Thank you for all of your support of BSC Days 07/14/14-07/17/14


The BSC (stands for Bat-Shit Crazy) Days were an event with a set of video and text presentations, updates, and reveals held by City State Entertainment on 7/14/-7/17/2014. For Camelot Unchained, BSC is often used by City State Entertainment to refer to the slightly off-the-wall, maybe a little "crazy" ideas of Mark Jacobs and the City State Entertainment team about our own game mechanics. The BSC Days event was a major early content and gameplay reveal for Camelot Unchained.

Magic System Presentation

Guiding Principles

  • Put the magic back into an MMORPG’s magic system
    • Magic in the vast majority of MMORPGs requires very little thought or effort by the players
    • Spells are handed to the player, with very limited control or customization by players
  • Create a system through which players can have a great degree of customization and control of their magical abilities
    • Adding a degree of unpredictability to your opponent’s abilities in RvR adds to the challenge
  • Reintroduce the concept of the spellbook, an important part of many PnP games, as well as lore and literature surrounding mages
    • Another possible area for customization by the player
    • Adds additional immersion to the game
  • Magic system must be fun, and not tedious to use in RvR
    • Any system must stand the strain and stress of high-end RvR combat: it must not take three hands to use
    • It cannot just be a “button mashing” system, or we are wasting our time

Core System

  • Magic spells are created by the player (not by the studio), by combining Runes and other components such as reagents
    • Back in the 1980s, Mark Jacobs created a magic system for his MUD Dragon’s Gate, which allowed mages to build spells by putting together elements, shapes, and sizes
    • Here, runes can represent all of that and so much more
  • Runes represent specific magical forces, which may interact with one another in complimentary enemy use
    • Core elements of fire, water, etc. are of course present, but each magic-using class has specialized Runes as well, to prevent class mirroring
  • The combination of Runes to create magical interactions may take place during the spell creation process, or when multiple magic spells affect one another in combat
    • Runes form the “core” spell, but players also have a wide range of other components that they can add to the spell, in order to customize their magic even further
  • All mages are given a spellbook in which to inscribe their spells
    • Spellbooks can level with the player, as the runes and the player’s skill increases as well
    • A spellbook also acts as an “achievement” system, where it records failures, successes, combinations of runes, etc.
  • Magic spells, once cast, can become the equivalent of objects on the battlefield
    • They can interact with players, NPCs, and other spells
      • Spell-to-spell interaction can lead to a wide range of outcomes such as cancellations, enhancements, and transformations

Spellbook

  • The spellbook tracks charges, usage, successes, and failures of inscribed spells
    • Spellbooks level up with the player, gain more power, and *possibly* achieve sentience (Stretch Goal)
  • Creating new spells and inscribing them into a spellbook is dangerous, and may fail catastrophically
  • Players may name their custom spells in their spellbook, and use these names in the game
  • Players may show their spellbook to others, and share spells they have created
  • Spells inscribed in spellbooks must be charged before they can be used
  • Spellbooks have a maximum capacity of spell charges they can hold
  • Spell charges are drained from the spellbook when the spell is cast
  • Spellbooks become easier to recharge over time with use, and can be upgraded or replaced to hold more charges

Magic Use

  • Spells can be cast multiple ways
    • Through use of a spellbook or charged item
    • Potentially “live” building of spells during combat
  • Spells always have a chance to critically succeed or fail
    • Spellcasting result is modified based on proficiency with the components used
    • Spellcasting result can also be modified by external factors, such as interrupts and buffs/debuffs on the player, as well as player stats such as Panic Rating
  • When casting, spells can be held for a brief time before being released
  • Casting too many spells in an area may cause Veilstorms to appear
    • Major Veilstorms (such as a Malevolence) are rare, but smaller ones are common in areas of intense fighting
      • Small Veilstorms have varying effects on magic used in the area
  • Spells can use components infused with reagents (which may be difficult to find in the world), in order to enhance their effects
  • Many outside factors can affect the casting of spells, such as:
    • Various ley lines throughout the world
    • Weather
    • Seasons
    • Day/night

A.I.R.

  • A.I.R. – Action, Interaction, and Reaction is the heart of the magic system
  • Each spell cast can interact with everything in the world, and change based on that interaction
    • Spells can be reinforced by other players
      • Multiple mages with ice spells use magic to keep an Ice Wall up around a town
    • Spells can be weakened by other players
      • Enemy mages can weaken an Ice Wall by throwing fire-based spells or other runes that oppose Ice
    • Spells can be transformed by other spells
      • An Ice Wall can be transformed by fire spells, which might result in it becoming Steam. That Steam can then be blown by Wind mages to harm other players
  • A.I.R. helps transform the battlefield from an exercise in button-mashing to a more complicated and challenging place
    • Skilled players, groups, etc. are rewarded for playing as a team
    • The outcome of battles is less predictable and different builds of mages might be useful at different times
      • May reduce the “must-have” mage builds during sieges and small-scale battles
  • Some examples:
    • Water + Frost = Ice
    • Water + Frost + Storm = Ice Storm
    • Ice Storm + Wind = Amplified Ice Storm
    • Fire + Wind = Fire Blast
    • Fire + Water + Wall + Wind = Moving Steam Cloud
  • Spells + additional power can modify results
    • Added duration, range, etc.
  • Spells + additional reagents can also modify the spell
    • Ice Storm + Diamond Infusion = Increased damage of the spell
    • Ice Storm + Nightshade = Poison effect added to spell
    • Spells are modified based on type such as Fire Blast + Water Wall = Steam Cloud
  • Spell interactions have different outcomes based on ally or enemy use
    • Wind Blast + Ally Fire Ball = Fire Ball Speed and Damage increase
    • Wind Blast + Enemy Fire Ball = Deflect Fire Ball

Summary

  • The magic system of Camelot Unchained is unique to the world of MMORPGs, not in its core concept but rather, in the expression of that concept
    • Degree of customization of spells unmatched in MMORPGs
    • Interaction of spells on the battlefield take RvR to the next level
    • Use and growth of spellbook adds level of immersion and customization
  • Geared to players who want to have more control over their characters, and are willing to spend time experimenting with spells and combinations
  • Requires players to spend more time talking, reacting, and working as a team during sieges, not just mashing buttons as fast as they can
    • A.I.R. system is not only fun, but adds more immersion to the world, while increasing player cooperation and Realm bonding