Re: SLS 08/02/2007 10:26 AM CDT
I'd take TKS over SLS any day. TKS has its own unique little niche (aoe, plus it can hit hiders/invis). SLS, by comparison, really only has "mana efficiency" as a unique niche. The problem with that is that you eventually outgrow it.
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Re: SLS 08/02/2007 12:36 PM CDT
One more point I would like to add with SLS, with RF and MB you can completely overhunt creatures well outside your range, things that would ruin your attunment to TRY to take one of down and it will only train TM (usually the lowest of all our general magics) while doing so.
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Re: SLS 08/02/2007 01:41 PM CDT
>>SLS, by comparison, really only has "mana efficiency" as a unique niche. The problem with that is that you eventually outgrow it.

You can never outgrow the ominous approach of a sphere at someone. =P


-- Holy Scholar Diarik Erasto, Arcane Researcher, in search of spiritweaving.
http://elanthipedia.com/wiki/User:Diarik
http://tinyurl.com/3ch2oz (Spiritweaving)

Holiness of soul lies within integrity of spirit. - Book of Eluned, Magica Bona
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Re: SLS 08/02/2007 01:51 PM CDT
I was calling "extreme mana efficiency" its niche - not novelty.

So, fine, if its niche is novelty, you get a lifetime of fun out of it.

Otherwise, you eventually reach a point where you have spells that hit harder, hit faster, and hit all day every day with no restrictions whatsoever, and harness? That becomes something that you vaguely recall used to limit how quickly you could cast, and how much mana you could use.

At that point, yeah, SLS continues to be novel, but in actual use is tediously slow.
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Re: SLS 08/02/2007 03:18 PM CDT
>That becomes something that you vaguely recall used to limit how quickly you could cast, and how much mana you could use.

Yeah, that's why I didn't pick up SLS yet. It's such a cool looking spell, and I'd really like to have something do cold damage, but the no water hunting restriction is pretty severe. I'll probably pick up TKS instead since I already have TKT and really want to justify having it somehow.




A fire sprite calls out to you, inviting you to journey with her.
>kiss sprite
A fire sprite leaps forward and kisses you in return, searing the flesh on your face!
Stunned for 5 seconds!
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Re: SLS 08/02/2007 03:22 PM CDT
I am not as high as you TF guys, but I am still at a point where mana concerns are relatively minimal (at least if all I'm doing is training). I do still find there are two situations in which SLS is at least nominally useful.

First, I occasionally get good use out of it when PM and/or Harn are walling, but TM is on a fast rank. This benefit can also be mimicked by sleeping while you cast CRS and awaking before the spikes hit, but that's kind of tedious.

Secondly, it is not only mana efficient, but attention efficient. Point it and then go do something else. Yeah, I can kill 3 things with CRS while SLS approaches melee, but at the end of the day I've killed 33% more creatures with 0 additional RT and nominal mana cost. That assumes they spawn fast enough for me to do that, which usually they don't, but HYPOTHETICALLY... heh. Also somewhat useful for inching TM along while you train weapons and defenses, though really that's not all that difficult to do even without SLS.

Anyway, I'm kinda luke warm on SLS myself, but those two reasons are how I try to not make myself feel bad for learning the spell.


~Raecear in plat, player of




Check out http://www.drplat.com - the DragonRealms Platinum community webpage!
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Re: SLS 08/02/2007 03:55 PM CDT
<<The problem with that is that you eventually outgrow it.

It is true that as you get older the mana efficiency isn't as important and your ability to control CRS and/or PD becomes much more effective. Therefore you may use SLS less. But SLS remains useful if you want to use it. I don't think you grow out of it the way you grow out of TKT.

I don't use SLS all the time, but it is still nice on occassions. It works well with several other combat spells and gives you some extra killing power when you are massively overhunting or when swarms get too big. I also like it when PM or Harness is mind locked because I can keep learning TM without trashing my mind state.
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Re: SLS 08/02/2007 04:36 PM CDT
>>no water hunting restriction is pretty severe

Heh. Really? Where do you hunt that's so watery?


-- Holy Scholar Diarik Erasto, Arcane Researcher, in search of spiritweaving.
http://elanthipedia.com/wiki/User:Diarik
http://tinyurl.com/3ch2oz (Spiritweaving)

Holiness of soul lies within integrity of spirit. - Book of Eluned, Magica Bona
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Re: SLS 08/02/2007 05:15 PM CDT
The no water hunting restriction is a joke. I can think of maybe 1 hunting area at any given level that has some. It's the nighttime restriction that actually hinders.

