Game balance concerns re: Wizards in particular

[Graw Meadowsto]

<DIV>I don't generally post to these boards, but after playing the game this week I'm having serious concerns about the balance and fairness of the game and I'm hoping that the devs read this topic since my bug reports seem to have been ignored.  Before I list my concerns, let me state that these are my observations.  These are not gut reactions or whines, but serious problems that I've noticed that really need to be looked at.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>My char is a 34 wizard and I've played the wizard pretty much exclusively.  My comparisons to other classes are based on information from my friends and other players who play those types of characters.  If my observations are inaccurate, please accept my apologies.  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Also, I am wearing full armor that cons white, yellow, or orange to me and it is in perfect condition.  I also have white, yellow, or orange charms to improve the characters attributes.  Almost all my chars spells are AppIV or better.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>1) As of late, the spells and actions of the wizard are being interrupted and/or resisted so frequently that the effective average success of a hit is probably around 15-20% of the time.  This is absolutely killing the chars ability to solo effectively.  <U>Since roots and stuns are our only defense (our shield spells aren't effective- see further down), this is tantamount to having a fighters armor "randomly" fail 80-85% of the time</U>.  My char can still solo green and blue creatures, but it's usually left at orange  or red health from all the damage taken because of failures.  Running away (again) from a simple blue creature for fear of death is what prompted this post in fact.  This interrupt/resist frequency has clearly been increased as this was not such a big problem a few weeks ago and from having looked at the posts here, it appears others are having the same problems.  To clarify, there are some encounters where you don't get resisted but maybe once and others where you get resisted/interrupted every time (leaving you no chance but to run)- these are general averages I'm guesstimating at.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>2) Power consumption is a big problem.  Wizards require power to defend and fight.  When it's time to run to get out of a battle, we generally have less ability to sprint because of the fact that we use power all the time.  My guess, although I can't confirm, is that this is imbalanced in that other non-caster classes have plenty of power to run from a battle when their health gets low whereas Wizards don't have the same opportunities.  An emergency power spell or an evac that is granted earlier on would probably resolve this imbalance.  I believe someone already pointed out that the "harvesting" spells to get power either punish the health or stun the wizard leaving them more defenseless than having not harvested the power in the first place.  Obviously, harvesting power is not an option when a creature kills the char in 1 or 2 hits.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>3) Wizards cannot fight in a small group without at least one tank.  If the Wizard roots the opponent as a strategy, then none of the other players in the group can participate since any action on their part will break the root and aggro the creature to the Wizard.  If the Wizard doesn't root, he/she ends up becoming the main tank and of course with no defense is dead in an instant.  This makes grouping with another or with a small group very limiting.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>4) There are way too many quests that throw groups of normal (not + or ++) creatures at you.  There is no way for a Wizard to solo a small group unless the group is gray or consists of only 2 green (maybe blue on occasion) creatures.  Even then, its a crap shoot since the roots/stuns fail frequently - see 1.  I've seen other players of similar or lower level take on entire groups of creatures and succeed.  I know of other classes that can also not take on groups.  This would seem to give those classes that can a distinct advantage in finishing quests than those that cannot.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>5) The recast timers are very slow for some of the most important spells.  Tether, for example, takes so long to cast that its usually interrupted thus leaving the Wizard stunned and the creature free for 2 -3 seconds to kill your character.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>6) There are numerous bugs in the root/stun spells.  I won't go into them all here, but, as an example, Frozen Manacles doesn't display an icon to let you know success or failure and how long you have until is breaks, nor is there any consistent indication on screen as to when it succeeds or fails.  Many times the "ice blocks" surround the creature and yet it keeps moving.  Tether has similar issues with breaking inconsistently or improperly.  Feedback is absolutely important with these spells as our fighting style is one of strategy.  We absolutely need accurate information which brings me to...</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>7) (This affects all classes and is a general concern) The zoom level on the user interface is entirely too low.  Now that I have a horse, my char is never fullly on screen even at max zoom level.  The creatures in the immediate area can see the char and will aggro immediately (even with their backs turned which is a pet peeve of mine), but the players cannot see them.  This gives all creatures an incredibly useful advantage over the players, and in the case of Wizards specifically, can mean certain unexpected death.  My char has been "surprised" by a creature off the side of the screen many times.  Frequently, the char is being chased also from aggro that saw it while travelling.  Any player who has been to the Enchanted Lands has no doubt had a wasp swoop down on it.  By providing an adequate zoom out level, these issues can be resolved and improve the games usability.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><img src="/smilies/b2eb59423fbf5fa39342041237025880.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> Some of the quests are imbalanced against the Wizard class.  As an example, the fourth armor quest required Wizards to kill creatures in a group that were deep inside the Crypt of Betrayal and several levels higher than the Wizard, where the fighter and ranger AQ4 required creatures of lower skill that were readily available without having to go so far in.  Wizards do have some advantage with their invisibility for some quests, but for quests that require killing a creature that isn't a solo yellow or less, it means waiting until the creatures (and the reward usually) are gray.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>9) Shield spells have been made even more worthless.  Within the last week or so a "fix" was made that allowed a class to recast a spell to reset its timer without having to cancel it first.  Wizards, or at least my char, have 3 shield spells that happen to have the same icon.  I could cast them though to have all 3 on me.  It appears that this "fix" uses the icon picture to determine if the spell is running and cancels it.  The end result is that my char can only have 1 buff of each icon type on at once.  I don't know if this was intentional, but it has nerfed the Wizard classes ability to protect themselves.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>10) Improper UI feedback.  When playing a char who dies in 1 or 2 hits regularly, it's important to know when you're really getting hit.  The current system plays the "crunchy hit" sound whether the char is really getting hit or not.  This is just a pure bug, but it affects classes, like Wizards, who usually run when they hear the "hit" sound.  The resist sound should work consistently too, although it's less important since there is text on the screen that indicates "resisted". </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I hope this helps the devs rebalance the game to be more equitable to all paying players.</DIV> <P>Message Edited by Graw Meadowstone on <SPAN class=date_text>04-03-2005</SPAN> <SPAN class=time_text>01:51 PM</SPAN></P><p>Message Edited by Graw Meadowstone on <span class=date_text>04-03-2005</span> <span class=time_text>01:55 PM</span>

