There are literally thousands of spell combinations in Magicka and once you get out of the tutorial you are left to discover most of them by trial and error. No doubt within a week or so there will be there are already comprehensive lists of spells and equipment available on the web.
There is a strong temptation to dive into google and track down the details of successful combinations. This is not really a form of cheating. I actually find this type of meta gaming very enjoyable. I love forums, faqs and wikis. I love reading others opinions of different abilities and I also enjoy posting my own observations. Indeed with a game as new as Magicka there is always the possibility of discovering something that other players don't know about.
The problem is that the pleasure of participating in the online information flow about a game is incompatible with the other pleasure of working stuff out for yourself. Once you start to consult guides you cannot go back and unlearn the information you find there so a player must make a choice of whether to consult guides or not.
At present I am working through single player Magicka and still figuring everything out by myself. I am finding the single player game challenging enough but I am getting through it. No doubt there are several important spells that I haven't discovered yet but I am getting a lot of satisfaction from working stuff out by myself. I will admit though to an ever increasing longing to head off to the forums to discuss the game especially when I discover some new spell or abillity .. "Did you guys know that you can...." but so far I have resisted.
If ever I graduate to multiplayer though I think I will give in and resort to googling. Playing with one hand behind my back is fine as long as only my own survival depends on it. Asking other players to put up with my ignorance is not really acceptable.
So "Gnarled Staff or Staff of War, What do you guys really think?"
There is a strong temptation to dive into google and track down the details of successful combinations. This is not really a form of cheating. I actually find this type of meta gaming very enjoyable. I love forums, faqs and wikis. I love reading others opinions of different abilities and I also enjoy posting my own observations. Indeed with a game as new as Magicka there is always the possibility of discovering something that other players don't know about.
The problem is that the pleasure of participating in the online information flow about a game is incompatible with the other pleasure of working stuff out for yourself. Once you start to consult guides you cannot go back and unlearn the information you find there so a player must make a choice of whether to consult guides or not.
At present I am working through single player Magicka and still figuring everything out by myself. I am finding the single player game challenging enough but I am getting through it. No doubt there are several important spells that I haven't discovered yet but I am getting a lot of satisfaction from working stuff out by myself. I will admit though to an ever increasing longing to head off to the forums to discuss the game especially when I discover some new spell or abillity .. "Did you guys know that you can...." but so far I have resisted.
If ever I graduate to multiplayer though I think I will give in and resort to googling. Playing with one hand behind my back is fine as long as only my own survival depends on it. Asking other players to put up with my ignorance is not really acceptable.
So "Gnarled Staff or Staff of War, What do you guys really think?"