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Silver Sky Magician -> RE: Let's Face It... (4/10/2011 3:36:09)
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@Vitodawn
Bounty hunters can be blocked, even when you are smoked. You just have a lower chance of blocking. And you do not have to use ALL your spells even if you are a caster mage; it is quite common for mages to use just three of your six skills listed: malfunction, reroute and plasma bolt.
With the weapon approach, assuming you somehow get blocked every time you use your primary weapon/robot (which is highly improbable, even if you are facing a varium bounty hunter who has smoked you and has SA), you can just use malf-gun-auxillary-plasma bolt-gun.
If you opt not to use the plasma bolt in between, for example because you happen to be using a sword, you can and probably will have to make up for the cooldown by healing or using a defensive skill. Of course, the attack sequence will most likely be malf-defense matrix/technician (though technician is not commonly used)-gun-auxillary-malf-heal(heal and malf are interchangeable)-gun-auxillary. You won't need to use your primary weapon unless you are using malfunction and thus any blocks will have a negligible effect.
@Lectrix
Non-varium mages, bounty hunters and mercs are actually about equal. I think it is quite evident that non-varium mages are about equal to non-varium bounty hunters, and I suspect that the mages are actually stronger because their main attacks are unblockable and are generally stronger (deadly aim, higher support = more aux damage, plasma bolt). Furthermore, non-varium bounty hunters have a further disadvantage when fighting mercs: hybrid armour. I would actually say that the non-varium bounty hunter is the true weakest one in this game, a problem underappreciated because of the prevalence of their varium counterparts.
Some may argue that massacre is much more powerful than any equivalent skill a tech mage has, but it can be easily countered with defense matrix. Moreover smokescreen can be nerfed by malfunction, and 5 focus bounty hunters, which are much deadlier than strength bounty hunters, are now endangered due to the change in the effects of focus. Of course, a critical massacre would defeat just about anyone...but the odds of that occuring is extremely low.
Non-varium mercs may seem superior to non-varium mages, however mages, unlike mercs, are capable of consistent high-damage attacks due to their malfunction, and more so since the focus effect for all attacks has been removed. Non-varium tech mercs are virtually non-existent and those that do exist have sufficiently low tech to be countered by malfunction. The greatest danger posed by these mercs is their wild card: bunker buster.
Its defense ignoring and high critical ratio make it, according to Xendran, the most powerful skill. It would be wise to set up a shield or make sure you heal just before you think the opponent will rage. A rage bunker buster critical is what makes mercs able to defeat varium players; its unpredictability is overwhelming. Assimilation might be able to counter this, but more importantly make sure you have enough HP to avoid being killed at once, and finish the opponent off. (The opponent should be on his knees when he uses his trump card).
This is possible as your malfunction will nerf the opponent's bunker buster considerably, and make him delay its use. In the meantime the mage can do as much damage as possible, while the merc's attacks will be considerably weaker, especially since the focus effect is now removed. A caster merc (bunker buster + artillery strike) is generally weak and can be easily countered through a high-level heal.
Support mercs are capable of only two strong attacks, and only one after their artillery strike. The damage of a non-varium mage's plasma bolt will easily match that of a non-varium support merc's artillery strike since the mages have the assistance of malfunction. The battle will not be an overwhelming loss for the mage in this case, but a tense battle characterized by skill in anticipating rage and knowing when to heal, when to put up a shield and when to use assimilation (which is especially useful against support mercs). The win can go either way and will be greatly influenced by luck.
The same goes for non-varium strength mercs. Such mercs will have to use stength boost and will have low defenses, more so due to the recent update. It is more likely that the mages, with more support, will start first, and will be able to take out about half of their opponent's health before the merc gets a chance to attack. The stun+zerk combo will be deadly, but not sufficient to defeat the mage, which should have foreseen this and set up a shield. The battle will again come down to a tense finish, where a single block, deflection or critical will be enough to determine the winner.
I think that it should be brought to greater awareness that not only can strength mercs stun you, you can stun them, using overload. It need not be a high-level one, just a skill that can delay the danger and potentially turn the tables.
In conclusion mages are not easy prey; they are just as powerful as mercs, and are able to play on an equal level as them. This conclusion is, I feel, equally valid when applied to varium mages, as their potential is illuminated by outstanding players within their class, who, as mentioned in an earlier post, have both a high win ratio and a capability of achieving the 1 vs 1 championship, not just once, but multiple times.
Of course, this observation is limited to 1 vs 1 battles, but I would like to point out that the win ratio of any 2 vs 2 player, merc or mage, is similarly low due to the unpredictability of partner pairing.
I also feel, Lectrix, that 'balance' in the EpicDuel context has little to do with the difficulty of coming up with a good build. 'Fairness' and 'Equality' are distinctly different concepts. I think that your definition of 'balance' is closer to 'equality', in which case balance is impossible due to differing skills between the classes, varium and the luck factor. Different classes have different defining characteristcs: mercs are straightforward fighters, while mages are more strategic and fluid. The problem with many is that they are playing the tech mages as they would a mercenary or bounty hunter, which would be ineffective.
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