What if every spell rank did a multiplier of player rank, keeping all spell ranks relevant at all levels.
Just a thought.
This is incredibly simple.
D-ranks are D-ranks, they are the default spells. They do damage equal to the user rank.
C-ranks step up the game. They deal *2 user rank.
D=*1
C=*2
B=*3
A=*4
S=*5
H=*7
By keeping spell damage scaled with user rank, all spells remain relevant throughout all ranks.
Meanwhile in doing so, lower ranks are also doing more damage in general and can actually threaten higher rank players. An A-ranks spells wont do much at all to an S-rank normally. By using this multiple system, that A-rank can use *4 A damage to the S-rank with their A-rank spells, becoming more of a threat. The S-rank is likewise more of a threat, but at least now the A-rank could deal reliable damage and a few A-ranks could overwhelm an S-rank.
Presently, higher ranks have little concern over lower ranks.
Speaking as someone from the highest player rank, I dislike that.
All in all, this makes all spells relevant across the board and makes everyone less invulnerable. With the present systems, it is far too easy to become invincible with even a little HP regen and a little durability buffs I feel.
Meanwhile it'd give a reason for spells to have cooldowns and MP costs in comparison to the freedom of use a sword provides.
If you want to be a master with a sword, use a sword magic. Use spell slots to gain the multipliers. This means that not everyone who picks up a weapon is instantly a master at it and you need that investment of slots to get the most out of the weapon, making it no more or less advantageous to other magic types.
Just a thought.
- Spoiler:
- You wouldn't have to change anything about the damage rules I don't think.
But apps could need to be updated. (In the hypothetical situation where some change like this occured) Or they could just be assumed to conform to the default rate of multiplication.
Because right now it's just hard to damage anything and spells lose out to melee.
But in this concept melee would be the default standard, along with D rank spells, with higher ranking spells being more complicated / multiplying off of that baseline.
So right now you might do 2% damage with a melee attack. Use an S-rank spell and you'd do some showey move that has say a x5 multiplier, turning the 2% into 10%
Then again it'd also be far more deadly to lower ranked individuals than the attacker, but at least the lower ranks would be able to scratch the higher.
D- x1
C- x2
B- x3
A- x4
S- x5
H- x7
Player B, B-Rank, attacks player A, A-Rank. Player B would deal 5% damage by default with a basic attack (Melee strike, D-rank spell). Player B uses a B-rank spell, to deal 15% damage to Player A. Enough to rough up player A's arm.
Player A's basic attack would deal 20% damage to Player B. Using an A-rank spell, Player A does 80% damage to Player B.
That seems like a lot doesn't it~
Soo...
Say damage was based off of 2's (For the defaults)
D-2
C-4
B-6
A-8
S-10
H-14
Instead of being doubled for every rank higher and cut in half for every rank lower, it just goes up a rung for being a rank higher, and down a rung for being a rank lower.
(Optionally: No difference between ranks. A C-rank hit always deals 4%. An A-rank hit always deals 8%)
Instead we'd get...
Player B, B-Rank, attacks player A, A-Rank. Player B would deal 4% damage by default with a basic attack (Melee strike, D-rank spell). Player B uses a B-rank spell, to deal 12% damage to Player A. Enough to rough up player A's arm.
Player A's basic attack would deal 10% damage to Player B. Using an A-rank spell, Player A does 40% damage to Player B, rather than 80%
The result is the lower rank character deals about the same damage as the first with just the multipliers while the higher rank doesn't two-shot them because of the scaling 2's.
With the optional no-change, the B-rank would deal 6% damage and with a B-rank spell would deal 18% damage.
Meanwhile the A-rank would deal 32% with an A-rank spell, or 24% with a B-rank spell of their own.
Again this is just a thought that would work towards making spells more relevant in comparison to basic melee attacks, melee attackers having cause to use spells more as well (Whether it be a flurry of blade strikes or a fireball).
As-is, there's barely a reason to use spells unless you want non-damage effects or AoE. Or just show off, and lower ranked spells become useless for damage.
Note: Spells wouldn't be forced into a certain rate. They could freely go up or down a number of multiplication depending on spell effect(s). There is no real issue with them doing this presently, but with this system it'd make even more sense since multiplication is just multiplication. Working from the same base rate, a B-rank casting an A-rank's x4 on a B-rank spell would still only multiply from B-rank, not A-rank. ie: like how the A-rank deals more damage using a B-rank spell than they would as a B-rank. Meaning the B-rank still doesn't do as much damage as the A-rank using an A-rank level multiplication of x4.
This is incredibly simple.
D-ranks are D-ranks, they are the default spells. They do damage equal to the user rank.
C-ranks step up the game. They deal *2 user rank.
D=*1
C=*2
B=*3
A=*4
S=*5
H=*7
By keeping spell damage scaled with user rank, all spells remain relevant throughout all ranks.
Meanwhile in doing so, lower ranks are also doing more damage in general and can actually threaten higher rank players. An A-ranks spells wont do much at all to an S-rank normally. By using this multiple system, that A-rank can use *4 A damage to the S-rank with their A-rank spells, becoming more of a threat. The S-rank is likewise more of a threat, but at least now the A-rank could deal reliable damage and a few A-ranks could overwhelm an S-rank.
Presently, higher ranks have little concern over lower ranks.
Speaking as someone from the highest player rank, I dislike that.
All in all, this makes all spells relevant across the board and makes everyone less invulnerable. With the present systems, it is far too easy to become invincible with even a little HP regen and a little durability buffs I feel.
Meanwhile it'd give a reason for spells to have cooldowns and MP costs in comparison to the freedom of use a sword provides.
If you want to be a master with a sword, use a sword magic. Use spell slots to gain the multipliers. This means that not everyone who picks up a weapon is instantly a master at it and you need that investment of slots to get the most out of the weapon, making it no more or less advantageous to other magic types.