Constructive Style Criticism: Negative Energy Aura

[hityawithastick]

SO, the general consensus is that the wizard/sorc spell 'Negative Energy Aura' and its little brother 'Lesser Negative Energy Aura' are rather unattractive. Descriptions range from 'omg I cant see ot of teh way wizzy noob' to 'rather like the ghost of an ugly watermelon'.

So people agree: they don't like what it looks like now.
Personally: I concur. The thing looks clumsy. It looks unwieldy, and I’m quite honestly a bit embarrassed to have my wizard running around inside this giant bubble of snot. The skin for the effect is awesome, the sound is cool (although a bit repetitive), but the giant bubble part just…meh.
The current sound is awesome. But could we just...turn down the volume a bit?

So: What SHOULD it look like?


I'm thinking something like a glowy cloudkill-type thing centered on the caster--like the inverse of Radiant Servant's positive energy aura, whirling purple/black/green energy coming up to about the knee or waist. THAT would look cool.



So I guess this boils down to: Does anyone else still feel this way about the spell, or has everyone but me accepted it and moved on? And are the devs considering changing it, or is it pretty much a stable part of the game now?

That is all.

[William_the_Bat]

It heals my pale master in wraith form.

It could look like a giant dunce cap and a cloud of boy band members singing at my enemies and I'd still take it.

[hityawithastick]

Which boy band? =P


But seriously: I don't mind much what it looks like/sounds like now, but it does interfere with vision a bit, more so in dark areas where everyone's running around like mad (read: all quests not taking place in jungles).

[Steelhawk58]

It heals my pale master in wraith form.

It could look like a giant dunce cap and a cloud of boy band members singing at my enemies and I'd still take it.

same here. however, if it looked like a blindfold around my eyes, i wouldn't use it, no matter how pretty the blindfold is. he is saying that the negative energy aura looks nice, but gets in the way. you see? *casts negative energy aura* no, you dont see anymore.

[Meretrix]

I couldn't agree more. Death aura makes my eyes bleed and is embarrassing to use in quests. Just give us like a purple/black glowing aura or something. A giant green watermelon is very unnecessary.

[hityawithastick]

Or even just a black/purple fire shield effect. That would be cool.


Like I've said, giant watermelon =/= evil.

[voodoogroves]

Or a Radiant Servant pee-pool of sparkly purlple. Mardi Gross anyone?

I'm ok with it as it is.

[hityawithastick]

Shameless bump anyone?

I was actually thinking something like the radiant servant, only black and/or purple. =P Like Circle of Death.

Edit for forgetfulness:

Or, alternatively, a smaller version of negative energy burst that 'bursts' each time it 'ticks.'

[rapdogztor]

If I had my way, I'd have an american Magee's Alice in wonderland style orb. If you've played the game , you'll notice the swirling vortex of a background. Thats what I want. A swirling vortex that envelopes all of my and those around me. That would seem magical

[gurgar78]

I couldn't agree more. Death aura makes my eyes bleed and is embarrassing to use in quests. Just give us like a purple/black glowing aura or something. A giant green watermelon is very unnecessary.

They can only do harm?

[Meretrix]

Wow im surprised there are people who don't actually have a problem with it!

I don't like the radiant servant aura either. I like your idea of a black/purple fire shield effect

[hityawithastick]

I personally am very 'rp' oriented. So when I wrap myself in a mantle of hellish necrotic energy, I want to look like I'm wrapped in a mantle of hellish necrotic energy, not bouncing around in a martian hamster ball. But some people might not mind, or maybe even like the bubble.

[hityawithastick]

So no one minds the big giant bubble of evil? D:

[Archer001]

I like the idea of the knee high fog of death for a death aura, the bubble is annoying.

The fire shield look-a-like skin would be passable too, although I'd prefer it to resemble coils of smoke/fog than a purple flame.

[fuzzy1guy]

Totally agreed... The aura as it is now is just too blinding to have around...

A fireshield or even a displace/blur style effect in purple/black/green would be way better.

Or no aura at all. Make it a black/green/purple stoneskin style overlay.


Either way... the noise has to go... thats just annoying. or triple+ the noise repeat time and cut the volume by half... at LEAST.

[pjohnakos1]

i would like my aura to be small white skeleton heads ..... like the ones lich form has ... to go around me.... like the glow things on clerics aura

[Archer001]

For the noise, maybe replace it with a constant (very) low volume hum or thrumming?

Alternatively keep the noise as is, but only let it trigger when it causes a monster death.

[Sympl]

I've been around a while. I've seen a lot of changes in game. Good ones, not so good ones. All in my own humble opinion, of course. When they added the Death Auras my first thought was: "Hey cool. Now I can be just like the undead mages." Because it's the same aura they have always had. And now we can have it. Consistency. I like consistency. If it changed, sure. No problem. But as it is now? Seems fine to me.....that graphic has been around a long, long time on that spell. It's just now we are able to cast the spell ourselves.