What was the thinking behind the magic system?

[Plantman Knows Where Plants Grow]

Was there ever a developer announcement about why the magic system is the way it is?
Are there people who liked the magic system in this game? Why?

And I'm talking about this goofy system where you need to go to nodes, absorb energy from nodes, make a limited amount of spells, and for all the trouble they are friendly-fire(you can hit your own team on accident) unless you handicap one of your teammates with one less item slot.

[Mechanical]

Final Fantasy 8 had a similar system.

[Exarch_Alpha]

It doesn´t damage the party very much. Don´t waste slot.

Use 99 potency and you do get a powerful option. Nothing better than destroying a group of imperials who just dropped from their ships.

What is REALLY annoying isn´t the spell casting but having to harvest the ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ nodes.

[Nuro]

yah it was a terrible system.

combat in this game in general was pretty bad IMO.

[Xerazal]

Originally posted by Mechanical:

Final Fantasy 8 had a similar system.

Except 8 had other uses for magic.

[Exarch_Alpha]

Well at least magic works to an extent

Know what is pointless? Summoning.

[Plantman Knows Where Plants Grow]

Originally posted by Exarch_Alpha:

Well at least magic works to an extent

Know what is pointless? Summoning.

I preffer to say the summons in this game became Summon-Divas.
They got center stage, they got the best scenes, they stole the best lines, and they don't have to make an appearance unless they want too.

After this I think I prefer the summons from X(10), sure most of them were butt ugly or generic but at least they weren't up their own rears about themselves. They're a working-man's summons, blue bloods, for us the little people.

[Exarch_Alpha]

Bahamut also sucked. Ok Leviathan is a dragon so Bahamut can´t be too? WTF?

[ehs03y3ol]

I don't really like the magic mechanics, even I'd love FF VIII extraction mechanics, but the lack of power, options and danger of using magic on this game just left me to don't use them. This is not the worst game ever, but hell, everything is still unfinished...

[NuhUh]

I think the way Square Enix developed the magic system is fair. Magic is REALLY OP in XV. Because magic is so over-powered, limiting it's usage by way of "node gathering" the magic sort of balances the game.

The base magic system is simple enough. It's when you get into adding "multipliers" and "cast effects" is when the magic system starts to become useful. You can even add multipliers on top of the base multiplier to make magic damager even stronger. On top of which, you can increase the base magic multiplier via the Ascension Tree.

Magic has the ability for a single cast to kill any and everything. This is my reason why SE limit magic usage in game. In the overall scheme of the game, magic is game breaking mechanic that can make gameplay trivial.

[Plantman Knows Where Plants Grow]

...Well.. Holding down the attack button makes gameplay trivial :)

But really, I think your answer is pretty good so far. If combat weren't so busted this would have been the "clear screen of enemies" attack you see in shmups where they only give you a few of these attacks -I think that's what development intended because that makes sense.

[Judge Lazar]

It's really tedious at first I agree, but once you get around lvl 40-ish it becomes a non issue. I only went up to chapter 3 and then just started doing all the side ♥♥♥♥. The EXP and money I gained from that turned it into something I don't even have to think about anymore.

The strat I used (contains spoliers) is laid out below.

First get to Wiz's Chocobo post ASAP and do his side missions until you can buy and make the +50% xp boost sandwich. Put the ring of resistance and key of prosperity (dunno if everyone gets that or not) on Gladiolus, he doesn't really need the equipment, when you start unlocking 3 slots you can shift gear around. Start farming Voretooth bristles, one of the better catalysts you can get for free. Sheeps milk and Leiden/Sweet (can't remember which) are cheap and decent as well.

As suppliment, I know a lot of people wouldn't like doing this, wait for the Cactaur/Slactaur timed quest to come up. It will be a struggle, but you can do it around lvl 20 if you are careful and come prepared with Hi Potions. If you have the 50% xp boost on, every time you beat it will yield right around 150,000 experience. When Gladiolus' passive survival skill is leveled a bit and you put some AP into it. Combined with the ring of prosperity and survival you will begetting more meagpotions and remedies than you would ever use. It's at the point for me where I regularly end up with 99 of each before even finishing the imed quest.

Selling both stacks is worth like 25,000g. Just keep the 50% exp boost on and keep farming that. Not only will you level up like crazy, you will be making a boat load of money. Which leads me to my point. Using a full stack of regular pheonix downs as a catalyst, costs like 10,000g, will yield stacks of around 40 use spells with Tricast. Your results may differ based on what you put your AP into. I can say, however, that putting points into "Super powercraft" and "Bonus spell" are absolutely not worth it. Stick with powercraft, extra powercraft and magic action.

To make things easier, try to go for the extra gear slot for everyone first. Also give prompto Gravisphere. It is immensely helpful in the cactaur fight.

Adendum, use Galdin Quay to rest, it gives 2x XP. Save up as much xp as you can until you get bored of farming or whatever. Like don't rest after every run. Maybe the first few times just to gain some levels and AP to make it easier.

[Exarch_Alpha]

Haha that´s neat

Magic is pretty potent when you do it right. If you got like, 10 uses instead of 3 it would be pretty OP

[Plantman Knows Where Plants Grow]

That's a decently good tip, Lazar. If I were a game mag editor I would publish it so I hope it's in the Steam Guide section and if not you should put it there I woud plus rate it.

[NuhUh]

Originally posted by Exarch_Alpha:

Haha that´s neat

Magic is pretty potent when you do it right. If you got like, 10 uses instead of 3 it would be pretty OP

Grinding for the required mats can net you 15 casts of magic at 999 potent. As I said in a previous post, magic is OP if you don't mind the grind and time to craft it correctly.

https://youtu.be/gyLEiMxKjdg
This video shows magic 14-15 casts at 999 potent with various efffects.

[Exarch_Alpha]

Interesting, one question however - isn´t damage capped at 9999? Never saw higher values