Move spl-dat.txt to docs/obsolete, remove docs/historical.

Signed-off-by: Eino Keskitalo <evktalo@users.sourceforge.net>

1 files changed, 124 insertions, 0 deletions

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+Note: removed from spl-data.h on 3-Nov-2009.
+
+/*
+   XXX: Some of these notes are obsolete now!
+
+   In case anyone ever wants to add new spells, or just understand my reasons
+   for putting a particular spell into a particular type, read on:
+
+   Guidelines for typing spells
+
+   Conjuration
+   This type has a near monopoly on effective and relatively risk-free combat
+   spells. All other types of combat spells are either indirect (enchantments),
+   risky/detrimental/not versatile (necromancy) or just plain crappy (burn and
+   freeze), although smiting is not too bad.
+   Conjuration spells all involve the magical creation of matter and/or energy
+   (which are the same thing anyway, right?). They are distinguished from
+   summoning spells in that they do not involve the summoning of an entire
+   creature from another place.
+
+   Enchantment
+   These spells mostly cause some kind of durational effect, which lasts only
+   until the magic wears off. Enchantments are distinguished from
+   transmutations in that the latter cause a permanent alteration in something
+   which persists even after the magic has faded, while the effects of the
+   former last only so long as the magic does. Sometimes enchantments may take
+   advantage of the more powerful aspects of transmutation to induce some
+   kind of radical change (eg polymorph).
+   Some enchantments would also fall under the description of 'meta-magic'
+   spells, like Selective Amnesia and Remove Curse (and if I ever implement
+   Dispel Magic, it will be an enchantment).
+   It is possible that some divinations could be retyped as
+   divination/enchantment, as they appear to be primarily concerned with
+   detecting enchantments. Detect Curse and Identify are what I'm thinking
+   of here.
+
+   Fire and Ice
+   These are quite obvious. I'm trying to keep these two balanced with each
+   other, but it can be difficult. I have to weigh up some useful fire spells,
+   like Sticky Flame, Fireball, Ring of Flames and Firestorm, and the fact that
+   Fire wizards have an advantage when summoning fire elementals by either
+   spell or device, with the also quite useful Refrigeration, Ice Armour and
+   Freezing Cloud. Ice wizards don't have a corresponding advantage with
+   water elementals, because water and ice are two different things (ice is not
+   necessarily water ice, for example).
+   Generally, Fire spells tend towards chaos, disorder and entropy, while
+   Ice spells tend towards order and stasis. But these trends are rather
+   underdeveloped at the moment.
+   Note that just about the only reason one would ever choose an ice or fire
+   wizard over a conjurer would be the resistance gained at level 12.
+   Especially because having a fire specialisation basically removes any chance
+   of ever using ice spells effectively, and vice versa.
+
+   Transmutation
+   See enchantments.
+
+   Necromancy
+   This is the fun stuff. Necromancy is a mixed bag of many and various
+   different kinds of spells, with a few common themes:
+   -Differentiation of living, dead and undead. Some necromancy affects only
+   the living (pain, vampiric draining, etc.), some affects only the dead
+   (animate dead, twisted resurrection, etc.), and some affects only undead
+   (dispel and control undead).
+   -Actual or potential harm: eg risk in Death's Door, hp loss with Pain,
+   disease with summon greater undead, etc. Also loss of potential experience
+   gain with bolt of draining and degeneration.
+   -Material components are central to many of the spells.
+   -Some spells duplicate effects of other types, but do so in a different
+   (neither superior or inferior) way. Eg bone shards is a very powerful spell
+   for only 3 magic points, but requires preparation. Also, necromantic
+   healing spells are different and more idiosyncratic than holy healing.
+   Although regeneration is usually less useful than lesser healing and is
+   level 3 instead of 2, it can be cast before combat (when 1 turn spent
+   casting is less important), and is affected by extension.
+   -Generally unholy theme of spells (I mean, Twisted Resurrection?).
+
+   Holy
+   The Holy type is also fairly various, but is rather less interesting than
+   necromancy (after all, priests are better at fighting than necromancers).
+   Holy spells do things like driving off undead and healing. Note that I
+   consider item stickycursing to be more of an issue for enchantments rather
+   than holy magic, which is why remove curse is enchantment.
+
+   Summoning
+   These spells involve bringing a creature from somewhere else (possibly on
+   another plane of existence) to this world to do battle for the caster. Some
+   future summonings could potentially be combination conjuration/summoning
+   spells, eg the ball lightning spell I keep planning to implement.
+   Also, potential exists for some risky high-level spells, maybe demon
+   summoning?
+
+   Divination
+   These spells provide information to the caster. A diviner class would be
+   possible (and having detect curse and identify would be very handy), but
+   would be extremely difficult to play - there is no potential in this type
+   for combat spells.
+
+   Translocation
+   Translocation spells deal with teleportation etc, also interplanar travel
+   (eg Banishment, and the planned Gate spell).
+   It is possible that I may give summoners some special access to trans-
+   locations due to the obvious similarities.
+
+   Poison
+   These spells all involve poison. Most are also conjurations.
+   I don't plan to implement a 'Poisoner' class, as it would become unplayable
+   deep in the dungeon where most monsters are poison resistant.
+
+   Your skill for a spell is effectively the average of all schools used in it.
+*/
+
+/*
+ * When adding enchantments, must add them to extension as well!
+ *
+ * spells to do:
+ *   Contingency?
+ *   Trigger contingency
+ *   Preserve Corpses
+ *   Permanency
+ *   Explosive rune?
+ *   Fennel wands
+ *   More summonings!
+ */
+