Hex Sphere System

NOTICE! Hex Sphere System is only a work name. o11c pointed that Hex Spiral System may be more appropriate.

Introduction to Hex Sphere System

About HSS

The author of the HSS concept is Krzysztof Daszuta (irukard@gmail.com).

All documentation is licensed under the GNU General Plublic License v2 with reservation that any implementation of this idea is derived work and according the license should be distributed under the same conditions. In another case, please contact the author asking for a commercial license.

Many people probably remember the sleepless nights spent on playing the Final Fantasy series. In each part of the Final Fantasy, system of magic and skill is fundamentally different. Sometimes differs in some details, in other cases it's drastically different - based on a completely different rules, even spited from the old mechanics of which by a number of factors we could get used to. As the series of games, under one sign, FF is an excellent material that can be used as model to follow.

Hex Sphere System is the result of such analysis - is also a proposal for solving skills system (including magic), in way that the new system would be nontrivial and does not lead to the creation of characters that can do everything. The system forces profiling towards one or maybe two elements - whether it is a magic defensive, offensive, support or manufacturing skills, etc.

Skills (including magic) are stored in Crystals with hexagon base. The idea is similiar to well known Materia from FF7. The crystal is just a container with following features:

• type (name of skill)
• element (or absence of one)
• level (and of course EXP)

With crystal level also changes some other features such as:

• shape (amount of hex occupied on Hex Sphere)
• sphere base requirements (profile of hexagon under the crystal)
• static neighborhood influence
• resonances - direct, neighborhood and global

The level of the crystal determines the strength (power) of a given skill. Modifies cast time, and the amount of mana consumed, etc. Generally accepted principles of skills mechanics are typically in most cases here.

In order to use a spell or skill, the crystal must be placed on the sphere. Crystal is just an ordinary object and can be sold / bought (except for crystals permanently linked with the owner - Soul Bind - selling them is rather senseless). When the crystal accumulates enough experience to the next level, it will no longer get experience and provides the option of raising it's level. This procedure is for the sake of economy of the game, if necessary, can be fraught with the likelihood of destruction of the crystal. But in current version it's unlikely to destroy crystal with LV UP procedure.

Every use of the crystal profiles the base of Sphere. Any use of it slightly shifts ground on the sphere in the direction of crystal's element. Consequently, the longer we use crystal in one place the better the results you get. The sphere interacts with the crystal, higher ground element level translates directly in better crystal performance. This rule also applies in the opposite side. If the crystal is placed on the "hostile" fields on sphere, the environment it affects it in a negative way - increasing mana consumption, extending cast time and reducing its effectiveness.

Hex Sphere

Sphere in HSS consists of 61 logically interconnected hexagons that what is important in case of need to build much more complex system may be extended for another few or even dozens. As the player gains more experience through crystals usage - the overall level of sphere rises. It should be noted that the sphere has its own level, completely independent of the level of player. If player does not use any skills at all, the LV of Sphere remains the same.

The level of the sphere determines the amount of unlocked fields. Unlocking occurs according to the scheme shown in the figure. Spiral in a clockwise direction. This is the optimal way to ensure a satisfactory number of fields and limiting the ability to use high-level skills at a relatively low sphere level. Each field contains a information about the current element profile.

Elements

The number of elements and their mutual relations can be arbitrary. For obvious reasons should be as small as possible (in range 3-5 the main elements). For the purpose of the system, I decided to use an example taken from The Mana World, which assumes the existence of four main elements, and 4 sub-elements resulting from their combination. This is an example complex enough to fully demonstrate the potential HSS system.

Illustration here shows a graphical representation of each element. Axes assume the possibility of development of each element to level 10. The level of the derivative element is assumed to lowest level of base elements (as shown in the figure). Each main element is neutral for two sub-elements on it's side and strong in the attack against the other sub-elements.

Example: Water is neutral for Ice and Plant but deadly for Metal and Lightening.

Main elements located opposite each other endure its effects. It symbolizes the eternal battle of the elements. In this case the advantage has the element whose level is higher.

Example: Water extinguishes Fire, Fire evaporates Water.

Main elements are strong in a clockwise direction: Air → Water → Earth → Fire → Air, in the opposite direction are weak.

Sub-elements should be considered as sum of the main elements. The best analogy is Kamikaze. Sub-element is very strong in attack against opposite one, while being very week in defense. And in relation to sub-elements on side, because of one common component, the attack and defense are halved.

Profiling sphere ground

To be able to talk about the phenomenon of sphere ground profiling, it should be explained that not every crystal can be put into the sphere. This is dictated by the fact that all the crystals of the levels above the first have minimum requirements, which include a ground level, which must be at the appropriate minimum level of specified element.

The shape of the crystal and the minimum requirements are illustrated in the table below.

The first column includes the level of the crystal, in the next a minimum level of sphere needed to inject the crystal (amount of needed space). In the third column, we see the shape of the crystal on a certain level. Digits appearing within individual hexagons tell us about the minimum requirement to the element level on sphere ground. When these conditions (amount of need space and ground level) are not met, the crystal can not be inserted into the sphere. We must bear in mind that when artificially overstate the ground element level (whether by the neighborhood influence, or by using the appropriate modifier), we can inject a crystal, however, when these artificial conditions cease, and the sphere ground profile at a given location is not sufficient, the crystal will be automatically ejected and will not be able to use it.

The shape of the crystals at given level has been thoroughly examined in order to allow their free development.

One of the tasks of this system is guiding player trough system mechanics. At the beginning the player start injecting everything he finds in game. However after short time player realizes that the way to build a strong form leads only by broadly defined specialization in the direction of one or maybe two - compatible with each other - elements.

