Mages have to run around too much.

- If you have a root going, and cast root for a second time, does it extend the time of the first root?
No.
- If you stack a root spell, does it strengthen the effects of the root and make it more difficult to escape?
Stacking will make a spell cost less focus. I'm not sure exactly what stacking root does. I would not be surprised to see it add a few seconds to the effect. However I haven't noticed it in combat. I think Confusion will last a little longer if you stack it...but that's not a noticeable impact either. So I'm going to guess No here.
- If you invest in innate Earth school spells, does it lengthen the time of the root?[/quote]

If it does it's not noticeable.

This may have changed since R13, so if someone else wants to comment be my guest.

 

curious about the second one. Is there a critical hit for root?

I think root is a special deal. If root is any more powerful than it already is then it would be a problem. I wouldn't want to see it get weaker, nor do I want to see it stronger. That's my preference.

 

Good question, if there is we don't see it as players.

I'm guessing no though based on my experience. I've never seen a root last so long where I thought "Gee that must have been a Stack of 5 Root!" or "Wow, that must have CRIT!" I don't think non-DPS skills and spells have a CRIT.

 

- If you stack a root spell, does it strengthen the effects of the root and make it more difficult to escape?
This used to be the case, but not since r12. At least i can't notice the difference anymore.

- If you invest in innate Earth school spells, does it lengthen the time of the root?
Stacking increases rooting time slightly. A couple of seconds for each stack.

 

Admittedly, I haven't tried playing a mage yet, but this is what would make sense to me just from a pure role-playing point of view: Root naturally lasts a while, but it weakens as time goes on, making it easier for the target to escape the more it goes on. Re-casting root would extend the time and strength of the spell or simply create a new root, which could possibly stack with the first one. I don't know how balanced that would end up being.

I'm going to try to test out being a mage later on in the release so I can try to help with the feedback some more.. and see if there are viable tactics aside from running.

 

Use the water tree skills to slow people/monsters down. It actually works against other players now. Also, lightning is actually stunning things again.

 

Personally I kinda feel like at least at this point that the game is geared more towards fighting with magic skills as supplemental. Not only due to the running around part but also due to the simple fact that the magic trees just don't have many spells. I mean if your going to be a mage and focus on 1-2 skills you really still don't have many spell options. Not like you did in UO. Personally I don't think i'd bother with a straight up mage unless they added some serious meat to the magic trees. It just feels to small and generic unless your a fighter/mage or archer/mage then at least you have options. As just a spellcaster your pretty limited IMO.

I'd like to see the Magery trees enhanced with quite a few more spells. While I do understand what they are trying to do with the trees when compared to a game like UO it feels a bit underwhelming being a mage.

 

RG said in an interview a week or two ago about R14 that magic users are "not viable" yet and there is a lot of work to be done there.

 

that's why i offered up these two posts in this thread:

https://www.shroudoftheavatar.com/f...ave-to-run-around-too-much.20741/#post-312508

https://www.shroudoftheavatar.com/f...ave-to-run-around-too-much.20741/#post-312606

Since casting lots of low damage spells causes us to burn through more reagents this type of solution would in fact cut down on the reagents burned because we cast fewer spells that do more damage.

Also the part about being able to use timing to cast a second spell while the first spell is still building up power will make magic a whole lot different strategy than archery. It makes sense that magic users would be expected to have a trickier artform but have its payoff.

If there was a very short window for the player to launch a second spell that will hit about the same time as the first one, magic users will proabably have to practice doing this type of combo against pigs and chickens and low level creatures just to practice the timing. Other mages won't even bother to learn the timing and just live with the damage the spells do. (now if they keep the combination of glyph combos, and have this new type of combo... then mages would be a very deep and somewhat complex character to master). And I think that would be awesome.

 

Just to add some info... i switched to mage at level 54, i am in a set of crafted futian cloth with epic cloth head and glove and duel wielding enchanted daggers. I can stand still and tank 2 liches + 6 skeletons in deep ravenswood and kill them all, finishing the fight at full focus. Death shield + death touch makes you pretty much invincible. I crit for around 170 points of damage.

 

Example on a bunch of top level wolves...

 

I had been using the old bludgeon setup, and noticed that I was using more spells than I was combat attacks, which worries me a bit. Why even have a weapon on you if it's no good compared to the power of the Death/Fire magic? WAY OP, imo, for the ghost and for players.

Also I would like to add that the fire/death magic is this releases coup de grace of classes so far. Has anyone fought against a ghost yet? Try fighting one as a melee fighter with no magic spells.

 

That's great, Themo.

But you're missing the point. What you're doing is min/maxing the hell out of a broken system. Your solution is for everyone to get death magic and duel wield. Or for everyone to get immolation and carry a polearm.

Duel Wielding Tank Mage are not what the OP was about. As a "mage" I shouldn't need to hybrid myself and min max the skill trees looking for exploits just so I don't have to run around like a scared rabbit.

 

The funniest part about this is you're not even using reagents. LOL

 

148 poins of damage from what spell? (top pic)

 

Death Shield.

I just PVPed some guy that was doing 50-70 points of damage to me on average with Death Shield.

Again, this is why DPS wars are stupid...if you can't counter this, what's the point? You just min/max DPS, spam the same thing over and over and hope the other guy doesn't have a better build.

I'm really hoping that it's starting to sink in with more people now that we're approaching "finished skill trees". The solution, whatever it ends up being, is not going to be raising or lowering DPS for "Death Shield". Because the moment you do that, something else becomes OP.

This only gets fixed when we have Counters, Blocks, and Counters to Counters.

 

A Low level mage shouldn't be fighting alone against kobolds, sorry.

Already Clearly shown what can be done.

 

Does it negate the spell after the guy gets hit? Seems like a spell like that should exist as long as it isn't a quick casting spell.

Reminds me of fire shield in D&D actually.

 

a 3 stack of lightning bolt. death shield pretty much just amps up life drain.

 

Ya i was about to say it was lightning bolt. My favorite spell