Let's talk about Magicka

[ezrast]

Rock or ice + shield = oh crap, I can't move.

Anybody want to try to do some multiplayer? I'm thinking the game gains a lot of depth when you can't just AoE freeze everything and I'm dying to see it firsthand.

[K9]

Steam+Steam+Lightning+Lighting+Arcane as a weapon imbue seems to 1-shot most things and 3-shot post other things.

It's quite easy to die in this game, and playing solo actually feels challenging. I keep discovering more creative uses for spell combos too. Rock+Water+Shield as a weapon imbue shoots out a line of water volcanoes that keep soaking anything that passes them, which sets up nicely for lightning bolt spam.

[kildorn]

Rock or ice + shield = oh crap, I can't move.

Anybody want to try to do some multiplayer? I'm thinking the game gains a lot of depth when you can't just AoE freeze everything and I'm dying to see it firsthand.

Those shields are actually pretty useful. They put you in a ice/rock block and you can freely charge spells while baddies chip through it.

In theory also useful in multiplayer if you see your friend charging something dangerous and you need a quick OHGODNO

[K9]

I had a go on challenge mode, success seems somewhat dependant on how lucky you are with drops.

i.e. if you get an item like the Staff of War or the Dagger of Counter Striking you have a massive edge (these are the two best weapons by a long margin that I have seen so far). Spellwise, spells like grease and summon death are pretty useless, whereas Time Warp, Rain, Invisibility and such are much more useful. Also vortex is fun, but has an annoying tendency to suck your spellbooks and dropped weapons away...

[ezrast]

Dagger of Counter Striking (move speed) and Goblin Staff (physical resistance) are my favorites so far. I stay the fuck away from rain and just use arcane+water when I want to follow up with lightning. Otherwise I always always always fuck up the water shield somehow and kill myself when I mash the lightning button.

[K9]

On the forest challenge map rain is really good on the goblin waves since there there are tons of them. You pop rain before they spawn, then kite around with haste, clear the damp off yourself and set up some crazy lightning combos.

[Sophismata]

The auras are immunities. So anyone in the radius is immune to *color* spell type.

The only "crap, not what I meant" is when I try and heal then shield myself. Life + Shield = Healing Immunity D:

The aura immunities, like everything else, ignore any notion of enemy or friend. Shield + 4x Life will make anything near you also immune to healing: really helps against multiple healing mages. The alternative is to slow their cast rate.

Also, arcane + lightning + cold is the best single target combo I've found, because it slows and stuns whatever you're hitting. They will pop before they reach you.

[Typhon]

4 ice + stone, hold right click down for the full charge up is the most single target damage that I've been able to do.  Got an achievement for it (sorry I don't remember the number).

I agree that arcane + lightning + cold is the best beam, as much for the slow as the massive damage.

[Yoru]

It's even better in multiplayer when you can get one dude doing 4x Cold + Arcane, the other dude doing 4x Lightning + Arcane and merging the beams into a gigantic doomray of murdersauce. It seems that merged cold beams don't even need the target to be wet to perma-freeze them, and frozen targets take 3x damage. Add that to the already-ridiculous damage of lightning/arcane PLUS the damage-multiplier from merging beams and you pretty much instantly destroy anything the merged beam touches.

For extra fun, have the other players toss in 5x arcane or more arcane/cold or arcane/lightning beams, but it really just seems like overkill at that point.

Edit: Spelng.

[Vaiti]

10 hours playing this already. Holy fuck this is good.

Didn't see it mentioned, but when you cast your shield as a barrier instead of a self shield, spam heal mines near the barrier to increase it's toughness. I'll barrier myself in a corner sometimes while I cast more complicated spells like vortex.

[ghost]

10 hours playing this already. Holy fuck this is good.

It's not that good. 

[K9]

Can anyone say how difficulty scales from 1-4 players, more mobs, more mob HP, more special mobs?

[Vaiti]

10 hours playing this already. Holy fuck this is good.

It's not that good. 

Opinion noted? I don't see a point to your post.

I don't think difficulty actually scales at all. But from the progress I've made in single payer the mobs are getting alot more annoying and there are getting to be more and more armored mobs and larger high HP mobs. I'm constantly spamming slowing spells then the OMGWTF Beam in order to get anywhere. I've even resorted to storing a line of freezing volcanos in my melee weapons instead of the light/steam/arcane, as the quick utility of freezing has become more useful.

Speaking of which, while messing around in arena I found a neat combo that can be spammed out fairly quick to deal with large groups. Water volcanoes in AoE followed right away with Freeze volcanos in AoE, has to be cast when your shield is up or you freeze yourself as well. Basically permafreezes everything around you giving you time to figure out how to deal with things. The freeze volcanoes continuously put everything in a block of ice.

[Yegolev]

I think the difficulty scaling in MP is the addition of other players.

[Ghambit]

10 hours playing this already. Holy fuck this is good.

It's not that good. 

/agree
Or rather, it's good when it WORKS.  I still have yet to even play Ch. 4 MP 'cause chapter 3 hangs.

[Teleku]

Just got it and its pretty damn fun so far.  Game mechanics are really neat.  Single player is worth it for the humor alone. 

[Azazel]

Definately on my Steam Sale list for 4 copies.

[JWIV]

I definitely am interested in this, but am holding off until they fix all the bugs. 

[ezrast]

Finished the adventure mode. For someone who liked the demo, I'd say it was probably worth the 10 bucks, and a definite purchase if it drops to 5, though I still haven't tried multiplayer (not near my computer on weekends though). Not many bugs in SP, though there's one that auto-kills you on the approach to the last boss. Staying to the left of the screen when you walk up to him seems to avoid it. Checkpoint is right beforehand, thankfully.

