[Chris Byler]

Originally posted by Nagot Gick Fel:

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Originally posted by Chris Byler:
I've never been happy with magic scales only helping research and not helping actual use of magic.

Well, a magic scale does help the use of magic on the battlefield, as it reduces fatigue drastically.

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How drastically? If you have any hard data, by all means share it. The manual has far fewer nuts and bolts than I expected (sorry Psitticine, but I want to know all the formulae! ); although it does cover the basic fatigue calculation well (which already puts it a step ahead of a lot of manuals these days), it doesn't say anything about the effect of magic/drain scales on the calculation.

In any case, AFAIK the bonus affects both sides equally, making it less than impressive; and much of the most important casting is ritual, which isn't affected at all. (AFAIK, a few rituals are affected by the MR modifier - if the target is in your dominion.)

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Talent would change that

I have another idea. Why not give mages a penetration bonus when it comes to casting resistable rituals - like Mind Hunt - just like their target's MR is modified by the magic/drain scale of the province he's in?

Magic +3 +2 +1 0 -1 -2 -3 Drain (origin)
Bonus +1 +1 0 0 0 -1 -1

A magic scale could even help penetrating magical domes:

Magic +3 +2 +1 0 -1 -2 -3 Drain (origin)
Bonus +5% +5% 0% 0% 0% -5% -5%

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I don't think this would help enough. Resistable rituals represent a tiny fraction of all uses of magic, or even of off-battlefield magic. Also, both of your tables show no extra benefit at magic +3, which is exactly the level that is really not worth it under the present system (has the lowest proportional research effect of any 1-point change and is already after you have gotten all MR modifier you can get). In fact it's possible that +3 magic should get you talent 20% (instead of 15%) for exactly this reason.

At least your suggestion is biased toward the owner, though - the battlefield MR modifier lowers the MR of the god's own troops as much as it does the enemy. Gee, I really want to pay points for that.