element-effects
Element Effects
Catalog of all 26 spell elements and their effects on physics and tiles.
Overview
Each element determines how a spell affects the game world. Elements are organized in a geometric structure (core, single-axis, double-axis, triple-axis) and combine through cancellation rules.
See Element System for structure and cancellation mechanics.
Effect Categories
Core Elements (1 element)
Properties: No directional component, neutral/null element.
Force Effects: ⚠️ TBD through spell system design.
Transformation Effects: ⚠️ TBD through spell system design.
Single-Axis Elements (6 elements)
Properties: Pure directional elements along three axes (hot/cold, kinetic/static, light/dark).
Force Effects: ⚠️ TBD - May provide basic force application.
Transformation Effects: ⚠️ TBD - Single-element transformation capabilities.
Double-Axis Elements (12 elements)
Properties: Combination of two axis components (e.g., hot+kinetic, cold+light).
Primary Duty: Most double-element spells provide BOTH force application AND tile transformations.
Force Types: ⚠️ NEEDS SPECIFICATION - Impulse vs velocity-set per element.
Transformation Effects: ⚠️ NEEDS SPECIFICATION - Tile type changes triggered by spell.
Triple-Axis Elements (6 elements)
Properties: Combination of all three axis components.
Primary Duty: Passive modifications to physics behavior.
⚠️ TODO: Triple-element spells will provide passive modifications to reactions and forces for their duration.
Design Intent: Global or area-of-effect modifiers to game rules while spell is active.
Examples (speculative): Modify force strengths, alter reaction rates, change timer behaviors.
Null/Core Element (1 element)
Properties: Absence of all axes, neutral element.
Special Role: ⚠️ TBD - May have unique mechanics or serve as cancellation result.
Force Application Methods
Impulse Forces
Method: Add velocity delta to current object velocity.
Application: Δv applied once when spell contacts object.
Use Cases: Push, pull, explosion effects.
Elements: ⚠️ NEEDS SPECIFICATION - Which elements use impulse method?
Velocity-Set Forces
Method: Directly replace object velocity with spell-specified value.
Application: Overrides current velocity entirely.
Use Cases: Wind, flow, directional movement effects.
Elements: ⚠️ NEEDS SPECIFICATION - Which elements use velocity-set method?
Mass Consideration
⚠️ NEEDS DISCUSSION: Do spell forces ignore mass (magical effects) or respect mass (physical forces)?
Impact: Determines if heavy objects respond same as light objects to spells.
Tile Transformation Effects
Double-Element Transformations
Trigger: When double-element spell activates on a tile.
Process: Tile type changes based on spell elements and current tile type.
Rule Source: Transformation rules defined per element combination.
⚠️ NEEDS SPECIFICATION: Complete mapping of element combinations to tile transformations.
Examples (speculative):
- Fire element: Transform wood → burning wood → ash
- Ice element: Transform water → ice
- Earth element: Create/modify terrain
Integration with Reactions
Coordination: Spell transformations may interact with reaction system environmental effects.
Rule Separation: Spell-triggered transformations separate from physics-driven reactions.
See cross-referenceSpell Integration and cross-referenceReactions.
Passive Modifications (Triple-Element)
⚠️ TODO: Design passive modification system for triple-element spells.
Duration: Modifications active while spell is present.
Scope: May affect global rules or localized area.
Potential Effects:
- Modify force strengths (amplify/dampen collision, cohesion, spell forces)
- Alter reaction rates (speed up/slow down environmental reactions)
- Change timer behaviors (faster burning, slower freezing, etc.)
- Modify mass response (objects lighter/heavier under effect)
Element Catalog
⚠️ NEEDS COMPLETION: Catalog all 26 elements with specific effects.
Structure Reference
The 26 elements are organized as:
- 1 Core (null)
- 6 Single-axis (hot, cold, kinetic, static, light, dark)
- 12 Double-axis (all pairwise combinations of opposite axes)
- 6 Triple-axis (hot/cold + kinetic/static + light/dark combinations)
- 1 Null (three cancellations)
See Element System for complete structure and cancellation rules.
Design Considerations
Element Distinctiveness
Goal: Each element should feel unique and have clear gameplay identity.
Balance: Elements should be roughly balanced in power/utility.
Synergy: Element combinations should create interesting strategic choices.
Force Magnitudes
Tuning: Force strengths will require gameplay testing and iteration.
Configuration: Expose force values as tunable parameters.
Variation: Different elements may have different force strengths for balance.
Transformation Design
Clarity: Players should understand what each element does to tiles.
Consistency: Similar elements should have thematically consistent effects.
Balance: Transformation effects balanced against force effects for double-elements.
Integration Points
Spell System
Element System - Structure and cancellation rules
Spells and Runes - How elements are cast and combined
Physics Integration
cross-referenceSpell Integration - How elements affect physics layer
cross-referenceReactions - Interaction with reaction system
Implementation Status
Current State: Structure defined, specific effects TBD through design process.
Next Steps:
- Define force type (impulse/velocity-set) for each element
- Specify force magnitudes for gameplay testing
- Design tile transformation rules for double-elements
- Design passive modification system for triple-elements
- Iterate through playtesting and balance