A plea to the Gods

[Goobles]

For the first month or so of the server, the Magician "Shock" line of spells were bugged as Evocation rather than Conjuration. This spell line is our main source of mana efficient dps from level 8 into the 30s. Since the spell was bugged during this time, our specializations were raised in Evocation, and even to this day - we remain with our main spec as Evocation.

While I'm sure that some folk wouldn't mind casting Lava Bolt over and over, I am hoping that mayhaps we may be offered a severence package - like a chance to respecialize. I know that we are offered the opportunity to do so with the release of SolRo Temple, but who knows how far away that is?

I'm not asking for the release of Solro Temple, just a specialization refresh for the mages due to a glitch in the coding.

Thanks for hearing my request.

[emubird]

We magicians really don't need any help, at all, hehe.

I, for one, am perfectly content to wait for Sol Ro to respecialize. As the most overpowered class on the server, we'll be just fine.

[Goobles]

We magicians really don't need any help, at all, hehe.

I, for one, am perfectly content to wait for Sol Ro to respecialize. As the most overpowered class on the server, we'll be just fine.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a74/RiddlN/shitting.jpg

Mages are not overpowered. We are just the best balanced of all classes. They are still working out tweaks in the coding, and fixing all the little things.

Duhh.

[Skeletonya]

If they fixed all the bugs in all the classes, then we could get a fair representation of who and or what is or isnt overpowered, but thats NOT what this thread is about......

This thread is about spells being mislabeled causing a specialization problem.

Fix specialization for mages, imo.

[messiah_b]

I'm not sure I follow you are the shock line no longer Evocation?

[Goobles]

No, they were changed to their 'proper' base of Conjuration.. after I had specced in Evoc due to it being my main nuke for 30 levels.

[messiah_b]

http://www.watson.org/~wander/eq/spells.html

Okay so you get specialization at 20. The level 16 and level 20 nukes were always Evocation.

Shock of Flame and Bolt of Flame.

I see what you are talking about with the later Shock of Blades spells being conjuration, but you would have hit your specialization cap before then. Looks like simply poor planning (I did it too and can see how this will hurt me later on)

Basically what I am saying is that the later changes to the blade shock line almost certainly would have not impacted which specialization you got because you wouldn't have been using those nukes at level 20-23 anyways. Basically in live you would need to specifically cast other conjuration spells aside from nukes to lock in conjuration if that is what you wanted.

[Goobles]

LEvel 8 spell - Shock of Blades (was Evoc, now Conj.)
Level 24 spell - Shock of Spikes (was Evoc, now Conj)

I used these two spells as I was levelling because they were the most mana efficient.

Why are you even arguing? This isn't a debate, it's a report of a broken mechanism that's hindering my performance.

[Reiker]

What? Mages shouldn't spec evocation???

[messiah_b]

LEvel 8 spell - Shock of Blades (was Evoc, now Conj.)
Level 24 spell - Shock of Spikes (was Evoc, now Conj)

I used these two spells as I was levelling because they were the most mana efficient.

Why are you even arguing? This isn't a debate, it's a report of a broken mechanism that's hindering my performance.

I was only saying that most people in this scenario hit 20, go out blasting with their 16 and 20 evoc nukes, and hit their main spec in evoc.

For the game mechanic to have affected you either:

a) you were using a terrible 30mana-35dmg lvl 8 nuke instead of 105-146 lvl 20 nuke (lol).
b) you had the worst streak of skill up's ever and made level 24 without hitting 51 in any spec skill and then got a bad main spec off the 24 conjuration nuke.

I just dinged 23 and my main spec is over 100 so I just don't think it's very plausible. I will give you the benefit of the doubt, but 99 / 100 times this situation occurs through user error.

[Aeolwind]

Will talk this over and see what we can do. But, I always parked somewhere and spammed the level 1 heal to make sure I got alteration up back in the day on live. So this was an option, the issue remains that the nukes were setup incorrectly.

