Buffing Arch Mages?

Hello there! Now that I got your attention with the title, before you start hating on me, hear me out me please.

To get straight to the point, after having discussed with lots of people, this is my current official stance as to what changes I think Arch Mages should have:

1.Elemental Amplification: 140% -> 150% (+ additional 5% or 10%, will explain later)*
2. Fire Demon: ??? basic attack -> 140 basic attack
3. Paralyze: 210 basic attack -> 240 basic attack
4. Ice Demon: ??? basic attack -> 120 basic attack
5. Chain Lightning: 190 basic attack -> 210 basic attack

These changes were taken from the v86 charts. As Meteor and Blizzard's basic attack have been already buffed to match the changes there with New Source, I don't see why the other changes couldn't be applied too.



From discussing with others, I've concluded/learned that there are two rules that must always apply to Arch Mages or MapleRoyals in general:

1. Arch Mages must never be better than any W.ATK user classes in 1v1 situations.
2. There shall be no custom skill changes.

What I'm proposing here respects rule 1 because the buffs are less significant than the one proposed here and that proposition already respected rule 1 in the first place. The problem with that idea was that it didn't respect rule 2, while my revised proposition does. The endgame in MapleStory is bossing, and like it or not, that applies to Arch Mages too even if they are less optimal for it. One might argue that their endgame is grinding, but grinding and bossing don't contradict each other. All classes can grind too, some are just less optimal for it just like how Arch Mages are terrible for 1v1 and with these changes they still will be at the bottom, but just not as bad as they currently. This also helps them to stand out more from Bishops, which will be my next point.



Now lets talk about why I proposed to add a 5% or 10% boost on top of the v86 Elemental Amplification. Yes, I just acknowledged and agree'd that custom skill changes aren't a possibility, but as that one is very minor, it wouldn't have felt right not to at least talk about it, especially when its to compensate for a bug.

Bishops. As everyone here know, Bishop are currently able to use the level 130 Elemental Wands without any penalty (-25%) since it is bugged. Yes, MapleRoyals is supposedly a v62 private server and that bug wasn't fixed yet in this version in GMS, but there's a reason for its origin; it was to help differentiate Arch Mages from Bishops. Now there, I am not proposing fixing the weapons as it was already explained here that it was too late then, and even more now, since a lot of Bishops have already invested lots of money in scrolling their wands and it would be unfair for them, which I totally agree, but that doesn't change the fact that the penalties were there so that Arch Mages could stand out more from Bishops. This is why I'm proposing a 5% or 10% additional buff to the v86 Elemental Amplification; the highest tma Elemental Wand, clean, can have is 163. If the bugged was fixed, Bishops would have to go back to using the Doomsday Staff, which has 128 tma clean at most. That is a 35 tma difference plus the fact that those staves require LUK, if Bishops were to use those they'd have to sacrifice some of their base INT to equip it, making the difference more than 35 magic. As it was mentioned, fixing the Elemental Wands isn't an option so instead I propose that Elemental Amplification buff to compensate for this.

With these buffs, Arch Mages will get stronger in general, and those who main one will have a less hard time in bossing (Nothing changes in the grinding department since there's no maps with mobs that have higher HP) and those who only make them for farming and leeching purposes also have it easier since they can 1 hit mobs earlier (Believe it or not, I've heard people complaining that 1 hit Petris right now is still too hard lol).

If anyone has any objections, please come forward and I will be happy to discuss.



-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

EDIT: TLDR through the pages, the only logical argument I got against this proposition was that this server was intended to be a nostalgic v62 GMS server and not a general nostalgic Pre Big Bang server. Obviously there has already been changes and more already planned, but what I've been told is that they are trying to keep it as close as possible to v62 GMS. If that is true, I can somewhat understand it. Arch Mages were not only weak but very weak in v62 and Bishops weren't as far behind because the elemental weapon's bug wasn't fixed yet, so if the idea is to refuse this proposition as to keep that exact same status of Arch Mages, I understand (although it still clearly shows a bias-ness towards Paladins, Bishops and maybe other classes if there will be more updates in the future) and I'll accept it. All I'd request is Matt's opinion as if it was his idea to make this a nostalgic v62 GMS (Or as close as possible) server or just a general nostalgic Pre Big Bang server.

