Vile Eyes - Removing the VFX?

[Talleyman99]

Glowing eyes for all I'm for it!. tone down all VFX so people can stand around all day as buffed out monsters. Nope keep the VFX.

[Kaybrie]

I would love to tone down ALL VFX in the game honestly. There's nothing worse than a group of fully buffed PCs. It looks like an annoying game of marble maddness with lightbulbs instead of marbles. I can't see a bloody thing, and have no choice but to put the camera waaay overhead so I can even vaugly see. Since I normally play with an over the shoulder view, I don't even buff with certain spells unless it absolute death to avoid.

Does anyone know of a good overide so that the VFX isn't so obnoxious in general?

A bunch are already in game,

I feel that the huge degree of buffs is something of a necessary evil. It lets you know that the character in question has thrown in everything and is ready to lay out the smack down.



As to the OP, Vile Eyes could use a less obnoxious effect, maybe a black spot at the forehead? Could someone make a custom VFX just for that? It'd be significantly less noticeable then the glowing one, while still giving a clear clue to people who were looking at the character in question.

[krazysigmarite]

I would love to tone down ALL VFX in the game honestly. There's nothing worse than a group of fully buffed PCs. It looks like an annoying game of marble maddness with lightbulbs instead of marbles. I can't see a bloody thing, and have no choice but to put the camera waaay overhead so I can even vaugly see. Since I normally play with an over the shoulder view, I don't even buff with certain spells unless it absolute death to avoid.

Does anyone know of a good overide so that the VFX isn't so obnoxious in general?

This would be so cool. There are a lot of servers that already do this and it has worked to excellent effect. The horrible glowing lightbulb effect has never been something represented in any of the D&D art, spell descriptions, et cetera, and was really only implemented by Bioware/Obsidian to serve as a single player visual notifier for players to easily know when their buffs were active.

It also makes all characters look identical, which is sad when there is so much work put into faction-specific armor design on the server.

It is unnecessary in multiplayer, detecting magical effects shouldn't even be a thing without spellcraft levels anyway! (But that's another can of worms)

[Torgar]

Glowing eyes for all I'm for it!. tone down all VFX so people can stand around all day as buffed out monsters. Nope keep the VFX.

I'm with Talleyman on this one. I'm actually in favor of some of the spells not already visible on the character, becoming visible. I like the glowing eyes for detections, and maybe add some other vfx for some of the long buffs so people aren't so willing to just walk around with it.

Examples: Death armor having some kind of palpable aura, draconic might giving someone some kind of dragon-scale looking effect, Black staff making the staff...black. Just additional things so that when people decide to put those buffs on, or persist them in the case of Death Armor, it's obvious. There should be some kind of mild, not really consequential downside to having that much magic on you. I think I even remember there being something in the DMG that mentions when multiple abjurations are within proximity to each other, there is an audible hum and you start to see them actually manifest around one another.

[krazysigmarite]

I really don't think NWN2 needs more gaudy video game effects. High level fighting is an ugly stone-textured snow globe mess as it is.

[Kitsunestume]

Black staff making the staff...black.

There should be some kind of mild, not really consequential downside to having that much magic on you. I think I even remember there being something in the DMG that mentions when multiple abjurations are within proximity to each other, there is an audible hum and you start to see them actually manifest around one another.

Point A)Blackstaff is currently the only reliable source of the evil-black-tendril VFX, which is awesome if the spell wasn't rather poorly implemented. [8th level spell, for +4 and 1d20+10 dispel check for round/level]

Point B) I agree with the 'more things should have VFX'. I'm also inclined to agree that the overall tone of VFX need to be reduced. currently one or two spells can pop a blinding bubble, whereas dozens of well chosen ones are impossible to spot. I'ld err towards giving each spell a mostly transparent effect, as from my observation they would then stack, so carrying dozens of spells WOULD turn you into a magic-bubble but a couple would be mostly unobtrusive.

[Laurk]

When buffed, you wouldn't even be able to see more than a foot in front of you. My healer would have no idea who was injured as she'd be blinded, and you'd be smacking into walls and unable to fight.

The horrible NWN VFX are not only lame, immersion breaking and make it impossible to play with the camera over the shoulder, they are also completely unrealsitic and would render their recipients completely blind.

[Talleyman99]

When buffed, you wouldn't even be able to see more than a foot in front of you. My healer would have no idea who was injured as she'd be blinded, and you'd be smacking into walls and unable to fight.