[FrostP]

<P>Some good points.</P> <P>(48 Wizard - Antonia Bayle)</P>

[Tanit]

I assume you're only (or mostly) soloing, as i dont have any of those problems you describe. <div></div>

[Graw Meadowsto]

Yes, my char does end up soloing most of the time because of limitation number 3.  When I can find a group with a tank, I have fewer issues with aggro and the stuns/roots don't matter as much since they're unused.  Unfortunately, I have several friends that are non-tank types and grouping with them is impossible.  Either I end up soloing while they stand back (so as not to upset the roots) or I end up tanking after I lob a nuke at the creature- which ends up resulting in debt penalties or bordeom from hitting greens or gray to ensure limited death.

[Dalat]

<DIV>I definitly agree with the power comsumption problem.  I received Ball of Flames a level ago and it has made a huge difference with this.  The extra nuke is great but the rate at which my power is drained is unbelievable. Which in turn determines how long im in the fight for, maybe a couple mobs or more if I'm conservative about my spells.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I have noticed to keep on par with the damage output of other dps classes such as monks, assasins, warlocks and others, I have to expend much more power to do so. I suggest the power cost of our spells be lowerd accordingly or possibly give us larger power pools to solve this problem.</DIV>

[Nacoa]

My opinions: General response: The wizard is not a soloing class, and was not designed to be a soloing class.  To use a RL analogy, wizards are the heavy artillery, which has to be protected by infantry and tanks.  If you want to solo, I'd suggest rerolling a Brawler (I did). Zoom level: it's adjustable.  There's a slider in the options that lets you change it, and rolling your mouse wheel will zoom in and out. UI Feedback: You can also tell that you're being hit when red numbers appear over your head. <div></div>

