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Spell Caster Damage Dealers
Krimzen
Member Posts: 28
So I'm continuing my search for a good MMO and it has led me to DAOC.
I am looking to deal the most damage from spells as a caster class.
Logic tells me to go Albion Wizard, but it's my understanding that they only use fire magic.
I would like to know if only having manipulation over 1 element is going to affect certain parts of the game, such as soloing fire-based enemies.
I mean, WoW has Ice, Fire or Arcane. It seems like this class only has fire, but I am drawn to it because I feel like they are the highest damage dealers.
Any help is appreciated.
Comments
The Main casters all have a replica counterpart in the other realms.
Wizard, Runemaster, and Eldritch all are basically the same type of casters with slightly diff variations on each.
The Albion wizard is a master of DD and a good choice if you want high damage.
Your observation is skewed however on the wizard being fire focused.
Wizards can do all three elements exceptionally well.
That being said there is a catch, they can do them ALL but only 1 of the 3 at a time.
Example, if you go 50 fire wizard, your earth and ice lines will be very weak in comparison. Just like a mage on wow, you spec in a certain line, and the other 2 lines suffer for it.
Albion Wizard :
50 Fire : Extreme DD bolt damage, Heavy Nuke distant capabilities. Ranged Caster.
50 Earth : Extreme damage over time and AOEDoT capabilities. Access to powerful range bolt. Better buffs and damage shields.
50 Ice : Master of the PBAOE damage. EXTREME DAMAGE. with a catch, the enemy has to be almost touching you for it to work. Ice is the highest damage output of the 3. However ice is very situational and dangerous to use. In PvE if you PBAOE to hard with multiple mobs this = death. In RvR run in at the right time and spam your nukes, watch 20 mids hit the floor all at the same time. Like I said situational.
These are the 3 aspects of a Albion Wizard. You can use all 3 lines, but you must focus on only 1 to be effective.
Like Ben Parker says, "with great power comes great responsibility". This quote applies also to Albion Wizards. You may be the most powerful nukers of Albion, but that comes with a price.
Here we go again with the play classic server crap...
Why don't you tell him why he should play classic?
Why don't you tell him the diff. between the classic the normal and the pvp server types?
Why don't you try to help him make an educated logical decision on which server might best fit his play style....?
Instead of "some advice... play classic."
PvP Servers = For the hardcore pvp player, cut throat murderers play here for the thrill of the kill. 100% free for all kill fest for those who so choose this path. It uses the Normal ruleset.
Normal Server = DAoC at 100% includes all expansions and all the games intended content. Offers all DAoC has to offer and houses most of the DAoC loving vets who play the game as it were ment to be played. Also has a more complex PvP/RvR experience because not all are created equal on the normal servers, you REALLY have to learn to play DAoC and have a willingness to be humbled at times to play normal clusters. Much of the expansions content such as artifact armor and weapons as well as master levels and champions levels (content for those who reach level 50) play a big factor in the game. Normal servers also allow the /level command for instant level 20 characters should you choose to use it for those who have attained a level 50 characters on their account, reducing your "grind" time on any new character you create by almost half. It also allows buffs to be worn from any distance as long as the buffer is in the same zone.
Classic Server = Half of DAoC, it cuts out all content from Trials of Atlantis and beyond. This means no master level abilities, no access to artifact armor or weapons. This server relies on crafters to complete your final suits of armor and weapons, and tho this makes crafting worth while, it limits your skills in combat to make you pretty much the same as everyone else. Buffs have a limited range and if you get to far away from your buffer you will lose your buffs, limiting the distance you can travel from your group. The /level command is not allowed on classic server so every character you make once you reach 50, will have to be levels from 1-50 all over again, increasing your level/grind time. The classic server does offer a more even playing field when it comes to PvP however, because odds are your not ever going to be any better geared than anyone else out there. This server type was created for those who did not want to raid in ToA. Since the raiding in ToA has all but been abolished in the normal clusters, some ponder why the classic servers even exist at all. Except for the buff diff. where you can't get to far from the buffer, there really is no diff in the 2 server types game play. It uses the classic ruleset.
Co-OP Server = For players who do not want ANY type of pvp or rvr period, you can only duel 1 v 1 on this server, also every realm can interact with each other and there are no barriers restricting movement. You can go anywhere in the world no matter what realm you hail from. It uses the Normal ruleset.
Now he can make an educated decision based on the facts given on differences between the 4 server types. He might have not known about the Co-OP and want to try it. Instead of "heres some advice... play classic".
I think the lack of a "/level 20" command and the more constrained buffbots make the classic servers better for a new player.
I also think being forced to figure out ToA in order to be competitive in RvR would be pretty daunting for a new player. The game has a pretty steep learning curve as it is, even without adding that in.
Maybe once you have the game figured out and can skip the first 20 levels like everyone else a regular server might be worth a look. But I would never point a new player there, personally.
I'm also not sure what you mean by classic servers "cut all content from ToA on." I remember running around in the catacombs content the last time I played. Haven't gotten the latest expansion, but I assume it's also on classic servers.
I don't want to write this, and you don't want to read it. But now it's too late for both of us.
Classic Servers have all the expansions EXCEPT Trials of Atlantis. This means the original Dark Age of Camelot, Shrouded Isles, Foundations, Darkness Rising, Catacombs, and Labyrinth of the Minotaur are all playable on the classic servers. All that is missing is Trials of Atlantis.
To the OP:
All casters have 3 different specialization lines that you can choose to specialize in. As stated above Wizards have 3 different elements that they wield, each with their own uses.
Go take a look at www.classesofcamelot.com
That site should provide you with some good info on the various abilities of just about any class you want to know about as well as the spells and all the various options such as weapons, armor and so on.