 

I love the Doomsday staff.... but no way in hell do I wanna lose all that Mag. Att to have to use it... I kinda like the idea of Arch Mages getting a slight buff in skills but as you said skill changes are not possible.. The nurf on the Elemental staffs and wands was great way to make arch mages stand out more however Bishops suffered really hard when that all happened so doing that in Royals would be a huge kick in the jewels like you said.

I think its a good idea that's not likely to happen but I like the idea of it a lot. Maybe theirs another point of view of this that can both help arch mages stand out more and not nerf bishops at the same time, without changing skills up. #Brainstorming Lol

 

Good stuff especially the "One might argue that their endgame is grinding, but grinding and bossing don't contradict each other. All classes can grind too, some are just less optimal for it just like how Arch Mages are terrible for 1v1 and with these changes they still will be at the bottom, but just not as bad as they currently."

Another alternative is more high level maps and bosses that are weak to elements as opposed to being immune like they usually are.

 

Petition to increase damage cap

Spoiler

 

Bad idea. Any buff that doesn't change where a mage is on the 1v1 dps rankings won't satiate you in the long term because you'll still be garbage at 1v1 damage, and will essentially just prove to be a foot in the door for people who support gameplay that isn't in this version to ask for more, since "it's been done before!" Precedence is a huge problem when considering any gameplay change - if it's been done once, people will fight tooth and nail to have it happen again, throwing around words like fairness and equality to justify it.

It's not nostalgic to have mages be any better than they currently are at bossing, heavily disrupts class balance and no matter how many ways you try to justify the changes, that will always be the case. If you want to be good at bossing, pick one of the many classes in the game that are good at bossing. Might as well ask for Night Lords to have an AoE ultimate, because like you say, bossing and grinding shouldn't contradict one another. This is like the sixth iteration of this thread, isn't it? You should look for a post-Big Bang server where every class can do everything well since that seems to be the gameplay you want. I'm not trying to hate on you, I'm just being real - if you want to boss as a mage, pre-BB Maplestory is not the game for you.

The only realistic way that this gets accepted is the core of the development team on this server doesn't actually play the game, and by virtue of not understanding the balance of pre-BB Maplestory, this suggestion actually has a shot.

Shudder.

 

Please stop using "nostalgia" as an argument against such changes. Different people have different definitions of nostalgia. Mage bossing may not be nostalgic for YOU, but it is nostalgic for @PurePoisonXD , for me, and for some other players. I played an I/L in GMS before, and I soloed Pap everyday before 4th job came out. After 4th job, I joined many Zak runs as well. I was pretty happy about the v086 buffs, and adding the buffs here (as proposed by OP) would definitely bring nostalgia to me. Don't just brush it off simply because it doesn't conform with your own notion of nostalgia.

The changes proposed by OP are not drastic or game-breaking. Even if they are implemented, they just make mages slightly better at bossing, but still not on par with other attacking classes. It is preposterous that you are comparing it to "ask for Night Lords to have an AoE ultimate". Do you really think by increasing 10% damage on paralyze and chain lightening, mages will suddenly be boosted from "not invited to boss parties ever" to "decent attackers"? I certainly don't think so. Therefore, I don't agree with your warning that OP's changes will "heavily disrupts class balance".

You said "This is like the sixth iteration of this thread, isn't it?". You seem to think it is annoying that OP has posted so many times about these changes. But I see OP posting several times, each time taking feedback and modifying his proposals to be more reasonable, but each time brushed off by people who just don't want to see mage bossing in any form. I opposed to OP's previous proposals because I thought they were too drastic, but this time I think they are reasonable enough to deserve a serious consideration.