[Kilferf 'U]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> Graw Meadowstone wrote:<BR> <DIV>I don't generally post to these boards, but after playing the game this week I'm having serious concerns about the balance and fairness of the game and I'm hoping that the devs read this topic since my bug reports seem to have been ignored.  Before I list my concerns, let me state that these are my observations.  These are not gut reactions or whines, but serious problems that I've noticed that really need to be looked at.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>My char is a 34 wizard and I've played the wizard pretty much exclusively.  My comparisons to other classes are based on information from my friends and other players who play those types of characters.  If my observations are inaccurate, please accept my apologies.  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Also, I am wearing full armor that cons white, yellow, or orange to me and it is in perfect condition.  I also have white, yellow, or orange charms to improve the characters attributes.  Almost all my chars spells are AppIV or better.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>1) As of late, the spells and actions of the wizard are being interrupted and/or resisted so frequently that the effective average success of a hit is probably around 15-20% of the time.  This is absolutely killing the chars ability to solo effectively.  <U>Since roots and stuns are our only defense (our shield spells aren't effective- see further down), this is tantamount to having a fighters armor "randomly" fail 80-85% of the time</U>.  My char can still solo green and blue creatures, but it's usually left at orange  or red health from all the damage taken because of failures.  Running away (again) from a simple blue creature for fear of death is what prompted this post in fact.  This interrupt/resist frequency has clearly been increased as this was not such a big problem a few weeks ago and from having looked at the posts here, it appears others are having the same problems.  To clarify, there are some encounters where you don't get resisted but maybe once and others where you get resisted/interrupted every time (leaving you no chance but to run)- these are general averages I'm guesstimating at.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#ffff33>No, and no offense, but i've never had a problem soloing white, yellow and orange conned single targets, ever. read: Ever. So i'm guessing you and other need to adjust a bit more, i'm not sure exactly what you're doing wrong, but soloing green and blue's to level is a joke, seriously, and you' shouldn't be doing it. Please do not read that as anything but what it is, fact. I think you have a great thread so i'm not here to bash, just to share!</FONT> <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>2) Power consumption is a big problem.  Wizards require power to defend and fight.  When it's time to run to get out of a battle, we generally have less ability to sprint because of the fact that we use power all the time.  My guess, although I can't confirm, is that this is imbalanced in that other non-caster classes have plenty of power to run from a battle when their health gets low whereas Wizards don't have the same opportunities.  An emergency power spell or an evac that is granted earlier on would probably resolve this imbalance.  I believe someone already pointed out that the "harvesting" spells to get power either punish the health or stun the wizard leaving them more defenseless than having not harvested the power in the first place.  Obviously, harvesting power is not an option when a creature kills the char in 1 or 2 hits.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#ffff33>I'm not sure where to begin with this. Power consuption is big because we do big damage, obviously. I don't think you can compare our power to other classes power when it comes to, "power to run from a battle when their health gets low". Again it all comes down to what i posted above, you're doing somethin wrong. Most if not all of my solo encounters on orange critters end with me at more than 1/4 power and way more than 1/2 health (should i get hit). (Well when you get Ring of Cold all of your solo orange encounters are dead before your root spell is even close to lifting). I also wanted to touch on Tether, which ties directly into your Harvest Essense spell line (<FONT color=#ccff66>Edited to clarify, it "ties into your HE line because it works hand in hand with it, is what i meant</FONT>). Bare/bear with meh! Tether is an awesome spell, contrary to what most might have you believe (even though the nay sayers are 5+ levels above me lol). the way Tether works is like this, it roots the target and will not break until hit. Upon tether being hit, you get a shorter duration movement impairment placed on him (you'll notice this with tether as it nears the end of it's duration and hasn't been broken, a new icon will take the place of tether indicating how long you have left before that movement impairment is up. (I took so and so's concentrated chains as a trait when available to me, i love my roots like i love my smokeso'z i just had to have it). Now check it out - tether lasts about 10 seconds longer than your stun on Harvest Essense will, what this means to me as a soloing wizard? Who boy....if there are none of your DoTs running on your target, go ahead and Tether his badself to the ground, cast yer Painful med or vital flow or whatever ya got, then immediatley followwith a Harvest essence. Yes, you will both be stunned, but you WILL come out of your stun first <EM>every single</EM> time, and you WILL be able to cast another Tether - AND! OMG! If Tether gets resisted you still have enough time to cast a Frozen Manacle on him (and if that fails use your stun!) and then wait for Tether and recast, rinse and repeat omg full power! I do this method on ^ ^ greens all the time (yeah all the time...). we are uber, ya just gotta figure out HOW to do all of this on your own.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>3) Wizards cannot fight in a small group without at least one tank.  If the Wizard roots the opponent as a strategy, then none of the other players in the group can participate since any action on their part will break the root and aggro the creature to the Wizard.  If the Wizard doesn't root, he/she ends up becoming the main tank and of course with no defense is dead in an instant.  This makes grouping with another or with a small group very limiting.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#ffff33>So right lol. It is 100x easier for me to solo an orange con alone than it is with another person. that kinda hurts</FONT> <img src="/smilies/9d71f0541cff0a302a0309c5079e8dee.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>4) There are way too many quests that throw groups of normal (not + or ++) creatures at you.  There is no way for a Wizard to solo a small group unless the group is gray or consists of only 2 green (maybe blue on occasion) creatures.  Even then, its a crap shoot since the roots/stuns fail frequently - see 1.  I've seen other players of similar or lower level take on entire groups of creatures and succeed.  I know of other classes that can also not take on groups.  This would seem to give those classes that can a distinct advantage in finishing quests than those that cannot.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#ffff33>I see room for improvement here too</FONT>. <FONT color=#ffff33>No matter how much i juggle, and i'm a good juggler, it's too tough to keep up</FONT>. <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>5) The recast timers are very slow for some of the most important spells.  