No required quests! And if I decide I want to be an assassin-cartographer-dancer-pastry chef who lives only to stalk and kill interior decorators, then that's who I want to be, even if it takes me four years to max all the skills and everyone else thinks I'm freaking nuts. -Madimorga-
To the original poster, better reroll to hybernia or midgard unless you like the never ending nerf bat hitting your toons.
If your gonna bash someone u need to have your facts straight. and you sir have failed. classic server is all EXCEPT ToA. Crafting is important on classic, but most templates require items from CATACOMBS which, u know, came out after ToA. /lvl 20 does not cut lvling in half, hell it only cuts it by 1/4 max. either way it is very simple to get to 50. (with the whole bonus xp on classic zones and such.) buffs are not just range limited, but group limited as well (except for AoE buffs which work the same on normal and classic servers) this cuts out the entire buffbot situation that was plaguing normal servers. not everyone is basicly the same on classic, you can still make very good templates to cap out your stats making you as effective as your character can be, but you cut out all the /use abilities from artifacts which does level the playing field to a degree.
Honestly there is a reason classic servers were made, and that was BECAUSE no one liked ToA. People left in huge numbers because of ToA. Classic servers salvaged some people back into the game and ultimately saved the game (about 1/3 to 1/2 the pop is on classic servers.) classic servers since their beginning till this day have the most users playing at the same time. (i recently noticed their was another clustering of servers, but still classic usually has more players) And ya it is alot easier for new players to get into and enjoy RvR on classic b/c of the absence of ToA.
on a side note i had 10 lvl 50's on alb (played on alb/merlin for 4-5 years) after quitting and then coming back i started on classic servers and was much happier. If i felt the need to return (which im gettin close to that point) i would go play my mid/gareth and probably never touch my merlin chars again.
Protip: If someone does NOT list at least one positive and one negative about the game they are critiquing, its best to ignore the post.
To each their own I guess. I just do not feel that peoples rant over ToA is viable anymore as it in no way hinders the game anymore, unless you are just lazy and do not play the game. All arti's, ML's and so forth do not require raids anymore. I feel as most of the lazy people landed on classic to make it "easier" for them to play. If being the same as everyone else and being even is what you want, it's cool play classic. I thought PvP was about being the best at what you do, being more skilled and powerful than your opponent.... guess I was wrong in PvP's concept.
I occurred to maybe I should actually try to answer the OP, having played all of the bolt casters at least a bit.
I assume that what the OP is looking for is a caster that nukes the heck out of stuff from a distance, ala a Mage in WoW or a Wizard in EQ/ EQ II. In that case you will want to play one of the three bolt casting classes.
Hibernia: Eldritch.
Midgard: Runemaster
Albion: Wizard
All three are perfectly competent damage dealers. However if you want the highest possible DPS at range, a fire specced wizzy is the way to go. In that one specline they get two bolts (very high damage abilities that have very good range) and a specialized shorter range nuke. You basic cast pattern on most foes will be to open up with two bolts, and then spam your specialized shorter range nuke. On paper, it's the highest possible DPS available to a caster (at least at range... you can do better with point blank abilities).
Most classes have to give up having a specialized nuke to get a specialized bolt (i.e., you can have the best bolt, or the best nuke, but not both). A fire wizard gets the best bolt and the best nuke in one line. Of course the tradeoff is an almost complet lack of utility. Also, in practice many players tend to stock up on fire resist gear becuase the pure DPS potential of a fire wizzy is feared. So having all of your DPS tied up in one damage type can sometimes be a downside.
Runemasters have slightly lower max DPS than the other two, but very good utility abilities that more than make up for it.
Oddly my personal favorite is a Void specced Edritch. It lacks either the raw DPS of a fire wizzy or the untility of a Runemaster. However, the graphics on those shadow bolts are hella cool
I don't want to write this, and you don't want to read it. But now it's too late for both of us.
The main thing would be do you want to
1) PvE
2) RvR
3) Both
Most of the high dps casters are not the best solo PvE casters. I don't think to many totally solo wizards regardless of spec are going to outfarm a solo Sight spec necromancer (as an example).
Then again for PvE I don't think there is a caster in the game that can out PvE a same Realm Rank Archer.
With a bot and a pbae spec... ya
The disclaimer I made about things changing is because... RvR groups used to take utility casters which usually meant they had near sight (as a good example). For an Eld that meant being light spec instead of void spec. However, its my understanding that there were items introduced to the game that can remove near sight. Previously on the classic cluster on a healer with 40 spec in their main heal line could do this... or you had to have the Purge ability.
Anyway I could spew out more examples but your intended play style is really going to come in as a major factor to the answer you want.
Oh and to the person that mentioned Heretics... if they didn't adjust them.. yes Rejuv spec heretic is um well LOL ouch. Or can be.
I will say one last thing... If you play Alb or Hib and go into the BG's.. I hope they fixed the keep gates and the pet issue. BA BD's can be a brutal thing for a cloth caster at least in the BG's.
i think the OP might just not realize there are more classes and can be more to a caster. if all you have played is some of the asian games, WoW and some others you might think all a 'caster' can do is nuke the heck out of stuff.
i suggest looking at all the classes.
just in the hibernia realm:"
you could be a eldritch, where a void spec can nuke the hell out of things for some really insane damage..or try other spec's where you can do some great debuffing, mez'ing, aoe's etc.
you could be a mentalist, where you can charm a mob to fight with you while you nuke stuff. also very strong dot's and power regen buffs.
you could be an animist where you can still nuke stuff but can spawn a field of mushrooms to work for you.
you could be a bainshee where you nuke everything thats near you.
you could be an enchanter who..well i always hated enchanters but they play with a minion.