Finally, some personal opinion: I think the current NL + SE meta is boring as hell. It would certainly add more variety and fun to gameplay if mages are a little bit more viable in bossing parties, so that we can see mages in random parties occasionally.

 

That was the reason I bolded, italicized and underlined the word. You clearly missed the joke! Nostalgia is the reason that 99% of the changes on this server have been made though - it's been a very, very clear standpoint from staff that if something isn't the way that it was on GMS, it would not be considered here unless it's a personal want from the current administration - case in point being Andreas' change to LMPQ that made it completely different than GMS.

Here's a part of my post that you ignored;

"...will essentially just prove to be a foot in the door for people who support gameplay that isn't in this version to ask for more, since "it's been done before!" Precedence is a huge problem when considering any gameplay change - if it's been done once, people will fight tooth and nail to have it happen again, throwing around words like fairness and equality to justify it."

If this gets accepted, now every class that doesn't have any business doing things that other classes can do can come and claim that they should have different buffs simply because Archmages got them. Obviously my Night Lord comparison is preposterous - that's the entire point. It's an exaggeration for effect, and is only meant to point out the slippery slope that making one poor choice as a precedence can lead to some very serious problems, and as you even acknowledge yourself, the change proposed doesn't change enough to make any real change for mages, but you ignore the point that it can very well do that for others down the road.

I've brushed it off every time because at the end of the day, what I see in front of me is a person who's asking for a minor change for personal gain without considering the longterm effects of such a choice, and that drives me crazy. I'd rather see mages stay exactly as they are so people like OP can continue to promote their playstyle and enjoying it in the form it always has been, because that's why I believe an individual should enjoy playing anything that you play on this game. Asking for a small buff won't change the fact that mages are still bad at bossing, it won't make gameplay any different for mages, but it will make every Paladin, Shadower, Marksman, Corsair, Axe Hero and Polearm Dark Knight start screaming for buffs that they also never had on v83. Is that what you really want? Is that what a server that's operated under the banner of "GMS-like" for four years really needs? Because if we're finally straying away from attempting to claim that this server is a GMS-like server, I have a bunch of other propositions.

I said it before and I'll say it again - if this change gets accepted, it's entirely because administration doesn't understand the situation enough to know that it's not needed and won't actually help the game. It'll be put in as a token change that'll accomplish nothing in way of creating better situations for anyone, since once again even you agree that this won't change class balance at all, it will open the door for other classes to start claiming they need more things, and a server administration that's already become a meme for making decisions that follow a logic which changes on a daily basis will only look more undecided and ridiculous. I'll even go out on a limb and say that the changes will favor Fire/Poison mages more than Ice/Lightning - after all, the OP is one and they're appealing to his ask, right? It doesn't matter that Paralyze is already superior to Chain Lightning currently. They'll bring up some false logic like Chain Lightning being stronger because it chains multiple mobs, even though in practice, I/L mages never get to actually make good use of that anywhere outside of perhaps the first few minutes of Horntail before Legs die. Oh right, you can use Blizzard at that point to hit five targets and vastly outdamage Chain Lightning anyway.

Be careful what you ask for.

 

To sum up your points (which you demonstrated using jokes and exaggerations that I didn't catch):

1. Administration has decided that everything here should strictly follow GMS v083. If it was not in v083, it won't be implemented here.
   
2. If any game-play changes are made, then people will always ask for more. And that's not good, because we need to follow point 1?

For the 1st point, I think sticking to everything in v083 for over 4 years has led to many problems that weren't present in GMS v083, and some changes are definitely needed to address them. However, if the administration has decided to stick to v083 no matter what, either because it "conveys a decisive image", or because it is loyal to the "GMS-like" banner, or for some other reason that evades me, then I have nothing else to say. They decide how to run their own server, and players decide whether or not to keep playing.

For the 2nd point, I want to say that decisions should certainly not be influenced by fear of "people asking for more". If there are follow-up requests after one change, and the administration think they are not good for the server, they are free to not implement them. But it doesn't make sense to let those hypothetical follow-up requests affect the decision on a current proposal.

