12-21-2004, 07:35 PM
Responding to MongoJerryâs call for content - here it is. As Iâve noted, itâs a preliminary draft, so feel free to pick at things. Discussion is good, but please do it in the comment thread to avoid messing up the organization of this one.
Yes, this contains a lot of simple stuff, but Iâm writing for someone whoâs had only minimal experience with the game. Should I change this approach? Let me know.
As my highest-level mage is 47 right now, this will only cover levels up to 40. In the future, I intend on expanding this all the way up to 60 as I play my way there. However, just because my experience isnât comprehensive doesnât mean it isnât useful, and 40 is a nice point to start some writing. After all, not everyone currently playing made a level-capped mage in beta.
All right, friends. Letâs talk mages.
Before we get to anything else, letâs hear Blizzardâs thoughts on the subject.
As typically helpful as the usual Blizzard blurb. And by typically, I mean not at all.
In WoW, the mage has a number of roles, which may not necessarily coincide as situations change. Massive bursts of damage are certainly part of the mageâs repertoire, but they arenât all of it - and a strategy based solely on inflicting mass damage isnât going to serve you well at all times. As for their comments about âresistanceâ and keeping âhordesâ at bayâ¦well, letâs just say thatâs typical Blizzard honesty, too. Resistance is a problem mostly limited to mages, because of the elemental affinities of mage skills, and âhordesâ can be kept at bay, so long as theyâre hordes of two.
This guide will encompass a number of topics, but Iâm going to try to make it as complete as possible. Briefly, it will be structured like so:
a) Making your mage
b) Skills
c) The Early Game - Levels 1-10, but not including the assignment of the first talent.
d) Talents and Talent Builds
e) The Early Midgame â Levels 11-21.
f) The Late Midgame - Levels 22-40.
g) The Lategame - Levels 41-60.
h) After the Level Cap - High-level content after level 60.
i) Glossary of terms
Sections g and h will be written once I have experience of those points in the game. Until then, this is a guide from levels 1-40 only. This is a PvE guide. Nothing against PvP, but Iâm not writing for that.
Sections will be posted as follow-ups to this message.
Yes, this contains a lot of simple stuff, but Iâm writing for someone whoâs had only minimal experience with the game. Should I change this approach? Let me know.
As my highest-level mage is 47 right now, this will only cover levels up to 40. In the future, I intend on expanding this all the way up to 60 as I play my way there. However, just because my experience isnât comprehensive doesnât mean it isnât useful, and 40 is a nice point to start some writing. After all, not everyone currently playing made a level-capped mage in beta.
All right, friends. Letâs talk mages.
Before we get to anything else, letâs hear Blizzardâs thoughts on the subject.
Quote:When seeking someone to introduce monsters to a world of pain, the Mage is a good choice. With their elemental and arcane attacks, it's a safe bet something they can do won't be resisted by your chosen enemy. Damage is the name of the Mage game, and they do it well. Their arsenal includes some powerful crowd control spells, also, giving them the ability to keep hordes at bay in fact, these abilities can be used on the most common creatures in the game, thus making them extremely valuable for this purpose.
As typically helpful as the usual Blizzard blurb. And by typically, I mean not at all.
In WoW, the mage has a number of roles, which may not necessarily coincide as situations change. Massive bursts of damage are certainly part of the mageâs repertoire, but they arenât all of it - and a strategy based solely on inflicting mass damage isnât going to serve you well at all times. As for their comments about âresistanceâ and keeping âhordesâ at bayâ¦well, letâs just say thatâs typical Blizzard honesty, too. Resistance is a problem mostly limited to mages, because of the elemental affinities of mage skills, and âhordesâ can be kept at bay, so long as theyâre hordes of two.
This guide will encompass a number of topics, but Iâm going to try to make it as complete as possible. Briefly, it will be structured like so:
a) Making your mage
b) Skills
c) The Early Game - Levels 1-10, but not including the assignment of the first talent.
d) Talents and Talent Builds
e) The Early Midgame â Levels 11-21.
f) The Late Midgame - Levels 22-40.
g) The Lategame - Levels 41-60.
h) After the Level Cap - High-level content after level 60.
i) Glossary of terms
Sections g and h will be written once I have experience of those points in the game. Until then, this is a guide from levels 1-40 only. This is a PvE guide. Nothing against PvP, but Iâm not writing for that.
Sections will be posted as follow-ups to this message.