I got to just before the fight with Khan and promptly got knocked off a platform... emergency teleported to safety, but still annoyed that I'd have to hunt down all those enemies, before I realized I could just shield, rain, and LIGHTNING BOLT LIGHTNING BOLT LIGHTNING BOLT LIGHTNING BOLT LIGHTNING BOLT Fun seeing all those 15000's on armoured targets. Almost as fun as the motion your wizard does as he casts, followed by a shower of gibs.
While inside an sphere shield I wallshielded, meleeshielded and selfshielded, while finishing off anyone inside with icepierce shield. Circle mouse and mash space for some personal ...space. Then cast rain to annoy everyone else.
I also want to find a lightning immunity staff so I can cross beams with waterusers and cause massive damage before reviving them again. Or is it other way around? (water immunity).
Lightning Bolt is insanely overpowered tho. It can decimate whole armies in seconds. Just don't use it on armored mobs unless you can get rid of the armor first. (like throwing arcane missle).
[WHO]ThemYou can call me DaveJoin Date: 2002-12-11Member: 10593Members, Constellation
<!--quoteo(post=1827924:date=Jan 27 2011, 05:54 PM:name=Svenpa)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Svenpa @ Jan 27 2011, 05:54 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1827924"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->10k single target lightning bolt :O<span style='color:#000000;background:#000000'>QFSAS-spacebar</span> Didn't try it with rain.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Protip, you can load up a second one while your animation is playing for the first. At one point it became easier to cast lightning bolt than it was to cast uber death ray qfasss
<!--quoteo(post=1828404:date=Jan 29 2011, 10:51 PM:name=Psyke)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Psyke @ Jan 29 2011, 10:51 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1828404"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Co-op might be fun... single player is not.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
You're mad! I had a ball with singleplayer. Multiplayer would be incredible though. I had a few goes at a variety of modes with a mate of mine and found it to be unplayably broken. The two clients would come unsynched upon every death and everything would go wrong.
I had a lot of fun with coop for about an hour last night (local, not online) until the game crashed at the end of level 1...It crashed for me in single player on level 3 as well, and sometimes gets kind of choppy on my system (which should be able to handle a game like this easily)
I keep seeing an awesome game, but they really need to fix these bugs/optimize a bit. Hopefully it'll be ironed out in a month or two.
Still worth $10 IMO, I've gotten at least as much enjoyment out of it as if I'd gone to the movies instead.
PS I really need to track down my xbox 360 wireless controller receiver, so I can have the extra gamepads available for 4-player local coop
remiremedy [blu.knight]Join Date: 2003-11-18Member: 23112Members, Super Administrators, Forum Admins, NS2 Developer, NS2 Playtester
edited January 2011
<!--quoteo(post=1828488:date=Jan 29 2011, 08:51 AM:name=monopolowa)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (monopolowa @ Jan 29 2011, 08:51 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1828488"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I keep seeing an awesome game, but they really need to fix these bugs/optimize a bit. Hopefully it'll be ironed out in a month or two.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> They just released a new patch, don't know how much it fixes but yeah...
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->PS I really need to track down my xbox 360 wireless controller receiver, so I can have the extra gamepads available for 4-player local coop<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> So you can do hot-seat multiplayer too? This is the feature that I have been wondering about which, if it has, would push me to buy the game.
edit:
Tried it out... neat. I wish there was a way to change the xbox controls though. I'd rather have half my spells on the d-pad and half on the analog stick... plus I think the B button isn't used so I wouldn't mind that being the charge up weapon button instead of the error-prone press two buttons at once thing.
remiremedy [blu.knight]Join Date: 2003-11-18Member: 23112Members, Super Administrators, Forum Admins, NS2 Developer, NS2 Playtester
<!--quoteo(post=1828415:date=Jan 29 2011, 03:45 AM:name=Scythe)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Scythe @ Jan 29 2011, 03:45 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1828415"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><img src="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/632333/magickasc.png" border="0" class="linked-image" /><!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> I wonder if I can mod this...