And focusing on the content of this proposal only, I personally think buffing mage attacking skills a little bit (as OP proposed) is good for the class balance, because it will inject a little bit of variety into the bossing meta (which is current broken with NL + SE).

If people ask for more, it's not only because of precedence, but also because changes are really needed. How many of your warrior friends have become inactive, or started NLs instead? I know many of mine have.

Of course, if administration still decides to follow point 1 and keep everything "in the form it always has been", then all these arguments about point 2 is moot

 

I'm pretty disappointed that I sense so much hostility from a ex-staff member from reading your comments since you're probably trying to provoke me. Here's a few comments you made that I'll respond to:

I understand that Arch Mages aren't suppose to be better than W.ATK users at 1v1 so I never proposed or even with this current proposition make them better than any other classes out there. I don't mind that because I know how this era of the game works as I've played it years ago and am not blinded by some sort of class supremacy where everything that is not me has to be shit and stay shit.

Having Arch Mages better than other classes at 1v1 would ruin the nostalgia of this era, but what is proposed does not at all. No matter how you justify it, what you just said here is complete nonsense.

Since when did I say I wanted to?

More nonsense. How does me hoping for slight changes makes it that it fits what Post Big Bang is? And fyi, MapleStory has been in post Big Bang for more years than it has be Pre Big Bang. Its a long history and I can tell you that at least for early post Big Bang, "every class can do everything well" is not the case, its actually way more balanced but that's another story that we shall not go into.

Once again, you're getting too riled up for nothing. Let me repeat again; what is proposed does not change the balance of pre-BB MapleStory. Saying that this would only be accepted since the core of the development team doesn't play the game is pretty insulting to your former colleagues imo, since you're pretty much calling them ignorants if they don't agree with you.

I don't see how this would be a problem if it doesn't affect the balance of Pre Big Bang MapleStory, especially if others decide to pick buffs from v83/v86 too, as it has already been done before with New Source.

That's one thing I'll have to agree with you on. It is indeed a huge problem; to be frank with you, I wouldn't have a problem and wouldn't have proposed anything if this server was 100% v62 as I'd respect that, but it obviously isn't.

 

You're feeling resistance because you're trying to change the meta that's been in place >10 years. Mages aren't supposed to be good at 1v1, that's why there's classes that are, and that's why they're good at multi-target grinding.

 

Could you please explain to me how am I trying to change the meta?

Indeed, and did I ask for it? I highly doubt a few thousand more damage will make them good.

 

We all want what gms had. Where nothing was known so everyone played everything and did all that the game had to offer if they chose to do so. Min/maxing wasnt the sole modus operandi. Sadly thats not the case after 10 years. 10 years on this version of the game and everything has had the numbers crunched and what were left with is the perfect path every class must follow. Now that we know whats good and bad half the items and classes suck and arent used or played. Id love to see changes to make classes and weapons/armor better. But the main problem is these are changes better suited to a completely new server. Not throwing them into the game now after so much time has passed.

Its taken me some time to come to this realization when i used to ask for changes or buffs. It just wont work here since were so far into this servers life. Every private server for games ive played have all had the same issue where everything gets figured out and things become stale. Its going to happen to anything that never changes. Ive learned to enjoy the time i spent playing the game back in the day and be thankful for the chance to relive those memories freely when im playing Royals, even if things arent completely the same.

 

What does this accomplish then? If they won't be in any better position than they were previously then what is the point in such a minor change?

Archmages aren't even bad at at our current #1 boss (Horntail). Assuming that you structure your party in a way that benefits having an archmage, they already do alright. You can attack 5-6 targets throughout most of the battle and you also have amazing mob control which helps out ranged classes greatly. They are underutilized.

A change that I can never agree with is making Archmages even easier than they already are for leeching. As it currently is, you can be basically naked and still profit just as much as someone who has put effort into their character. And this comes at the cost of what, making a level 81 priest? Buffing their map attack damage just doesn't sit right with me especially since with decent funding they can already hit cap.

