I'm feeling unwell right now. But still, part of me wants to write something. Earlier today, I tried writing a new chapter for A Requiem From Winter Past. It felt awkward, to be honest. It's like coming back to a place years after your departure. Apart from the awkwardness, it actually felt good to be back. Knowing myself, it will most likely while it lasts.
Update: Above part was written a few nights ago. Also, this post is written over the span of a few days because my brain isn't exactly known to be normal. At the same time, Marvel Heroes Omega is experiencing temporary unavailability for whatever reason beyond my understanding. Since last night, that is.
Further update on what I said about Marvel Heroes Omega: Okay, it's officially dead. I won't be playing it because Gazillion pulled the plug on the life support system. Hopefully, it means more time for my writing.
Final update: The entire post was written over a span of few days. This was due to my brain hitting a blank state. On one hand, I had an idea of what to write. On the other, it didn't take anything away from my so-called mental blank state.
Because metallurgy requires sufficient physical contact with the item, it mostly applies to weapons while shields are also a viable option. Weapons reinforced this way takes less item damage. For shields, it makes them immune to item damage.
Durability indicates item damage resistance. However, there are two aspects of durability. Namely, passive durability and active durability. Passive durability indicates the item damage resistance throughout the game apart from combat while active durability indicates item damage resistance during combat. Passive durability will always affect active durability, but not the other way round. This to reflect the wear and tear relationship between corrosion and usage. Leather has the highest passive durability followed by wood with metal being the last. As for active durability, the order is the other way round. Once any gear has its passive or active durability reduced to 50% or more, that gear will be considered unusable.
Adrenaline
Lyrics (not by me because Remy LeBeau isn't 100% dishonourable)
For example, if I am not me, could you say that you are you?
If you break the container of sand, can you gather up the pieces of my heart?
The voice of someone calling has become ringing in my ears.
Time seems to have stopped. So, open your eyes.
We broke out of the thick darkness. We escaped from what seemed like a hurricane.
We, who look like living corpses, are going outside the walls.
For example, if there was no light in the world, could you be able to see yourself?
Can you count and tie together the pieces of a landscape projected in slow motion?
The voice of someone crying has become tremors in the earth
Let's start from zero. Farewell, final night.
I broke out of the long dream. I escaped with a red body.
Our eyes look like those of starved beasts.
We're stepping beyond the storms; we're reaching out our hands.
With all my strength, I extracted the stuck blade and said "I am you".
We broke out of the thick darkness. We escaped from what seemed like a hurricane.
We, who look like living corpses, are going outside the walls.
Let's meet again, in the unmapped place.
Update: Above part was written a few nights ago. Also, this post is written over the span of a few days because my brain isn't exactly known to be normal. At the same time, Marvel Heroes Omega is experiencing temporary unavailability for whatever reason beyond my understanding. Since last night, that is.
Further update on what I said about Marvel Heroes Omega: Okay, it's officially dead. I won't be playing it because Gazillion pulled the plug on the life support system. Hopefully, it means more time for my writing.
Final update: The entire post was written over a span of few days. This was due to my brain hitting a blank state. On one hand, I had an idea of what to write. On the other, it didn't take anything away from my so-called mental blank state.
So what will this post be about?
I'll be touching on how thaumaturgy and metallurgy works. At the same time, I'll be doing the character bios (even though I've done one for Aeravor). At the same time, I decided to risk my neck by doing something like this.
How this works in the game=how this works in the plot (?)
Because of the complications involving the runes, I need to find a way to make them relevant for metallurgy. The problem is, how am I going to create twenty variations so as to speak? It's terribly dumb and horribly moronic. In other words, there's NO way I can ever do that. If even the likes of Pablo Picasso and Vincent van Gogh are mere humans like you and me, what makes me think I am capable of creating the world in six days? If I was given such a job, I'd end up doing an absolutely crap job (no Bruce Almighty jokes, please).
For thaumaturgy, there's no need for me to change anything. For metallurgy, it's either I end up doing more than ten variations of the same thing or I can just streamline the whole damn thing. Thankfully, I actually got an idea on how to go about doing it. But before that...
Relevance of runes in both the game and plot
I don't intend magic to be something omnipotent. A Requiem From Winter Past is intended as a story about humanity in a world where God doesn't exist. Since magic is nothing more than a power meant to be used, the first two alphabets of the word abuse shouldn't read like "AB=Absolutely Bro". Rather, the first two alphabets of the word abuse should read like "AB=Absolutely Brüder".
If you want to see absolutely badass magic, go (re)watch Harry Potter before Emma Watson became... well, all grown-up. Not that all prepubescent girls are meant to act cute, innocent, and outright Korean. Just ask Maisie Williams.