I absolutely loathe the way bosses are made hard by giving them instakill spells or abilities.
The game mechanics are extremely well done, but at least single player is just mostly running away with Haste on and cheesing the enemies with lightning. I've yet to manage connecting to a multiplayer game, though.
Not really much to do about the bosses having instakill abilities since you can just heal any damage in <2 seconds, plus shield and auras will protect you against most things. Hell, even regular enemies get instakill abilities later on, ###### yetis...
For anyone who has not purchased the game yet but is actually interested... Direct2drive has a 20% off promotion today for their entire catalog, including Magicka (including the Wizards Hat DLC)
Here is the link to the <a href="http://www.direct2drive.com/10314/product/Buy-Magicka-Download" target="_blank">US Site</a>. Coupon code: wetkitty and for (some) Europeans, the <a href="http://www.direct2drive.co.uk/10314/product/Buy-Magicka-Download" target="_blank">UK Site</a>. Coupon code: payday The proper euro site is not actually participating.
remiremedy [blu.knight]Join Date: 2003-11-18Member: 23112Members, Super Administrators, Forum Admins, NS2 Developer, NS2 Playtester
This game is way more fun with a controller than with keyboard.
The controls were just way too difficult to get straight in my head on keyboard. On controller the different types of attacks are all delegated to different fingers. The only annoying bit is the mana building... but that just reminds me of the NS popup menu. :D
<!--quoteo(post=1828517:date=Jan 30 2011, 12:50 AM:name=Panigg)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Panigg @ Jan 30 2011, 12:50 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1828517"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Khan was frustrating. Grab > punch till death. Not a problem in MP since you can just revive people, but in SP this requires a lot of shielding.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> That wasn't nearly as bad as the boss battle before that. For Khan I could just make a few earth walls and while he was smashing those, get some distance and beam him to death with 2xIce2xLightning1xArcane. Sure I died a few times before managing to make the wall, but at least there wasn't a minute long unskippable cutscene before it.
The previous battle with three wizards constantly healing eachother and instakilling you if you stopped for half a second was much worse. I had to sit inside a bubble shield in a corner for 10 minutes and wait for them to glitch and get stuck in the geometry, so I could cheese-beam the boss dude.
So yeah, the singleplayer after the beginning is pretty frustrating and I can't connect to multiplayer. Seems that the public games died out instantly, since I could barely even find a password free game to try to connect to.
remiremedy [blu.knight]Join Date: 2003-11-18Member: 23112Members, Super Administrators, Forum Admins, NS2 Developer, NS2 Playtester
<!--quoteo(post=1828539:date=Jan 29 2011, 02:53 PM:name=Retales)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Retales @ Jan 29 2011, 02:53 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1828539"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->So yeah, the singleplayer after the beginning is pretty frustrating and I can't connect to multiplayer. Seems that the public games died out instantly, since I could barely even find a password free game to try to connect to.
/rant<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> Yeah, they made a mistake in adding password-protected so soon... and then also not letting you filter them out.
<!--quoteo(post=1828539:date=Jan 30 2011, 10:53 AM:name=Retales)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Retales @ Jan 30 2011, 10:53 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1828539"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->That wasn't nearly as bad as the boss battle before that. For Khan I could just make a few earth walls and while he was smashing those, get some distance and beam him to death with 2xIce2xLightning1xArcane. Sure I died a few times before managing to make the wall, but at least there wasn't a minute long unskippable cutscene before it.
The previous battle with three wizards constantly healing eachother and instakilling you if you stopped for half a second was much worse. I had to sit inside a bubble shield in a corner for 10 minutes and wait for them to glitch and get stuck in the geometry, so I could cheese-beam the boss dude.
So yeah, the singleplayer after the beginning is pretty frustrating and I can't connect to multiplayer. Seems that the public games died out instantly, since I could barely even find a password free game to try to connect to.