 

Valid point, but since the feedback section exists, I find hard to believe that MapleRoyals is too old to improve. Especially when there have been other tweaks over the course of its own history.

They won't be better than any other classes but better than they are currently. That's the key word. Better. Not good. I find this pretty confusing; a change isn't worth it because you think it doesn't change much but y'all also complain that it will ruin the balance of Pre Big Bang MapleStory because it will change too much. Which one is it then?

I agree, but unfortunately that is the side effect of having buffs that aren't custom. If we could go back in time, buffing everything to match v86's skill's charts except Meteor and Blizzard would have given the result I'm asking for while not making Ultis stronger than they currently are. (As it is a +~10% general damage but Ultis's basic attack would be lower than they currently are) A solution to this would be to implement what I propose while nerfing Meteor and Blizzard down to old source's basic attacks, but that would seem counterproductive. Still tho, I wouldn't be against it.

 

I'll add this clarification post since I am apparently held to a different standard now because I removed myself from a MapleRoyals Staff that was both directly abusive towards me as well as not interested in doing the right thing. Congratulations - you struck a nerve, and I am not amused.

First off, I'd like to remind you personally, OP, along with inform anyone who may not have known this, that I did personally agree that, in a bubble, this change on its own is not a bad idea. I did it publically on these forums, though I'm not going to go look up where. Rest assured that it's out there, given that a malicious member of staff hasn't deleted the post for no reason, but I respect them too much to make that claim. So long as the change does not disrupt the standard meta order of which classes are strong at doing which things, I am completely in favor of taking less time to do anything on this game, because it gives us the ability to do more in a day if we spend less time on each individual endeavor. I will repeat once more that I am against this for a point that OP has acknowledged - precedence is a terrifying concept. I'd like to bring everyone's attention to the foot in the door effect; the concept that each successive acceptance that a group makes, the more likely they are to continue to accept larger subsequent requests. This is why I am so against a mage buff, especially one that the people requesting it have even acknowledged will essentially change nothing. We are opening the door to other requests, for which I am happy to give some examples;

1) Can we buff Arrow Rain, Arrow Eruption and Avenger to be slightly stronger so as to make Bowmaster, Marksman and Night Lord grinding more efficient? They don't have any innate grinding tools otherwise apart from minor space-making skills, so the difference will not make them better than Warriors or Mages, but it will bring them more in line and make grinding on these classes less poor.
2) Can we buff Dark Knights to have higher HP while still activating Berserk? It's become commonplace that even ranged characters are more have more HP at full health in dangerous situations such as at Horntail, where mass Seduce into touch damage from Heads A or C is more likely to kill a Dark Knight than it is to kill any other class barring perhaps Corsairs. Furthermore, it is theoretically possible but physically impractical to fight Castellan Toad, which no other class has a limitation on given enough HP washing.
3) Can we buff Corsairs and Buccaneers to have stronger fighting abilities while using their limited phases (Battleship and Super Transformation)? It's counter-intuitive that even while in these situations, these classes do not significantly jump up in damage - Barrage and Dragon Strike is stronger than Demolition in multi-hit situations, and Rapid Fire with Sharp Eyes almost matches Bowmaster damage given equal equipments with no speed or rope-climbing penalty, and the damage is almost uninterrupted when compared with dismounting ship.

I could absolutely bring up more extension requests to add to this list, but I believe that the above will give an idea of what the very real fear that I'm discussing is. It could even be argued that the new source class balance changes have already started this effect, which only makes it all the more scary if we consider this to be the second step down the path. On its own, this change, if accepted, is uninteresting, and will eventually be forgotten as a meaningless buff, and another one will be proposed as a continuation. I truly and honestly believe that it's grossly negligent to allow this sort of effect to even be a possibility, especially if multiple people in favor of this buff have even acknowledged that it won't make mages good anyway. Why are we even discussing the idea of adding something to the game that will have little to no actual game implication, but will open the door to such a huge and scary potential consequence?

