Buffalo Bell
Rabby
Fireball
Good how it is, not really better or worse damage than attacking. Has the benefit of major range but the downside of EP cost and no area of effect.
5/5
Meteor
I think slightly more area of effect would make this spell perfect.
4/5
Flamethrower
Damage is alright, but it feels quite a bit worse than just attacking with a two handed weapon. Either make this a good sustained damage option by giving it a lower EP cost or redesign it completely. I'm in favor of a redesign since it lacks identity, Path of Exile did a good job with their Incinerate spell and I think taking a similar approach in this game would be good. Right now it feels like a shotgun, when it should feel like a flamethrower that can be spammed until you run out of EP.
2/5
Ice Spikes
Feels pretty poor compared to a two hander. Yes it has a little more range and crowd control, but it is also missing the cone shape that is really useful for zoning. I think the design is fine, what this spell could use it more damage.
3/5
Ice Nova
A good crowd control option, but the damage is almost insignificant. I think it should either be a no damage spell and have a chance to freeze or it should have more damage, but not a lot of damage.
4/5
Frosty Friend
Feels really good for damage and crowd control, which distinguishes him from the cloud. He's missing something though. When he is downed while your farming high spawn areas it is pretty hard to res him. I think if he is knocked out for more than a certain period of time (maybe like 10 seconds) he should just disappear and you should be able to recast him.
4/5
Earth Spike
This spell needs a rework, since it just feels like a worse parallel to meteor. My design would be to make it fire in a straight line like Fireball except the projectile is underground, then you hit the cast button again (or maybe release the charge) to make it come out of the ground and hit enemies around it. Then give it more damage than meteor and a high EP cost.
1/5
Summon Plant
I like the idea of having summon in the game that you cast during battle. I think they should be more permanent fixtures though to reward bunkering down in one area. The problem with them now is that I don't think they last long enough to make the EP cost and casting worth it. I think a good option might be making them permanent (or long lasting) but with a higher EP cost and an ammo system where you can only have a certain amount out at once (maybe 2 at level 1).
2/5
Insect Swarm
Feels good, but needs to be nerfed a bit and I think the targeting could be improved a bit.
5/5
Chain Lightning
Has a clear identity of being spamable, easiest spell to hit, and area of effect at the cost of doing low damage.
5/5
Cloud Strike
The persistence of this summon makes it useful for almost any build. I think the delays between its attacks to a decent job of balancing it. Maybe could use a slight nerf like Insect Swarm but I'm not sure.
5/5
Wind Slash
I don't think the way this spell is designed makes it very useful and it could be fully reworked like Flamethrower and Earth Spike. I would suggest making it shoot two particles in random directions (there is currently no random spell in the game) and giving a low EP cost, fast casting time, or possibly both at the cost of it doing semilowish damage and being random where it goes.
1/5
New spell suggestions
I think the game could benefit from a trap type spell. I think a trap that freezes/roots (Ice/Earth) and a trap that damages (Fire/Air) would be a good start. An idea for a fire summon could be something that behaves like the Latern Jack that rewards blocking or backing up as opposed to running in circles. A spell that enchants your shield to do something when you either normal block or perfect guard could be really cool, should be more impact than a normal skill since it requires a block. Maybe a bubble that absorbs (not reflects) projectiles from all directions) at the cost of either something like 25 EP a second, 25EP per cast and needs to be timed, or consumes EP equal to the damage of projectiles it absorbs. There needs to be a way to restore EP more quickly at some kind of cost, maybe a soul steal that requires you to get close to an enemy and does no damage or a meditate that requires you to stand still. A spell that empowers your arrows to burn or freeze could be cool, especial if you made the Arcane Charge talent apply to arrows as well as normal attacks. Maybe a fletching spell that converts EP and time into arrows to reward running away to fletch and then bursting in barrages (there isn't a spell that really rewards this style currently).
Some talent suggestions
CSPD, it seems weird that there is an ASPD talent but no CSPD talent. Prismatic should offer something more than just a cost reduction, maybe a damage increase? If your specing into multiple elements for the utility you aren't going to be using an alternating pattern and there isn't a reason to spec into two different spells for more damage since you'd just go for the one that does more damage. Something that makes fire skills do 1% of their damage per second over three seconds could be neat as a slower but more deadly alternative to Intelligence for fire spells. Something that increases the knockback of spells very slightly (where it's only really noticable at max rank) could be cool. I think Burning Weapon should be converted into a MATK version of Arcane Charge but still a DoT, it seems weird to have something based on MATK reward stacking attacking speed (as a result of having a proc chance). If you are going to have a proc based MATK based talent I think it should be something more useful for a mage that a small chunk of damage, like maybe summons an orb that orbits you and when an enemy comes into contact with it it will be knocked back and damaged based on MATK, consuming the orb.
Overall game mechanics
EP regeneration could be cool. Not in high enough amounts to make spells as sustained as melee (because they shouldn't be) but high enough that there is less downtime between casts. You'd be forgoing MATK, exchanging burst for reliability. It would be cool if crits did something neat like more knockback on certain spells, freezing the enemy, burning, or shooting multiple projectiles / recasting. I think we need some magic weapons that augment your spells at the cost of MATK to make the spell system a little more interesting, items in general could benefit from spicy special effects. Having a way to charge and store spells would be cool, like Samus from Smash Bros. I think the game needs to utilize more buttons to cast spells or at least have the option of an alternate button configuration. I understand using LT and RT for spell pages so people don't feel shoehorned into three spell builds, but the way it currently feels is that people are shoehorned into one spell builds since spell pages are kinda inconvenient compared to just pressing a one button. Have the option to make LT and RT just skill slots on their own.
