How does mastery work?

[Throwback]

I don't understand how it is affecting my mana totals. It doesn't seem to translate 1:1 with how many mana I can allocate to a spell, because I have finished spells in a single turn when the required mana is higher than my total mastery (eg 17 required at 14 master and it still finishes).

Some buildings need a certain amount of mana to cast, but I have no idea how to keep my mana in the positive other than not casting a spell at all. Is mastery affecting this or not?

I'd really like a full explanation.

[sandman25dcsss]

Mastery is not a resource, it is a limit of how much mana you can cast per turn.
If you could spend more mana per turn than mastery, that is a bug (or your mistake).

To earn mana you can convert gold to mana as anyone or sell souls as necromancer.

[Throwback]

I've confirmed on multiple occasions that I can finish spells with more mana remaining than I have mastery. I'll see if I can get a screenshot.

[Robineus]

Mastery carries over each turn say you had 10 mastery left after you cast a spell and then chose to cast a spell of 18 mana cost it would only use 8 mastery to cast in the next turn, mastery simply dictates how much mana you can throw into spell casting each turn, if your mana has run out however then it doesn't matter how much mastery you have spellcasting will take longer.

[sandman25dcsss]

Originally posted by Throwback:

I've confirmed on multiple occasions that I can finish spells with more mana remaining than I have mastery. I'll see if I can get a screenshot.

Mastery has nothing to do with mana you have. It limits how much mana you can spend every turn. For instance, you cast spell with 150 cost and your mastery is 30. Then it will take at least 5 turns for the spell to complete. Your mana can be 500, 1000 or 30, it does not matter except in the latter case you will need mana income of at least 30, otherwise your spell is stuck because your current mana becomes 0.

[Throwback]

Originally posted by sandman25dcsss:

Originally posted by Throwback:

I've confirmed on multiple occasions that I can finish spells with more mana remaining than I have mastery. I'll see if I can get a screenshot.

Mastery has nothing to do with mana you have. It limits how much mana you can spend every turn. For instance, you cast spell with 150 cost and your mastery is 30. Then it will take at least 5 turns for the spell to complete. Your mana can be 500, 1000 or 30, it does not matter except in the latter case you will need mana income of at least 30, otherwise your spell is stuck because your current mana becomes 0.

That's how I thought it worked, but can you explain this? https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2946325131

29 Mana to go for the spell to cast. I have 16 mastery...and it will complete in 1 turn. What's going on?

[Robineus]

Well that looks like a bug to me, send it to the devs.

[Butcher]

Originally posted by Throwback:

Originally posted by sandman25dcsss:

Mastery has nothing to do with mana you have. It limits how much mana you can spend every turn. For instance, you cast spell with 150 cost and your mastery is 30. Then it will take at least 5 turns for the spell to complete. Your mana can be 500, 1000 or 30, it does not matter except in the latter case you will need mana income of at least 30, otherwise your spell is stuck because your current mana becomes 0.

That's how I thought it worked, but can you explain this? https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2946325131

29 Mana to go for the spell to cast. I have 16 mastery...and it will complete in 1 turn. What's going on?

you start your spell:
Turn 0 (cast start turn): you use 16 mastery in order to cast 29 mana spell which results in 29-16=13 more mastery needed
Turn 1 (cast finish turn): You use 16 mastery in order to finish the cast which results in |13-16|=3 mastery remains for another cast or whatever

[Throwback]

Originally posted by Butcher:

Originally posted by Throwback:

you start your spell:
Turn 0 (cast start turn): you use 16 mastery in order to cast 29 mana spell which results in 29-16=13 more mastery needed
Turn 1 (cast finish turn): You use 16 mastery in order to finish the cast which results in |13-16|=3 mastery remains for another cast or whatever

That would work, except that I have had multi-turn casts do exactly the same thing (ie on the 4th turn I need more mana than I have mastery, but it still completes in 1 turn).

If it works the way you suggest, I am 'double spending' my mastery value every turn that I do both actions of [complete a spell] and [begin a spell].

Anyway i will find evidence of a longer cast completing before its value has been reached (according to mastery) and post it.

[Butcher]

Originally posted by Throwback:

If it works the way you suggest, I am 'double spending' my mastery value every turn that I do both actions of !complete a spell! and !begin a spell!.

Yeah, you do. Let's say you have 50 mastery and cast 10 mana spell. Then in a single turn you can cast it 5 times:
Cast 1: 50-10=40
Cast 2: 40-10=30
Cast 3: 30-10=20
Cast 4: 20-10=10
Cast 5: 10-10=0
Cast 6 would be queued to the next turn

[Throwback]

ok, that's interesting. Can you explain this for me, because I am still confused:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2946378505

For context I had 5 remaining mastery in the previous turn (when I began casting). Then this turn I will add another 16, taking it to 21. Then in the next turn I will give it 16, making 37. As far as I can tell the 3rd turn should be the one in which it completes, which is when it will get to 53.

Edit: I might have it figured out? This turn (t0) it will go to 21. Next turn (t1) it will become 37. In t2 it will reach its target of 50 and be cast, giving me 3 master to contribute to the next spell. Basically if a spell can be finished in a turn then mana (capped by mastery) will be applied so you can use it, otherwise mana will not be applied to the spell until the end of the turn.

[sandman25dcsss]

Exactly. Spells are limited by available mana and mastery, usually I try to have mastery equal to my mana income so I can cast spells forever (unless I am going for tower bonus on mastery 25 or 50).

[Stan]

This game needs a glossary system bad. Having to trial & error basic mechanics isn't the best the gameplay can be, IMO, as the experience of arbitrariness is quite frustrating.