I think the new combat design (especially the restorative magic overhaul) is an attempt to make players play more tactically.
They've really been pushing this idea of preparation & co-operation when it comes to battle, and the fact that you can only map 8 skills means that you'll really have to think about how you build your team.
I think it could be an interesting mechanic to play with, certainly, but I'm going to withhold judgement until I can actually experience it for myself.
The idea I don't have a problem with the idea of preparing for battle, and having to use the entire team (although I think the removal of healing spells is going back on established lore, which I never really like). I actually like that idea. But limiting the ability bar to 8 slots does not further the idea of teamwork and preparation. Switching stuff on the ability bar is not preparing for battle. It's simply switching one ability the character already has for another. The actual teamwork and strategy in battle are limited by it, because you're set for one strategy during that encounter. Even if it works gameplay-wise, it will feel artificial.
It's a gameplay contrivance. Why can you learn more than 8 spells at all? Because the developers arbitrarily made the level cap greater than 9. Is that related to your immersion? What about HP?
I agree that it's annoying and overall a poor design, but it's no different or more arbitrary than any gameplay contrivance.
It's a bigger problem because it's unnecessary. There needs to be some way to measure at which point you die (and dying from a single arrow to the head, while immersive, is not exactly fun). Having the level capped at 8 would actually be better in my opinion (if implemented correctly), because I wouldn't get the feeling that my battle-hardened mage (or rouge or warrior) has attacks of dementia.
It's not. But.. well I played well over 1k in GuildWars1 and here also was limit to 8 abilities, you had to select beforehand.
Bah. In DA you can change any of these abilities at any point outside of combat. I don't see any big deal.
I say it's even better. You will have to try, to predict what you might need for incoming encounter. That feel like mage. Come prepared, and be destroyed.
I disagree (can't comment on Guild Wars, never played it). Yes I can change the abilities out of combat. But unless there are actually "loadout" slots for different sets of abilities that's a hassle, and thus: inconvenient.
Unless I absolutely can't, I'll probably play the entire game with only 8 abilities ever used per character because I'm a lazy person. If it doesn't work I'll probably turn down the difficulty instead of changing abilities, because that I only need to do once. It may not be a big deal to you, but I think it is very annoying, so why on earth should I not be able to expand the ability bar in my game for my convenience?
No it does not feel like a mage to magically me memory-wiped before an encounter. Imagine you where the mage... John Doe. John spent most of his life fighting, in fact, much of his magical skills he learned in battle, still, before every single time he goes into combat, John forgets most of his knowledge.
Doesn't feel very mage-ish. Feels like John should visit a doctor.
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