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HeatDeath · 03-25-2019, 09:28 PM

One of the most fascinating differences between the Melee and Wizard games, from a purely game design perspective, is how much more complex wizards are, mathematically. That third attribute exponentially increases the size of the character design space, and that's even before you start dealing with spell inventory as opposed to weapon inventory (approximately a dozen slots as opposed to 2-3). With a warrior, the trade-off is strictly linear and two-dimensional. Higher ST means lower DX. You look for the sweet spot where the highest damage weapon you can carry doesn't cost you too much percentage to-hit.

Wizards, on the other hand, are much higher dimensional. As noted above, they need all three attributes. And the relative weighting is by no means obvious. But there is an actual weighting, embedded in the mathematical model of the game. Discovering it's precise shape is one of the joys of playing (and analyzing, but maybe that's just me and Henry :) ) the game. Squishing that complex invisible mathematical shape until it's just mostly IQ damages the very heart of the game design.

I don't have a good handle on the difference between different broad species of Wizard builds, but I do know this. An arena specialist, especially one who specializes on one-on-one battles, is going to have a very different spell loadout and attribute balance than a dungeon party member. A duelist has to specialize in damage-per-turn per strength-point expended. If they don't, the opponent will and they'll get torn to pieces. In a party, on the other hand, a wizard is more of a force-multiplier for the warriors. Indeed, a magic user loaded with low-cost spells to prevent the opponents from attacking effectively more than carries their own weight by simply letting the combat specialists maximize their mean damage per turn without having to nerf themselves with heavy armor.

If you're looking at your wizard's strength and thinking of it in terms of how many damage points thrown downfield it translates into, you may not be approaching the build properly.

As to the fatigue-unto-death issue, I agree it's hard to visualize in real world terms. That's why, in my headcanon, magical "exhaustion" isn't fatigue, or imbalance, it's actual physical wounds appearing on the wizard's body. Real pain, real blood loss, real shock. They heal very quickly (which is kind of eerie, but that's the point), but I think it's much more plausible for a minor knife wound to drop a nearly "exhausted" wizard dead when that "exhaustion" takes the form of mystical burns and stab wounds and bleeding, both internal and external. the game rules treat ST loss due to spell-fatigue as being just as deadly as ST loss due to wounds. To me, that seems to imply that physiologically, in the moment, they may be pretty much the same thing.

03-25-2019, 09:28 PM	#12
HeatDeath Join Date: May 2012	Re: IQ for Fatigue…? One of the most fascinating differences between the Melee and Wizard games, from a purely game design perspective, is how much more complex wizards are, mathematically. That third attribute exponentially increases the size of the character design space, and that's even before you start dealing with spell inventory as opposed to weapon inventory (approximately a dozen slots as opposed to 2-3). With a warrior, the trade-off is strictly linear and two-dimensional. Higher ST means lower DX. You look for the sweet spot where the highest damage weapon you can carry doesn't cost you too much percentage to-hit. Wizards, on the other hand, are much higher dimensional. As noted above, they need all three attributes. And the relative weighting is by no means obvious. But there is an actual weighting, embedded in the mathematical model of the game. Discovering it's precise shape is one of the joys of playing (and analyzing, but maybe that's just me and Henry :) ) the game. Squishing that complex invisible mathematical shape until it's just mostly IQ damages the very heart of the game design. I don't have a good handle on the difference between different broad species of Wizard builds, but I do know this. An arena specialist, especially one who specializes on one-on-one battles, is going to have a very different spell loadout and attribute balance than a dungeon party member. A duelist has to specialize in damage-per-turn per strength-point expended. If they don't, the opponent will and they'll get torn to pieces. In a party, on the other hand, a wizard is more of a force-multiplier for the warriors. Indeed, a magic user loaded with low-cost spells to prevent the opponents from attacking effectively more than carries their own weight by simply letting the combat specialists maximize their mean damage per turn without having to nerf themselves with heavy armor. If you're looking at your wizard's strength and thinking of it in terms of how many damage points thrown downfield it translates into, you may not be approaching the build properly. As to the fatigue-unto-death issue, I agree it's hard to visualize in real world terms. That's why, in my headcanon, magical "exhaustion" isn't fatigue, or imbalance, it's actual physical wounds appearing on the wizard's body. Real pain, real blood loss, real shock. They heal very quickly (which is kind of eerie, but that's the point), but I think it's much more plausible for a minor knife wound to drop a nearly "exhausted" wizard dead when that "exhaustion" takes the form of mystical burns and stab wounds and bleeding, both internal and external. the game rules treat ST loss due to spell-fatigue as being just as deadly as ST loss due to wounds. To me, that seems to imply that physiologically, in the moment, they may be pretty much the same thing.