User:Ashel/Mageleads

Mage Classleads

Why?

The Mage class is outdated.

This is not to say that it is ineffective, but more that it suffers from being designed and undergoing most of its major changes in an era where things we now take for granted were unthinkable - the sheer number of Aspects, the increase in tank capability, and ease of use modifications that have had unpredictable effects on ancient abilities.

While much of this has not dented the Mage overly much, it has progressively outlined the outdated way of thinking in one regard - the class does not have much in the way of options. When faced with something they cannot kill with damage, the answer is often to reach for retardation; a skill that is considered by many to be one of such potency that any changes must factor it in, and as a justification against additions and for removals; abilities similar in this regard are Seraph Aura for Cleric defense, Incinerate for bonder offense, and now Maelstrom for just about everything related to Druids.

Thus, this suite of changes is proposed: the addition of skills like Shard and Pulse to introduce a different, variable mainline offense, accented by modifications to existing skills such as Light and Converge to introduce an alternate pathway to a kill beyond 'pure damage', and a replacement of the proverbial 500lb gorilla known as Retardation by Overcharge, a skill that can decisively seal a kill.. if wielded properly and thoughtfully.

Shard - #59

The concept of Shard is simple: while Stormhammer is large, unwieldy and highly damaging; and Staffcast is decently paced, simple, and decently damaging; Shard is quick, adaptive, and only lightly damaging, instead choosing to use afflictions as its primary threat. In this way it rounds out a trio of mainline Mage attacks, opening up an option for a Mage to select what is most effective for the situation rather than being stuck choosing between two relatively similar attacks that exist for nothing but damage.

The choice of preferred afflictions was a bit of a tough one, but ultimately we settled into this list for a few reasons. A good portion of them mirror afflictions already available in the Mage skillset, but unreliably so - primarily through Plague. While this does introduce a random factor that isn't always desirable, it also underscores the strength of adaptability - working with what you have rather than hoping it works with you. The remainder are afflictions of decent potency, but all susceptible to the use of Focus - and unlike classes such as the Diabolist, Mages lack the Impatience affliction to prevent such a thing. Only one affliction breaks these criteria and was chosen instead for its synergistic nature with other suggestions - slow equilibrium.

Fire Fire: Fire / Disloyalty
Fire Air: Electric / Paralysis
Fire Water: Fire / Sensitivity
Fire Earth: Fire / Reckless
Air Air: Asphyx / Vertigo
Air Water: Cold / Confusion
Air Earth: Cut / Epilepsy
Water Water: Cold / Slow EQ
Water Earth: Poison / Anorexia
Earth Earth: Blunt / Stupidity

Syntax: CAST SHARD AT <target> <element 1> <element 2>
Speed: 3.25s eq, base

Pulse - #60

Pulse's concept is similarly simple: Alone, a single-affliction ability full of focusable afflictions at Shard's speed will not get much done, even with the multiple yet unreliable passives available to the Mage profession, and a twin-affliction skill seems cliche when compared to the bevy of existing skills that already do such things: deadeyes, doubleslash, doublestab, quickjab, etc etc. So why not draw upon the Mage's secondary skillset for a short yet versatile list of effects that can enhance Shard without turning Mages into miniature Malignists?

This drew us to an interesting juncture: while there are many vibes, some had unsuitable characteristics to be on-call, some are static and passive, and all of them begin to approach the realm of the overpowered when repeatedly invocable. The solution of a cooldown on each vibe was thus fairly obvious, and the rest fell into place from there.

The preferred list of pulseable vibes is as follows:
Dissipate, Palpitation, Tremors, Creeps, Oscillate, Disorientation, Stridulation, Plague, Lullaby

The list of abilities that Pulse should be allowed to chase:
Light, Shard, Freeze, Erode, Staffcast, Transfix

Syntax: PULSE <vibe>
Speed: 3s bal, base
Cooldown (per vibe): 10s

Light - #61

Light is yet another simple concept with complex potential use. Allowing it to be used as an equilibrium-based Oxalis strike not only gives a Novice ability new breath, but allows it to additionally synergize with Mage abilities and vibrations that don't see as much play as they could - Dissonance's additional effect, Stridulation, Transfix, etc.

Fortunately, this one is just as simple as it looks on the tin - no change necessary to speeds, just the ability to allow it to strip blindness and deafness if focused at a target.

Converge - #28

As an existing ability, Converge is a bit clunky - it can kill your own channels if you're interrupted, is slower than almost all known class-based instant kills, and has the uncomfortable ability to become ridiculous if used by a team of mages.

Either solution brings Converge more in line with the expected, though Solution #1 is much preferred as it fixes both the speed and teaming issues in addition to the uncomfortable ability to screw oneself over while using it.

Overcharge

Overcharge is suggested as a Retardation replacement for a few reasons. First, Retardation has a massive and ugly capability to ruin several professions in the game - classes that rely on combination inputs for their attacks are utterly screwed by its one-action-only nature, and nowhere is this more exacerbated than team conflicts between the magick and anti-magick circles, where the capabilities of magick's classes become nightmarishly exacerbated with the addition of a single vibration to the mix. Second, Retardation is as previously mentioned a balancing nightmare - any prospective Mage ability must first run through the gauntlet of 'how overpowered will this be in retardation'? It's a prospect that helped shape the original concept for Shard/Pulse being seperate abilities (and one, indeed, being unusable in Retardation) and a prospect that has shaped Mage classleads for many years. Eliminating it is thus a relief to both the Mage and the entire world.

As for Overcharge itself, the concept was simple - even with these suggestions, the ultimate affliction power being supplied is not enough to completely overwhelm a target, but it IS enough to incapacitate a target for a period of time.. while actively sustained. Once that stops, the odds of someone getting right back on their feet within a period of time is likely, and with both balance and equilibrium being used on the table, the choice of options began to look bleak.

Enter Overcharge. Once enacted, Overcharge speeds up the rate of certain vibration ticks by 50% - a 10 second vibe ticking instead at 7.5s, 8s at 6s, etc. It does, however, only last for a limited duration - just enough to apply pressure to a target.. or perhaps finish them off. The list of vibes suggested for Overcharging may seem familiar - that's because it's the same list seen above in Pulse.

The preferred list of vibes affected by Overcharge is as follows:
Dissipate, Palpitation, Tremors, Creeps, Oscillate, Disorientation, Stridulation, Plague, Lullaby

One unanswered question remains: with its significant cooldown, should Overcharge be forceable? If yes, it's suggested that the activation time instead becomes channeled, so that an aware mage may cancel it rather than have the ace up their sleeve nullified.. or perhaps they should have been prepared against the force to begin with?

Syntax: OVERCHARGE VIBRATIONS
Activation Speed: 2s eq, base
Duration: 15s
Cooldown: 120s

Final Thoughts

I realize that, perhaps, classleads are not the best place to petition for what amounts to adding an entirely new avenue to a class. But that so much can be done for a class in five classleads shows that they're so close to being more than just a damage class with a gimmicky vibe that turns them into annoying nightmares to fight - close to being something more people want to play as and fight as and fight against.

In five classleads, as cliche as it may sound, the hope in a class can be restored.

I appreciate the time spent reading this, and hope that you take its suggestions into further consideration.

- Ashel / Sanai

Special thanks to:
Verick, for helping me hammer out some of the serious details
Juran, Tek, and Khizan, for reading more than a few revisions of fail
Eldreth, for arguing with me on Bellatores over.. everything
Ohm, for having enthusiasm for the class and actually listening to common sense
Mikihide, Ziat, Ageranu, and every other terrible classlead writer for giving me the drive to create something actually sensible and balanced