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View Full Version : Visual indication of spell range



zce
08-09-2009, 07:21 PM
I don't know if this has been discussed, but my quick search found nothing.

I will refer to the spells as Hero:QWER, since I don't know the spell names :D.

1) Spells like the Defiler:Q and Pyro:Q have an area of effect (wave). I thought that if you clicked anywhere in the area of effect, the Hero would cast immediatly the wave in that direction. However, it only happens if you target the spell near you. If you target a bit farther the Hero will walk in that direction before casting.

2) If you target Magebane:W (blink) within range, it will teleport exactly there. If you target out of range, it will teleport immediatly in that direction.

3) Targetting Chronos:Q (timeleap) within range will teleport him there. However, if you target out of range, it will walk until the target is within range and then leap.

4) "Fireball" spells like Pyro:R, Scout:R, Accursed:Q, Armadon:Q, etc behaves like 3), the Hero will walk until the target is in range and then cast it.

The problems I see:

- First of all, I believe 2) and 3) are inconsistent. But I can understand that 2 is good for "running away" and 3 for determining exactly where you want to land (because of slow effect). There is the problem in 3) that if I'm using it for running away, I have to know the optimal point to target farther, but still in range.

- About 1), I see them as "direction-spells", ie, I would like to cast them only specifying direction and not point.

- 1), 3) and 4) have the "problem" that the Hero will walk before casting, sometimes making the spell pointless (the enemy escaped, for example). As a side note, can you "cancel" a spell? Specifically Defiler:Q, it seems that if you target the spell far and then click to move, it will not obey you until the Hero walks there and cast.

What I propose is a visual indication of casting range. Benefits:
1) I know where the limits where to click so I can cast without walking. Not ideal, but OK.
2) I know where I will land, even if I click too far.
3) I know where can I click to leap immediatly.
4) I know if my Hero will walk, and how much, before actually casting.

There is already an indication of area of effect in spells (Chronos:Q and R, Pebbles:Q, etc). Only thing lacking is the indication of casting range.

And finally, I don't believe this will automate the game, make it too easy, requiring no skill to use spells and all that stuff. Just a visual indication of what is already stated numerically.

darkeagle1
08-09-2009, 07:28 PM
I like your idea... With bit whiteboard thinking at s2games part, but good base.

Cabidera
08-09-2009, 07:52 PM
Im starting to play HoN now, but i have a little time playing DOTA, so... Your tips are great, and very well observed, "cancel" a skill is totally needded.
Nice job.

willtsay
08-10-2009, 12:58 AM
+1 i think it seems nice, that and add a tooltip that says whether the hero will walk till they cast? or something on that line X)

but i guess visual indication will tell you some how (if you target further than the indicate cast range, itll change color which will indicate if you will walk forward, or cast it anyway.

Kowzorz
08-10-2009, 01:11 AM
WoW did this wonderfully with target: ground spells. If it's in range, it has the cursor (for lack of a better word) as normal, but if it's out of range, it turns red.

urai
08-10-2009, 03:32 AM
indeed a viable solution Kowzorz

fishmael
08-10-2009, 04:30 AM
lovely. yeah, why can't i cancel spells? i can in WC3/DOTA

Slayn
08-10-2009, 11:09 AM
signed
nice idea

Snicla
08-10-2009, 11:15 AM
Good call.

/signed

08-10-2009, 04:02 PM
IN WC3, the blink spell works like this...

If you blink farther than the maximum range (lets say max is 1200 you click 1400 away) You dont blink 1200 in that direction, you blink less than 1200. So it adds a learning curve of distance. Blizzard hardcoded it in to the spell. HON probally didnt follow suit unless they really knew about it.

damelon
08-10-2009, 09:13 PM
I don't know if this has been discussed, but my quick search found nothing.

I will refer to the spells as Hero:QWER, since I don't know the spell names :D.

1) Spells like the Defiler:Q and Pyro:Q have an area of effect (wave). I thought that if you clicked anywhere in the area of effect, the Hero would cast immediatly the wave in that direction. However, it only happens if you target the spell near you. If you target a bit farther the Hero will walk in that direction before casting.

2) If you target Magebane:W (blink) within range, it will teleport exactly there. If you target out of range, it will teleport immediatly in that direction.

3) Targetting Chronos:Q (timeleap) within range will teleport him there. However, if you target out of range, it will walk until the target is within range and then leap.

4) "Fireball" spells like Pyro:R, Scout:R, Accursed:Q, Armadon:Q, etc behaves like 3), the Hero will walk until the target is in range and then cast it.

The problems I see:

- First of all, I believe 2) and 3) are inconsistent. But I can understand that 2 is good for "running away" and 3 for determining exactly where you want to land (because of slow effect). There is the problem in 3) that if I'm using it for running away, I have to know the optimal point to target farther, but still in range.

- About 1), I see them as "direction-spells", ie, I would like to cast them only specifying direction and not point.

- 1), 3) and 4) have the "problem" that the Hero will walk before casting, sometimes making the spell pointless (the enemy escaped, for example). As a side note, can you "cancel" a spell? Specifically Defiler:Q, it seems that if you target the spell far and then click to move, it will not obey you until the Hero walks there and cast.

What I propose is a visual indication of casting range. Benefits:
1) I know where the limits where to click so I can cast without walking. Not ideal, but OK.
2) I know where I will land, even if I click too far.
3) I know where can I click to leap immediatly.
4) I know if my Hero will walk, and how much, before actually casting.

There is already an indication of area of effect in spells (Chronos:Q and R, Pebbles:Q, etc). Only thing lacking is the indication of casting range.

And finally, I don't believe this will automate the game, make it too easy, requiring no skill to use spells and all that stuff. Just a visual indication of what is already stated numerically.

ROFL I was just joking about this very thing in another thread about how its hard to deny things because you cant really tell how much health is left. It's called learning and skill. Before you know it people will be asking for the target pointer to change color when your ability will kill someone, or draw a circle around you for the range of the ability you are going to use, and then people will want warnings when players leave a lane or when they are in a certain proximity of them. If you take out every part of the game that requires skill then it stops being fun.

Soulutions
08-10-2009, 10:07 PM
ROFL I was just joking about this very thing in another thread about how its hard to deny things because you cant really tell how much health is left. It's called learning and skill. Before you know it people will be asking for the target pointer to change color when your ability will kill someone, or draw a circle around you for the range of the ability you are going to use, and then people will want warnings when players leave a lane or when they are in a certain proximity of them. If you take out every part of the game that requires skill then it stops being fun.
It's not skill it's memorizing range and experience...
but even if it would be skill, sooner or later there's going to be a mod for this so they can either implement that with the option to toggle in on/off or players could download the mod, it's not going to be different either way

zce
08-11-2009, 10:28 AM
If you take out every part of the game that requires skill then it stops being fun.
And if you make everything in the game requiring skill, it also stops being fun. It's a matter of defining what kind of skill the game should encourage, and deep inside, a matter of opinion :D. I wouldn't find it fun if there were no health bars (only if you selected the unit), but if it was like this originally, then there would be people saying that you just need to learn how to play that way.

As I said before the game shows the area of effect before casting, not much different than showing the range, in my opinion.