New Feature Idea - Magic and Spells system.

[Frostfall]

Ok so I feel like a magical spell system would be amazing for ark. I would love to get into a fist fight with a Rex while hitting it with like fists of fire or shooting fireballs at it while dodging its bite attacks, so here is my idea.

New Features:
-New stat: Mana
-New item: Magic Shard
-New Item: Energy Harvestor
-New Crafting Station: Runic Table
-New Feature: Ark Energy Research

How it works: (* see below the post)

So to start off with Mana, it would be a stat that controls whether or not you can cast spells, and when you cast spells it drains your mana pool. In order to regen your mana pool it will drain both your hunger and water at equal rates, or at a doubled rate if one of the two is already drained. In order to cast spells you must first acquire a new item called a "Magic Shard" which are crafted by combining crystal with energy harnessed using an "Energy Harvestor" at either one of the Ark pillars or at random energy deposits located around the island (Energy fissures that can appear in caves and around the island for a short amount of time)( * ). After acquiring a handful of "Magic Shards" you need to imbue them with the spell you want to cast at a "Runic Table"( ** ). In order to imbue them with the spell you want to cast, you need to learn how to cast that spell using the new "Ark Energy Research" feature, which is essentially Engrams but for spells( *** ). The spell shards become consume on use items, so when you cast the spell it breaks the shard and you have to craft more in order to recast that spell.

* - I was also toying around with the idea that in order to gain energy you need to break down the artifacts that you collect from the caves in order to gain energy, thus making collecting them a bit more worth while than just for summoning a boss. Maybe the artifacts can be a source for it that grants more than just collecting from the pillars and from fissures, which could be on a CD while artifact decomposition is not.

** - I was thinking that the more energy you put into a "Magic Shard" the more damage or effective it will be, but it will in turn cost more mana.

*** - I was trying to figure out how a second engram system would work, and I was thinking perhaps it could act as a whole new exp bar, where you gain spell engrams from leveling up your use of magic. Another thought was that in order to learn spells you would need to study the elements and break them down at a "Runic Table" in order to figure out the cell structure and how they are made so that you can reconstruct cells similar to the ones you studied and thus create spells through that.

Examples of spells could be:

- Energy shield: Gives you immunity from melee and projectile damage up to "X" amount of damage, drains mana while sustained.

- Fireball: Hurls a ball of fire towards the enemy dealing "X" damage. Costs "X" mana.

- Magma Blast: Hurl a large ball of magma towards the target location dealing "X" damage to all caught within its radius of "X" feet.

- Energy Torch: Places a ball of light infront of you, illuminating the area for "X" seconds, drains mana while sustained.

- Teleport home: Teleports you to a friendly bed, but drains you of all your mana and must be channeled for 30 seconds while uninterrupted by damage.

- Magmic Fists: Turn the skin and flesh around your bones into magma, increasing your melee damage with your hands by "X" damage and also become resistant to all but the most intense amounts of heat (Essentially you can't go cave jumping into a pool of laval), drains mana while sustained.

- Electric Smash: Smash your fists into the ground, sending a wave of electric enemy through the ground damaging all nearby enemies within "X" yards for "X" damage, and powering on any electronic devices in the area for a short amount of time (like 10 seconds) (cannot travel up walls).

- Drain Essence: Drain the essence of an enemy directly infront of you, dealing "X" damage and restoring "X" health, drains mana while channeled.

- Siphon Essence: Heal a target infront of you, transfering "X" health from you to the target, drains mana while channeled.

- Inferno: Send a beam of pure fire infront of you reaching up to "X" yards and dealing "X" damage to all trapped within it, drains mana while channeled.

Just something I would love to see in Ark, it could be made scientific by using the energy from the ark pillars and what not to learn how to use magic or advanced science. I really hope this gets seen by an Ark developer :)

[DreadWolf]

if they add magic to this game they would lose most of the fanbase. this is a survival game not dungons and dinos...

[Frostfall]

Originally posted by project_fatex:

if they add magic to this game they would lose most of the fanbase. this is a survival game not dungons and dinos...

Who says a survival game can't have magic? Did you even read any of it or just look at the title and base your post on that?

[DreadWolf]

this is why we cant have nice things..

[Kazzerk]

That's nice for a mod.

[Frostfall]

Originally posted by project_fatex:

this is why we cant have nice things..

Again, why or how?

I could easily say that because this game has guns, its Call of Duty and thus not a survival game, and it would basically be what you are saying.

[Some Guy in NC]

Meh... I don't really think it fits this game very well. Its a cool idea and would be fun but maybe just for a mod.

[electr1c]

Please no magic

[Shion]

Honestly, not sure it fits with the theme of the game. It's more sci-fi than fantasy, and while it is true that sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic, we're not THAT advanced nor are the aliens that brought us to the ARK. Sure, we have a drgaon... as a boss. One of the others is a blatant King Kong shout out, and the other is more alien than anything. Sorry, it just doesn't fit. would be excellent as the basis for a TC mod that transformed everything into mythical equivalents though. I'd play the ♥♥♥♥ out of that.

[DreadWolf]

No your absolutly right, guns are unrealistic enough without pulling magic out of mid air and go melee a trex.

[Nikea]

Doesn't fit the theme of the game whatsoever. Sorry, but it would never make it's way into the game

[Team Israel]

pls no

[Abusive]

Don't like the idea. I don't think it's fits, at all.

[BOTA]

Of course there's some people who survive by using and magic instead of guns...
C'mon, this is not a fantasy based game... Altough it has some things, its not a game themed after fantasy, for that you go and play the elder scrolls series.

[Inkblot Blues]

Magic? No. Weird alien stun and/or fire gloves for the tech teir? Maaaaaybe.

[xxxaziexxx]

No. Please no.

I love magic, but not for this game. Plasma/laser weaponry may fit in well with the current game theme though.