u/TheKindaCuteSnek

Hi everyone !

I've played the game a bit several times, and this time I want to make it to the end. I love magic and want to play with runes. So far I just took the rune mage breakthrough. I'm thinking of picking cabal hermit as well to stack the wind sigil and runic trap and use conjure when the enemy is on top. But I can't decide on the third breakthrough.

At first I was thinking of going philosopher for the regen but I realized there is nothing else I want in that tree. Plus I've installed the alternate start mod and already have 0.2 mana regen in exchange for -30% stamina regen. I've been looking at mercenary but it would just improve my move speed and sprinting. Hex mage is tempting for bloodlust and the increased damage when tired. But I'm not sure I want to be perma tired.

I'm curious what you guys would pick.

I'm a mage player in every game I play. I absolutely love this game but the mage class fantasy hurts my soul. It feels close to being great but misses the mark for me.

Now this is only my opinion, I'm not saying I'm right or wrong but :

I absolutely HATE the idea of non eternal spells. Having spells as consumables makes me feel like a "fake" mage. To me, magic should be learned by my character. What magician would ever say "Oops, I ran out of fireballs, guess I'll die" ? We already have mana that can be used to limit spellcasting, why do we need ammo too ? During my playthrough, I was always afraid of using my spells in case I needed them more later. Now I know ressources can be farmed but it feels wrong to me.

Here's what I suggest :

All spells should be eternal by default. Every character would start with an eternal fire bolt spell. Pretty weak and mana hungry to incentivise investing in the mage tree and equipment to make a good use of it. Later on, through quests or simply exploration, more spells such as ice bolt and fireball can be learned. They all start at level 1. As crafting levels progress during the game, spells can be upgraded at the alchemist, ensuring they never become obsolete without ever being too strong for the current stage of the game.

With all spells being eternal, mana costs can be balanced more carefully so they are not too strong nor too weak. As a side note, % based mana regen needs to be added to make spirit an attractive stat.

I would also love to see more types of spells added. Right now, most spells are just variants of "throwing stuff at the enemy". I wish I could conjure thunderstorms, fire walls, ice walls, summoning minions. Status effects would be a nice addition too. Ice slows yes, but fire should burn without requiring a gem. Lightning could maybe increase damage taken ?

What do you think ?