MMORPG with the best magic-system ?

Alaundo

EQ2's the only mmorpg i've played so far, i expected much of it, the graphics are great and all.

But there's absolutely no depth in the combat system at all.

I'm used to play Baldur's Gate and other D&D games. Mages start of as the weakest class in these games, but as the advance in level they become gods, with the right knowledge and preparations they can make a group of 10 fighters of the same level cry for there moms.

In EQ2 a sorcerer can de nothing but nuking the enemies, pure offence no defence. An enchanter can only stun and disable enemies but can't kill, pure defence no offence. The summoner's something in between, they use their pet as a shield and together they take out the enemy slowly.

Also why i don't like the magic-system: There are no scrolls the learn spelss from, you just gain spells automaticly as you level. And another thing: There's 10 of the same skills for everything, not just magic, like 10 skills for a fighter to taunt an enemy, 20 spells for an enchanter to stun or root an enemy, 10 ways to backstab as a rogue and 999 skills total to tap power. I mean ... and there's not even a spell like mirror image or globe of invulnerability.

So basicly EQ2 has the worst magic-system i've ever seen.

So now i've got 2 questions: How's the magic-system in WoW? And will D&D Online's magic-system be a lot like Baldur's Gate's ?

 

 

JulianDracos

I am not exactly sure what you are looking for in terms of magic. 

I do not know if EQ2 is like this, but way back when I played EQ (i feel so dirty thinking about that awful pos game) at higher levels you had to go adventure for spells, do research or something like that.  I can say this with condidence - at higher levels you had to do something besides levels to get spells.

SoR had an interesting idea that you can build your own spells, but you could do little with it.  Just change the damage type, how much damage, distance, etc.  All spells were pretty much the same. 

Dark Ages of Camelot might be your best bet.  Each realm has a set of casters each with different spells.  Hibernia is one of the realms.  In terms of mage classes you have Enchanter, Eldritch, Mentalist, and Bainshee.  You also have two healer classes in Bard and Druid.  A sorta Palidin type in a Warden.  Actually all except for the Hero have some magic.

Anyway, sticking with the Enchanter, Eld, and Ment here is how it works.  For the most part you have baselline spells.  These go up with your levels and are pretty much exactly the same between these classes.  All get the same sheilds, a stun, a damage spell.  Then you will have spells you get for leveling in your particular class.  So a Mentalist would get a damage over time spell, an Eld would get a damage spell and a bolt, Enchanters get damage and debuff.

Then you get points to train in as you level.  You will have skills to train in.  Each skill you train will grant you different types of spells at different levels.  Debuffs, bolts, damage, AoE, DoT, heal, HoT, snare, pets, charm, mez, etc.  Each class will have a mixture of offense and defense.  So even a pure damage caster will have some way to at least stun a target and try to run away. 

You can make potions in the game.  You can enchant your armor.  You weapons can have effects on them.  You armor can have reactive effects.  About the only thing I have not seen in the game is scrolls that cast spells. 

Combat can be like EQ in you hit a button and let it hack.  You also get combat styles.  Some stun, some cause bleeding effects, some tant, some do more damage, some detaunt.  You can put these styles into chains. 

Typical leveling group will basically consist of tanks.  They will pull the mob and get the argo.  You then have healers to keep them alive.  Then you have the casters that do the actual killing.  My eldritch can one shot kill a monster with a spell.  Even monsters that are higher level die in 2-3 spells.  I do a HUGE amount of damage.  I can kill a target on average in 10-15 seconds.  It would take tanks minutes to do the same thing.

So in that sense it is like AD&D.  Not saying that DAOC is the "best" just describing to you the system.  Each game will be similar in some ways and different in others as to how they handle spells and combat. 

Benden

Most complete magic system i saw myself was in EQ 1. Casters do not get the spell when they level, they must buy them, then scribe them  in your spellbook (just a click on the book). Some spells are only available as loot from mob or from specific quests. I'll just give you a link to look at the spells (better than list them from memory).

Necromancer : http://eq.crgaming.com/spells/default.asp?List=Class&ClassId=9

Magician : http://eq.crgaming.com/spells/default.asp?List=Class&ClassId=11

Shaman : http://eq.crgaming.com/spells/default.asp?List=Class&ClassId=4

etc, check http://eq.crgaming.com/ for more

But, but... EQ 1 is old, game is interesting despite numerous bad things. If you start now in EQ you will solo 97% of your time, all players still playing the game are very high level. Game graphics are a bit outdated too bu still ok. I would not recommend you picking EQ 1 as your next mmorpg unless you have a friend playing with you all the time.

DAOC spells and magics are ok but more limited. Their casters have some funny spells but you cant just cast invisibility or levitate in that game :

check the spells here : http://www.classesofcamelot.com/spells/masterList.asp

Just compare Necromancers spell in both game and you'll understand, or Wizard in EQ and Eldritch (hibernia), they're almost same class : damage dealer caster. But in DAOC you have original fun spells : check the animist (he can summons some kind of mushrooms/pets that do different effect. Or the Theurgist, who can send like a demi dozen small pets to kill his target.

Same problem with Daoc. Most player are high lvl, you'll solo alot as new player. But you should be able to group much more often than with EQ1 at low level. DAOC is also more recent, graphics are good and even if the game is less rich (world is smaller, less content) than EQ1 it's a good game imo + the pvp of course.

Never played WoW so i can't help with this one.

About AC1 if memory serves :  nice magic system. You need components to cast spells (as ADD pen and paper) but Spells list is very very limited.

Edit : Ack ! Forgot to talk about Neverwinters Night !! not a mmorpg but you can play online with other people (about 30 to 60 people max on same server) and the community is huge. Here you'll have your minor globe of invulnerability, stoneskin etc (D&D 3.5 rules). And the platinum edition is cheap : excellent price/value ratio. + solo play and tons of free modules (solo scenarios).

http://nwn.bioware.com/about/platinumedition.html#stores

my 2 coppers.