[emubird]

Don't break your back working on it, it's just not that big of a deal, at least to most magicians. We'll be able to change things as often as we would like when Sol Ro comes out anyway, and it seems that is only a few months away. It's not like we lose out with specializing in evocation, it's just not what a few of us would choose, in retrospect. A.k.a., not a big deal.

[Goobles]

I believe you and I levelled during completely different eras. What is now, is not what once was.

And for those who won't understand:

The spells were updated. The best mana/damage ratio was my level 8 nuke, which I complained about multiple times as I was levelling.... you should have been there.

So what was it? Pay 100 mana and cast a 150 damage nuke? Or pay 20 mana and have a 37 damage nuke? So this makes your argument quite moot.

[Jify]

What? Mages shouldn't spec evocation???

Evocation is the spec for a DPS based magician that spends the majority of his time nuking. This shows it's efficiency in situations where a magician can repeatedly nuke (with say, Lava Bolt). In classic, most raid mobs are highly immune, if not completely immune to fire & magic. Chain nuking on any raid mob, I can guarantee I'll pull agro & get many resists (full and partial).

Pets remain our "sustainable" DPS. By focusing on conjuration we will be casting intermittent conjuration based DDs and summoning rods. All in all, we can contribute "more" with conjuration.

In solo play, conjuration is king for the ability to chain pet. It should also allow for "canni-petting", which allows magicians to improve their mana regen through summoning and reclaiming focused earth pets.

***This is all personal opinion, don't attack me because you play your magician differently***

[Goobles]

Mod rods are Conjuration too!

[Insidious]

I am not against your post Goobles & Fellow mages i'm simply posting my opinion:

Specialization, from what I remember of playing back in 99' and 2000-2004 was usually selected to match your PERSONAL preference of casting skill, NOT the most used.

Furthermore, I never remember anyone (except the classes such as necros and clerics) building their specialization of choice up to 51 without training / putting time into leveling that specific skill FASTER than the others.

Basically what I'm trying to say is: You knew you wanted conjuration. You should have:

1. Train the skill to an appropriate level via your trainer in such a way that none of the other casting skills could catch and beat your chosing one to 51.

2. Casted a "conjuration" spell over and over until the previous goal was acquired.

I remember making use of both options 1 & 2 on my classes back in live, especially my druid whom I chose to specialize in Evocation.

If I simply leveled and allowed the "natural" elevation of skills to occur I would have undoubtedly become a Alteration or Conjuration druid. Obviously I have to intervene to become specialized in the one I wanted.

I understand that the specialization of your blade line of spells was wrong, but lets use common sense here. Did you really think it would be easier for the server to personally reset your specialization OR would it be easier for the server to simply change "blades" from Evocation to Conjuration?

If you simply allowed the specialization to continue as Evocation because "that was the easiest way to level" than that should be no excuse in having GM's change your character, as many classes could benefit from this practice. You must chose your specialization based on what you want long term, if you choose short term than be ready for the Sol Ro quest.

[messiah_b]

So what was it? Pay 100 mana and cast a 150 damage nuke? Or pay 20 mana and have a 37 damage nuke? So this makes your argument quite moot.

Not at all.

There were now two broken mechanics involved. If they had both functioned correctly your actions would have led you to your current spec. If you want a rollback on the lvl8 spell then you should also have a rollback on the extra mana you got. Consider how much more mana efficient you were leveling up until 20 you should have had plenty of time to sit and cast for 20 mins like everyone else.

Here I'll add another one. Since the boats were broken you should get to respec since you would have practiced conjuration, and couldn't because the boats were broken.

Also by lvl 20 that 20/37 nuke is basically not as mana efficient as the lvl 20 nuke taking into account meditation. You save ~4 mana every 14 seconds for 1/4th the dps, but I'm sure you already knew that considering how much more veteran and better player you are than me and everyone else.