Hi guys, thanks for the feedback. I am aware of the slower leveling - but I haven't figured out how to fix it yet. I would really love to know exactly how destruction experience is earned - is it based on damage done, spell cost, before or after multipliers, or none of the above? I am really hoping for some sort of indication from the CK when it's released so I can figure out what I can change to make leveling up your skill consistent with vanilla.

I think it is based how many times the spell is cast and what "level" the spell is... So a master destruction spell increases the skill fast than anything else. The thing is in your mod the spells deal more damage so you use the spells far fewer than you would in vanilla since they do more damage and kill things more quickly. I imagine it also factors in the level of your opponent "the target of the spell"

Managed to test it out a bit more again. I think it's just the adept level spells that level up destruction really slowly (fireball, chain lightning and ice storm). After I purchased expert level spells it seemed to be back to how fast it levels up in vanilla.

I'm not sure how experienced is gained either. All I know is that you get more experience for using higher level spells. sozzzzzzz

Edit: Actually I'm not sure how having read the last post on the last page. Like I don't know if it's a static thing or if it would randomly change. I mean if he/she was level 97, I'm assuming he/she would've been using expert level spells as well...

I play with the auto perk mod and the less is more perks do work with it, so I assume it's still the same code just changed the name and effect

That is a correct assumption. So that I wouldn't mess up anyone's save games, I reused the mage armor perks - if you uninstall Balanced Magic, you will have the same number of points in Mage Armor as you had in Less is More.

Hello Mysty .. thx for GREAT MOD .. im mage-user in every game and i chose u ) .. anw .. my char sometime auto-heal for some strange reason .. i dont know why .. it begun after i used ur Mod .. is it supposed to be ?

You should try changing the %fortify on equipment into +%damage or +%duration depending on spell type.

Makes a lot more sense than decreasing spell cost with equipment.

I've been playing with this mod for some time, and I have to say I really love it.

Great job!

Also looking forward to the next update!

two questions one of them being utterly stupid. first does this mean that i can use my favorite spell flames even at high levels. i would love to have a higher damage/higher cost version of the low level spells since i like setting traps and setting up walls of flame.

now for the completely dumb question...........you said something about editting hex values. i remember alot of modders using the FNVedit tool to make changes in the game before the fallout new vegas GECK was released. isnt there anyway to simply port that over to skyrim or is the game that different?

Flames damage increases as you level and perk destruction.
FNVEdit is already used.

Question for mysty or anyone who has used this mod extensively -

Between Novice, Adept, Master and Vanilla, which would you consider the most balanced?

By balance I mean, melee players don't get [censored] by magic users after the changes. An example that comes to mind is fighting dragon priests, since I am still haunted by the number of times I got 2 shotted by Krosis on my first play through and have ever since, just ran away from him whenever I go to the location.

I am currently on my second play through, still as a melee class, but would like to try a pure mage class next, so would really appreciate some input.

Thanks.

P.S. I posted this same message in nexus but saw no response so I went here instead.

I played through an entire run as a pure mage with this mod + PISE on master. I'm 80+ hours on a new pure fighter character on master right now. PISE makes things harder in general (higher-level, more and smarter enemies), but it does introduce a separate element to the gamplay, just FYI.

I'd say there's rarely, if ever, a need to drop below master, and definitely not below expert. I have more problems as a fighter with bandits than with mages, and no problems at all playing a pure mage.

@omphaloskepsis

So I guess, what your saying is I should use Balanced_Magic_Master.esp in addition to Balanced_Destruction.esp, Balanced_Alteration.esp, Balanced_Conjuration.esp, Balanced_Illusion.esp and Balanced_Restoration.esp.
Thanks I'll try that.

He was specifically talking about the in-game difficulty setting, actually I play with Balanced_Magic_Master.esp and it just means you have to be just that tad bit more careful with your casting than you were before. I like the challenge. Then again, I always play on Master, etc.

@Prateem, thanks for covering for my missing brain.

@anotheralex - yeah, I was thinking master difficulty in-game with master esp as well, but I didn't say that very well. I just feel that if the toughest settings are good, why go lower?

I played with _novice.esp because I don't understand the logic that in the heat of battle, your regeneration would suddenly slowed down. Even with _novice, I still find the game balanced, while I have super magicka regeneration rate outside of battle, inside, the regen doesn't help much, and I may still need a potion if there's prolong fight.

Thanks for the clarifications.

@omphaloskepsis - That makes sense, I'll probably stick with the master esp, since as you said the settings doesn't need to be lowered at all
At least with the little amount of time I've played with it enabled it seems fine.

Not sure if it's this mod or a conflict with another (never noticed it in vanilla, though I quickly switched to better magicka mods as soon as they came out), but cloak spells seem to dispel summons. I'll tool around with it tonight or tomorrow and see if I can pinpoint what's causing it, but I wanted to get it out there.

I've recently started a new non-mage character, and I'm noticing an annoying trend where destruction staves seem to do pathetic amounts of damage. I just killed Krosis at level 22 and looted a Staff of Fireballs that does an amazing 18 points of damage. Without the mod it goes back to the normal 40. It seems counterproductive to keep the mod activated if I'm not playing a mage.

Hey so does this mod make Alchemy level like seriously slow? I am spending all my money on trainers, I come in with bags full of ingredients and I get maybe 2 skill raises out of making potions with them.

Agreed.

You're playing a mage with low destruction and high enchant skill, aren't you? The mod ties destruction skill to (destruction) staff damage output, while vanilla (IIRC) ties enchant skill to staff damage.

I've noticed an apparent slowdown in Destruction, but not in Alchemy. Is your skill very high, like around the 90s? It's supposed to be slower at high levels. Also, do you have any other mods installed, especially later in your load order, that might be causing the slow down?

I'm not playing a mage at all on this new character. I don't like the idea that some staves are gimped if you're not a mage. Magic skill should provide a bonus to the base staff damage, not decrease it into uselessness for not having the skill.

Also, vanilla doesn't change staff damage at all. It ties skill to charges used per shot.

That is how it works in vanilla. No idea why they did it that way.

Yeah, I was too lazy to double-check the vanilla setting, hence the IIRC. The bonus to base staff damage is a good idea, actually. I noticed that staffs were gimped, but haven't used them for my current character, who's not a mage either.