Poll of the Day > What's weak to ice (typically)?

(+) Yeah! (+)

When designing and elemental balance system... why ice?

Traditionally I've seen lizards/frogs as well as sandy things weak to ice (with the later typically also weak to water)

But, like, what other lines of logic are there?

In Pokemon the frost kills the plant, makes sense... and for the same reason the ground I guess? I suppose it hurts flying in the sense that a slowed bird can't fly... something something dragons

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People, you hit someone with a solid block of ice it aint gonna feel good.

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Rocks and sediments are often cracked open due to ice and liquidfaction. Ground also symbolizes earth and winter pts that mother to sleep. Birds flee from ice as in migration. You think ice and fire would be weak to each other though.

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Grass types, plants dont do so good in the winter where it gets below freezing
Ground, when water freezes in the ground, it causes stress in the ground, making sink holes
Flying, most large birds fly south for the winter, they dont do so well in cold weather.
Dragons, my guess is cause they are cold blooded, so ice isnt good for them

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Horses

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Sub-zero got shanked by ice in the movie.

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are you asking what's typically weak to ice, or what one should design to be weak to ice? (sounds like both)

typically weak to ice: usually ice is just another version of water; not aware of anything that treats ice and water differently, except that maybe in some cases ice would also do bludgeoning damage

if you wanted to differentiate with water, maybe you could make ice "extreme water", and lava "extreme fire", and then have water beat fire, but lava beat water, but ice beat lava (and maybe complete the circle with fire beating ice?).

maybe another option is to separate element from temperature? cold + water = ice, heat + water = steam, etc. not everything would make sense that way though. (talking about this is reminding me of something, but not sure what. did Chrono Cross have something like this?)

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weiners

Sahuagin posted...

did Chrono Cross have something like this?)

Majicka had something like that, a water+fire combo turns into a steam... not sure if the sequel expanded on this

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Dragons, because... dragons.

Lokarin posted...

In Pokemon the frost kills the plant, makes sense... and for the same reason the ground I guess? I suppose it hurts flying in the sense that a slowed bird can't fly... something something dragons

Flying in a snowstorm is tough.

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Zeus posted...

snowstorm

I should think flying in a hailstorm would be even more dangerous.
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metaIslug posted...

Wind. Don't ask me how but it is a small contrivance to get a full logical circle:

https://i.imgur.com/ZgeP5GB.jpg

How would earth beat lightning?
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metaIslug posted...

Wind. Don't ask me how but it is a small contrivance to get a full logical circle:

https://i.imgur.com/ZgeP5GB.jpg

The problem here is treating ice as a base element.

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Dinosaurs.

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AllstarSniper32 posted...

The problem here is treating ice as a base element.

Some JRPGs do that.
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explainer makes sense

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Revelation34 posted...

Some JRPGs do that.

Yep. And typically such RPGs emphasis the cold aspect of ice versus the fluid aspect of water. Logically, water smothers flames, depriving them of fuel or proper oxygen, but ice actively goes for the heat; of these we see fire being weak to ice in games like many Final Fantasy titles. Pokemon is an odd case where ice is weak to fire and not vice versa, but ice works against other types.

So consider what elements you have available and consider the logic of what is more or most effective, and why. Then stick to it for the world you're creating.

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Revelation34 posted...

How would earth beat lightning?

It's quite literally ground/grounded.

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Always felt ice and fire should be weak to each other. Fire melta ice even from a short distance away. But throw ice in fire it becomes water which fire is weak to.

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mooreandrew58 posted...

Always felt ice and fire should be weak to each other. Fire melta ice even from a short distance away. But throw ice in fire it becomes water which fire is weak to.

Yeah it makes no sense otherwise.
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