/rant<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Hate to say it, but l2p. There are a few devastating spell combos that can deal with almost anything. qfasss AoE for example, or qfasa space for lightning bolt will wreck anything outside.
<!--quoteo(post=1828567:date=Jan 30 2011, 08:08 AM:name=Scythe)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Scythe @ Jan 30 2011, 08:08 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1828567"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Hate to say it, but l2p. There are a few devastating spell combos that can deal with almost anything. qfasss AoE for example, or qfasa space for lightning bolt will wreck anything outside.
--Scythe--<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> I am aware of Lightning Bolt, that's what I use to quickly eliminate the most dangerous enemies. But in case you didn't know, both those boss battles I described happened inside. And the problem is that of you stop or slow down for long enough to load up a big spell, they'll just instakill you with something or blast you against a wall and juggle you until you die. Even if you manage to fire a spell once, they'll just spam heals on each other. I had hoped the wizard battles would be more about countering their elements etc. instead of hoping you can get the first shot in to incapacitate them and then deathbeam them to death.
It's not all bad of course. For example the battle on the frozen river some time before Khan was pretty awesome.
Bear in mind I'm just talking about singleplayer. Surely multiplayer is better, since a random out-of-nowhere death doesn't just send you back 10 - 15 minutes.
<!--quoteo(post=1828595:date=Jan 30 2011, 11:53 AM:name=Psyke)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Psyke @ Jan 30 2011, 11:53 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1828595"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->fire+earth+arcane+weapon = back to the future<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> Made me think of the D-Gun from total annihilation <!--quoteo(post=1828555:date=Jan 30 2011, 04:36 AM:name=Psyke)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Psyke @ Jan 30 2011, 04:36 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1828555"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I can't find anyone to play online with either.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> It's usually faster and easier to just make your own. I usually host a server called "whatever" and it fills up in less than a minute.
<!--quoteo(post=1828567:date=Jan 30 2011, 05:08 AM:name=Scythe)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Scythe @ Jan 30 2011, 05:08 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1828567"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Hate to say it, but l2p. There are a few devastating spell combos that can deal with almost anything. qfasss AoE for example, or qfasa space for lightning bolt will wreck anything outside.
--Scythe--<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Kind of defeats the entire gimmick of the game doesn't it?
@Chris0132 given a large collection of spells for a small number of specific job operations then there necessarily will be a small collection of optimal spells for the small number of job operations, at best they can diversify the required operations (resistances, tactical elements etc) xD
though the above is speculative bull###### you get the general idea of what I'm trying to say (pigeonhole principle liek)
what I'm trying to say is that: you say that defeats the point of that kinda game, but I say that more or less defines that kind of game; It's like scribblenauts in this respect (though I haven't played it) you only really need a small set of go-to scribbles and the rest is for creative flair.
Creative flair is fun, and they clearly went out of their way to try and diversify the combat mechanics (splash dmg, knockdowns, disables, resistances, etc etc). [There is still a smaller or equal set of spells (from our optimal set) that form a basis for an "adequate" set using spells for each operation that arent crap :P, which probably can't be helped and if they tried to balance that the game could get really tedious and linear pretty fast :P]
IMO game is about messing around with the spells, if you want to choose a certain set of reliable spells then you have that option, if you dont then you arent going to get screwed over by it :p Ive not played much of the game cause I have been busy with teh exams liek, but something that comes to mind is the second boss, <span style='color:#000000;background:#000000'>you can either let him ram into your shields whilst you buff them up, or you can wait for him to bow down and shoot him in the head, 2 pretty cool ways of winning the fight</span>
Creative flair is fine but not when it makes the game annoyingly hard.
Most of the spells are simply useless, because the game is balanced around you using powerful spells, which are rather limited, and the most powerful spells are kind of overpowered.
Combine this with the lack of presets which further discourages experimentation, because in order to do that you have to memorise new button combinations, and the game is basically killing its own gimmick.
If you want to encourage creativity, make the game reward it. As it stands you don't benefit at all from being creative.
