Ember design and mechanic proposals

[-Variant]

Embers are a very interesting new item/mechanic introduced, but I have some ideas on how they can be improved.

Firstly, their design. They're VERY similar to Wortox's souls, I've seen a few folks mistaken them for some, on that note.
Personally, I'm hoping they can be changed to be more akin to actual Embers. More of a personal take.

I suggest they drop as actual steaming embers. This keeps both their steam-y ghostly effect and gives them a bit of a more distinct look, something fitting of something that just burnt!

Maybe not to this degree since they drop from mobs, but the idea is there.
Could also go for something wispy, like mushrooms spores.

With that said, I feel they could have more uses as their own items.
Something I was hoping for that didn't make it into the skill tree was the possible re-use of the Hallowed Nights Sulfur potions as a gimmick for Willow!

I'd love to chuck some embers into live fires to enhance them, both firepits and burning entities!


I'm hoping this can make them feel more involved as their own items rather than just currency for her main lighter skills.
It'd have benefits for both casual play and for combat.
That's it, I appreciate the read-over!

[9screamingkittens]

YESSS. This is precisely what I thought when I saw them. That if they're not a placeholder for actual embers, then...well...they're majorly half-assed. Make them an actual item, not a swirly swirl of swirliness for swirlies' sake. And items having a physicality to them, a look like they dimensionally belong in the world, is WAYYYY more appealing than what it is now. And that's coming from a gal who loves swirly wavey things :B

[ShadowDuelist]

I think the current embers icon was mostly a placeholder, it’s way too simplistic and doesn't even have color, it seems like it will be changed regardless and its there only so we can test the mechanic.

I love your design of the embers!

[-Variant]

12 minutes ago, 9screamingkittens said:

That if they're not a placeholder for actual embers, then...

10 minutes ago, ShadowDuelist said:

I think the current embers icon was mostly a placeholder

Aha, I'm just a wee bit paranoid with placeholder art. I feel it's both safe and beneficial to call things out early. (Bernie's old art was said to be placeholder, for example.)
It helps show our feelings on them on the chance they're not placeholders, and it helps give the artist direction of what to do with them if they are placeholders. Win-win!

Also I just really love glowing hot burn-y stuff. 

[9screamingkittens]

6 minutes ago, -Variant said:

I feel it's both safe and beneficial to call things out early.

OH NO, DEFINITELY. Because if it *isn't* a placeholder then we're in for a Bad Time :/

[Captain_Rage]

The Fire Ball skill is horrible in terms of creativity. It's a carbon copy of the dwarf star. Would be nicer if the skill got changed into something like stuffing pieces of ember into Straw Rolls / Fur Rolls to give them something fun (a boost? a minigame with a reward? something silly / pretty effect?). Instead of slapping on wonky skills it could be nice to have skills that revamp long forgotten mechanics, like sleeping.

[WhackE]

Again, I agree wholeheartedly with this post, embers resembling souls is very strange! I hope they do something about that.

[Harryyw]

Agree! Ember should have more interactions with other characters/entities.

[Jakepeng99]

On 12/2/2023 at 2:36 AM, Captain_Rage said:

The Fire Ball skill is horrible in terms of creativity. It's a carbon copy of the dwarf star. Would be nicer if the skill got changed into something like stuffing pieces of ember into Straw Rolls / Fur Rolls to give them something fun (a boost? a minigame with a reward? something silly / pretty effect?). Instead of slapping on wonky skills it could be nice to have skills that revamp long forgotten mechanics, like sleeping.

I like that skill dont remove it. Also willow buffing sleeping by setting it on fire is kinda odd.

On 12/2/2023 at 12:02 AM, -Variant said:

Embers are a very interesting new item/mechanic introduced, but I have some ideas on how they can be improved.

Firstly, their design. They're VERY similar to Wortox's souls, I've seen a few folks mistaken them for some, on that note.
Personally, I'm hoping they can be changed to be more akin to actual Embers. More of a personal take.

I suggest they drop as actual steaming embers. This keeps both their steam-y ghostly effect and gives them a bit of a more distinct look, something fitting of something that just burnt!

Maybe not to this degree since they drop from mobs, but the idea is there.
Could also go for something wispy, like mushrooms spores.

With that said, I feel they could have more uses as their own items.
Something I was hoping for that didn't make it into the skill tree was the possible re-use of the Hallowed Nights Sulfur potions as a gimmick for Willow!

I'd love to chuck some embers into live fires to enhance them, both firepits and burning entities!


I'm hoping this can make them feel more involved as their own items rather than just currency for her main lighter skills.
It'd have benefits for both casual play and for combat.
That's it, I appreciate the read-over!

Yeah, they should at leasy make the sprite orange. Maybe have bits of black ember and smoke swirling around it?

[Jason]

You all have good feedback so I wanted to set you with the right expectations for next week. I don't want you to be too disappointed when we don't change the ember's design.

The design of the Embers were intentionally designed to be similar to souls as they are not actually embers. They are an immaterial manifestation of a burnt creature. They had enough similarities to Wortox's Souls that we wanted to have a similar look as well. 

[SpookyXy]

 

1 hour ago, Jason said:

You all have good feedback so I wanted to set you with the right expectations for next week. I don't want you to be too disappointed when we don't change the ember's design.

The design of the Embers were intentionally designed to be similar to souls as they are not actually embers. They are an immaterial manifestation of a burnt creature. They had enough similarities to Wortox's Souls that we wanted to have a similar look as well. 

Maybe the full name should be Embers of Life, to make it clear they aren't normal embers and so new players know they only come from killing burning creatures.

[Yuuko]

2 hours ago, Jason said:

You all have good feedback so I wanted to set you with the right expectations for next week. I don't want you to be too disappointed when we don't change the ember's design.

The design of the Embers were intentionally designed to be similar to souls as they are not actually embers. They are an immaterial manifestation of a burnt creature. They had enough similarities to Wortox's Souls that we wanted to have a similar look as well. 

so............ cap them at 1 stack and get rid of these cd's..?

[Dr.Webber]

4 hours ago, Jason said:

You all have good feedback so I wanted to set you with the right expectations for next week. I don't want you to be too disappointed when we don't change the ember's design.

The design of the Embers were intentionally designed to be similar to souls as they are not actually embers. They are an immaterial manifestation of a burnt creature. They had enough similarities to Wortox's Souls that we wanted to have a similar look as well. 

I have some questions do they canonically  cease to exist upon being used to power the spell or do they get released along with the spell also on the topic of souls why don’t wormwood spawn drops souls do they not have them or is there some lunar intervention or do they not have a soul but have something that functions as one and exist after death as such also can you give me feedback on the thing linked in the signature I worked really hard on it and continue to so let me know of any changes I can make to increase the chances for it to be added or at least taken some inspiration from or let me know of any Webber lore that the direction of the skill tree I made contradicts and if you don’t have any of that then maybe just tell me if you like it or not