Tether, for example, takes so long to cast that its usually interrupted thus leaving the Wizard stunned and the creature free for 2 -3 seconds to kill your character.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#ffff33>You're using tether wrong IMHO. See above and apply, you'll love it</FONT>. <FONT color=#ffff99>Also while i'm giving out my secrets, try doing a fight like this when you get immolation. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#ffff99></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#ffff99>tether (wait a few seconds to ensure recast timer is up)</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#ffff99>immolation (have tether que'd immediatley ready to rip) [Note here how immolation set off tethers movement impairment, Immo's 4 second DoT will not, does not,l can not break that movement impairment like a nuke will (BoF, westfends ect, they'll all break it immediatley - Immo will not)</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#ffff99>reapply tether (Frozen Manacles if resisted, stun if FM resisted)</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#ffff99>painful med (have harvest essence que'd)</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#ffff99>harvest essence (have tether que'd immediatley ready to rip)</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#ffff99>reapply tether (Frozen Manacles if resisted, stun if FM resisted)</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#ffff99>rinse and repeat until ^ ^ is dead. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#ffff99>Send me mail sayin how much you love me yadda yadda</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>6) There are numerous bugs in the root/stun spells.  I won't go into them all here, but, as an example, Frozen Manacles doesn't display an icon to let you know success or failure and how long you have until is breaks, nor is there any consistent indication on screen as to when it succeeds or fails.  Many times the "ice blocks" surround the creature and yet it keeps moving.  Tether has similar issues with breaking inconsistently or improperly.  Feedback is absolutely important with these spells as our fighting style is one of strategy.  We absolutely need accurate information which brings me to...</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#ffff33>Ya that's [Removed for Content], FM needs an Icon so we can be a little bit more confident with our methods of destruction. See above for Tether, nothin wrong with it IMHO, just people not utilizing it properly.</FONT> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>7) (This affects all classes and is a general concern) The zoom level on the user interface is entirely too low.  Now that I have a horse, my char is never fullly on screen even at max zoom level.  The creatures in the immediate area can see the char and will aggro immediately (even with their backs turned which is a pet peeve of mine), but the players cannot see them.  This gives all creatures an incredibly useful advantage over the players, and in the case of Wizards specifically, can mean certain unexpected death.  My char has been "surprised" by a creature off the side of the screen many times.  Frequently, the char is being chased also from aggro that saw it while travelling.  Any player who has been to the Enchanted Lands has no doubt had a wasp swoop down on it.  By providing an adequate zoom out level, these issues can be resolved and improve the games usability.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#ffff33>I don't have any issues regarding this at all, but if you can get them to make us zoom out further i'm all about it lol. (Lord knows some people could use help with their...uhh...situational awareness? LOL. )</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><img src="/smilies/b2eb59423fbf5fa39342041237025880.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> Some of the quests are imbalanced against the Wizard class.  As an example, the fourth armor quest required Wizards to kill creatures in a group that were deep inside the Crypt of Betrayal and several levels higher than the Wizard, where the fighter and ranger AQ4 required creatures of lower skill that were readily available without having to go so far in.  Wizards do have some advantage with their invisibility for some quests, but for quests that require killing a creature that isn't a solo yellow or less, it means waiting until the creatures (and the reward usually) are gray.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#ffff33>AQs lol... <img src="/smilies/9d71f0541cff0a302a0309c5079e8dee.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />  I gave up after AQ 3, trying to find groups wasn't my idea of a fun time. I took to soloing, perfecting it the best i could <img src="/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>9) Shield spells have been made even more worthless.  Within the last week or so a "fix" was made that allowed a class to recast a spell to reset its timer without having to cancel it first.  Wizards, or at least my char, have 3 shield spells that happen to have the same icon.  I could cast them though to have all 3 on me.  It appears that this "fix" uses the icon picture to determine if the spell is running and cancels it.  The end result is that my char can only have 1 buff of each icon type on at once.  I don't know if this was intentional, but it has nerfed the Wizard classes ability to protect themselves.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#ffff33>I'm not sure i follow this.</FONT> <img src="/smilies/9d71f0541cff0a302a0309c5079e8dee.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>10) Improper UI feedback.  When playing a char who dies in 1 or 2 hits regularly, it's important to know when you're really getting hit.  The current system plays the "crunchy hit" sound whether the char is really getting hit or not.  This is just a pure bug, but it affects classes, like Wizards, who usually run when they hear the "hit" sound.  The resist sound should work consistently too, although it's less important since there is text on the screen that indicates "resisted". </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#ffff33>"but it affects classes, like Wizards, who usually run when they hear the "hit" sound" That about sums that up, LOL. I agree, need some better audio cue's hehe.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I hope this helps the devs rebalance the game to be more equitable to all paying players.</DIV> <P>Message Edited by Graw Meadowstone on <SPAN class=date_text>04-03-2005</SPAN> <SPAN class=time_text>01:51 PM</SPAN></P> <P>Message Edited by Graw Meadowstone on <SPAN class=date_text>04-03-2005</SPAN> <SPAN class=time_text>01:55 PM</SPAN><BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE><BR> <DIV>Just tryin to help! I don't want it to get easier in places where it should be easier, Wizard is a challenging class and i love to play it. I would truly be saddened if some of these issues were addressed in such a way as to undermine what has been accomplished, i would imagine by design, our ability to be uber. We are uber. <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>/bow!</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Edit: Mmmm 44 Wiz - Neriak - holla</DIV> <P>Message Edited by Kilferf 'Uhn on <SPAN class=date_text>04-04-2005</SPAN> <SPAN class=time_text>11:23 AM</SPAN></P><p>Message Edited by Kilferf 'Uhn on <span class=date_text>04-04-2005</span> <span class=time_text>11:44 AM</span>

