So I thought it might be good if we held an open discussion on Ideas that will benefit the casters and communers alike in the game.
I have a couple of Ideas and I know that with the knowledge in all of your brains we can balance an ever tilting scale.
First, lets look at the skills of the magi. Those skills all magi share Wands, Staves, and Scrolls.
We need to update the ways in which these skills are used in the game. Many skills develop with practice, ranger arrows get better with fletcher, the side effect of many spells is not seen until the spells are close to mastery. For this reason, if a magi masters one of these skills the level of the spell being used should reflect the wielder of the device not the innate level of the spell on the device. An example; if a level 50 mage uses the fate generator, he would get a real boost to his AC and Luck. Not -2 AC, because the spell imbued was at level 9.
I further think we should look into spell categories of the magi and allow for specialization. A spell caster will select a spell category for expertise. After such a selection is made spells of that category that become mastered are cast at +1 caster level. (This benefit would forever be adjustable by the staff if the creep of power continues, they can tweek the buffer.) This should create an atmosphere where spells are no longer ignored by opponents and a waste of time for the mage to try and use.
I look forward to any heartfelt, honest magi improvement ideas you may all be willing to share.
I think my biggest disconnect with casters is that it takes them longer to get to their identity than their melee counterparts. Obviously don't give them everything before level 10, but spread out more integral spells sooner. Otherwise it just feels like weak spell spam with a golem and charmie and that's just stale feeling.
Specialization (instead of or in conjunction with spell level) would be pretty interesting on Invoker and Battlemage. I mean you could have a battlemage who specializes in aff spells or who focuses more on blades/dancing weapon. Invokers could pick either fire or ice to get a small boost or an extra effect for specializing (cold spells doing -movement points or fire spells leave a burn).
Always cool to see interesting ideas flying around - I'll have to think on something cool to through in the mix for casters.
However I don't think the current balance issues come from anything casters lack. Caster / Melees were always balanced around the idea that casters had 'on tap' a lot of the key spells required to fight - as well as extra 'nice to haves'.
The proliferation of easily stockpiled consumables (especially herbs - due to their at level casting) has totally put that balance out of whack. Realistically Melees were not designed or balanced around the idea that they would have consistent access to level 50 spells - and I don't think we are going to see balance back in place while that is the case.
A quick band aid fix would be to lower herb casting to 50% of level - as this would mean people could still gain access to those buffs, but they wouldn't have the same duration, and they would be more easily dispelled.
What if consumables cost mana? I mean this is really the base for the problem. If that fire giant warrior looses 75 mana every dark leaf smoked, within a few leafs the magic stops working. After all your spells and prayers are finite as a caster, they should be finite for the melees too. Someone is going to say there are scrolls to regain mana, the melee cant use it, and it would cause lag for the caster so its not really a balancing item.
I also considered this gem.
Weapon Study
While melees become experts in their chosen weapons improving their ability with the weapons in combat, the mages of the land would not be outdone. Tired of the might makes right mentality the mages began to study their weapons. This ability began in the guild of battle mages who have studied all the weapons. Taking pity on their necromancer and invoker compatriots the guild soon shared a small portion of the knowledge. While warriors seek to better utilize the deadly weapons they wield, the mages sought to use the weapons in ways the warriors would be able to contend with.
Now here is where this gem needs polished, because change is only good if the results are good. Not being a top teir PKer, my suggestions here may be somewhat weak. I am wide open to suggestions by those of you that will know what will be a GOOD change and what would NOT change anything.
Dagger Study: Controlling the flow of magic within their bodies the mage extends his reach to include the dagger itself. Creates minor mana stealing wprog.
Staff Study: By feeling the flow of magic around them the staff wielder begins to find the rhythm in battle, allows for a unique defense. One attack every other round will be automatically blocked. i.e. Sensing the flow of battle you take a hard stand and grip your staff tightly, you manage to block someone's attack.
Sword Study: Held exclusive and quite secret the battle mages alone keep this to themselves, while wielding a sword or similar weapon the battlemage has been seen ..... (Had I ever played a bmg I might know!)
Mace Study: Focusing their energies mages have been known to cause their magical energies to explode upon impacting their oponents with the heavy blows of blunt weapons. The concussion nearly bashing the enemy to the ground.
Whip Study: Years of study led many mages to develop such fantastic displays with their whips that a whip wielding mage has become a terror to encounter. Many great warriors have cried foul when the mages whip entangled their legs and tripped them or pulling them from the air.
Exotic Study: While warriors may hear tales of these odd weapons the mages ability to research these special weapons has developed into one of the most unique abilities. While wielding an exotic weapon, many mages have been seen striking their opponents with unbelievable speed. Allows for third and fourth attack attempts every other round, at 66 and 33 percent skill level respectively.
Tear it apart, tell me it wont work, but tell me what you would do different.
I think the simplest of fixes is 1 - 2 rounds of lag on smoking herbs.
maybe 1 round for pills, 2 rounds for herbs? IDK.
the fact that as an caster you dispel their sanc, but they use an auto trigger that gets an herb out of the bag and refreshes it before your done being lagged from the dispel itself is plain stupid.
I think the simplest of fixes is 1 - 2 rounds of lag on smoking herbs.
maybe 1 round for pills, 2 rounds for herbs? IDK.
the fact that as an caster you dispel their sanc, but they use an auto trigger that gets an herb out of the bag and refreshes it before your done being lagged from the dispel itself is plain stupid.
Dont know how many times I have landed a dispel that would have changed the fight. Then immediately a herb is smoked and its like it didnt happen. Landing a well timed dispel is not easy. Where as you can choose when to dirt, and odds are its gonna land, or a well timed fury.
I dont think you should be able to smoke in combat. You should have to flee. Those are just my thoughts. I take 3 rounds of insane damage, land a dispel. I should be able to put out some damage during this time to even the odds.
Put a cooldown on murder rounds like charge 1 hour/0 hours. Fighting your enemies guard watching your foe flee and murder flee and murder.
Other then that. Things seem to be in balance. I understand as a caster I should be getting drilled by melle. Just give me the same chance.
I think the simplest of fixes is 1 - 2 rounds of lag on smoking herbs.
maybe 1 round for pills, 2 rounds for herbs? IDK.
the fact that as an caster you dispel their sanc, but they use an auto trigger that gets an herb out of the bag and refreshes it before your done being lagged from the dispel itself is plain stupid.
That, or treat them like potions - they need to be held in hand and have a chance for failure if used in combat.
Combat has always largely been balanced around a 1v1 matchup, as far back as I can remember. There were some exceptions - Conclave skills were intentionally OP because they were indeed meant to be 1 vs many - but 2v2 or 3v3 was always largely treated as mostly separate 1v1 matchups, much as they are today.
Smoking lag has been suggested before. It's a very reasonable proposal. I never seen any argue against it, but ...
Making herbs rares or effects last less time is IMHO contrary to why they were implemented. To allow less hassle for meeles who had to grind for vials.
Wands need some love. Only casters get wands but their only key feature is granting easier stack-able Sanctuary to DK's and Bards.
This is the list of actuality used spells with this type of consumables. There are a few others, but they are hard to get or/and use.
I would like to add the suggestion that creating a 8 charges wand of 0 hours slow would be a nice touch for mages (who can't dirt flee sleep). Perhaps anti-DK to prevent a power spike. Mages Regen badly and regen is not healing on demand, forcing strategic play, which is what casters are about. Meeles is EQ numbers, mage is dance skill.
Perhaps even create a new spell that grants 100 hit gain to prevent the x2 mana and move regen from slow.