Dragon vein ideas

[Corrobin]

If you've played Fates, you've probably seen and used Dragon Veins. Do you have any ideas for how the idea could be used in a fangame?

For the uninitiated: Dragon Veins are points in the map that, if you move a "Royal" character (Corrin, Ryoma, Hinoka, Takumi, Sakura, Azura, Xander, Camilla, Leo, Elise, and any of their children) onto and can activate an effect that changes the map. Evaporating/freezing bodies of water, changing the landscape, damaging a group of enemies, healing a group of allies, and other powerful strategy-changing techniques.

Idea 1: A different element for every Royal.

Each "Royal" could specialize in different elemental Veins. Using some of Fates's characters, perhaps Leo could use Plant Veins to grow evasion-boosting forests and tree bridges, but Hinoka's Fire Veins can burn them down just as quickly, and evaporate lakes? Elise's Water Veins are great for removing deserts and healing allies, but Takumi's Wind Veins can push enemies away, create flyer-impairing storms and move debris?

[ILikeKirbys]

That's actually an interesting thought, though I could see it getting kinda confusing (or redundant, if their effects overlap too much) if there were 10 elements (or would it be 11, since Garon should be able to use them too, right?).

Maybe to simplify, just have... I dunno, 4 elements. One element for each Hoshidan and Nohrian royal, as well as Corrin (who gets the element of your choice) and Azura (who can share one with the other royals).

So, uh, here's a few thoughts on what those Dragon Vein elements would be, what they would do, and who would get them (borrowing and expanding on your thoughts a bit, thanks for those mate):

Fire: It'd burn things, burning forests into wastes, melting ice into more-difficult-to-pass water, and melting rivers into easier-to-pass dry land. Hinoka and Xander could share this.

Water: It'd create floods, filling dry land with difficult-to-pass lakes, expanding already-established bodies of water if possible, maybe also freeze waters into easier-to-pass-over ice, and create healing rains that restore the HP and/or cure the debuffs of all characters (friendly or enemy) in an area (or over the whole map). Azura'd get this, as would Ryoma and Camilla.

Wind: It'd create turbulent areas that fliers are slowed by and create wind-gists that either directly move allies and/or enemies in a direction, or create a longer-lasting wind that halves movement costs for moving in one direction while doubling them for moving in the opposite direction. Takumi shares this with Elise.

Earth: Like your Plant, it'd create forests on plains and wastes, and create plant-based bridges across gaps, but it'd also create healing areas on the ground, as well as creating impassable walls. Leo and Sakura would get this.

As for Corrin, just add an option to the avatar-creation menu that lets you select which DV element he/she'll have.

As for children, they'd inherit their mother's element if the royals intermarried, and would get their royal parent's element if only one parent can use Dragon Veins.

Also, here's an element that I don't think would be great to give the player, but which might be interesting if given to enemies...

Darkness: It causes Fog of War, and also creates areas that either directly damage units who start their turn on them, make units who are standing on them have lowered stats (which would count separately from other debuffs), or would make units who are standing on them take increased damage from attacks.

Also, give some of the Invader-type enemies the ability to use Dragon Veins. Not all of them, maybe just specifically-marked ones, or bosses, or something. Just because it frees things up to have chapters where enemies make your life miserable with DVs without having to contrive a reason for one or more of the royals to fight your party (not that that can't be done, it totally should, but for situations where you can't but still want enemies to use DV on your party, that's something you could do).

Just a handful of thoughts. Not necessarily good ones, but that's what you get from me after midnight, haha.

[Corrobin]

Not bad ideas at all! Though I was thinking of having an 8 element system- Fire, Ice, Water, Lightning, Earth, Wind, Light and Darkness.

[Corrobin]

A magipunk Fire Emblem would give some new possibilities.

Short-circuiting electronics with Lightning or Water Veins?

Exploding gunpowder barrels with Fire or Lightning Veins?

[Corrobin]

Bump.

[Corrobin]

Light: Removes Fog of War in an area, stuns enemies for a turn, lower Hit of all enemies

Lightning: Hit a cross area with an attack, remove bridges

Ice: Stop enemies in place, slow down foot unit's movement, freeze paths on water

Darkness: Create mini-Fog Of War, reduce stats, drain HP of units and give it to the user

[InigoPadalin]

You could make it that dragon veins activate with any character, like an affinity, and that royals make it more powerful than a normal character, like... Hinata has Lv1 wind or fire, but Takumi has Lv2 Wind, and if two royals intermarry, and they have the same affinity, the kid has like Leo Lv2 plant and Sakura Lv2 plant make Forrest Lv3 plant? (Don't mind me, I donno what mechanic style there is). Also, you could make it so that the dragon vein require a certain level to activate. For example, for the prologue of fates, Camilla has fire affinity LV2, and the dragon vein require LV2, so only Fire Royals can activate it. Here could be a list:

Gunther: Lv1 Darkness

Felicia: Lv1 Light

Jakob: Lv1 Darkness

Corrin: Lv3 (due to *cough*) (whatever is chosen)

Selena: Lv1 Fire

Beruka: Lv1 Wind/Fire, whichever

Camilla: Lv2 Fire

Odin: Lv1 Darkness/Wind

Niles: Lv1 Darkness/Water

Leo: Lv2 Darkness/Plant

Laslow: Lv1 Wind/Water

Peri: Lv1 Fire/Plant

Xander: Lv2/3 Darkness/Fire

Hana: Lv1 Wind

Subaki: Lv1 Water/Wind

Sakura: Lv2: Plant/Wind

Hinata: Lv1 Wind/Fire

Orobo: Lv1 Fire/Darkness

Takumi: Lv2 Wind

Setsuna: Lv1 Wind

Azama: Lv1 Wind/Fire

Hinoka: Lv2 Fire/Wind

Saizo: Lv1 Fire

Kagero: Lv1 Wind

Ryoma: Lv2/3 Wind/Light

Azura: Lv3 *cough* Water

Silas: Lv1 Light/Dark

Kaze: Lv1 Wind

Benny: Lv1 Light

Charlotte: Lv1 Dark

Mozu: Lv 1 Light

Rinkah: Lv 1/2 Fire

(/ means either or)

There ya go!

Edited September 10, 2016 by InigoPadalin

[Corrobin]

Oh, I like that! Might mix it around for individual characters, but not a bad idea at all!