Since I need to create limitations (after all, magic is technically humanistic... whatever this statement means...), I need to retain the relevance of five runes per deum. You don't expect me to do the same thing for every damn alphabet. Thankfully, my experience as a casual gamer gave me an idea. But before I continue, let me just say a big thank you to Cryptic and Gazillion for Neverwinter and Marvel Heroes Omega. Despite any apparent flaws (not that I never have a single damn big one), I still enjoy the ride. And because I enjoy the ride, it's only natural for me to... well, pilfer certain things like Remy LeBeau (btw, what happened to Channing Tatum?).
So here are the boundaries I've set:
1. Each rune is only usable once per day.
2. Going by the five runes per deum rule, it means both thaumaturgy and metallurgy can only be used five times per day.
3. One day in-game is equivalent to 30 minutes of gaming time. Hopefully, I manage to get the balance right.
 |
| Chinese father or Asian father, may I ask? |
4. Definition of day and night hinges on when the sun rises and when the moon goes down.
5. Unless it's Aeravor (whom Dullahan stated was able to command all the four deums), every character can only gain access to one deum (whether I'll do an Arc on Aera remains to be seen).
How thaumaturgy exactly works
Unlike the Killing Curse, there's no such thing as a rigged deal. More specifically, the concept of thaumaturgy is a case of me doing a Gambit. Unlike the Will and the Word, however, thaumaturgy involves more than just the image, willpower, and a verbal command. Unlike the Will and the Word, thaumaturgy doesn't involve a verbal command. The words needed to pull the rabbit out of the hat (figuratively speaking, of course) are formed in the mind. More specifically any of the five runes plus the bridge rune, both within the boundaries of the same deum. Like the Will and the Word, however, a mental image is needed.
One thing to note is that the world isn't just a place for people to live in. It is also the ceiling which no magic, thaumaturgy or metallurgy, can breach. Whenever people start talking about the lack of women in the highest possible level of politics, the term glass ceiling will always pop up. For the power ceiling in A Requiem From Winter Past, however, it's what I'll call that absolute ceiling. No one, man or woman, can ever breach it. In a very real sense, this is a ceiling which best represents gender equality.
Therefore, trying act powerful (and smart as well for that matter) is extremely hazardous. Provided you don't die, you'll most likely go mad. Provided it's neither, it means... well, I don't know. Seriously. We all know unpredictable events aren't exactly known to be human-friendly and I don't intend things to change in my own created world where anything wrong on paper can go terribly wrong in reality.
So how to use thaumaturgy safely provided you did the SOP right? Research officers have found out that any natural phenomenon, be it modified or untouched, can be done. Yes, it can be very taxing physically and mentally (maybe it's really THAT taxing). But it is doable. Trust me. And trust me as well when I say research officers aren't needed to make this sure. Such people are reserved for their CIRC, not my Crucible. And no, I don't work there. I'm just trying to emulate Steve Jobs' inner jerk.
A wee bit on the ceiling
The logic is very simple. The ceiling imposed actually limits the extent and form. In other words, you can't create a nuke if the ceiling says no. Any phenomenon which cannot exist outside the world is also a no. I know the last statement sounds confusing, so let me just give an example here.
Create a lightning storm-Legal
Create a lightning bolt leaping from your fingertips-Legal
Creating global lightning storm in order to nuke the world from Pyongyang to Washington?
 |
| This^ |
 |
| Apparently, Roid was the cop who busted the old man. |
Going full-metal
I know this sounds like Colossus and his organic osmium. Funnily enough, the concept of reinforcement is actually Colossus' signature mutant ability. However, metallurgy is never about going full metal on organic matter. There's no way to use metallurgy like Colossus. In fact, as much as I may be a sick bastard, I don't intend to have any... well, unintended consequences. In other words, metallurgy is all about reinforcing non-living matter. It is all about increasing the durability, nothing more and nothing less.
Because metallurgy requires sufficient physical contact with the item, it mostly applies to weapons while shields are also a viable option. Weapons reinforced this way takes less item damage. For shields, it makes them immune to item damage.
Gear, materials, durability, item damage, and armour rend (That's really a lot)
Unlike other games, weapons and gear for this one are only available through two means: Purchasing them via a blacksmith or obtaining them via quest rewards. For the former, the pricing will be decided by two factors: Quality and the smithy. Quality is a no-brainer. After all, we all know that "Made in China" joke. As for the smithy, it actually depends on who you're dealing with on a racial basis. Human blacksmiths aren't exactly known to jack up the pricing. The same, however, cannot be said about the dwarves (and elves as well for that matter). Yet, it must also be said that the finest craftsmanship in every sense of the word comes from these two races. And to think I'm actually doing racism in a fictional world while my fellow (higher educated) S'poreans most likely won't touch it with a ten-feet pole.
For materials, they are classified into three categories. Namely leather, wood, and metal. This is very important because materials affect the durability of any item.
