10th level spells as HLAs - balancing enquiry

[phordicus]

so this let HLA spells use Innate slots is going to be an option in both SR and SCS2, or SCS2 is just going to allow for it?

[the bigg]

(I'll also be allowing for Refinements HLAs in the next version, though obviously not for SRv4 ones since it's not out yet.)

Just FYI, while I'll gladly try to help you integrating those (if needed), most of the work on Refinements' HLAs was done in 2003-04 before I really started to install mods (to say nothing of being involved in the modding scene), so I might not be able to fully answer any question you have about the ideas or implementation behind some HLAs.

[DavidW]

so this let HLA spells use Innate slots is going to be an option in both SR and SCS2, or SCS2 is just going to allow for it?

 

It'll be an option in SCS2, basically because the effort required to code the AI to allow for this feature is about 20 times the effort required to code the feature itself, so if I'm going to do the former I might as well drop in the latter so the work is less likely to be wasted. I don't have strong feelings about whether it's better or worse than the baseline. I do continue to have strong feelings that allowing repeated selection of the same HLA is very unbalanced, so I won't be offering that option, though I will be supporting it. (If "supporting" means "providing mages with 3 Improved Alacrities and 6 Comets", which I noticed on one spellcaster when testing this component.)

 

(I'll also be allowing for Refinements HLAs in the next version, though obviously not for SRv4 ones since it's not out yet.)

Just FYI, while I'll gladly try to help you integrating those (if needed), most of the work on Refinements' HLAs was done in 2003-04 before I really started to install mods (to say nothing of being involved in the modding scene), so I might not be able to fully answer any question you have about the ideas or implementation behind some HLAs.

 

Not a problem. I think I've mostly got my head round how it works. My impression of Refinements HLA is that it's a very cool idea and some of the individual powers are pretty cool too, though a lot of them are a bit underpowered - at least when used by the AI. I'm very much cherry-picking - on the wizard side I think I use Aegis, Foresight, Create Boneguard, Malavon's Fury, and Spell Worm, and I don't think I use anything very much on the priest side.

[the bigg]

Well, the general idea of Refs' HLAs is that they should generally be a bit weaker than the originals (except for a couple of classes like pure Warriors), so I can appreciate that finding spells with a WOW! factor could be hard.

[DavidW]

Well, the general idea of Refs' HLAs is that they should generally be a bit weaker than the originals (except for a couple of classes like pure Warriors), so I can appreciate that finding spells with a WOW! factor could be hard.

 

The other problem is the perennial difficulty I have with area effect. There are lots of seriously cool HLAs that I can't really use; that's just the curse of the IE. Still, I think it adds nicely to immersion if Refinements players see the AI using a few Refinements powers from time to time, even if the effect's not dramatic.