okay, as an avid roleplayer, lemme toss in my input on this topic (the other one is too long for me to read through everything tonight)

1. having to mem a spell and only using it once, well, sucks, trust me on this
2. Mana points has become a proven method of casting spells (with limits) as far as computer games go
3. a combination of these two systems (memorize oh so many spells, then cast them till out of mana and rest up, as EQ is) is most efficient, as it makes the players actually have to stop and think about what spells they'll need to have ready when they get where they're going

you're fighting gnolls...the only spells you have memorized do a lot of damage..but they only affect elementals...bad planning! - or - your fighting gnolls, the only spells you have memorized do minimal damage, cost nill to cast, but work wonders on human sized targets....good planning!

plus there's also strategy involved, as someone mentioned with the mem 5 spells (heal, big heal, big hurt, bigger hurt all enemies, and restore life) as different people might prefer to do things differently (see "EverQuest: Druids, Kiting, and You!")

anyway, i'm off for some sleep, work, and assembling orcs, cya

-The Marauder

------------------
"You brought a gun to a swordfight?" "Yeah, so?" "You find your hand missing and your head severed"

Right, but there has always got to be a solution for when you haven't saved in hours, you're low on items, and your buddies are dead... I stoped playing Final Fantasy IX because of that...

I'm not saying you should only need to expend resources once and only once per spell to have a vast library of weapons in your mind, but you shouldn't get tapped out and stuck...

------------------
Placeholder Signature

"Right, but there has always got to be a solution for when you haven't saved in hours, you're low on items, and your buddies are dead... I stoped playing Final Fantasy IX because of that..."

note: i want to make rpg's for multiple people, not just one, so if you're a caster and run out of mana, you should have a buddy nearby to help ya

and if i can't use coldstone to make mp games (note: if there's plans on a plugin/patch for the program that'll change this) then i probably won't use it for anything more serious than for making games to take care of the "i'm bored, wtf is there to do today?" problem...

-TM

------------------
"You brought a gun to a swordfight?" "Yeah, so?" "You find your hand missing and your head severed"

nice sig Marauder,

The whole memorization idea does however,suck

and the whole cross between bites as well

stick with slots(Materia) and AP

-29°

------------------
Don't send me any mail...

Noone's mentioned the FF8 system yet.

That was interestingly different...

------------------
Subcommander g'Var "8 Lightnings" Krai'un

Second in command of the Escort Starbeam.
“Imagine if you will, you’re standing on a grade of finely processed salt in a salt factory. Now, there is a very large rusty blade flying towards you at a very high speed. Imagine now, the feeling you will have as you fall into that salt after you are run through with that blade.” -Marathon Infinity, Terminal 0, Page 2, You Think You’re Big Time, You’re Gonna Die Big Time, Vidmaster’s Challenge Edition.

actually they have, check the thread titled Spell pts vs Memorization.
The person who started this thread didn't need to, in fact he just wasted our time. There is already a comprehensive discussion going about spell systems.

------------------
"Oh....Talia is it? What a....a pleasant surprise. I did not expect---"
"Neither did your guards--- judging by the look of shock pasted on their lifeless faces"