[Graw Meadowsto]

<DIV>Let me clarify myself and respond to a few of the points brought up here:</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Nacoa has suggested that the wizard is not a soloing class.  This is counter to the game manuals and the Prima Guides which indicate it is a great soloing class.  Up until a few weeks ago, I didn't have much problem soloing with the right strategy.  It seems that resists and interrupts have become way too common and now the chars stun/roots have become gray or in one case unusable beyond creatures > level 34.  Perhaps there is simply a dead-spot in the spell lines between 29-34 and the char will be back up to snuff once I receive spells like Immoliation and Ring of Cold as Kilferf Uhn has suggested.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>My second point is that I'm not seeing that it's a small-grouping class either as I mentioned in my concerns.  The char does very well in a group, however, that has at least one tank to take all the damage and keep aggro off.  Resists are still quite frequent however making the Wizard less useful even in this scenario.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Nacoa also suggested that the zoom level is adjustable.  Of course it is, and as I explained, it's zoomed all the way out.  The fact that even when zoomed all the way out, you cannot see creatures that will aggro on you is a deficiency in the UI IMO.  These creatures can always see the full 360 around to find players to aggro on, but we cannot see the full aggro radius around us.  Obviously in a tight space, like a cave, this isn't that important but in fields of creatures where things can sneak up on you this is important particularly to classes that will die if they start a fight and a creature sneaks up or swoops down in the middle of it (EL is notorious for this).  Look at other games like CoH or DAOC for an idea of what the zoom level should be like.  I'm suggesting that this be increased, not that it doesn't exist.  Sorry if that wasn't clear.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Regarding the misleading sound bug: While it is true that that red numbers sometimes appear, it is confusing to hear the sounds and then have to ensure through extra analysis of the screen that you're actually being hit.  This is simply a bug IMO and should be addressed.  I should also point out that when you're trying to find spells to click on, and dodge, and root, and stun, and back up, and watch your health, and watch your power, and ensure you don't run into something else that you can't see due to limited zoom- asking the player to try to watch between all the other numbers and events for something red flying by is unacceptable.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Kilnerf Uhn suggests that I may be doing something wrong.  I might be and you're tips are really helpful, but I would like to reiterate that I haven't really had any problems soloing up until late.  I'm really looking forward to getting those other spells you mentioned.  It just seemed strange that as my char got higher in level, he was unable to fight as effectively.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Regarding power consumption.  There was another issue I didn't mention before that is also unfair to caster classes.  I can sprint less distance now than I could at level 20.  I used to be able to sprint all the way from the Steppes Station to the front gate of TS.  Now I can only sprint about 75-80% of the way.  Each level, this distance changes a little up or down.  It appears that sprinting is actually based on a % of your power.  Why don't we get the rewards of more power by being able to sprint further.  It seems unfair that other classes get speed spells, horses, and armor where our primary defense (running away) isn't a factor of our increased power?  Sprinting should always be a function of the total amount of power.  One of the rewards of getting more power is that you can run longer.  Not really sure why the devs chose such a counter-player approach to sprinting.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Again, thank you for all of your comments- they're all very constructive.  I enjoy playing a wizard class and will continue despite the current (hopefully temporary) lulls in char performance.</DIV>

