Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-3190872-20121225192722/@comment-2116776-20121228204408

E-113:Xi wrote: Hopefully making things more clear, I'm going to explain some of the changes that I've made to the advanced elements. I'm not going to go over elements that were left untouched, unless I feel they need explaining.

Steam is a new name for Boil. As far as I know, the name Boil was only ever used for the element in Naruto, and nothing more. Steam makes more sense, and is a more universally accepted name for the element.

IceFire was an irritatingly uncreative name. I initially changed it to FreezeFlame because it was a clever play on words, but I do agree that FrostFire is the better alternative.

Mist is a new name for Cloud. Like Steam, Mist is a more universally accepted name. Also, I elected to change Cloud as to reduce the plethora of weather-based elements.

Mud was removed as an Advanced Earth element and made the Earth/Water combination, because it just makes perfect sense. When earth gets wet, it becomes mud, simple as that.

Plant is a new name for Wood. The element of Nature is not solely plant-based. Nature is an embodiment of the energies of life. Putting it in Pokemon terms, since those are surprisingly easy to understand, think of Grass-type moves like Solar Beam and Energy Ball. Those aren't plant-things. Though Nature on its own may have some Plant-related aspects, Water/Nature will solely focus on Plant, allowing for more practical and powerful control over plantlife.

Cryogen is a new name for Nitrogen. The name Nitrogen is too specific. A user of the element doesn't generate the chemical Nitrogen specifically. They generate an ambiguous, freezing liquid - scientifically described as a Cryogen.

In most classic RPGs and other similar media, healing magic is commonly associated with both Water and Light, through things like White magiks, Healing Springs, and the ever-common Cure Water item. With this logic, Heal seems like the most likely answer for Water/Light.

The idea for Drain is inspired by Digimon. For those familiar with Digimon Adventure 02, recall when Kari was under the influence of Dagomon and the Dark Ocean. My idea for Water/Dark stems from this influence. A steady decline of mental and emotional state, combined with negative apparitions. It also fits into a pseudo-theme that Advanced Dark elements tend to target a foe's mentality more than anything.

Dust is a new name for Sand. The two are effectively interchangeable. I just prefer Dust.

Pollen and Spore were combined into the new Wind/Nature combo, keeping the name Spore.

Chill focuses on pure cold, rather than Ice itself. This allows it to act as a counterpart to Scorch, the Advanced Fire element which channels pure heat.

Rejuvinate, the one you all seem to hate so much. Admittedly the name is iffy, but the idea is sound. Again, allow me to put it in Pokemon terms. Thinking of Heal as a restoration of health, Rejuvinate would be akin to curing a status. Revitalizing the target and expelling external afflictions. Again, the name needs work, but I'd like for the idea to stay.

Smog is self explanitory. Do I really need to go over it?

Crystal is a new name for Diamond. Like Nitrogen, Diamond was too specific for what the element did.

Beam, now called Laser, is exactly what it sounds like. Combining Electricity and focused Light to make laser beam attacks.

Radiation was renamed to Gamma for a simple reason. Gamma rays are the only form of light which pose a danger significant enough to be practical and weaponizable. Next to that is X-Rays and UV rays, which we deal with as part of our every-day lives (UV more than X-Ray, but you get the idea).

And that just about covers it. I hope this opened your eyes a little to the merit behind these ideas. It's more the names of some of them, not really how they're used, What sounds more intimidating: the chill element or the frost element

That being said there are some that i think don't really work: Smoke, Mist, Plant and lunar.

Smoke is created when somethings burning, not really when fire meets wind so really smoke would work better as a Tri-element or as a wind/dark combo: the Wind that can choke wind so to speak

Mist would be in a similar boat as Smoke a tri-element or a different combo, the tri-combo would be Water, Wind and Ice as mist is only ever seen when its cold outside

Lunar suggests a Light combo for obvious reasons. admittedly this is the only one i can't think of an alternative.

Now i get the thought behind plant, however it can be said the Earth/Nature combo, Growth, is this. That and the fact that plants don't grow out of water itself