sammy22 on 29/3/2004 at 12:12
Hope someone can help me. My stealth button dosen't appear to be working. When I press it, and hold it down nothing happens. I suspect that this feature only works if you can engage in some kind of activity e.g sneaking.
However, this problem has also prevented me casting spells. I draw the runes (it takes me ages, some times 15 goes for it to recognise them, and even the wrong rune keeps being drawn) and the runes that make up a spell appear at the top. So I have my finger on control, my left mouse button held down still as I draw them and then I try pressing my stealth button (left shift) and then releasing the mouse, but it does nothing. I thought it must have worked, and tried pressing 1, but nothing happened.
I actually stopped playing the game, and spent 3 hours trying to just cast one spell, but I couldn't do it...
Questions
1.What am I doing wrong?, I've tried changing my stealth button, but still nothing.
2. Once you have spells in your spellbook do you have to spend time drawing out the runes?, as by clicking on the spell the runes appear at the top anyway, in the same way they would if you'd drawn them. I hope you can just do this, as I am having tremendous difficullty with drawing the runes for the simple ignite spell, I don't think I could draw some of the other runes in the right order, even if i spent 1000 hours trying, I just can't draw them.
3.If I just wanted to cast a spell, not allocate a short cut to it, what do I do when the runes are drawn at the top. I tried clicking on the runes, but nothing happens. I cast spells at the beginning of the game, but haven't played it for over a year and just can't remember how to cast spells.
Would a simpler magic system not have been simplier, as this is surely the hardest and most unlikely way to cast magic in any rpg. The structure is similar to underworld, but without it;s simpliicity.
Drawing patterns in the air is just stupid, why not just click on a spell name to choose it, and then double click on the runes to perform the spell
Someone please help, as I now have 10 runes, lots of different spells available, but can't cast any!!!!!!!
addink on 29/3/2004 at 18:24
Can't help you with the buttons and stuff, lent my copy of Arx to a friend...
Arx's spellcasting system is excellent, IMHO.
All I can say is that with practice you'll get better...
And, after a while you hardly access your spellbook anymore, you'll know the shapes by heart and cast them in the middle of a fight. Seriously.
One brilliant effect is that it actually feels much more like you're casting the spell ON someone/ some creature.
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on a side note: Is "Control" the stealth button? cos I'm quite sure I cast spells by pressing Ctrl.
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As far as I figured out the rune recognition system, what matters most is the relative position of the corners of the shape you're drawing: Some "horizontal" lines should actually be slightly tilted, the starting point should always be higher than the ending point. Or vice versa... depending on the shape, of course.
Ziusudra on 29/3/2004 at 18:34
1. There is a learning curve to drawing runes.
The technique that works for me is to break up the rune into straight lines. So to precast Ignite:* I hold down the magic key (CTRL by default) and stealth key (Left Shift),
* hold down the left mouse button without moving the mouse,
* move the mouse to the right in as straight a line as I can and stop,
* then release the mouse button.
* The game now says 'Ahm'.
* Then hold down the mouse button without moving the mouse,
* move down and stop,
* right and stop,
* up and stop,
* and release the mouse button.
* The game now says 'Yok'.
* Now release the magic key (CTRL) and the icon for Ignite appears in the lower left corner of the screen.
* Now release the Stealth key.
I've also found that the smaller I draw the runes the more likely they are to work.
2. You do have to draw the runes each time. I think AF2 is going to have a more simple way to cast spells.
3. To cast a spell immediately you do the same as above without holding down the stealth key.
sammy22 on 30/3/2004 at 01:39
Thanks for the help, im starting to get to grips with the spell system, although it's still time-consuming, and I wouldn;t trust myself to quickly cast a spell during combat.
A quickspell would have been a good idea. I set fireball as my shortcut 1 and used it to see whether the spell would be retained at key number 1. Sadly I found that I had to draw the runes all over again just to re-allocate it back to my pre-set spells.
AA_Mikel on 1/4/2004 at 13:44
Not sure if Im understanding the question but you dont have to hold down the stealth key during the casting. Just make sure you hold it before you let go of the control key or the spell will activate.
So hold the ctr key while tracing the spell, then once youve traced it all, hold the shift key down then release the ctr, then the shift key and it should be one of your quickspell slots.
course if the question is how do I sneak? then you need to be aware that you need to be out of the NPC Perception range, press sneak and use the darkness. The higher your skill, the less darkness you need (I think.) and closer you can creep. I do know that darkness helps me better. You can gauge your sneeking by your sneeking symbol to the left. The darker the symbol, the more sneaky, as it lightens you are more noticiable. (again Im not a sneaky type character but thats what I ve observed.