To jump genres entirely, I remember playing SSX tricky on console, you were always trying to gain points, but if you did the same tricks over and over, you got fewer points in return, so the game encouraged you to try different tricks out, and the game doesn't require you to use any particular trick most of the time anyway, so doing small jumps with simple flips is valid.
Whereas in magicka there isn't any reason not to use the kill everything instantly death ray for every single circumstance, and trying to use other stuff will just make the encounter take longer. it won't produce different results.
Comments
Fun seeing all those 15000's on armoured targets. Almost as fun as the motion your wizard does as he casts, followed by a shower of gibs.
I also want to find a lightning immunity staff so I can cross beams with waterusers and cause massive damage before reviving them again. Or is it other way around? (water immunity).
Protip, you can load up a second one while your animation is playing for the first. At one point it became easier to cast lightning bolt than it was to cast uber death ray qfasss
<center><object width="450" height="356"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/g_XP9OBWGKo"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/g_XP9OBWGKo" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="450" height="356"></embed></object></center><div align='center'><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_XP9OBWGKo" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_XP9OBWGKo</a></div>
You're mad! I had a ball with singleplayer. Multiplayer would be incredible though. I had a few goes at a variety of modes with a mate of mine and found it to be unplayably broken. The two clients would come unsynched upon every death and everything would go wrong.
--Scythe--
P.S. Ruh roh:
<img src="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/632333/magickasc.png" border="0" class="linked-image" />
I keep seeing an awesome game, but they really need to fix these bugs/optimize a bit. Hopefully it'll be ironed out in a month or two.
Still worth $10 IMO, I've gotten at least as much enjoyment out of it as if I'd gone to the movies instead.
PS I really need to track down my xbox 360 wireless controller receiver, so I can have the extra gamepads available for 4-player local coop
They just released a new patch, don't know how much it fixes but yeah...
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->PS I really need to track down my xbox 360 wireless controller receiver, so I can have the extra gamepads available for 4-player local coop<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
So you can do hot-seat multiplayer too? This is the feature that I have been wondering about which, if it has, would push me to buy the game.
edit:
Tried it out... neat.
I wish there was a way to change the xbox controls though. I'd rather have half my spells on the d-pad and half on the analog stick... plus I think the B button isn't used so I wouldn't mind that being the charge up weapon button instead of the error-prone press two buttons at once thing.
I wonder if I can mod this...
The game mechanics are extremely well done, but at least single player is just mostly running away with Haste on and cheesing the enemies with lightning. I've yet to manage connecting to a multiplayer game, though.
Direct2drive has a 20% off promotion today for their entire catalog, including Magicka (including the Wizards Hat DLC)
Here is the link to the <a href="http://www.direct2drive.com/10314/product/Buy-Magicka-Download" target="_blank">US Site</a>. Coupon code: wetkitty
and for (some) Europeans, the <a href="http://www.direct2drive.co.uk/10314/product/Buy-Magicka-Download" target="_blank">UK Site</a>. Coupon code: payday
The proper euro site is not actually participating.
The controls were just way too difficult to get straight in my head on keyboard. On controller the different types of attacks are all delegated to different fingers. The only annoying bit is the mana building... but that just reminds me of the NS popup menu. :D
That wasn't nearly as bad as the boss battle before that. For Khan I could just make a few earth walls and while he was smashing those, get some distance and beam him to death with 2xIce2xLightning1xArcane. Sure I died a few times before managing to make the wall, but at least there wasn't a minute long unskippable cutscene before it.
The previous battle with three wizards constantly healing eachother and instakilling you if you stopped for half a second was much worse. I had to sit inside a bubble shield in a corner for 10 minutes and wait for them to glitch and get stuck in the geometry, so I could cheese-beam the boss dude.
So yeah, the singleplayer after the beginning is pretty frustrating and I can't connect to multiplayer. Seems that the public games died out instantly, since I could barely even find a password free game to try to connect to.
/rant
/rant<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Yeah, they made a mistake in adding password-protected so soon... and then also not letting you filter them out.