For materials, they are classified into three categories. Namely leather, wood, and metal. This is very important because materials affect the durability of any item.
Durability indicates item damage resistance. However, there are two aspects of durability. Namely, passive durability and active durability. Passive durability indicates the item damage resistance throughout the game apart from combat while active durability indicates item damage resistance during combat. Passive durability will always affect active durability, but not the other way round. This to reflect the wear and tear relationship between corrosion and usage. Leather has the highest passive durability followed by wood with metal being the last. As for active durability, the order is the other way round. Once any gear has its passive or active durability reduced to 50% or more, that gear will be considered unusable.
Armour rend status decreases the target's defence anywhere from 40% to 70% (depending on the armour type). Armour rend is considered a higher form of item damage where the affected gear will be considered unusable. Yes, I know I'm making it sound like the BFF of Valar Morghulis.
Am I the only one empathising with Arya since she's doomed to have no BFF? After all, I'm pretty sure every S'porean apart from myself has a BFF. Also, Syrio Forel sounds Spanish. Very very Spanish. Come to think of it, Arya would have been so like me if she's a S'porean. So much for doing an angmoh Brothers Grimm instead of a S'porean Disney.
Chaining system: Attacks
Weapon attacks can be chained. So long your character is in combat, the Adrenaline gauge will slowly build up. If I never mentioned it before, that's because the idea never crossed my mind until now. Chaining hits will increase the Adrenaline gauge at a faster rate. A single fast attack won't result in an increase, but chaining such attacks will ensure the Adrenaline builds up quickly. The more hits being chained, the faster the Adrenaline gauge fills up. If a heavy attack damages an opponent, the Adrenaline gauge will increase by a flat amount (25%) instead. As the Adrenaline increases, damage dealt will also increase. However, it will also increase damage taken per hit. At the same time, Adrenaline won't decrease unless you got interrupted or stunned by an attack. In this case, the Adrenaline gauge will be reset to zero.
Chaining system: Magic
Magic can also be chained, be it thaumaturgy or metallurgy. By pressing L2 (Thaumaturgy) or R2 (Metallurgy) more than once, you can create a chaining effect according to how many times the button is pressed. Magic chaining can reach up to 5 effects. The longer the chain, the more powerful it gets.
For thaumaturgy, the effects will be triggered consecutively. For metallurgy, the duration will increase according to how many times metallurgy is executed. No matter what, restrictions involving the usage of magic still applies. Magic chaining also increases adrenaline, but at a faster rate than any weapon combo.
Adrenaline
Below the character portrait UI, three gauges are present: Focus, Force, and Adrenaline. As I've said before, Focus involves triggering a buff while Force involves triggering a devastating attack unique to the character. As for Adrenaline, it's not only used for increasing the damage dealt in exchange for a lowered defence (refer back to what I've written under Chaining system: Attacks). At the same time, a full Adrenaline gauge will result in a more powerful version of Focus buff or Force attack. Once this happens, the Adrenaline gauge will be emptied and start refilling again.
As for damage bonus and amount of damage taken as the result of Adrenaline, the calculation goes as below:
0%-25%: No effect.
26%-50%: 10% damage bonus; additional 5% damage taken
51%-75%: 15% damage bonus; additional 7% damage taken
76%-100%: 18% damage bonus; additional 9% damage taken
Anything else?
I need to take a breather for now. It really feels weird knowing that your brain has certain ideas, yet still locking itself in some sort of blank state. Either way, I really need to kick myself to write a new chapter for A Requiem From Winter Past. I really got some awesome ideas for that one (please note that when I say awesome, it may not be your brand of awesome).
To round off my post, I might as well add a picture and throw in a vid.
Lyrics (not by me because Remy LeBeau isn't 100% dishonourable)
For example, if I am not me, could you say that you are you?
If you break the container of sand, can you gather up the pieces of my heart?
The voice of someone calling has become ringing in my ears.
Time seems to have stopped. So, open your eyes.
We broke out of the thick darkness. We escaped from what seemed like a hurricane.
We, who look like living corpses, are going outside the walls.
For example, if there was no light in the world, could you be able to see yourself?
Can you count and tie together the pieces of a landscape projected in slow motion?
The voice of someone crying has become tremors in the earth
Let's start from zero. Farewell, final night.
I broke out of the long dream. I escaped with a red body.
Our eyes look like those of starved beasts.
We're stepping beyond the storms; we're reaching out our hands.
With all my strength, I extracted the stuck blade and said "I am you".
We broke out of the thick darkness. We escaped from what seemed like a hurricane.
We, who look like living corpses, are going outside the walls.
Let's meet again, in the unmapped place.
P.S: I'd like to up the picture if not for some technical issues. Or maybe it's because I'm a tech Amish...
