Page 1 of 1

[suggestion] Mindcrafter schools analysis

Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2018 10:41 am
by tangar
I've started to play Mindcrafter (MC) and wanna share my thoughts about this class.

1) it's a bit nerfed class (or maybe I should say 'disbalanced' in weak side).
2) MC magic has be more 'interesting' (in compare to paladin's GoW&Marty&perma-buffs or druid's trees&walls&buffs, for example).
3) I suppose it's the most unpopular class ( http://angband.oook.cz/ladder-browse.ph ... &n=&e=&s=0 ) because of factors above.
3) Now I understand Unmouseable ( https://www.tomenet.eu/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=1141 ).. but I have other view at mindcrafter enhancement and there is it...

Some analysis and points from 0 to 5 (from useless to useful):

Psycho-power
Psychic Hammer Telekinetic power focussed to bash an enemy,
damaging and stunning him.
Required skill level for first spell level: 1.
0 // high mana cost, low dmg, high lvl mobs are immune
Psychokinesis Destroys traps and locks by psychokinetic manipulation,
also revealing secret doors in the process.
Required skill level for first spell level: 3.
2 // give possibility do not have rod (one free inventory slot)
Autokinesis I Teleports you within a small range.
Required skill level for first spell level: 5.
1 // 1% fail rate till you would get high INT
Autokinesis II Teleports you over a long range.
Required skill level for first spell level: 16.
2 // 1% fail rate; free 1 extra inv slot
Autokinesis III Teleports you towards a party member with opened mind.
Required skill level for first spell level: 24.
2 // useful for party, but useless for solo (me, for example it would be 0 points)
Feedback Uses telekinetic effects to slow your fall, granting
feather falling.
Lv15: It becomes sufficient for levitation.
Required skill level for first spell level: 18.
1 // small duration makes it makes it obligatory to get levi on item and do not use this spell
Pyrokinesis Causes a severe inflammation to burn your opponent.
Required skill level for first spell level: 20.
Tier II: Level 37.
3 // not bad.. maybe make it AoE?
Cryokinesis Causes a dramatic temperature drop on your opponent.
Required skill level for first spell level: 24.
Tier II: Level 39.
3 // the same as Pyrokinesis
Psychic Warp Attempts to teleport away your opponent.
Required skill level for first spell level: 30.
1 // why to teleport monster away when we have to kill it? :D and dangerous monsters which we would want to tele away - are immune to it
Telekinesis II Inscribe your book @P<Playername>, cast it, select an
item that you wish to teleport to the player's inventory.
The target player needs to concentrate by opening her/his
mind, see (0.2). It's dangerous to have the mind opened,
since everyone can send you any items, so better close it
again as soon as the desired telekinesis transaction is
done. Example inscription: @PGandalf
Required skill level for first spell level: 35.
Shared spell (see above): Psycho-power / Attunement.
0 // I suppose it's 'requirements' has to be lowered to 25 (as it's shared)
Kinetic Shield Uses telekinetic force to set up a shield around you that
has a good chance to repel physical attacks or projectiles,
draining your mana each time.
For repelling physical attacks the mana cost depends on the
attacker's level and the damage the attack would inflict.
Required skill level for first spell level: 40.
4 // good thing, but mana cost quite high

Total points: 19


- Attunement
Clear Mind Removes fear, confusion and hallucination. (auto-project)
Required skill level for first spell level: 3.
This spell can be used even while confused or blind.
1 // hallucination could be useful (rare and not really obligatory)
Willpower Boosts your willpower to unleash hidden potential,
improving both your performance and resilience.
Gives fear resistance, increases your saving throw and
gives especially increased chance to resist paralyzation,
confusion and slowness. Also gives heroism-like +hit bonus.
(See (6.3) for details on Saving Throw.)
At level 25 gives +1 extra attack. (auto-project)
Required skill level for first spell level: 3.
This spell can be used even while confused or blind.
3 // in compare to paladin's - not really.. If it would temporary immunity to 'slowness' - it would be more interesting
Self-Reflection Find out more about yourself.
Required skill level for first spell level: 15.
This spell can be used even while blind.
0 // maybe in IDDC someone would use it for ID...
Accelerate Nerves
Speeds you up.
Required skill level for first spell level: 20.
This spell can be used even while blind.
3 // extra inv slot (and less weight) and save $
Telepathy Senses the minds of creatures.
Required skill level for first spell level: 20.
This spell can be used even while blind.
2 // necessity to use it again and again, constantly... I suppose it would be logical and good to give it at 50 lvl
Recognition Identifies an item.
Required skill level for first spell level: 20.
Shared spell (see above): Attunement / Mental Intrusion.
2 // extra inv slot and less weight
Stabilize Thoughts
Cures some insanity and removes effects: (auto-project)
-Fear and confusion at level 5,
-Hallucinations at level 10.
Required skill level for first spell level: 25.
This spell can be used even while confused or blind.
2 // extra inv slot (insanity potions) and save $
Telekinesis II Inscribe your book @P<Playername>, cast it, select an
item that you wish to teleport to the player's inventory.
The target player needs to concentrate by opening her/his
mind, see (0.2). It's dangerous to have the mind opened,
since everyone can send you any items, so better close it
again as soon as the desired telekinesis transaction is
done. Example inscription: @PGandalf
Required skill level for first spell level: 35.
Shared spell (see above): Psycho-power / Attunement.
0 // I suppose it's 'requirements' has to be lowered to 25 (as it's shared)

