spell-list.xml theorycrafting

[mrhoribu]

So before I start doing PR's to update spell-list.xml, thought I'd try to pick the brain of the author. What is the theory of selecting whether a spell is set to INCANT=yes/no as well as STANCE=yes/no. Example would be 435 Major Elemental Wave. Currently it's set to INCANT='no' but I know the spell definitely supports it and wanted to see what the thinking was behind how each spell is selected to support INCANT and/or STANCE.

[matt-lowe]

In the case of Elemental Wave and Major Elemental wave, you can incant the spells, but only as long as you have a valid target in the room. However, if you're trying to knock down another character and there are no monsters in the room, it will not work.

Also, incant causes you to cast at a target which may be a bad thing when you're casting an area affect spell, which accounts for most of the incant=no spells. For example there are several monsters in a room and you want to knock them down so you incant 410 which ends up targeting the one monster in the room that is immune to magic. You spell does nothing except waste mana when it could have knocked down all except one. There are other monsters that are not immune to magic but can give similar or worse results when you cast at them.

There are also some spells that I just don't have any experience with and don't really know why they have incant=no set.

[mrhoribu]

Looking thru my changes, it seems most of mine are for spells similar to 410/435 for allowing INCANT. But as you mentioned, INCANT requires a visible target to cast and is set to target something if so. You'd have to INCANT SET OPEN <SPELL#> to make it an open cast by default. So there is that downside if using that spell as an opener for rooms with hidden creatures. Other spells I had listed that are different for INCANT= setting include:

512 - Ice Patch
518 - Cone of Elements (needs spell name update in XML - currently Cone of Lightning)
709 - Grasp of the Grave (needs spell name update in XML - currently Quake)
711 - Pain
909 - Tremors

Not sure on any of the other spells, as with you, I play mostly a wizard. I usually prefer INCANT <#> due to less commands sent to game over PREP/CAST so ends up being faster. But not sure best way to tackle that scenario in the above situations like you mentioned without adding a new Spell def for OPEN casting or something similar.