#0 - April 14, 2010, 11:01 p.m.
Q u o t e:
We are planning to remove spells that don't have a clear purpose. Amplify Magic, Dampen Magic, Fire Ward, and Frost Ward are being removed from the game, and we may remove more.
(Quoted from the Cataclysm class preview thread for Mages)
Uhhh.... what!?
This simple statement really rubs me the wrong way and I would like to hear what the logic is behind the decision in addition to sharing the reasons that the statement bothers me. Let me start out by explaining what makes, and always has made, playing a Mage fun, for me. Then, I will go into why I feel that you should try to avoid taking things away from a character (or character class) and, finally, I will touch on why I feel that the statement "spells that don't have a clear purpose" doesn't appear to accurately explain your intent. Hopefully, this will allow you to understand my concern and provide some insight.
First, my favorite thing about playing a mage is having the large, colorful, pallet of spells and abilities to do with as I please. For example, blinking at the end of a long fall to ensure safety after an intentionally quick drop, using sheep to interrupt spell casting when bursting down an opponent (immediately followed by an instant cast damage spell of course), using fire ward to increase survivability in a dungeon where fire is constantly an obstacle (and alleviate some stress from healers), using wards and dampen magic to trick an unobservant opponent into thinking you are defenseless (no visible bubble), using amplify magic to help a healer keep a player up in a fight that doesn't involve magic (or alternates enough that you can safely remove it and add it again), using ice block while your elemental and/or mirror images are out so you can attack while you are out of harms way are some of the things I like to do. The options available are abundant and the potential for creativity is plentiful.
Moving forward, the decision to take something away from a character or character class should never be taken lightly or for reasons as unimportant as "doesn't have a clear purpose". Doing so changes the way the class or character plays, changing the dynamics of the game (I understand this is a goal in Cataclysm development but hear me out). What is certainly most important to be aware of, is that you are removing tools that players already have to deal with situations that they might not otherwise have the tools to deal with. Unless you are deliberately removing those tools to balance the game, the better alternative is to find a way to adjust them or a different way to implement them to make their use more viable (if that actually is your qualm). Taking something away should always be a last resort and with the intent of bringing balance to the system. I would like to add that just because you don't have visibility or understanding as to what the purpose of something is, doesn't necessarily mean that it doesn't have one.
Finally, I would like to explain why I feel that "spells that don't have a clear purpose" doesn't appear to accurately explain your intent. I have stated my reasoning for thinking that the statement "We are planning to remove spells that don't have a clear purpose" is a bad decision and faith, in the ability of a multibillion dollar company with some of the world's most skilled employees to make well thought out decisions about their product, is something I can honestly say that I have plenty of. It is for this reason that I think your actual intent is either to remove spells that will no longer have a purpose (In Cataclysm, the rebalance in hit point allotment, potentially affecting the need for the spells mentioned) or to do some house cleaning (to free up development time and/or space on action bars) and the message simply wasn’t communicated in a way that conveys your actual intent. Either way, I still feel that the better route would be to revamp, not remove.
Please don’t take away our colorful pallet and thank you for taking the time to read my post.
Sincerely,
Kelby
(Demetri, Kharn - Kil'Jaeden)
