into consideration when they're utilizing their rotations; and there are going to be abilities that will sap your mana faster than others; and they're going to be situational. Now, with that blanket statement of mana is always relevant, there is also going to be mechanics and/or class energies and abilities that you can spec into to help mitigate that. There's itemization that you can utilize from a set bonus perspective, or certain types of weapons and tattoos that you can acquire. There are certain enchantments that you can acquire that might reduce the cost of mana use, that might increase your amount of regeneration, that might increase your mana total pool. There are even specs that you can build towards if mana management is your issue. So we want to make it a compelling case that you need to think about mana use because you don't just want to go 100% all the time with no downside to that. That's a very boring type of interaction.[15] – Steven Sharif
Class augments
![](/images/thumb/1/12/vlcsnap-2020-03-29-06h52m20s731.png/450px-vlcsnap-2020-03-29-06h52m20s731.png)
A proposta do segundo modelo e do sistema de modificações é misturar um pouco o papel de cada classe. Então enquanto seguimos o sistema tradicional para o papel das classes, nós estamos utilizando o sistema de modificações secundárias para mostrar um pouco da direções que o jogador pode tomar[21] – Steven Sharif
Habilidades primárias (habilidades de classe) são baseadas no modelo do jogador.[23] Jogadores poderão personalizar suas habilidades primárias com modificações do segundo modelo.[2][23][24]
O design por trás das modificações não vem somente de mudar o estilo da habilidade para que reflita a segunda modificação, mas também fundamentalmente alterar os componentes principais das habilidades.[25] – Steven Sharif
- Cada Modelo secundário oferece 4 esferas diferentes de modificações.[2][26] Cada uma das modificações afeta as habilidades dos modelos primários de formas diferentes.[27]
- Por exemplo: Um Mage oferece teleporte e esferas elementais de modificações. Essas modificações vão afetar as habilidades primárias de um Fighter de uma forma diferente de como afetariam a de um Cleric, por exemplo.[2][27]
- Cada modificação tem seu nível de requerimento e número de pontos de habilidade necessários para serem adquiridos.[28]
- Haverá um certo limite após o qual você não poderá modificar suas habilidades da mesma maneira que modificou suas habilidades anteriores, então você terá que pegar e escolher cada uma que você quer modificar com muita atenção; certas modificações vão ter maior requerimento de pontos de habilidade.[28] – Steven Sharif
- Modificações nas habilidades primárias irão fundamentalmente mudar a forma de como aquelas habilidades funcionam: Adaptando o que a habilidade fazia para incorporar a identidade do modelo secundário.[30]
- O sistema de progressão para as modificações é muito parecido com o sistema de progressão de classe.[31]
- Para alterar as modificações em suas habilidades será necessário que você fale com um PNJ dentro de uma base em estágio de Vilarejo ou acima.[32]
- Algumas cores e efeitos de habilidade mudam baseado em suas modificações.[33]
- Habilidades ativas poderão ficar totalmente diferentes depois que uma modificação for aplicada.[34]
Jogadores receberão pontos de habilidades à medida que passam de nivel. Esses podem ser usados para aumentar o nível das suas habilidades, nas árvore de habilidades ativas, passivas ou de combate.[35][36][37]
- Não será possível maximizar todas as habilidades na árvore de habilidades.[37]
- Em termos de progressão de habilidades, jogadores poderão escolher diversidade e pegar muitas habilidades, ou se aprofundar em poucas habilidades específicas.[38]
Independente de qual dos oito modelos você escolha como secundário, você receberá uma escolha de modificações que representam alguns dos ideais daquela classe. Sabe, como um tank se especializa em controlar o campo de batalha, em sobreviver. O mago se especializa em dar dano e elementos e habilidades em área. O ladino se especializa em ficar invisível e dar dano crítico. Então essas modificações vão tentar oferecer um pouco dessas identidades.[39] – Steven Sharif
A ideia por trás do sistema é que você está meio que caminhando entre as linhas através dessas modificações do seu papel, sabe. Nós temos a tradicional trindade que está presente no design de classes para MMOs e, no geral, essas classes ou seguem um padrão à risca ou desviam completamente do padrão. A modificação procura oferecer um equilíbrio entre isso, onde você ainda mantém um semblante daquele sistema de trindade enquanto oferece a oportunidade de puxar seu jogo para um dos outros ângulos do triângulo[40] – Steven Sharif
Ver também
Referências
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 Transmissão ao vivo, 2023-04-07 (1:11:14).
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Entrevista, 2020-07-18 (1:05:04).
- ↑ Transmissão ao vivo, 2017-05-24 (27:47).
- ↑ Transmissão ao vivo, 2018-04-8 (PM) (26:19).
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Podcast, 2020-11-15 (42:22).
- ↑ 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 Transmissão ao vivo, 2023-04-07 (16:42).
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 Podcast, 2020-11-15 (36:29).
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 Transmissão ao vivo, 2020-11-08 (0:00:00).
- ↑ Transmissão ao vivo, 2020-11-08 (00:49).
- ↑ Podcast, 2020-11-15 (40:24).
- ↑ Transmissão ao vivo, 2020-11-08 (9:51).
- ↑ Vídeo, 2023-10-31 (5:06).
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Twitter - Resting has its benefits!
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Transmissão ao vivo, 2022-12-02 (54:16).
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 Transmissão ao vivo, 2023-04-28 (1:02:04).
- ↑ 16.0 16.1
- ↑ Transmissão ao vivo, 2020-08-28 (1:14:54).
- ↑
- ↑ Vídeo, 2022-12-02 (25:31).
- ↑ Transmissão ao vivo, 2020-03-28 (1:25:32).
- ↑ Transmissão ao vivo, 2020-07-25 (58:38).
- ↑ Vídeo, 2017-02-07 (0:02).
- ↑ 23.0 23.1
- ↑
- ↑ Transmissão ao vivo, 2020-07-25 (1:47:55).
- ↑ Transmissão ao vivo, 2018-02-09 (41:56).
- ↑ 27.0 27.1 Transmissão ao vivo, 2019-12-17 (1:13:14).
- ↑ 28.0 28.1 Entrevista, 2020-07-18 (1:07:06).
- ↑
- ↑ February 8, 2019 - Questions and Answers.
- ↑ Transmissão ao vivo, 2019-07-26 (1:09:22).
- ↑ Transmissão ao vivo, 2018-04-8 (PM) (20:45).
- ↑
- ↑ Entrevista, 2018-05-11 (53:15).
- ↑ Entrevista, 2020-07-19 (53:59).
- ↑ Entrevista, 2020-07-18 (1:07:51).
- ↑ 37.0 37.1 Transmissão ao vivo, 2017-07-28 (19:05).
- ↑ Transmissão ao vivo, 2017-11-16 (30:02).
- ↑ Transmissão ao vivo, 2017-10-16 (1:00:44).
- ↑ Entrevista, 2018-08-08 (22:27).