This would likely not go over well because it would be a big change and we know how well big changes go over Either that or it would be too tough to code. However it just hit me.

In most games I play where there is some sort of 'shield' it is always up once called until the player gets hit. Then it gradually loses power as the damage piles on.

Thinking of this in CF terms, I was wondering if it wouldn't be such a bad idea to distinguish each spell a little so they work slightly differently than they do now (except Barrier)

For example, you zap yourself with shield and it stays up until you get hit and then it gradually sustains damage until it hits a limit based on level of the shield spell and then the mage starts taking direct damage. To compensate the shield spell would have a timer before it could be re-used.

This would shift things from always either being defenseless or running out of wands to having at least a shield up but being unable to quickly use another one. My whole thought process was initially about having a way mages don't go through so many wands needlessly esp. with the new changes to getting them. Nothing makes me not want to play a mage ever again like prepping for fights that never happen and then having to go find a wand.

Anyways...


Visually think of this as the mage having a big magical shield up that extends a bit away from them with attacks bouncing off the shield itself and nothing actually making it through to the mage.

This then is where Aura would kick in.

Visually I think of 'Aura' like that 'Dragonball Z' aura that is right around the mage. Things can get through but the damage is reduced. I believe with the 'shield' above you dont need aura to do damage reduction until the shield falls, so I'd make this also something you call and it stays up UNTIL the shield falls then it has a timer like always. I's like secondary line of defense, it doesn't kick in until the primary line goes down. Unlike shield however, I think you should be able to call this one back up once it goes down. I'd just have it ideally be that you can't have shield and aura up at the same time (because shield would be more powerful than it is now).

And barrier id leave as is.

Just a random thought!