MAngband

I play as Arden the mage in case anyone wants to ask in game about this.

Currently if you cast haste or goi a timer is started which counts down until the spells effect runs out.

Previously you could stack goi which meant that the timer was added to with the new castings duration each time it was cast.

I'm not sure if haste/essence of speed were ever stackable like that? I've only played mang for a few months.

My problem is that say if I cast haste and run around for a while then just before its about to run out I cast it again the timer is not "reset" to the new casting duration. This means say if I cast haste 2 rounds before its about to run out then it will still run out after 2 more rounds therefore wasting the mana for just casting it. Rather it should be reset to the new duration if higher.

For those that think I am asking for stackability:

examples:

If it was stackable then:
cast haste for 20 rounds then cast haste again for 30 rounds. 20+30=timer set for 50 rounds - added to for each casting

But the method I want is:
cast haste for 20 rounds then cast haste for 30 rounds. 30>20 so new timer=30.
If this then counts down to 25 rounds remaining and I cast for 20 rounds the timer will retain 25 being higher.

This is mainly because I come from a DND background where spells durations do not stack but override the the new duration is longer. The result of which is that I can keep casting goi on myself during combat without fear of it running out though the duration is not stacked so I do have to keep using mana during the fight.

I'm not asking for some huge new thing to make mages more powerful I just don't agree with the way that spells run out even though I have just cast them again!

Thoughts?

protection and speed spells do not stack by design.  
The abillity to stack GoI was a game inconsistancy that was fixed some time ago.

I think the "whatever is bigger" should take presidence...good and bad.  If I'm about to be unconfused, and something breathes confusion, it should reset the timer to 50 turns (or whatever it is)...by the same token, if I get breathed on 3 times, it shouldn't stack...I shouldn't be confused for 150 turns, but 50.

The same should be said about timed effects.

How hard would it be to add some sort of timer for these good effects, like I suggested on the Ithinksw page?

It would be a bad idea to make spell timers reset. There would be no risk at all for high level mages. You have to tempt death every once in a while, and use strategy to beat monsters.

I like the idea of applying the new>old duration check to good and bad spells.

You have to spend the mana, so there is risk involved - do you spend down to the last of your mana on another GoI or do you save some in case you need to teleport away? There's just as much strategy involved as there ever was.

I'm a fan of the idea of having an re-applied effect reset the counter. However, if I understand it correctly, one of the balancing issues with GoI when fighting morgy is that you have the slight pause between GoI running out and you casting it again. Perhaps having the counter simply being reset when recast would mess with what is either an intentional or otherwise balance issue.

-Fink