Magic diversity

[Zenzei]

Just wondering if there's real definition for this often spoken term.

-How many different magic paths accesses do you need to be considered magically diverse?
-How many mages do you need in any given path to be considered diverse in that path? Is one good mage enough?
-How strong your best mage in given path must be to be considered diverse in that path?
-Does magical diversity serve any other real purpose except item forging and SC summoning?
-As many spells & items require two different paths, what are the most desirable path combinations when thinking about magical diversity?
-Any other important factors regarding magic diversity?

I realize these are quite broad questions and probably impossible to answer accurately but some general guidelines should be possible to make.

[Ironhawk]

1) I'm not sure I could put a number on when a specific nation becomes diverse... 4 or more, maybe? I have never really thought of it in such specific terms.

2) Just one mage. Having access to a path is all that matters. Tho the line becomes blurry when your "access" to a path comes through a random pick.

3) Thats not what diversity means, IMO. Diversity is about the range of paths you have access to, not the strength in any given path. Not that strength doesnt matter (particularly when thinking of your magic boosting path), its just not the same as diversity.

4) Magic diversity effects everything magic. Perhaps the most obvious effect is that magically diverse nations will find more sites than other nations. Beyond that, having access to more magic paths will grant that nation freedom to use more spells, more items, more summons.

5) There are so many combinations its hard to say. However, I do know that F/E is handy both for some nice Evoc spells and forging. S/D has some fun stuff too.

[Micah]

Generally I feel like I'm missing a piece of the diversity puzzle when I get to a major research milestone and can't make use of the research due to a lack of paths. So when I hit soul slay and mind hunt I feel like I'm missing diversity if I don't have a few S4 mages lying around to cast it. When I get to E4 for earth boots I feel like I'm behind if I can't make a pair and then churn out some hammers for forging (having E3 at construction 2 is a bit much to ask, hence I wait for 4 and the boots in most games).

I feel like I should have mages around for any application in all non-blood paths before too long, saving national mages for battlefield artillery duties and keeping the more exotic ones for BEs, forging and rituals. Hopefully that's somewhat helpful.

[Twan]

1) I'd say all but one (usually blood)
2) one powerful or several
3) ideally with the level to forge boosters, at least with level 2 if needed for site searches
4) site searching !!! even more than forging, it's the first reason why you need all paths (with an exception for astral and sea nations having multi-searches spells)
5) earth+air for rain of stones, teh overpowered spell (a rare combo you usually only get with tartarians, worth to empower a troll king in air) ; blood + earth for bloodstones is excellent too
6) astral is the terribly overimportant first absolute necessity ; a crappy swamp allowing to recruit an overpriced lizard shaman worth more than the richest farmland if you have no other way to get it

[MaxWilson]

RE: #5. Rain of Stones is especially nice if you have a nation (Helheim, Caelum I think) which can cast Fog Warriors + Rain of Stones.

-Max

[Edi]

Site searching is perhaps the most important part of magic diversity, because it allows finding indie mages with better magic in specific paths. So you only really need 1 level of astral or death but lv 2 in elemental paths and nature to get sites, but it doesn't guarantee access to the more powerful magic. It certainly helps, though, because the random site distribution means you might not have almost any gem income of your most common magic paths.

[chrispedersen]

To have good diversity I would say you must have:

1. Access to either Death or Astral.
2. Access to 2-3 of the remainder. For some nations, (mictlan, abysia) racial setup requires a magical path (blood for example). Not having it is crippling.
3. Have sufficient native strength in those paths to be able to hit the boost path. Aka death 1 - not enough. Death 2. Ok.
4. Have sufficient gem production and/or searchers to be able to power those paths. Aka - an imprisoned blood pretender in a nation without blood hunters... probably doesn't do much for diversity.

[Omnirizon]

one in each path isn't prohibitively expensive and will uncover the majority of sites and get a good gem income.

however, a pretender more specialized in a few paths is going to find more sites in those paths, and bring in a bigger gem income in those few paths. consider that most nations have natural access to four paths, this is really where you need your gem income.

also, to have an awake pretender, with decent scales, and enough magic in some paths to gain access to higher level spells, you might not be able to squeeze out one in each path.

lastly, you also might want to have a few extra in one path to be able to cast a higher level spell without a ton of boosters. the extra speed might be worth it over extreme diversity.

that said, I consider diversity anywhere from one in each path, to a few in five paths. you can build a strat around five paths, and not even miss big gem income in the others. you need to consider the opportunity costs of taking even just one in each path; it might not always be worth it.