Mages in classic
 

Are mages easy mode in classic? What are some of the advantages they will have at the onset that will get nerfed when green starts?

I'm debating between a mage and enchanter, but wonder if it's worth it to experience the mage brokenness i've heard about.

First off, if you heard anything about Mage's getting 100% XP by doing 1% damage, that is (apparently) not a classic thing. That was some kind of bug Blue had early on, and Green will not have that bug, so (AFAIK) you'll still have to do at least 50% damage on Green to get full XP.

Now I have heard that Mage pets are a lot more powerful in classic, and that pet tanking worked vastly differently (up until Kunark pets could tank like a boss; there was no "mobs hit PCs over NPCs" rule). However, I don't think Blue ever had pets work that way, which implies Green won't either (but who knows).

So that just leaves more powerful pets as the only difference (I know of) between classic Mages and Blue ones. And I'm not even sure that difference will be on Green, so (as with many Green things) ... we'll just have to wait and see.

Its not that mages are better its just that rogues and most dps classes suck in classic

Easy mode? Yes. Mages are easier, enchanters can do more but require more work.

90% of the Mage class is the pet, and the pet is basically the same whether you are naked or decked out in the best twink gear possible (even the Sol Ro quest focus items just add +HP to the pets, they don't increase their level or make them do more damage). And Mage pets are very strong even on the current Blue server. On a fresh Green server where there is zero twinking, Mage pets are unbelievably good when compared to ungeared melee toons. Even at the end of classic when melees are geared Mage pets are crazy good. A focused level 49 pet with Burnout III will easily keep pace with or even out-damage level 50 Monks and Rogues, without even factoring in the Mage nukes and damage shield.

Side benefits: all your summons are now genuine BiS items for a bit :)
All the Melee toons will be so happy to use a summoned Spear of Warding or something.

However, easy mode or not, I know I can't stand the Mage gameplay.
Don't pick the class just cause it's easy, pick the class if you like it! (or not, i'm not your father)

What is wrong with their gameplay? I am considering playing one at launch and want to know what I am getting myself into. I have never played a clothie/caster class in this game, and I have played it for a pretty long time.

Mage game play is basically:

/pet attack

/sit

Nuke once in a while (But not too often!)

Then dying when your pet paths randomly through a wall.

Sounds.....wonderful...

Don't y'all kill and recast pets in there somewhere, for the XP?