Good how it is, not really better or worse damage than attacking. Has the benefit of major range but the downside of EP cost and no area of effect.
5/5
Meteor
I think slightly more area of effect would make this spell perfect.
4/5
Flamethrower
Damage is alright, but it feels quite a bit worse than just attacking with a two handed weapon. Either make this a good sustained damage option by giving it a lower EP cost or redesign it completely. I'm in favor of a redesign since it lacks identity, Path of Exile did a good job with their Incinerate spell and I think taking a similar approach in this game would be good. Right now it feels like a shotgun, when it should feel like a flamethrower that can be spammed until you run out of EP.
2/5
Ice Spikes
Feels pretty poor compared to a two hander. Yes it has a little more range and crowd control, but it is also missing the cone shape that is really useful for zoning. I think the design is fine, what this spell could use it more damage.
3/5
Ice Nova
A good crowd control option, but the damage is almost insignificant. I think it should either be a no damage spell and have a chance to freeze or it should have more damage, but not a lot of damage.
4/5
Frosty Friend
Feels really good for damage and crowd control, which distinguishes him from the cloud. He's missing something though. When he is downed while your farming high spawn areas it is pretty hard to res him. I think if he is knocked out for more than a certain period of time (maybe like 10 seconds) he should just disappear and you should be able to recast him.
4/5
Earth Spike
This spell needs a rework, since it just feels like a worse parallel to meteor. My design would be to make it fire in a straight line like Fireball except the projectile is underground, then you hit the cast button again (or maybe release the charge) to make it come out of the ground and hit enemies around it. Then give it more damage than meteor and a high EP cost.
1/5
Summon Plant
I like the idea of having summon in the game that you cast during battle. I think they should be more permanent fixtures though to reward bunkering down in one area. The problem with them now is that I don't think they last long enough to make the EP cost and casting worth it. I think a good option might be making them permanent (or long lasting) but with a higher EP cost and an ammo system where you can only have a certain amount out at once (maybe 2 at level 1).
2/5
Insect Swarm
Feels good, but needs to be nerfed a bit and I think the targeting could be improved a bit.
5/5
Chain Lightning
Has a clear identity of being spamable, easiest spell to hit, and area of effect at the cost of doing low damage.
5/5
Cloud Strike
The persistence of this summon makes it useful for almost any build. I think the delays between its attacks to a decent job of balancing it. Maybe could use a slight nerf like Insect Swarm but I'm not sure.
5/5
Wind Slash
I don't think the way this spell is designed makes it very useful and it could be fully reworked like Flamethrower and Earth Spike. I would suggest making it shoot two particles in random directions (there is currently no random spell in the game) and giving a low EP cost, fast casting time, or possibly both at the cost of it doing semilowish damage and being random where it goes.
1/5
New spell suggestions
I think the game could benefit from a trap type spell. I think a trap that freezes/roots (Ice/Earth) and a trap that damages (Fire/Air) would be a good start. An idea for a fire summon could be something that behaves like the Latern Jack that rewards blocking or backing up as opposed to running in circles. A spell that enchants your shield to do something when you either normal block or perfect guard could be really cool, should be more impact than a normal skill since it requires a block. Maybe a bubble that absorbs (not reflects) projectiles from all directions) at the cost of either something like 25 EP a second, 25EP per cast and needs to be timed, or consumes EP equal to the damage of projectiles it absorbs. There needs to be a way to restore EP more quickly at some kind of cost, maybe a soul steal that requires you to get close to an enemy and does no damage or a meditate that requires you to stand still. A spell that empowers your arrows to burn or freeze could be cool, especial if you made the Arcane Charge talent apply to arrows as well as normal attacks. Maybe a fletching spell that converts EP and time into arrows to reward running away to fletch and then bursting in barrages (there isn't a spell that really rewards this style currently).
Some talent suggestions
CSPD, it seems weird that there is an ASPD talent but no CSPD talent. Prismatic should offer something more than just a cost reduction, maybe a damage increase? If your specing into multiple elements for the utility you aren't going to be using an alternating pattern and there isn't a reason to spec into two different spells for more damage since you'd just go for the one that does more damage. Something that makes fire skills do 1% of their damage per second over three seconds could be neat as a slower but more deadly alternative to Intelligence for fire spells. Something that increases the knockback of spells very slightly (where it's only really noticable at max rank) could be cool. I think Burning Weapon should be converted into a MATK version of Arcane Charge but still a DoT, it seems weird to have something based on MATK reward stacking attacking speed (as a result of having a proc chance). If you are going to have a proc based MATK based talent I think it should be something more useful for a mage that a small chunk of damage, like maybe summons an orb that orbits you and when an enemy comes into contact with it it will be knocked back and damaged based on MATK, consuming the orb.
Overall game mechanics
EP regeneration could be cool. Not in high enough amounts to make spells as sustained as melee (because they shouldn't be) but high enough that there is less downtime between casts. You'd be forgoing MATK, exchanging burst for reliability. It would be cool if crits did something neat like more knockback on certain spells, freezing the enemy, burning, or shooting multiple projectiles / recasting. I think we need some magic weapons that augment your spells at the cost of MATK to make the spell system a little more interesting, items in general could benefit from spicy special effects. Having a way to charge and store spells would be cool, like Samus from Smash Bros. I think the game needs to utilize more buttons to cast spells or at least have the option of an alternate button configuration. I understand using LT and RT for spell pages so people don't feel shoehorned into three spell builds, but the way it currently feels is that people are shoehorned into one spell builds since spell pages are kinda inconvenient compared to just pressing a one button. Have the option to make LT and RT just skill slots on their own.
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