Wands are just too powerful

[mudin]

So, I wanted to play as a mage in my first playthrough. I crafted my first wand as soon as possible and moved forward. Approximately 50 hours later, I came to a conclusion: wands are too powerful.

I breezed through all the challenges the game offered me without any difficulty, not because I'm skilled or a pro player, far from it, simply because wands are too strong.

-Wands have homing attacks, no need to aim.
-Wands don't consume any type of ammunition, neither stamina nor mana.
-They hit as hard, or even harder, than melee weapons.
-With the Wand Master skill, the damage increases by 30-50%.
-Since the wand doesn't consume any ammunition or stamina for anything, most of the time, I have full stamina.
-As I always have full stamina, I can always dodge and take no damage.
-Since I don't take damage, equipment ends up being purely aesthetic.
-Since wands deal absurd damage, there's no sense in using staffs, with few exceptions for provoking enemies or occasionally casting a fireball.

In my humble opinion:
-Wands should consume mana
-Mana regen should be slower to encourage the prioritization of mana regen equipments and foods for mages/healers
-mana should also be affected by the Rested status to encourage mages to increase their comfort level at the base (Assuming that wands use mana and that mana regeneration is nerfed).

[dr46onfusion]

I don't see wands having any place in the game unless they also have their own set of spells to cast that's built into the wand... I think that's a better alternative.

Wands as a bolt flinging stick feels very odd and 'hogwarts' style.

Make wands the same as staves, but reduce their power and increase their cast speed.
Then tweak spell catalysts so their power and mana cost varies with the wand or staff you use.

For instance wands can be used to cast spells while moving, but it does 40% damage compared to a staff.

[a small rabbit]

The problem with your suggestion is that it would completely break staffs/spell casting. Wands are supposed to be the backup (i assume) for when you run out of mana using spells. Making wands cost mana would destroy that whole purpose.

Wand weakness is that they are very short range and can't hit multiple targets. They probably could do with some balancing adjustments, but giving them a mana cost would completely break a magic playstyle until higher levels when you have better gear to sustain mana.

[dr46onfusion]

Originally posted by a small rabbit:

The problem with your suggestion is that it would completely break staffs/spell casting. Wands are supposed to be the backup (i assume) for when you run out of mana using spells. Making wands cost mana would destroy that whole purpose.

Wand weakness is that they are very short range and can't hit multiple targets. They probably could do with some balancing adjustments, but giving them a mana cost would completely break a magic playstyle until higher levels when you have better gear to sustain mana.

The logic in that is stupid because how does swinging a stick that shoots magic bolts regain mana?

What's better is if there is wand exclusive skills that drains energy from enemies and turns it into mana, like if there are attached spells to the wand like 'energy leech' that slows and drains the enemy's health slowly, while regaining your own mana.

Or supportive spells on the wand like 'mana absorption' where you absorb mana from the environment, destroying objects like shrubs, plants, and such.

The biggest problem with wands in this game is how there is no lore behind it's use, heck there is a lack of lore on the fantasy tropes in general other than medieval weapons.

Magic in this game is explained more as a form of alchemy, to transmute stuff in order to 'cast' spells or do things with scrolls or whatnot.

But the game doesn't explain mana at all.

[Subsonic]

Originally posted by Kai:

The logic in that is stupid because how does swinging a stick that shoots magic bolts regain mana?

Really? It's a MAGIC STICK. C'mon man. Are you trying to put some kind of weird realism logic into this fantasy game? WTF Can argue the point about wands but don't post silly rebuttals intended to belittle others but simultaneously sound dippy. Your response is quite a bit less intelligent. Just saying.

[dr46onfusion]

Originally posted by Subsonic:

Originally posted by Kai:

The logic in that is stupid because how does swinging a stick that shoots magic bolts regain mana?

Really? It's a MAGIC STICK. C'mon man. Are you trying to put some kind of weird realism logic into this fantasy game? WTF Can argue the point about wands but don't post silly rebuttals intended to belittle others but simultaneously sound dippy. Your response is quite a bit less intelligent. Just saying.

You shoot magic out of a wand, how does that refill your mana? Use common sense.

It'd make sense visually if the bolts causes mana orbs to pop out and fly back into your character, but that doesn't happen.

[Madnesis]

I agree wands are OP, to the point it's not even fun using those.

[Subsonic]

Originally posted by Kai:

Originally posted by Subsonic:

Really? It's a MAGIC STICK. C'mon man. Are you trying to put some kind of weird realism logic into this fantasy game? WTF Can argue the point about wands but don't post silly rebuttals intended to belittle others but simultaneously sound dippy. Your response is quite a bit less intelligent. Just saying.

You shoot magic out of a wand, how does that refill your mana? Use common sense.

What does outgoing have to do with incoming? Explain it using magical theory please. I'm waiting.

[Subsonic]

Originally posted by Madnesis:

I agree wands are OP, to the point it's not even fun using those.

Then don't? It's not a requirement at all.

[mudin]

Originally posted by Kai:

I don't see wands having any place in the game unless they also have their own set of spells to cast that's built into the wand... I think that's a better alternative.

Wands as a bolt flinging stick feels very odd and 'hogwarts' style.

Make wands the same as staves, but reduce their power and increase their cast speed.
Then tweak spell catalysts so their power and mana cost varies with the wand or staff you use.

For instance wands can be used to cast spells while moving, but it does 40% damage compared to a staff.

not a bad idea

[Ewspne]

Wands as an offhand way to regen mana (see mana leech and default regen) is good... If there were more enemies and more opportunities to run out of mana lmfao

[JustMe]

Originally posted by Subsonic:

Originally posted by Kai:

You shoot magic out of a wand, how does that refill your mana? Use common sense.

What does outgoing have to do with incoming? Explain it using magical theory please. I'm waiting.

Probably one of the laws of thermodynamics. I tried to find it on wikipedia, but there wasn't a heading for magic sticks.

[dr46onfusion]

Originally posted by mudin:

Originally posted by Kai:

I don't see wands having any place in the game unless they also have their own set of spells to cast that's built into the wand... I think that's a better alternative.

Wands as a bolt flinging stick feels very odd and 'hogwarts' style.

Make wands the same as staves, but reduce their power and increase their cast speed.
Then tweak spell catalysts so their power and mana cost varies with the wand or staff you use.

For instance wands can be used to cast spells while moving, but it does 40% damage compared to a staff.

not a bad idea

Eternal icebolt on a wand would be more convincing as a build if it's 2x faster casting for 1/3rd the power and mana cost.

Maybe make the stave versions much more impact with a bigger magnitude.

[VolcanoSheep]

I'm enjoying my magic solo play through much more with wands. without them combat would be extremely stop start as I run in and run out again making the play through much much more tedious than any other class.

[dr46onfusion]

Originally posted by TG$ Ewspne:

Wands as an offhand way to regen mana (see mana leech and default regen) is good... If there were more enemies and more opportunities to run out of mana lmfao

Yeah but in the form of shooting slow homing projectiles to leech mana is just weird, I'd rather have a charge ability where you stand still and hold the wand/staff up and you absorb mana from organic matter around you.

Magic in Enshrouded is more alchemy, so transmutation of organic matter into mana orbs makes sense for the spellcaster for a tactical use.

[mudin]

Originally posted by Subsonic:

Originally posted by Madnesis:

I agree wands are OP, to the point it's not even fun using those.

Then don't? It's not a requirement at all.

the idea of posting here is to give feedback for the devs as the game is in EA