Question for testers - spell effects upgrading at mastery level, spell level or both?

[Gilli]

<p>I read on the spell animation thread that the designers want spells to upgrade with mastery level.  So, a solar flare at master skill looks better than one at journeyman skill.  I have some questions about how this works and wondered if a dev and/or our loyal testers could answer them:</p><p><strong>Do spell effects upgrade at mastery levels, at spell levels, or both?</strong></p><p>a) For example, is Solar Flare V  better looking than Solar Flare III? </p><p>b) Or, does Solar Flare V (journeyman) look the same as Solar Flare III (journeyman) meaning it's <em>only </em>the mastery level that changes the effect, not the spell level?  If they look different, then both mastery and spell level seem to matter.</p><p>c) However it works (whether by actual level, mastery level, or both) how big a jump do we see between tiers?  For example, if it's by level, do you notice it every level, every 3 levels (e.g., I, IV, VII), etc.?  If it's by mastery is it apprentice<journey<adept<master<grandmaster or more like apparentice<adept<master?</p><p>Thanks for any light you can shed on this progression.</p>

[Kilnger]

<p>Judging by my own minor testing, it seems to be based on mastery level and not spell. My main use was reactives, of which my I was adept and my high end was I with a master in the middle. Both adepts looked the same, despite one being level 1 or so and the other being in the 50s/60s. The master was brighter and the grandmaster more still.</p>

[Gilli]

<p>Thanks.  I was hoping it would be based on both factors.  A lot of people won't see the higher level effects until the level pacing slows down enough to justify spending money on upgrades. </p><p>In fact, I'd almost rather have it upgrade based on ability level if I had to pick only one.  Final Fantasy knows about that, lol.  <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p>

[Myrien]

<p><cite>Gilli@Blackburrow wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Thanks.  I was hoping it would be based on both factors.  A lot of people won't see the higher level effects until the level pacing slows down enough to justify spending money on upgrades. </p><p>In fact, I'd almost rather have it upgrade based on ability level if I had to pick only one.  Final Fantasy knows about that, lol.  <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" /></p></blockquote><p>In all honesty, people aren't missing much if they don't have Master spells.  My 90 necro has a mix of Expert and Master spells, and the spell effects are almost nonexistent.  The new animations and effects are terrible, apologies to the art team.</p>

[Gilli]

<p>Bummer.  They got me all excited when they reminded me that spell effects upgrading with power or level is a fun thing.  Way back in the 80s Final Fantasy did that and your ICE2 looked neater than plain old ICE (and far as I know, FF13 or 28, or whatever we're on now still uses this technique).  It was another way of appreciating your advancement that wasn't all numbers-based and I forgot how much it added to my enjoyment until they dangled it here. </p><p>Still, I guess a slight upgrade based on mastery level is better than no upgrade at all.  And maybe some spells do still upgrade based on level?  I swear my warden's heal main heal over time (in the old system, anyway) got more green glow and more leaves as it upgraded in level (that is, photosynthesis IX > photosynthesis I).</p>

[Guy De Alsace]

<p>I can barely notice any difference between App 1 and grandmaster since the effects are so low key.</p>

[Myrien]

<p><cite>Gilli@Blackburrow wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Bummer.  They got me all excited when they reminded me that spell effects upgrading with power or level is a fun thing.  Way back in the 80s Final Fantasy did that and your ICE2 looked neater than plain old ICE (and far as I know, FF13 or 28, or whatever we're on now still uses this technique).  It was another way of appreciating your advancement that wasn't all numbers-based and I forgot how much it added to my enjoyment until they dangled it here. </p><p>Still, I guess a slight upgrade based on mastery level is better than no upgrade at all.  And maybe some spells do still upgrade based on level?  I swear my warden's heal main heal over time (in the old system, anyway) got more green glow and more leaves as it upgraded in level (that is, photosynthesis IX > photosynthesis I).</p></blockquote><p>Yeah, the new system is a bummer.  I was excited when I read about how spells are supposed to become more visually complex as they gain quality.  They really don't, though.  My 90 necro's Soulrot IX Master looks just like my level 1 necro's Soulrot I apprentice.</p>

[Kilnger]

<p>The visual complexity is usually limited to one effect and little else. For example, the reactives look mostly the same except higher level ones operate under the age old premise of MORE GLOW! It's nearly impossible to see when an apprentice reactive is cast on you, while a grandmaster one basically makes you into the sun for about a second (and that's easily missed as well, especially if you're wearing gold/silver armor or in a bright area).</p><p>Some of them are subtle enough that the difference is obnoxiously minor, like a buff that has a bunch of rings around you has two instead of three.</p>