Personally, i find for just rocking TM, PD works best. Run around and collapse chests until locked. Cake.

My favorite use for SLS however, is when i'm working other things. Point it at something, advance...get some hiding, appraisal, maybe cast a TV, hit it with some mundane weapons. Or when i'm dancing for shield/evasion and folding origami.

So, there's my 2 cents. TM training - PD or CRS. Getting TM training, fun stuns and pretty messaging while doing other things - SLS.
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Re: SLS 08/02/2007 11:12 PM CDT
>Where do you hunt that's so watery?

Nowhere, but I train swimming all the time. I'm also absentminded and likely to do so with a sphere following me.



A fire sprite calls out to you, inviting you to journey with her.
>kiss sprite
A fire sprite leaps forward and kisses you in return, searing the flesh on your face!
Stunned for 5 seconds!
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Re: SLS 08/02/2007 11:23 PM CDT
>>Nowhere, but I train swimming all the time. I'm also absentminded and likely to do so with a sphere following me.

Strongly recommend against combining absentmindedness with being a moon mage. Tends to result in empathic overheals.


-- Holy Scholar Diarik Erasto, Arcane Researcher, in search of spiritweaving.
http://elanthipedia.com/wiki/User:Diarik
http://tinyurl.com/3ch2oz (Spiritweaving)

Holiness of soul lies within integrity of spirit. - Book of Eluned, Magica Bona
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Re: SLS 08/02/2007 11:44 PM CDT
Haha, nah... I'm quite careful with teleports and especially moongates. I've actually died more often from reading the boards at the wrong time. Like while hiding amidst giant scorpion killing machines.




A fire sprite calls out to you, inviting you to journey with her.
>kiss sprite
A fire sprite leaps forward and kisses you in return, searing the flesh on your face!
Stunned for 5 seconds!
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Stuck on SLS quest... 09/19/2007 06:24 PM CDT
Ok, I'm not really sure what I'm looking for and I'm running in circles bouncing into walls. I'm using my senses, but I must be missing something. I didn't really talk the the guy for long so I might have missed a clue or two. Anyone feel like giving hints?

Aim is collectivescott
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Re: Stuck on SLS quest... 09/19/2007 08:36 PM CDT
>I didn't really talk the the guy for long so I might have missed a clue or two.

If you never listen, you'll never be able to finish it.

~ Sage Kougen Aensworth, Star Shaper of the Compact

"You PLANNED that?" - Rev. Reene
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Re: Stuck on SLS quest... 09/19/2007 09:35 PM CDT
SWM may be the most annoying quests in game. The whole idea is really cute, but actually doing it requires a high threshold for tedium.
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Re: Stuck on SLS quest... 09/19/2007 09:56 PM CDT
SHM honestly isn't that bad. It's a funny little quest. Only problem is there are a few parts where syntax makes little sense and can be extremely frustrating.



Rev. Reene

"If it's not a flavor of Pop-Tart I don't know about it." - Sapphyr on exotic fruits
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Re: Stuck on SLS quest... 09/20/2007 12:06 AM CDT
Are you guys talking about SLS or SHM? =P

>>I'm using my senses, but I must be missing something.

The SLS quest uses speshul verbiage. -_-


-- Holy Scholar Diarik Erasto, Arcane Researcher, in search of spiritweaving.
http://elanthipedia.com/wiki/User:Diarik
http://tinyurl.com/3ch2oz (Spiritweaving)

Holiness of soul lies within integrity of spirit. - Book of Eluned, Magica Bona
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Re: Stuck on SLS quest... 09/20/2007 09:32 PM CDT
Ok, I finally finished the quest. I have to say I'm a bit disappointed with it though. I tried a bunch of different theories on how to find the right room, and none of them led me there. However, when I decided to just wander randomly I was able to find it. Three times actually. The first I didn't realize where I was, and the second I used the wrong verb and poofed out immediately. Is there a method to the madness, or did you guys all wander randomly as well?
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Re: Stuck on SLS quest... 09/20/2007 09:46 PM CDT
Yes, there's a way of figuring it out.

You have to use your other senses. All of them.



Rev. Reene

"If it's not a flavor of Pop-Tart I don't know about it." - Sapphyr on exotic fruits
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Re: Stuck on SLS quest... 09/20/2007 10:17 PM CDT
>You have to use your other senses. All of them.

