Mages were HORRIBLE at launch

[Vizax_Xaziv]

Originally Posted by Jadian [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Eboots are like THE high end trading item for months on a new server. Acting like you can just go EC and buy a pair for any new char is laughable.

OMG someone else who uses the term "Eboots!'. Thats what we called on my server on live but everyone else seems to call em GEBS here.

[skorge]

Another quote:

Originally Posted by deadlycupcak3z [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

You can read a post from Brad himself about the QoL improvements made and it mentions making mage pets cast earlier on, so I think OP is right but not enough patch note evidence to counter all this anecdotal BS

[Cen]

Gnome magicians are min max. Erudite mages trade all the amazing stats, sex appeal, and other various non described here benefits of being a gnome for a few points of intelligence which does very little for a magician. Also wide heads are generally more robust then tall heads.

[Dolalin]

I read several newsgroup posts today about how Research was broken at the launch of EQ and Magicians couldn't research their high level pets. Recall seeing the same for necros.

I don't think they are planning to recreate that sort of brokenness though.

[Jungleberry]

Originally Posted by Dolalin [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I read several newsgroup posts today about how Research was broken at the launch of EQ and Magicians couldn't research their high level pets. Recall seeing the same for necros.

I don't think they are planning to recreate that sort of brokenness though.

I hope not but it remains to be seen. Haven't seen any official word.

[bum3]

My wife used to play a gnome mage on classic... she fell through the world a few times doing the wall trick to CoTH people... So make sure you have a back up CoTHer.

[Chaplain]

Few things, first I was a mage in Oct 1999, the pet spells you are saying where not in the game, where in the game in strange locations like the Ocean of Tears. One pet, I do believe it was 24 was research only. After that though 28+could still be bought though it was only one of the four at any given level until I think 48? was research only don't quote me on that.

No that is said, mages OP? No, a naked bard with a drum and brass horn will out EXP us and be more useful in a group. Same goes for Necro's, druids, and several other classes. As a mage I found the best thing to do since most groups didn't want me and at least 30% of the time didn't let me summon a pet, was to out door dou with a Necro. Mages are 'Okay' solo but shine with another mage and one or two necro's. The power of pets is DRAMATICALLY better the more pet classes that team up to fear kite. So if you have an SO and one of you want to role a mage, one of you should consider Necro/Druid/Cleric/Shaman/Mage for the partner.

[Muggens]

Having never really played a magician, reading those elemental pet descriptions have me a tiny bit confused...

"The Earth Elemental is the elemental that you want to be using for serious battles. It has THE most hp of any pet... Their weakness is that their Agility bites. They will get hit by anything swinging at them."

Serious Battles?

"The Air Elemental is the elemental that you want tanking for you. It has an incredible high agility, making it much harder to hit than any other elemental."

This is the tank elemental? Not Earth pet?

"Water Elementals are the composite elemental - they combine a little bit of the best of all of the other elementals. Their strength is second only to an Earth Elemental (about equal to a Troll), their agility is good (about as good as an elf) and their HP are just under that of an Earth Elemental. They are the 'balanced' elemental. Water Elementals also heal faster than any other elemental."

Sounds to me like the best option?




Aaand the guys on this forum mostly speak about the using Fire Pet for soloing...

So now I really dont know which pet to use!

[Baler]

this thread torments me in my sleep. it has so much Bad and some good information.
It's literally a classic thread. Where some people had no idea what they were talking about.

[skorge]

From https://groups.google.com/forum/#!se...o/sqXbyyrSCBoJ

Several members of the EQ team, with some initial help from a player's
email, put the following document together listing both enhancements and
'nerfs' we've made to the game since launch. And while we probably forgot
some things, both negative and positive (please let us know and I'll update
the document), I think it puts in perspective the ratio of positive vs.
negative changes to the game we've made. I also feel it heartily
invalidates the assertion that we are out to make the game harder or to have
players advance slower overall, or that 'all we do is nerf'.
The following is broken down by class, and then addresses those changes made
that affect the whole game. Changes we feel are positive from just about any
perspective are denoted with a '+', and those some players might consider a
'nerf', but that we felt were important for the long term health of the
game, are denoted with a '-'.

(again, I'm sure we've forgotten some things, both '+' and '-'; please feel
free to comment and add items).


Magicians
+ New summon item spells
- High Level (39+) Pets weakened
+ Better mid+ level pets (they cast spells now)
+ Added more Class Specific Quests
+ Added more Class Specific Items
+ Enhanced High Level (35+) Meditation
+ Magician Pet Buff Spells Strengthened
+ Enhanced Pet Pathing
+ Added Special Items to let Magicians Summon Stronger Pets
+ Corrected Bug that let monsters attack you from far distances
through your pet
+ Made Magician Research Easier - especially for their pets
+ Added Spell Effects to most Magician Summoned Items
+ Enhanced AoE Spells to let Magicians effect more creatures
+ Reduced Mana Cost of Damage Shields
+ Reduced Casting Time of Ward Series
+ Made the Malise Series Stack Better
+ Made the Burnout Series Better

-Brad

Listen, the above list from Brad himself tells you that mid level pets did NOT cast spells. Unless you want to argue against the guy who created Everquest, then stop posting non-sense comments such as "False News." According to the above, this list shows actual enhancements made to the class stated by Brad himself in 1999.

Thus, Green P99 should start out classic with mage pets not being able to cast spells up until a certain patch. Now continue to read below from http://web.archive.org/web/199910050..._mag_dis.shtml:

What is a Magician you Ask?
By Geoffrey Zatkin, Lead Magic Designer for Verant

I've been getting some e-mail/feedback recently from a group of dissatisfied magicians as to how underpowered their class is. I'd like to take a few moments to address this. Please realize that because of our intense work schedule at Verant, this is a purely FYI kind of thing.

RESEARCH

All research materials for Magicians are in the game. The frequency of the appearance of all research components has been increased by 300%. Instructions on research can be found in your guild hall, in several of the tomes sold by your guild merchant.

Now, why would the lead magic designer for Verant at the time say the phrase "all research materials for magicians are in the game" unless they weren't in the game to start with? This is a statement that is made because before hand all research materials were not in the game. I can't find 100% definite proof of this yet, but he is basically stating this.

I am telling you 100% the truth that magician pets were NOT in the game post level 20 at launch, as the ability to research them was broken, and the vendor who sold the one buyable pet did not have those pet spells yet.

I truly hope Green P99 holds true to this, as it was part of being a true magician back then, dealing with all the crap that was stuck against you...if you toughed it out, you eventually became strong, but from launch day for a couple of months, mages plain out SUCKED!