Totall points: 13

- Mental Intrusion
(Note that psi attacks don't have any effect on angels, nonliving creatures,
or empty-minded creatures, and that undead, stupid creatures and common
animals...)
Psionic Blast Blasts the target's mind with psionic energy.
Possibly causing various additional effects.
Required skill level for first spell level: 1.
Tier II: Level 20.
Tier III: Level 40.
3 // not bad
Scare Infuses your target's mind with fear.
Required skill level for first spell level: 1.
Tier II: Level 15.
Affects all monsters in LoS (line of sight).
1 // could be used only on low lvls (high lvl mobs immune)
Confuse Infuses your target's mind with confusion.
Required skill level for first spell level: 3.
Tier II: Level 18.
Affects all monsters in LoS.
1 // could be used only on low lvls (high lvl mobs immune)
Hypnosis Puts your target's mind to sleep.
Required skill level for first spell level: 5.
Tier II: Level 20.
Affects all monsters in LoS.
1 // for low-mid hounds is ok.. but still it still 1 point spell... could be used only on low lvls (high lvl mobs immune)
Drain Strength Slows your target down, draining power from its muscles.
Required skill level for first spell level: 7.
Tier II: Level 22.
Affects all monsters in LoS.
1 // could be used only on low lvls (high lvl mobs immune)
Psychic Suppression
Drains the target's psychic energy, impacting its ability
to cast spells temporarily, effectively silencing it for a
short period of time.
Chance to be successful depends on school skill vs monster
level. Also, monsters that can't cast any spells as well as
unique monsters of level 98 or above are unaffected.
Monsters that are unique or powerful have an increased
chance to resist.
The target cannot be silenced again for a short while,
until the effect runs out. Note that the target also
becomes immune to the effect for the same short amount of
time if the attempt was actually unsuccessful.
Required skill level for first spell level: 10.
4 // Good spell
Psi Storm Psionic storm that damages and disturbs all minds within an
area for a while, causing the usual random Psi side effects
on all targets similar to Psionic Blast.
Required skill level for first spell level: 18.
Tier II: Level 38.
4 // Good spell
Remote Vision Tries to forcibly enter all sentient creatures' minds
(including invisible monsters, but never empty-minded ones)
on the level, in order to use their vision to make the
dungeon structure known to yourself.
Required skill level for first spell level: 20.
If your proficiency in 'Attunement' school is at least 20,
you will automatically infuse the knowledge gained from the
vision to all open-minded (see (0.2)) allied players who
happen to be the same floor.
3 // helps with magic mapping.. not really helps too much, but it's interesting, quite unique spell (thats why it's 3... but usefulness is 2 imho).
Recognition Identifies an item.
Required skill level for first spell level: 20.
Shared spell (see above): Attunement / Mental Intrusion.
2 // extra inv slot & reduce weight
Charm Makes monsters in sight believe that you aren't an enemy,
preventing them most of the time from attacking you.
Monsters may resist or be immune to the initial cast.
While active, the spell drains your mana. The more monsters
you try to keep under control, the faster your mana is
depleted. If your distance to the monsters becomes too big
or your mana is depleted then the spell will break.
Sleeping monsters won't be affected or woken up by charm.
Monsters which have already been hurt cannot be charmed.
Psi-immune, unique, undead, empty-minded or non-living
monsters cannot be charmed either.
Monsters may have a chance to resist the attack, the higher
the more of the following abilities they possess:
Being smart, resisting confusion, being powerful.
(This spell uses CHARISMA to determine fail-rates!)
Required skill level for first spell level: 33.
Stop Charm Cease currently active charming effects.
1 // erm... Not sure in which circumstances tis spell could be useful. In most cases you kill monsters, not avoid them. And if you wanna to avoid something - it's something VERY powerful and it would be immune to this spell. Useless.