[Har]

<P>In response to point #3,</P> <P>When the developers say that the more skilled the player is, the more successful the player will be, they really do mean it.  I am a level 39 wizard and duo group mobs with conjurers, inquisitors, and warlocks all the time.  Try using HOs.  Rooting and burning is not the only technique available to our class.  We have useful spells.  Try using them.</P>

[Nacoa]

<div></div><blockquote><hr>Graw Meadowstone wrote: <div>Let me clarify myself and respond to a few of the points brought up here:</div> <div> </div> <div>Nacoa has suggested that the wizard is not a soloing class.</div> <hr></blockquote> And let me clarify my statement. I did not mean it's impossible to solo with a wizard. However it's a class that was not designed from the ground-up as a solo class. For example, pet classes and hybrid tank/healer classes in MMOs are usually designed as solo classes. If you are only playing the game to solo, then I feel a wizard will frustrate you because soloing is not the primary purpose of the class. There will always be other classes that do much better at soloing. If you sometimes solo and sometimes group, I think you'll have a much happier experience. <blockquote><hr>The fact that even when zoomed all the way out, you cannot see creatures that will aggro on you is a deficiency in the UI IMO.<hr></blockquote> I use the turn keys on the keyboard to occasionally spin around during the battle, if I'm concerned that something might sneak up behind me. This works very nicely with the auto-facing feature since that keeps you facing the mob while you look around. You could also try zooming all the way out and then rotating the camera to look straight down at your character. Not exactly what you're looking for, but it would solve your problem. <blockquote><hr>Regarding the misleading sound bug: While it is true that that red numbers sometimes appear, it is confusing to hear the sounds and then have to ensure through extra analysis of the screen that you're actually being hit. This is simply a bug IMO and should be addressed. I should also point out that when you're trying to find spells to click on, and dodge, and root, and stun, and back up, and watch your health, and watch your power, and ensure you don't run into something else that you can't see due to limited zoom- asking the player to try to watch between all the other numbers and events for something red flying by is unacceptable.<hr></blockquote> Heh. Try dual-boxing. <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> It's what I started to do when I got tired of pick-up groups and difficulty soloing. At first it is extremely difficult to keep track of everything, but with a little practice it can work very well. After that, looking for the red numbers in addition to everything else is very easy. My point being you'd be suprised at everything you can keep track of at once. Also the red numbers are going to be a far more reliable indicator of damage than the sound anyway. The numbers happen instantly but the sounds happen with the animation which may be delayed. So by only paying attention to the sound you could easily be a hit behind of the actual situation. To help keep track of everything, you might look at getting a new UI skin at somewhere like <a href="http://www.eq2interface.com/" target="_blank">EQ2 Interface</a>. You might find a skin or skin components that make it easier for you to keep track of what's going on (I've replaced my character, group and target displays for that very reason).