Such a system provides many interesting logistics riddles. One of them is planning for the future development and profiling the appropriate fields for the new higher level crystals. At stake is not just the level of crystal and ground, but also its placement on sphere and free space around it.

The crystal evolution procedure is presented in more detail in a later chapter. In order to level up, player have to complete the next level shape using blank crystals. So crucial is free space around crystal and sphere ground level below blanks.

Let's return to the issue of profiling sphere. We begin with plug-in the first level crystal into a sphere. For our purpose of example, we took newly created crystal. Let's call him "X" and assume that his element is fire. Because of that, it has the first level, it does not require any special conditions to meet. Just an empty space on the sphere with any profile. However, compatible filed profile will be the most effective in work. Which directly translates into faster and easier further development.

After each use skill "X" two things happen. First, our "X" and sphere and get experience - which is needed to raise their levels. Secondly, the substrate under the crystal "X" slightly shifts on the element axis in the direction of fire. We are dealing with direct sphere profiling (direct resonance). With time, the level of this field on the sphere automatically increase. This action does not require any intervention from the player, is independent and it can not be in any way stopped or accelerate. The only way to permanently increase the level of elemental spheres in a given place is to use the skills of that type. Once profiled in one direction sphere can be modified only by crystals of another type. For obvious reasons, they will be only first level crystals, because others with higher level will not meet requirements, and inserting them will be impossible.

There is also a phenomenon called neighborhood resonance. This phenomenon has been described in the next chapters. Manifested by the fact that higher level crystals (IV, V, VI) in addition to the direct resonance on the filed under it, extends profiling capabilities to the nearby fields. Such interactions are much weaker than the direct resonance, but in the long run help to achieve a uniform sphere in shorter time. In the case of crystals of level VI, there is another very weak impact on the entire sphere (global resonance). It is dictated by the mighty power released during skill usage. This may result ejecting crystals with incompatible element (when the sphere profile under them will be not sufficient to maintain requirements). The procedure of ejecting and re-injecting crystals into the sphere have been fully described in a later chapter.

Born of new crystal

Probably wondering about the source of the crystals mentioned in this document. For making a crystal containing certain skills or spells, a few simple condition are necessary to meet. You must have a Blank Crystal - simple mineral used as container - and magic spherical object with a particular skill essence - so called Skill Orb.

Blank Crystals

These crystals are very common. Player may encounter them on whole continent. You can buy them - but the store price is rather high in relation to actual costs of acquiring crystals. Another way is the synthesis. To make the synthesis player should gather all the necessary ingredients - minerals that are common drop from mobs, then make a synthesis at the nearest alchemist (it may be the player with the right set of skills or NPC). Keep in mind that the process of creating a crystal is burdened with a certain probability of failure, which result in not getting the desired Blank Crystal, but only part of it - Crystal Shard. Three of those shards may be synthesized to one Blank Crystal (with 100% probability).

Skill Orbs

This magical orb is a relatively rare object. It arises in places of extraordinary concentration of given element. In practice this means an expedition in a remote place, fighting with monsters (usually a mini bosses) of a given element in the hope of getting orb. Skill Orbs may be also payback for completing NPC Quests.

Skill Orbs take the form of iridescent small balls of element color. About the type of skill informs us only its name, eg: Flame Skill Orb of Firewall, Steel Sword Skill Orb of Mastery, etc.

Augmentation

Once we have a Skill Orb and Blank Crystal we can carry out the process of Augmentation. In short we need a qualified alchemist (player or NPC). Alchemist may transfer the essence contained in the Skill Orb to Blank Crystal. During this process we have to choose crystal development path.

We have two options:

• Soul Bind - crystal will be assigned to the first person which inject it to the sphere
• Player Independent - crystal can be worn by anyone by its current owner.

The second option allows the sale of crystals, however they need a way more experience (eg: 1.5 ^ (level crystal): LV1: 1.5 x, LV2: 2.3 x, LV3: 3.4 x, LV4: 5x, LV5: 7.6 x, LV6: 11.5 x). This makes the training of Player Independent crystals very hard and time consuming - however it may be a profitable occupy. If Player can afford to buy a crystal on given level, and have the sphere recruitment, then why not? :)

Rebirth of crystal

There is another method of obtaining the Skill Orb. It's a tribute for mastering Materia in FF7. After the filling exp bar on level 6, the crystal will automatically advance to the maximum level called Master. At the same time as a reward we get a new Skill Orb of the same type.

Crystal on sphere

To hinder the possibility of rapid crystals exchange, and to prohibit quick re-profiling of activity type, both actions - injecting and ejecting - take some time. During this time, the crystal is disabled and can not be used. Once operation is started not be stopped. Operation delay can be explained by the phenomenon of acclimatization of the crystal. It is logical to the fact that too quick removal and insertion of a crystal may destroy the delicate balance of the sphere. This time should be chosen experimentally, but it seems reasonable that it's value should be somewhere between 1 to 10 minutes. Injecting and ejecting operations don't involve any risk of destruction of the crystal.

Injecting

After inserting the crystal into the sphere (when it's meet the relevant requirements of the sphere ground profile) begins a period of acclimation. If the crystal has set the Soul Bind development path also it assigns to the owner. It is possible to further process visualization: a progress bar or animation of injecting crystal. The first option seems to be clearer.

Ejecting

After discussion with o11c, I think that zeroing the EXP in ejection process may be not the best idea.

While removing the crystal from the sphere its experience is being zeroed to the current level. This does not apply only at the VI level of crystals which have collected the maximum amount of experience and have reached the Master level.

Same as in case of injecting is't advised to visualizes process by progress bar.