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[Saint]

This sounds totally awesome - I would love to make something like this! (I ment to say "play something like this" - shouldn't get too big for my boots)
And man, I love the trailer to that game. Where did you try it out? I googled and it seems that it isn't out yet?

I tried it at the Swedish Game Awards 2008 (they ended up winning the Grand Prize. Incidentally, this was the same SGA where Blueberry Garden took home the design award), and again one year later at SGA 2009 when they were just part of the exhibition and not the competition. The 2009 version looked better but as I mentioned had less depth to it.

They had a downloadable version available to the public two years ago so if you look hard enough you might find someone still hosting it, but I haven't seen any public version since. Sadly, I got rid of the one I downloaded to save space a while back =/

[DWWilson]

Magicka had a really interesting system when I first saw it.

Essentially a 4 player top-down brawler with mages played with a XBox 360 controller, you created spells by performing street fighter-style combinations (down - down-left - left) with one of the thumbsticks.

What made it interesting is what these combinations represented. You had some 6 or 7 basic elements, but you also had 3 different targets - push, area and self. Also, each spell could contain up to 10 (or something) of these and the combinations were really cool.

For one thing you could combine elements to create new ones (fire+water = steam), but the really cool part was how you could combine the targets. Using 1 fire and 1 push meant you got a fireball. More fire meant a stronger fireball, more push meant it traveled faster and longer. Substitute the push for area and you got an explosion around you - again, more area and the explosion was bigger. Combine fire, push and area and you get a fireball that explodes and does area effect damage where it hits. It was immensely versatile and fun to try out.

Last I saw it they had removed some of the features presumably to make it easier to pick up, but I thought at least the original system was very deep.

How had I not heard of this? It looks amazing, the humour is great, the idea is great. Can't wait for this to come out.

I've always wanted a magic system like this, it's like someone read my mind and made it for me.

[Bree]

Didn't the first Crystal Chronicles have a spell-combo thing like this too?

[shig]

I want a game that is to spellcasting what Toribash is to fighting.

Y'know, you have to manually craft your movements in Toribash instead of using button combinations to choose the premade, preanimated attack you wanted to use from a list. I want a game where instead of picking "fireball" from a list, you have to use tools like "increase/decrease heat", "increase/decrease air pressure" and other stuff like that to make your fireball by yourself.

[Cokho]

Karoshi? Don't you mean Toribash?
If so I think it could be really funny 

[shig]

KAROSHI?!?!!? who even mentioned that thing?

you must be high or something man

i mean jesus

[Cokho]

But..but I'm sure I have 
Ooooh I get it ... nice 

[Chaoseed]

I want a game that is to spellcasting what Toribash is to fighting.

Y'know, you have to manually craft your movements in karoshi instead of using button combinations to choose the premade, preanimated attack you wanted to use from a list. I want a game where instead of picking "fireball" from a list, you have to use tools like "increase/decrease heat", "increase/decrease air pressure" and other stuff like that to make your fireball by yourself.

I'm getting the sense that someone should start a "Design a new magic system" thread...

[TobiasW]

Oh bugger, I just saw I forgot to answer to my own topic after reading the posts back then. Well...

Quest 64!

What's so special about it? Wikipedia isn't helpful regarding that!

[..Death Gate book series..]

Aaah, these books were awesome. Somehow I doubt that they could catch the spirit of their magic system inside a game, but I will try it out - just found it on Abandonia.

Deep Magic 2's seemed pretty cool - the game is unfinished, but it's worth checking out.

I tried it - it's kinda nice, especially since in its simplicity. Though somewhat short, and could've been a bit more spells. Anyway, I enjoyed it!

King's Quest III [...]

Sounds like an interesting story, though the magic system doesn't look too unusual/special for me. Am I overlooking something?

Except this: Spellcaster. The idea is that there are two dueling wizards; each round they each make a hand signal. Sequences of hand signals form spells. So do you want to go for short spells, or really long ones? If you recognize what spell your opponent's trying to cast, can you try to mess with it?

Awesome! I was thinking about creating a simplified multiplayer game like this before, only in real-time. Has lots of design problems, though'. Gotta look through the rules of this one!

By the way, the great thing about Eternal Darkness is that it's Lovecraftian horror.  Whenever you cast a spell, you're calling on the power of an ancient evil god; you actually hear the deity's voice reading off the runes as the spell gets cast.  "TIER! PARGON! ARETAK! PARGON! ULYAOTH!"  It's completely awesome.