Secondly, to address any insults that I have been accused of pointing at members of the community. To begin with, OP, when you ask for a buff to 1v1 skills, you are asking to be more effective at fighting monsters 1v1, which then implies that you are asking to be more effective at fighting bosses, as there is no practical reason for any class with a mobbing skill to want to attack monsters 1v1 for an extended period of time. You did not explicitly ever state that you want to be a bossing character, but what you have done is continually asked for a buff to mage bossing. That's not an interpretation of your words, nor is it my opinion of the effects of your proposition, it's the truth of what you're asking for whether or not you acknowledge it or like it. I am no longer holding myself to the standards of a member of staff on this server. I am only a player now, and I do not have to coddle anyone, I do not have to be politically correct, and I do not have to maintain professionalism by attempting to type in a passive tone anymore. If my bluntness offends you, I am not sorry. I do not owe you anything, and I disagree with what you have proposed. I do not hold any resentment for you or your playstyle and have personally praised the way that you enjoy the game to a number of my friends, because I have the utmost respect for someone who plays the game against the meta; my first character on this server was a Marksman, my main on GMS was an Axe Hero, I use a Dragon Faltizan on my Dark Knight and I have every intention of perfecting either a Dragon Battle Axe or Dragon Flame for my 200 Hero or future Paladin should I ever decide to continue my time on this server. If you cannot separate personal attack from bluntness in a debate, that is your own issue to deal with, but do not attempt to guilt me into apologizing for the way that I speak simply because I used to be someone who had to proofread everything ten times over before posting it, lest the fury of the entire community come down on me - and then still have to deal with the fallout from someone who didn't like what I said anyway. So if I have lost your respect because I no longer coat my words with frivolity to soften the reality of a situation, then I have lost your respect, and that's a price I'm willing to pay to stand up for what I believe in. Whether you believe it or not, I am not trying to provoke nor offend you in the slightest. I simply believe your idea is bad.

As for the statement that it is insulting to my former colleagues to insinuate that they would be ignorant if they don't agree with me - that's a bold claim, and it's not true. They wouldn't be ignorant if they don't agree with me, rather they'd be both negligent and self-destructive. By setting up the community to ask for more and more allowances, there are only two potential outcomes; the first is that more requests are taken on, and the game continues to spiral away from what it has been for years to appease the few people who are unhappy with the decade-established status quo, or the requests are not taken on, causing more people in the community to feel either ignored or dejected, and believing that they don't matter. Neither of these situations are positive ones, and in my opinion, they're not worth small, irrelevant buffs to your class. My former colleagues wouldn't be negligent and self-destructive because they're not listening to me, they'd be negligent and self-destructive because they'd be making a shortsighted change to appease the few at the expense of the many, and doing exactly that is actually part of the reason that they're my former colleagues in the first place, funnily enough.

I hope that this clears up many of the misconceptions and ignored bits of what I've said in this thread. Let's be honest - someone's going to pick out one or two lines from what I said, blow it out of proportion, and nobody is going to read anything else. I'd like to remain the optimist anyway and hope for the best anyway. Feel free to respond to me - I won't post in this thread anymore, with the one exception of a dank meme if my joke was right about the farce about Paralyze and Chain Lightning. Anyway, best of luck with everything you all do, and happy Mapling!

 

Great posts from Michael ITT.

 

B-but... My Snipe damage...

 

I am not offended but like I said, disappointed. If anything, I'd more want to help you come to reason instead of bringing you down. And sure, don't post here anymore but I hope you'll still read this so you can fully understand the situation. You talk about having skill changes that leads to more changes for every class. Personally, as long as it fits the Pre Big Bang mold and its based off real updates that happened (Ex: v86), I do not see any problem with it. If we can't agree on that, then no need to read further. If we can tho, please continue.

The buffs you mentioned are completely custom and like I said in my thread, I respect that there won't be any custom skills (Ignore that extra Ele Amp boost I proposed for now; that's to fight a bug that wasn't fixed and even if everything else passes but not that I'd understand). That's the flaw in your "a change will lead to another then another change" statement. There are only so many variations of Pre Big Bang MapleStory, and even if, that's a big if, someone would propose for buffs that have no precedent, pass v86, what's the problem with it? Once again, if you disagree with that, no need to read further as we will won't be able to come to an agreement. If you do, continue.