Total points: 21 // actually it could be a bit lower, cause so much dangerous creatures immune/resistant to this spells

What to enhance

Overall MC spells schools comparison.
Psycho-power: 19
Attunement: 13
Mental Intrusion: 21

Actually all this schools quite weak in compare to druids or paladins.. How to make them more interesting, but not disbalanced:

Psycho-power I suggest to add such spells:
Scanning Show all monsters in certain radius.
Required skill level for first spell level: 40.
// works like something in between of 'Detect Monsters' and 'Perceive Noise'
Offensive telekinesis Throw items from quiver to the enemy.
Required skill level for first spell level: 10.
// Make it possible to telekinesis items over corners, if you see monsters with ESP? :) It would be only 1 shot/round so not too imba. I suppose it's one of spells which could make mind-crafter more unique class... Also what about adding throwing knifes/daggers in-game one day (to be able to put them in quiver)? :D But for now it's more then enough to use arrows/bolts/pebbles..

Attunement - the most problematic school...Give it passive full ESP at lvl 50 and it would make sense. But it lack of unique features.. What about such spell?
Self-confidence You convince yourself to disbelieve in magic and it temporary gives anti-magic field around you
Required skill level for first spell level: 30.
// Make it has much less radius then from Anti-magic skill.

Mental Intrusion.... ooook.. Lets start with this. I always though that _main_ feature of mindcrafter - to be able to attack monsters through walls, because I've read in the guide one day:
A lot of their spells can actually be cast while blinded (or even confused), and their targetted spells often do not require a clean line of sight, since they manifest whereever their mind is focussed on (e.g. Psionic Blast).
So when I started to play Mindcrafter and realised that it doesn't work like this... I'm pretty dissapointed :D Even with this feature I though that Mindcrafter is pretty weak class compare to others.. So my suggestion:

- make one-two mindcrafter attack spells work through 1 tile wall (if you 'see' monster with ESP)... Lets it would be reduced damage (to 30%), but it would make sence and would make this class interesting and unique.
- in addition it would be fun to give such possibility to monsters! Let's mindcrafter monsters (and 1-2 powerful unique) to be able to attack you through walls! Let's it wouldn't be high damage (also -70%), but it would make game even more fun :D

It wouldn't make MC too powerful, cause of huge mana costs for spells, low mana pool, low damage and a lot of immune/resistant monsters.

What to reduce
To make all this not so imbalance good - I suggest reduce rate for skill gain from 1.500 points per 1 skill point to ~1.300 per 1 skill point (close to palading skillpoint balance); so it would be hard to have 'everything'.

Conclusion
Right now MC got problems:
- it's overall a bit weak (compare to druid or paladin)
- it doesn't have really interesting abilities, so it's don't feel unique :(
- In compare to all other classes, which I studied (Warrior, Rogue, Paladin, Druid, Archer, Mimic, Shaman, Priest, Istar) - I'll put MC to the last place by uniqueness of gameplay. It lacks of 'style' (but got so much potential!)
- all above makes it quite unpopular class; not because of complexity, like rune-master; but cause it's a bit... faded. Yep, it's right word. MC has to be more BRIGHT.



Please leave your feedback and ideas, lets continue brainstorm :)

Re: [suggestion] Mindcrafter schools analysis

Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2018 10:35 am
by tangar
tangar wrote: Tue Apr 24, 2018 10:41 am
Offensive telekinesis Throw items from quiver to the enemy.
Required skill level for first spell level: 10.
// Make it possible to telekinesis items over corners, if you see monsters with ESP? :) It would be only 1 shot/round so not too imba. I suppose it's one of spells which could make mind-crafter more unique class... Also what about adding throwing knifes/daggers in-game one day (to be able to put them in quiver)? :D But for now it's more then enough to use arrows/bolts/pebbles..
update: Also to make Offensive telekinesis not too powerful - make it not possible to magic projectiles to return to quiver right after you cast spell; Actually it would be quite fun to have another spell for gathering all objects which have =! inscriptions on it, so right after the battle you could collect all projectiles with a spell (make it channeling for 3 seconds, for example). Very stylish :D

And I got idea of yet another spell:
Bash Throw enemy back with force of the mind.
Required skill level for first spell level: 20.
// make it work like gravity hound breath - to throw back enemies. If their bodies too heavy - make it like only 1 tile.. If they are 'light' (human bodies) - make it ~5 tiles. Also make some minor-moderate damage.

==

And also I wanna add that Mindcrafter (MC) class is quite good balanced; MC magic quite 'cheap' in terms of skillspoints (1.500 per SP) and it's totally possible to play with this class without suffering.. But if we would compare it to druid or paladin... MC just no match in terms of effectiveness and survivability. So making some, maybe even minor buff of MC would be right thing to do.