I can't find anyone to play online with either.
The previous battle with three wizards constantly healing eachother and instakilling you if you stopped for half a second was much worse. I had to sit inside a bubble shield in a corner for 10 minutes and wait for them to glitch and get stuck in the geometry, so I could cheese-beam the boss dude.
So yeah, the singleplayer after the beginning is pretty frustrating and I can't connect to multiplayer. Seems that the public games died out instantly, since I could barely even find a password free game to try to connect to.
/rant<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Hate to say it, but l2p. There are a few devastating spell combos that can deal with almost anything. qfasss AoE for example, or qfasa space for lightning bolt will wreck anything outside.
--Scythe--
--Scythe--<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I am aware of Lightning Bolt, that's what I use to quickly eliminate the most dangerous enemies. But in case you didn't know, both those boss battles I described happened inside. And the problem is that of you stop or slow down for long enough to load up a big spell, they'll just instakill you with something or blast you against a wall and juggle you until you die. Even if you manage to fire a spell once, they'll just spam heals on each other.
I had hoped the wizard battles would be more about countering their elements etc. instead of hoping you can get the first shot in to incapacitate them and then deathbeam them to death.
It's not all bad of course. For example the battle on the frozen river some time before Khan was pretty awesome.
Bear in mind I'm just talking about singleplayer. Surely multiplayer is better, since a random out-of-nowhere death doesn't just send you back 10 - 15 minutes.
Made me think of the D-Gun from total annihilation
<!--quoteo(post=1828555:date=Jan 30 2011, 04:36 AM:name=Psyke)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Psyke @ Jan 30 2011, 04:36 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1828555"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I can't find anyone to play online with either.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
It's usually faster and easier to just make your own. I usually host a server called "whatever" and it fills up in less than a minute.
--Scythe--<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Kind of defeats the entire gimmick of the game doesn't it?
given a large collection of spells for a small number of specific job operations then there necessarily will be a small collection of optimal spells for the small number of job operations, at best they can diversify the required operations (resistances, tactical elements etc) xD
though the above is speculative bull###### you get the general idea of what I'm trying to say (pigeonhole principle liek)
what I'm trying to say is that: you say that defeats the point of that kinda game, but I say that more or less defines that kind of game; It's like scribblenauts in this respect (though I haven't played it) you only really need a small set of go-to scribbles and the rest is for creative flair.
Creative flair is fun, and they clearly went out of their way to try and diversify the combat mechanics (splash dmg, knockdowns, disables, resistances, etc etc). [There is still a smaller or equal set of spells (from our optimal set) that form a basis for an "adequate" set using spells for each operation that arent crap :P, which probably can't be helped and if they tried to balance that the game could get really tedious and linear pretty fast :P]
IMO game is about messing around with the spells, if you want to choose a certain set of reliable spells then you have that option, if you dont then you arent going to get screwed over by it :p Ive not played much of the game cause I have been busy with teh exams liek, but something that comes to mind is the second boss, <span style='color:#000000;background:#000000'>you can either let him ram into your shields whilst you buff them up, or you can wait for him to bow down and shoot him in the head, 2 pretty cool ways of winning the fight</span>
Most of the spells are simply useless, because the game is balanced around you using powerful spells, which are rather limited, and the most powerful spells are kind of overpowered.
Combine this with the lack of presets which further discourages experimentation, because in order to do that you have to memorise new button combinations, and the game is basically killing its own gimmick.
If you want to encourage creativity, make the game reward it. As it stands you don't benefit at all from being creative.
To jump genres entirely, I remember playing SSX tricky on console, you were always trying to gain points, but if you did the same tricks over and over, you got fewer points in return, so the game encouraged you to try different tricks out, and the game doesn't require you to use any particular trick most of the time anyway, so doing small jumps with simple flips is valid.
Whereas in magicka there isn't any reason not to use the kill everything instantly death ray for every single circumstance, and trying to use other stuff will just make the encounter take longer. it won't produce different results.