Things are never set in stone and should always have potential to be improved, within certain parameters of course. In this case, they are like you said it yourself, the balance of Pre Big Bang MapleStory.

And yes, changes like this won't change the placement of classes on the DPS charts, and they shouldn't, but that doesn't mean they're irrelevant to the affected classes. Let me explain it you: changes like this are irrelevant in the grand scheme of things as it doesn't affect others, yes, but it helps out the affected class considerably. When you're doing little to do damage, a few thousand damage increase is noticeable to the player, but like I said again, does not affect the DPS rankings as it shouldn't. Irrelevant change to DPS rankings =/= irrelevant change to the affected class.

Once again, you're getting too emotional. I was being honest by saying that you were basically saying that administration would be ignorant if they didn't listen to you, there's no denying that. No one is asking for apologies, forgiveness or anything of the sort. Its facts vs facts. MapleStory, at least in this era, its end-game is bossing. You level up, get better equips to kill stronger monster. Guess what? Those are bosses. What I propose is based off updates that have happened in the official game and based off updates that have occurred in MapleRoyals taken from the same version; respecting the two rules I have come to conclusion after talking to people previously, you included. The only thing I see that you and other people keep repeating is basically that you feel uncomfortable about it so you don't want it which doesn't make any sense. And no, I do not have more or less respect towards you now; what I'm trying to accomplish here is simply to propose something that will be beneficial to the game and discuss with people who are for or against it while being rational.

 

I don't see the point to these changes and I play a F/P. They are already really good at what they do and their books are super cheap, as well as their gear. They don't need anymore help. They are probably the easiest class in the game to lvl besides Shadowers.

My f/p has hit lvl 162 in 2 months, majority of that time was spent at Ulu2 watching netflix while telecasting back and forth. You don't even have to pay attention, watch a few movies and leech up your other characters. I didnt even ask the priests I leech for free along side my BM/NL for HS on my fp. I get them to stand up the top and just HS my bm/NL. I've invested less than 300 mil in my f/p and I can 1 hit petris. Meaning I could make 150 Mil an hour selling leech. This is what mages are good at and this is what they should be doing. There is absolutely no need for any changes to their current skills.

If anything, the only class on this server that really needs a buff is the paladin. As it's completely useless right now.

Mages do not need any changes. This sounds like those threads with Sairs bitching about how they need buffs. The nerve of them, they're the highest dps in the game but because NLs are better at HT, buff us. This seems to be what you're going for as well.

 

You're talking from a leeching point of view only, as that's what you do and saying that that's what they should only doing is an opinion, shared by many it seems unfortunately. Like I have already said, the end game goal of this game is to get better equips and the point of better equips is to kill stronger monsters. Those monsters in this game are called bosses. Yes, you're probably going to say then "Just make another class if you want to be good at 1v1!". Like I have already said too, I know this era of the game well and I know what I was getting into by making a Arch Mage here; great mobbing abilities but poor 1v1 abilities. I repeat once again, I never asked to be good at 1v1 and these changes will not make Arch Mages good either, but it will help considerably. That same statement could also apply to a Paladin, as if they're not satisfied they can just make another class, but in both the case of Arch Mages and Paladins, its not because we're requesting for a slight change that we don't want to play the class at all. You either support all of the weaker classes or none, or else it doesn't make any sense.

Oh, and already that saying that they're good at leeching is terrible argument, saying that they 1 hit Petris easy is even worse considering Bishops that can do it too. Yes it requires more funding and if you're planning to sell 1 hit Petris its unrealistic, but its possible too. Having a easy 1 hit Petris is just like saying that a Paladin does well at Krexel (A boss that not even suppose to be Fire weak in the fire place but first strong; lets not get into that here tho) so they don't need anything else.