That sounds totally badass! Pity I don't like horror games, I want stuff like that included in other RPGs! :D

I'm currently playing through Treasure of the Rudras, an old SNES RPG by Square that never saw stateside release (but there's an english fan translation).

You have a spell book that has 32 slots for spells. To make a spell, you open up a screen identical to the screen you use to name your characters, and you punch in a word. Every word makes a spell, but a lot of them are useless. To learn good spells you: [...]

Put it down on my list to try out, sounds nice indeed.

Also, Tactics Ogre had a magic system where you started with 0 MP and you charged magic as the fight dragged on, so instead of using your best spells off the bat, you instead had to wait and save up to launch battle-changing spells midway to late through the fight.

So, charging while being hit or charging just over time? Both ways sound nice and introduce a whole new tactical aspect.

There happens to be a mud (multiplayer text game), God Wars 2, based on this system -- not just for spells, but all combat, but you can just check out the spell system easily enough.

Pity that MUDs are bit too retro for me. Thanks for pointing it out, anyway!

There also is a neat IF game, Savoir-Faire, that uses an interesting magic linking system. Mostly (all?) non-combat stuff. Game's IFDB page for more info.

The linking system looks interesting indeed. Reminds me of the book The Name of the Wind - they have an entire magic branch for this linking-thing, called "sympathy". (It's awesome, by the way.)

Arx Fatalis was this first person action rpg thing, and to cast spells you held down the magic button and drew runes you learned before into the air with your mouse. It was pretty fun  

My brother had it and didn't like it... guess I have to try it now?

I'm not sure what you mean by unusual, but I've never seen a game quite like Magi

Woah, Magi is awesome. Bought it! (To be correct, bought it after reading your post months ago. )

I don't suppose the Merlin's Revenge series count do they?  I don't know how "unusual" it is, but it is very well executed and great fun.

Also, while the Final Fantasy series are about as far from "unusual" as you can get, they each have an interesting way of implementing magic, often with it being integral to the story.  Gotta count for something, right?

Nah, Merlin's Revenge is ok, but not THAT great magic wise - at least what I played of it so far.
And yes, Final Fantasy sure has some interesting ways of doing magic spells

I want a game that is to spellcasting what Toribash is to fighting.

Y'know, you have to manually craft your movements in karoshi instead of using button combinations to choose the premade, preanimated attack you wanted to use from a list. I want a game where instead of picking "fireball" from a list, you have to use tools like "increase/decrease heat", "increase/decrease air pressure" and other stuff like that to make your fireball by yourself.

Hum. I would love to have something like your premise "spellcasting like Toribash to fighting" too, but "increase/decrease heat" or "increase/decrease air pressure" sounds more like a physics simulation, doesn't it?

[baconman]

Possibly related/unrelated, I was thinking of taking some original, color-based spin on the magic formula, but still keeping it somewhat simplified at the same time.

RED: Indicates (up to) 150% damage, in return for range-limiting; charge-up effects would add character-oriented movement (like Speed Burner from MMX2), though not "implicitly fire-based."

BLUE: Indicates additional stun/stall time; multiplied by a charge-effect.

GREEN: Indicates quicker speed (in both movement and execution), somewhat affecting range.

WHITE/BRIGHT: Indicates a positive effect for your character - for instance, executing "bright blue" would reduce stun/stall time that you face, or "bright green" would make more of your other actions quicken. Alone, it would indicate regeneration.

BLACK/DARK: Indicates a damning effect for afflicted characters; "dark red" would cause an afflicted enemy to take up to 150% damage from ANY attack for some time, not just the present one. Alone, it would indicate an approximate equal of poison.

This system could then be combined into a variety of hues/brightnesses that basically span the digital color wheel; with 150% being for "pure" spells of a type, and values in-between being the compromised result of more effects. This would then ALSO be combined with a range system; including a charge-up system (for single target/multiplied or boosted effect - charge-up white = instant recovery for example), a 3-shot system (where you could hit a choice of targets 3 times, ~50% apiece), lines/rays and zones (like Chrono Trigger tech areas, or one that leads to another like a missile), or floods, which would affect all others; 90% of effect to all (allies or enemies), 10% to whatever was NOT chosen.