To Fourteen Pips... And Beyond?

KingsIsle recently released the world of Azteca in Wizard101 US, and not too terribly long ago, released Avalon in Wizard101 UK. With the introduction of Azteca, Rank 10 Spells were released, and with Avalon in the UK, four sets of various spells were released. However, new gear doesn't offer as much Power Pip chance as it used to, and pips are harder and harder to gather... what happens when you go over your limit?

Ever since the introduction of Rank 8 Spells, each school has finally had a spell that is impossible for another school's wizard to cast without a Mastery Amulet. Shortly following, Rank 9 Spells, and Rank 10 Spells in the US. It would seem that KingsIsle has realized that pips are limited, and it almost looks like they'll be alternating with new worlds: Utility spells, attack spells, utility spells, etc.

However, even nine pips is quite a few, and in the US, ten. What happens when we see eleven, twelve, thirteen, and fourteen... or will we? While it's not only hard to save up, it's even harder to maintain. Consider the newest spells that use pip manipulation - steal one pip, remove three pips, etc. Then you've got things like mana burn that removed pips, and so on and so forth. Then, if you have less than 90% Power Pip chance (and without the crowns-only Sidhe Staff, you probably do), then chances are, you'll end up with at least one single pip - and that means no-go on that new Rank 14 Spell.

However, the question has been asked - Will KingsIsle give any more high-pip damage spells? What if, instead, they eased some of our burdens with lower pip spells. You know what I'm talking about - a 4 pips AoE for Death, a cheap DoT for Life and Storm, a damage-focused AoE for Myth, another universal blade for Balance, a multi-shield spell for Ice, etc. That sort of thing. I know I'd go for it.

Then the question is asked, however, regarding how we maintain school balance. After all, in the US, Life just received a DoT spell... and since when have they been a DoT school? Ice and Myth got pip manipulation, but that has always been Balance's thing. I have to agree, things like Mastery Amulets and these new spells might appear to make schools unbalanced... but are they?

I'd argue that wizards are now level 90 - and millions of experience away from when they started the game (some of these last levels are requiring around 700,000 experience, so is millions an accurate guess?). It's been awhile without some of these essential tools, and they're pushed through the difficulty. Imagine the frustration of a Storm, without shield manipulation, that is fully bladed and encounters a shield. Without a DoT, there is no counter. It's hit or burn the blades.

Really, though, besides damage, there are some number of utility spells that I'd love to have. Mass Shields, for instance. It'd be individual school shields, maybe toned down to 70 or 75%, and to all friends at a pip cost of 1 or 2. That helps with the various Azteca and even Avalon creatures who enjoy using AoEs, and it means casting only one spell rather than digging frantically for two.

What if, between level 90 and 100, there was a Sun spell called "Split Power" that took a pure single-damage hit, and cut the damage down by one or two hundred and made it an AoE, or "Divide Power" that made single-damage spells divide their damage appropriately to be made into an AoE? That idea is a little bit out there, though.

What I'd like to see are negative auras. I think auras are under-appreciated  and could add a new level of depth to the combat system. Supposed you use a -15% damage aura on an enemy - now he's got trouble. No more excessive blade-stacking or spell-spamming, he's suddenly got the worry of Supernova, as well as the negative effect that might have even replaced his aura. Then, even if he throws up his own, it'll last an additional turn, opening doors for that Supernova... and new aura manipulations KingsIsle will introduce?

In my opinion, a fourteen pips spell is just unrealistic. Not only would it be tough to cast, but it'd indefinitely drain your pips, and you might have an expensive setup when it comes to pips - all those Feints, Tri-Blades, Global Spells, etc. And who'd wait and hope for all fourteen pips?

However, one user suggested that they'd heard something about new Mega Pips... however, KingsIsle quickly killed that rumor, saying that they wouldn't ever introduce triple-value pips. However, there's word of gear that will give additional pip slots - and that has yet to be refuted. And hey, KingsIsle's thrown Critical, Critical Block, Armor Piercing, Stun Resistance, and other new systems at us, so why not additional pips slots? My question is - how are you going to fit them on battle circle?

Fourteen pips - will our spells ever go there? What happens when they get there or if they don't? What sort of spells will KingsIsle offer instead? What's fair to offer?

Thanks for reading, and see you in the Spiral!