[jakonovski]

This is a bit embarrassing, but I finally started playing in earnest, and now after two hours of single player I'm stuck. I'm in the courtyard of castle Aaargh or something, right after a checkpoint. A horde of beastmen arrive, and after that a druid. I can't beat them, they just eventually surround me and stab me to death. I start off with lightning to pick off the first couple of dudes, then I shield up and meteor rain and do volcano walls, but die anyway. I tried AOE freezes but the damn things jump around the screen so much I never get all of them. I even experimented with arcane mines, but they just chain reacted and ended up killing me.



 

[Typhon]

Beastmen says to me that there are no archers, so make sure that you keep your shield up.

Also, the beastmen (all AI) is pretty stupid, and it will attack your walls even if there are ways around.  Lay down some granite half-circles (i.e. don't enclose yourself in stone).

Focus the druid with a lightning + arcane + cold beam.  This will slow him a bit.  If it's raining, leave out the lightening (unless your shield was up and you aren't wet - then definitely do include the lightening).

If they are on top of you spam QR*3 R*2 and do an AoE.  If you have range do DRDRD and build it up to full power and blast them with it - hurts the pack and keeps them cold.  Don't do this if they are getting close because it will hurt you as well.

Pretty sure you have haste at this point, make sure you use that liberally to keep range (or run in an do a cold AoE bomb run)

[Vaiti]

I found with any beastmen just spamming arcane AoE kills them all extremely quickly. You'll get an achievement from it as well. It's raining beastmen, kill 5 beastmen in 5 seconds.

[ashrik]

This is a bit embarrassing, but I finally started playing in earnest, and now after two hours of single player I'm stuck. I'm in the courtyard of castle Aaargh or something, right after a checkpoint. A horde of beastmen arrive, and after that a druid. I can't beat them, they just eventually surround me and stab me to death. I start off with lightning to pick off the first couple of dudes, then I shield up and meteor rain and do volcano walls, but die anyway. I tried AOE freezes but the damn things jump around the screen so much I never get all of them. I even experimented with arcane mines, but they just chain reacted and ended up killing me.

Keep your Haste up at all times so you can move freely. Zap them, maybe starting with the druid first, with a QFASSS beam. Use it as an AOE and it'll kill them in 1 or 2 hits. Leave off the lightning if one of the druids makes it rain (also, give yourself a QE water shield or dry yourself as needed before/after it rains). 

[ezrast]

I find rock walls don't help against beastmen because they just jump over it and knock me down. They are wonderful against orcs though.

Otherwise, just alternate these AoEs:
4 arc + 1 water (SSSSQ) for knockback and dampness - it will KB beastmen even in the air.
4 arc + 1 cold (SSSSR) for freezing and damage.

That is my strategy for basically any swarm of melee. On big things substitute rock for arcane occasionally, which will do less damage and KB but is more likely to knock down heavies.

At range I use water + arcane to dampen and 3 lightning + arc + cold for damage. Better damage beams are possible but I'm too lazy to make them.

[Strazos]

Lightning Bolt - one-shots just about anything.

Game is pretty damn hilarious in multiplayer, especially when lightning bolt doesn't hit your intended target...

[Typhon]

I have found that lightening storm is a really good way to kill yourself.  I'm sure there is some trick to using it successfully, but I haven't found it.

[Mrbloodworth]

Lightning aura selfcast.

[Typhon]

 

Thank you (sincerely).  I fear the auras because the only aura I seem capable of casting is the one that gets me killed - life aura.  (I'm trying to heal, then shield myself and it's gets combined - I blame lag! my clicky is flawless! FLAWLESS!!!)

[Mrbloodworth]

I find its best to stack auras of the elements in one of the major spells. so, lightning, stone, and fire (?) auras are your friends in that case. Also stacking the same aura over and over on yourself makes a AOE area around you.

Also, friends don't let friends cast Magicka with out letting others know your about to do that. <-- Pro-Mp-Tip of the day.

[Mrbloodworth]

Yay, New patch knocks out some of the more annoying issues.

[Soulflame]

Today's fixes


The fire fix (increasing damage) might be enough.  I know that the little I've used fire, I have been less than impressed with the damage.

a+s+r is a nice combo and all, but it'd be nice to be able to mix things up a bit.

On second thought, the main attraction lightning has, other than higher damage (I think) than fire, is you can combine cold with lightning.  Being able to chill mobs and do higher damage is probably still going to be better than do less damage and add a minor DoT.

[Vaiti]

Just plain ol' lighting with fire feels like a valid option now at least.

[Soulflame]

I'm a big fan of the chill effect.  Except for where it doesn't work, of course.


I hope at some point they also do a pass on balancing projectile vs beam.  I know I tried one particular projectile, and did over 10k damage... (QRQRQRQRD, I think) when I aim it correctly.  Pre-patch (and I suspect post-patch as well, but I'd have to try it) a fully charged fireball could not kill a goblin.  Many projectiles I've tried hit for under 500 damage.  It just feels so underwhelming, particularly when I can, in three keystrokes, produce a beam or PBAE that will chill and murderize stuff.  Or I could fall back on the steam beam, which is only a couple more keystrokes, and will murder stuff even faster, albeit without the chill effect.

[ashrik]

Tonight's patchnotes are up


Source

edit: Wow, it runs so much better now. I can finish games! I CAN FINISH GAAAAMES!

[Strazos]

Buddies and I seemingly 2-shotted Khan...

He agro'ed me and tossed me in a corner. I had shield on, and when buddies shot their beams to hit Khan...I think I was caught in the crossfire - shield exploded for massive damage, I was blasted to the other side of the corner and died.