I used three. All except my brain.
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Re: Stuck on SLS quest... 09/20/2007 10:46 PM CDT
This was actually my favorite little moon mage quest I've encountered. I really wish I could go do it again, just for the hell of it.

- Player of Foresee


Your mind hears Toldorf thinking, "I pick Huldah."
Your mind hears Kaedro thinking, "i choose you, everild! attack huldah."
Your mind hears Toldorf thinking, "Huldah, use lightning bolt!"
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Re: Stuck on SLS quest... 09/21/2007 12:27 AM CDT
I wasn't aware you really needed more than one. Maybe two. And then there's your magical senses, which don't really count...


-- Holy Scholar Diarik Erasto, Arcane Researcher, in search of spiritweaving.
http://elanthipedia.com/wiki/User:Diarik
http://tinyurl.com/3ch2oz (Spiritweaving)

Holiness of soul lies within integrity of spirit. - Book of Eluned, Magica Bona
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SLS quest 10/06/2007 01:20 PM CDT
Do I need a spell slot in order to get SLS? I know that may sound dumb but since it's a quest thing, thought it might be different.

Thanks.
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Re: SLS quest 10/06/2007 04:12 PM CDT
An empty spell slot is required.
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SLS QUEST 11/06/2007 10:45 AM CST
I have talked to the Prophet, and very little of what he has said seems usefull. I also made it a point to sit and watch him a while to see if he did anything that would seem usefull, again I dont feel it was. If anyone can help and point me in the right direction that would be wonderful! AIM Darkness1282 Thanks!
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Re: SLS QUEST 11/06/2007 01:02 PM CST
Thanks for the help! :)
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SLS and us! 09/16/2008 04:11 PM CDT
not sure this is the right avenue for this post, but here goes:

The Stellar Magic book is supposed to comprise spell patterns which are powered by the stars, as opposed to the lunar magic books which are powered by the moons and represent, I'm not sure, 'flavors' or 'variations' towards which that magic can be bent. (Clarify?! Someone?! Anybody?!)

So by this possibly incorrect logic, is stellar magic simply an umbrella for all manifestations for stellar magic? Why is Shadewatch Mirror on this spellbook? Is making the stars lash out with cold volatile energy the only thing stellar magic can be used for?

Also, does available lunar energy + planetary mana affect the available stellar mana? If yes, why?

I've got more questions, but I'll leave off for now.
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Re: SLS and us! 09/16/2008 04:24 PM CDT
The only unifying thing to the spells in the stellar book, to my knowledge, is that they were all suppose to req level 40, req a quest, not be taught by the guild directly and be high end unique, special spells etc.

However only two of them were ever made, and perc stellar was sorta implimented after awhile so we could at least see what magic was powering them. Much like TS spells are now, if we randomly could now perc teleologic.

I could be wrong, or forgetting some important lore or something... but that's how I recall it. Both spells came out fairly soon after the idea came out, and then nothing more was ever realy done with stellar magic.

-- Mozzik, the Fateweaver




Caelumia says, "I love the tools even more."
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Re: SLS and us! 09/16/2008 06:13 PM CDT
The GM who made Stellar magic spells left and our new GM went another direction with weird spells and Teleologic Sorcery was born.

Pelag ai Aldam Stolas


You wait around impatiently for your opponent to return.
>
Galren stops the contest, admitting you are the better opponent.
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Re: SLS and us! 09/27/2008 06:02 PM CDT
I would still like to see Mirror Wraith and Banishment come around in some form or another.

That and turning into a Mirror Wraith is awesomesauce.

_______________________

[Space For Rent]
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Re: SLS and us! 09/29/2008 12:01 PM CDT
Mirrorwraith projection could play into each sects mythos very very very very well methinks.

*Ashash quanon ashwishquana*
"Correction, I KNOOOOOOW yo fada"
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Re: SLS and us! 09/29/2008 08:23 PM CDT
>>Mirrorwraith projection could play into each sects mythos very very very very well methinks.

...what?

<thinks about that>

No.


