Will I be overwhelmed?

[LochnarITB]

Mage because the stereotype COOLNESS. Pure and simple. And I love raw unadultered power.
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As to the first part of that statement, I can only agree wholeheartedly. My little squishy guy sports a handlebar mustache and a comb-over covered by a white hoodie. He wears a beautiful tabard over robes that drag on the ground. He is the epitome of coolness, without a doubt. :rolleyes:

As to the latter, raw unadulterated power does not describe a WoW mage. I would be hard pressed to see any class that is less powerful. Hunters and warlocks are in parties even when soloing. Warriors can be pounded on much longer while dealing out their damage. Priests, shamans, paladins and druids can deal good damage as well as heal themselves to extend their life in battle which a mage can only do with potions and crowd lockdown while bandaging. Not only that, but it is also the slowest class to play. There is a lot of down time. One big or two medium battles and you have to pause to guzzle a water, and food if sufficiently damaged. At least they can summon their own water and food instead of having to pay good coin for it.

The above is just IMHO but it is my experience. Also don't take it as hate for the mage. He is my favorite little buddy as you can see from my character list. Your best bet is to take all, or at least 3-4, of the classes to the mid-teens or early twenties to start to get a feel for the style of play. Each one can be done in a few sessions of casual play (or 3 or 4 of them in one session if you're Bolty :P). The worst part of doing that is that you might find they are all fun to play and you will end up with the terrible addiction I am experiencing.

[edit] Darn commas, jumping all over over the place like that, stay put!