DD Mage Specialization Idea (in General)

Once a mage reaches a certain level on his DD spell, say 100,000 for example, you have the option of specializing--it could be a skill possibly. This would enable you to train a second DD spell on that mage. Either or both DD spells could be used in combat, but they can't conflict with each other in ranged or melee.

For example, if you have a CoC mage currently and the specialize and choose Fireball, you can then choose to use fireball in ranged and continue with CoC in melee. If you choose MM in this case you can choose MM in ranged, but you would only get one round from it, as usual in ranged. It would be senseless to choose Decay, because both CoC and Decay can only be used in melee.

I think this would add additional strategies, not yet even conceived :D.
What do you all think?

Umm... wouldn't everyone just take fireball in ranged and any of the others for melee?

Maelstrom not really, because then you'd be using half fireball, and half other. This would make AMF a huge bonus to have.

Well, my point was that fireball is by far the best in ranged, but in melee it damages your own minions, so people would use something else in melee. Thus there would be all that much additional variety.

And my point would be to have 2 different spells, it'd take twice the exp to be a normal spell so in the end, you'd still be hurting yourself doing FB/CoC

Spaceman's point is well taken, and I thought of all that as well. Sure you would love fireball in ranged, but if it's a small spell, your mage would get hurt real bad with AMF. Same with a small spell in melee. So you pay dearly for that specialization. But in some instance you might create a winning strategy with the combo.

err, I meant to say, there would not be all that much additional variety

Agreed Barron, in many cases it would work, I was merely trying to state that it would not be godly nor would everyone try it.

Yeah, Why would I choose 1/2 FB and 1/2 CoC when a full FB could do just as much damage as the 1/2 CoC in both ranged and melee with a lot less AMF damage in my face. The fact that I kill more of my own guys and kill less of myself is a great trade off if my Mage is my main damage dealer.

Only function I see this serving is mages with a big CoC and a small 1000 lvl ranged spell to wipe away 20 hp enchanters.

Available combos (that may be useful and interesting):

Fireball ranged; CoC melee
Fireball ranged; MM melee
Fireball ranged; Decay melee

wow, that would be like the DCM of skills

i don't think we need to rape people who don't think things through THAT much...

It would not necessarily have to cut your first DD spell in half. My conception of the idea was to be able to train a new 2nd DD spell. It would start off small, as usual, and depending on your strategy you would raise it up. Of course, you could unlearn your 1st DD spell and then redistribute the experience at a cost. That's how I envisioned it anyway.

Alright, so let me get this straight. You want to be able to have one minion learn two direct damage spells, so you can bypass the negatives on both? Sheesh, come on. While we're at it, why don't we let tanks train archery, bloodlust, evasion, and unarmed combat simultaneously, as well as having GA, Protection, and VA at the same time? That way none of have to choose one strat or another! Say it with me: BAD IDEA.

Of course, everyone else is right, you wouldn't be nearly as good at either spell. So maybe it wouldn't be that overpowered. But still, there is a good reason why there are pitfalls and penalties of sorts to each of the spells and items in CB. You have to tailor your strategy around the fact that you want to kill in ranged with fireball, or blast them in melee with cone of cold. You need to learn you can't have the best of both worlds. Or you could just try a team with a fireball mage, as well as a cone of cold mage. Same difference.

Sorry to say, but that's one of ideas I've liked least in quite a while. Keep on thinking of new ideas though, never know if or when you might strike gold!

Yes, Vaynard is right: I know I keep bashing your ideas Barron, but that doesn't mean your shouldn't keep thinking them up! I just tend to play the devil's advocate ;)

If its implemented then get ready for the Dual One handed BTh's and/or Dual ELB's

aikimbo elb's for all!!!