---
"Close your eyes -
For your eyes will only tell the truth..
And the truth isn't what you want to see.
In the dark, it is easy to pretend
That the truth is what it ought to be." - Erik Claudin
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Re: SLS and us! 09/30/2008 12:09 AM CDT
I think yes. Each sect has some reason to project its awareness elsewhere. Unless Mirrorwraith is specifically a geared a specific way, it could easily be coded so each sect does it's own variant of it (being the same thing with different flavor text)

Granted, not much more useful then a DG'd beam moving around I guess.
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Re: SLS and us! 09/30/2008 12:32 AM CDT
Yah I get a feeling Mirrorwraith is another one of those spells that was nearly finished (Or so we were told several times) and just... put on hold, because someone stopped and said "What's the point?". Either that or no one ever wanted to code another quest for it. Choose your own answer eh?

I certainly understand people going "I wanna be a mirror wraith!" at the same time I totally agree with... "what's the point". Just let SM's RT be trained down to 1 (or none...) and you can use that for 90% of what you'd use mirror wraith for.

-- Mozzik, the Fateweaver




Caelumia says, "I love the tools even more."
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Re: SLS and us! 09/30/2008 01:01 AM CDT
>>and just... put on hold

Armifer seems disturbingly enthusiastic about the spell, but it has been mentioned that the Things are in the way.


---
"Close your eyes -
For your eyes will only tell the truth..
And the truth isn't what you want to see.
In the dark, it is easy to pretend
That the truth is what it ought to be." - Erik Claudin
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Re: SLS and us! 09/30/2008 01:08 AM CDT
I wasn't really refering to Armifer's stance on it (As I'm unaware of it other than what you just said, and the fact that clearly he's chosen to develop other spells first) and was more refering to the fact we've had I believe... four guild gurus since the spell was "mostly done" (Rigby, Trib, Talian, Chisoni I do believe).

-- Mozzik, the Fateweaver




Caelumia says, "I love the tools even more."
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Re: SLS and us! 09/30/2008 02:01 AM CDT
There's a saying to the effect that projects are 90% done for 90% of their lifespan. Mirror Wraith is mostly done; but the fine points left to be done are some of the more time-consuming bits possible.

I like the spell a lot and want it to see the light of day, but it never quite wins on any cost-benefit analysis of my time.

-Armifer
"...everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms-- to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way."
-Viktor Frankl
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Re: SLS and us! 09/30/2008 02:12 AM CDT
So very very true Armifer. So very true.

Honestly I'm afraid to ask how many half finished, or 90% finished, or 99% finished spells or other projects are sitting around hehind the scenes. I know off, off cuff, at least a half dozen spells some GM or another has said was "mostly finished". Everything in Su Helmas (I love that we can see Su Helmas mobs in the prediction system heh). Countless other things.

I'm always amused when a GM announces something new with "Yah I basically found this code that has been sitting around for awhile, and no one knew about... so I finished it up, and poof!". Wasn't Lost Crossing something like that?

-- Mozzik, the Fateweaver




Caelumia says, "I love the tools even more."
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Re: SLS and us! 09/30/2008 02:23 AM CDT
The severe weather system was like that for sure. Dart I believe dusted it off and polished it up.

-Evran

"Constitutions are meant to protect minorities -- not to take rights away from people." - Bruce Bastian
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SLS and Pethians 07/31/2009 01:53 PM CDT
Just a nugget of a thought here...

Picked up SLS the other day. Yeah... I'm not really sure why either.

Anyhow I know a lot of people want to see improvements to the spell and the most common demand is to be able to use it during the day, or get rid of the cloud thing. (Well and to attack faster, be more accurate, and chill drinks).

It occurs to me - while the limits make sense from the approach of "It's a spell that derives it's power from the stars" they make very little sense when you consider the source of the spell.

Who's the keeper of Starlight Sphere? The Pethians. Now I don't know if they created it, but it's certainly a Pethian spell now. And if there's one thing Pethians do - it's the whole transcending normal senses things. You're blinded in order to find the spell, Pethians have a bonus with PG, there's that cantrip that... well either you know what it does or you don't, but it supports my argument. So even if the Pethians didn't create the spell (I don't know) they've had time to tinker with and perfect it.

It seems very logical to me that a Pethian spell wouldn't really care if it was day or night, or clouds. Pethians are not limited by mundane restrictions like that.

I mean, so there you have it. Solid lorecentric reasons the restrictions could be removed without fundamentally changing the spell. Not trying to address game balance here, just lore.

PS The spell should require the removal of an eye as the foundation of the sphere...



Seriously I think you must not hunt. - Verathor, who is standing at the back of the line.
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