The horrible NWN VFX are not only lame, immersion breaking and make it impossible to play with the camera over the shoulder, they are also completely unrealsitic and would render their recipients completely blind.
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Magic is not an invisible force in DnD spells have many visual effects. (along with many odd things to rub on yourself, eat, draw.)

Also once more I like the effects because it stops people from being completely buffed at all times, make that part of the game more real. Second, In combat, I can see when a spell drops and I might need to recast the spell on a party member.

[Laurk]

Most visual affects are described right in the PnP spell descriptions. Most are very subtle. I don't know of any that describe themselves as blindingly bright bubbles that night-blind you and are impossble to see through. There are overrides that tone down the VFX so that you can see magic in effect without being completely bombarded and unable to see the environment around you or distinguish anything about the PCs enchanted.

While Obsidian's VFX annoying people to the point that they don't want to use their spells is one way to discourage buffing all the time, its not realistic for the reasons I listed above. You wouldn't be able to see anyting inside the blinding sphere, so you wouldn't be able to fight, navigate or do anything else. Its just not worth it for an OOC fix. Id vastly prefer people being buffed all the time than being unwilling to use protection from elements because I want to be able to see the dungeon around me.

[wangxiuming]

I have to throw my lot in with the people who want to keep the VFX. I personally don't want to see people running around with buffs 24/7, and I'm okay with being a shiny bubble for adventuring, as long as I can turn the effects off when I no longer need them.

[thaelis]

Point B) I agree with the 'more things should have VFX'. I'm also inclined to agree that the overall tone of VFX need to be reduced. currently one or two spells can pop a blinding bubble, whereas dozens of well chosen ones are impossible to spot. I'ld err towards giving each spell a mostly transparent effect, as from my observation they would then stack, so carrying dozens of spells WOULD turn you into a magic-bubble but a couple would be mostly unobtrusive.

I agree, I don't believe either extreme would be a good move (removing or adding VFX to all spells). Some don't make sense to have a VFX, as well as the fact that it would feel very forced since practically none of these spells are detectable by sight in Pnp.

Arcane spells that imo could make sense to have a VFX are Protection from alignment, Draconic might, Energy immunity, Resist energy, Endure elements, Protection from spells, Greater resistance, Superior resistance. Also Spell shields.

Mage armour shouldn't have a VFX, 1) because in every FR novel I've ever read it's an invisible force field and 2) because even level 20 Wizards have AC 12 without it.

Some it just wouldn't make sense to have a visual e.g. Expedious retreat, Longstrider, Bulls strength, Cat's grace, Premonition, Heroism

The VFX's in particular I think should be toned down are Protection from elements and Shades because they just look ridiculous. I am not suggesting removing VFX just a less stupid-looking VFX.

[Valhalla]

Really, all the bubble spells are pretty blinding and obnoxious. Entropic Shield, Shield, Protection from Arrows, even Shield of Faith (in addition to Shades and Prot. From Elements).

If you want to have a less blinding set of vfx, starting with the bubbles would be an excellent way to tone it all down imo.

[Laurk]

Really, all the bubble spells are pretty blinding and obnoxious. Entropic Shield, Shield, Protection from Arrows, even Shield of Faith (in addition to Shades and Prot. From Elements).

If you want to have a less blinding set of vfx, starting with the bubbles would be an excellent way to tone it all down imo.

+1.

I like VFX, just not ones that interfier with my ability to see the game im playing while also realistically rendering my character completely blind.

[Kitsunestume]

I don't think the bubbles should be removed. I DO, however, think that it would be a nice change of pace to have their transparency and luminosity reduced to 10-20% of the current degree. I'ld think it should just be a matter of modifying the base images the VFX are based off. I may well be wrong.

[sonuvalich]

I have to throw my lot in with the people who want to keep the VFX. I personally don't want to see people running around with buffs 24/7

Why not? I don't see why a cosmetic consequence should cause casters not to have certain buffs that they want. I walk around with only invisible buffs to avoid looking like I'm ready to start a fight,but if I want to use extend/persistent to be more prepared I think that is my choice for those spell slots. Certain spells I get the visual effect (flaming weapon, mirror image, stone skin, etc.) but a few have quite in your face visuals for no reason. I think not knowing what buffs a caster has is half of their intimidation value, and making more things visual would take away from that.