Classical Element Combinations

Look into the app games Doodle God and Doodle Devil. They are both games about combining elements to create more advanced elements just like you are saying.

How about you go with the Eastern elements?

Air (wind), Fire, Water, Earth, Lightning
So Lightning instead of Void. You can find these all over the internet, just look under Naruto + elements :D.
(Where did you get that Void idea anyway?)

Example Combinations (used in the anime):
Water + Earth = Wood
Water + Air = Ice
Earth + Air = Sand

But if you want to keep it Western, only use 4 elements.Keep combinations as simple as possible and logical. But then again, your game, your input.

check the "Magicka" video game, they have 8 elements and makes combinations.

yes elements depends on culture

Western: Earth, Fire, Water, Wind
(Option to add darkness and light, can also be made a pentagram by Adding a 5th element which can be good or evil, or body or mind.)

Chinese: Wood, Metal, Air(or wind), Fire, Water
Japanese: Air (or wind) ,fire, water, earth, void (ex: Legend of the 5 rings)

Stupid double posts...I only posted once and then went back to edit...shakes fist

I was thinking what if void removes the material but leaves a conceptually related energy behind:
Void + Fire = Radiation
Void + Air = Lightning
Void + Water = Plasma
Void + Earth = Gravity

Being unrooted in the physical element that could fit the initial high strength + decay over time.

What's funny about this is that Lightning actually produces plasma! This idea does have merit.

Then why the 5th element?

If you take a look at Avatar, you have 4 elements.
And each have advanced states. I think 1 good and 1 bad. (Yin and Yang)

Water for example can give blood bending (bad) and healing (good).
Water also could be frozen or boiling (they didn't show boiling, but it melts a lot)
Another Yin and Yang.

A combination of 2 elements: Water with Air are exactly clouds. 2 elements that are mixed, and you can bend this "new" element by using the 2 element bending together.
Maybe you can do something like that, from that "Avatar" perspective.

The examples that you have given until now. It is as if you are trying to look from different perspectives that makes 1 side illogical while the other side sounds logical. But also the other way around.

On a side note:
Not all the ancient stories are true. Look at them as if the people back then where in search for the 5th element because they only had 4. In the east they kinda succeeded.

There are also only 4 known states for matter:
Solid = earth
Liquid = water
Gas = air
Plasma = fire
(That is why fire and lightning(true plasma by electricity) are regarded in the same class, and since technically fire is a reaction which produces heat while plasma is the result of heat. They are separated in the eastern elements of 5)
But chances are very likely that the 4 elements are derived from the 4 known states of matter. (There are even more states, but these 4 are seen in ancient times)

You could always add it back with an expand.

I have dropped over 80% of my game for a first go. Another 10% for my second go.
There is need for a basis that is understandable for all players to learn and play.
I always can put things back when needed, with an expand.

So yeah, I suggest you drop the 5th element until you are absolutely sure what it should be. But that is just my opinion.

The difference between our games is; you don't know yet what you will add. While I already made definite possible expansion plans.

It also helps to view things from different perspectives, and gather as much information as possible. Then you can make a choice by simply discarding the bad suggestions and keeping the good ones. So here is another one:

Maybe this link will help:
http://www.astro.com/mtp/mtp82_e.htm

It puts the 4 elements into the corners of 2x2 states: Wet/Dry and Hot/Cold
Air = Wet and Hot
Water = Wet and Cold
Earth = Cold and Dry
Fire = Dry and Hot

They also add some other stuff. A state of mind. So therefore I also thought of a cartoon series.
Captain planet, the 5th element is Heart.
While in some religions, the 4 elements combined gives you Heart.

Here's some of the stuff on Aether from Wikipedia.

Thus Aristotle postulated that Aether only existed in the heavens...aka space. That's why Aether + Fire = Light. I figured if your game is basing itself off of elemental creatures, that Aether (space) + Fire (sun) = Light I believe this isn't a hard jump.

Aether (space) + Water (ocean) = Darkness. Often times I've heard space compared to a vast ocean. Well, it is a vast and very dark ocean to be sure.

Aether + Air = Void. Wind + Space reminds me of the forcefullness of a vaccuum and that is was space/void is, a vaccuum. This one makes perfect sense.

Aether + Earth = Metal is a bit harder and I must admit, this one when I orginally thought of it was already a tough kinda sell. Many times in fiction though, we read that some space rock fell down to the planet and it had this super awesome metal on it that could cut through diamond and steel as if it were butter, and so on. Well this was my inspiration for suggesting this.

Now that I've more fully explained them, this is a lot to learn about because most people don't know what Aether is. Many will think it's air, heck Plato said it was just a more translucent air. I agree with whoever said this might be best used as an expansion. As an expansion you can more easily single out Aether. As people pick up the expansion, they'll be better able to focus in on the expansion which will help them understand your concept of Aether.

P.S...so in games where you have Ether potions (this is just Aether spelled differently)...what exactly are you drinking...space juice? o.O

Those last two are more troublesome. They do tie in...sorta, but they do tie in better than anything else that I have thought of so far. Although the Aether + Water does have one more argument for it. Fire and water are kind of polar opposites, so Aether + Fire and Aether + Water become polar opposites as well! Now that I mention this, this is even true of Metal and Void. Void is a vaccuum in space where as metal is one of the most solid masses out there. Thus they are almost polar opposites in this regard.

If that's the way your game is set up then it is probably best to include Aether in the base game then.

This would be too complicated in my opinion, but having the combinations also have different things their good against and bad against would also be cool. Light > Dark > Void > Metal > Light...etc. As I said, I think this may be a bit too much.

A question I must ask is that for the combinations, will there be a primary element?

Awww...shucks...you shouldn't have!

Oh! To add on, Aether being good vs. earth makes sense in that Aether is the root cause of the circular orbit of planets. While it is technically crystalized Aether that forms a barrier between it and the Earth (technically is the wrong word since this is all debunked theory) Air is a suitable substitute thus forming the premise that air beats Aether!

BTW, Toa Lewa is best Toa!

I don't know...but I was asking a different question in a round about way. I'll clarify now.

In your game, how will you determine which combination is good against which? Will it be like Pokemon in that you'll combine weakness and resistances to figure out new ones? Will it be that a primary element will determine these things while the secondary element will merely unlock new attacks/powers?