01-11-2005, 01:22 AM
Hey, thanks for the comprehensive reply, I think I got some things clarified now. ^_^ I'll just cut and paste the stuff that's relevant to this post so I don't clog it up....
QUOTE
"The reason that Fire's damage is still superior overall relates mostly to group play: in groups, your target should never be running towards you or really be anywhere other than stuck to the group's tank. The slow really isn't of any consequence there. Similarly, Ignite and Impact still work in group play, whereas even when Frostbite goes off, your groupmates are likely to break the ice before you can hit the target again to trigger Shatter. The other reasons focus mainly around casters and mobs with bows or thrown spears. Neither of these need to get closer than around thirty yards, again making the slow mostly useless."
Hmm, so as I see it fire shines in group play and because of casters, but Ice has more defensive safeguards (like Ice Block) and control elements. Am I right?
QUOTE
"The incorrect assumption you're making is that Pyroblast, Fireball, Frost Nova, Fireball or Frostbolt x4, Frost Nova, Frostbolt is somehow sufficient damage to kill a mob before it reaches you. You asked if it was part of a strategy to kill a mob before you run out of mana, which it is, but it isn't a way to kill them before they get close. Level 12 or so is the last level where you can reliably think about killing a mob before it touches you; after that, you're looking at maybe 50% to 60% of a mob's life in the opening barrage, up to 70% or so if you get a critical. The rest of the battle is conducted at melee range, and Fireblast-Cone won't be enough to end it. At that point, uninterruptible missiles is far preferable to "Fire-*whack* Fireb-*thunk* Fireba-*twack* Fireball!"
Hmm, but assuming a solo target, shouldn't you be able to get off a Frost Nova to freeze them so you can run away and repeat the process?
However, taking another tack and assuming we use Missiles, in that case, how is Fireball superior to missiles? Since Missiles is an uninterruptible channeling spell, once you fire a Frostbolt and the enemy is moving towards you slowly, shouldn't you get in tons of Missile hits?
QUOTE
"Suboptimal conditions are another reason to max IAM. In indoor areas, you'll often find yourself limited to an engagement range of 15-20 yards maximum. If one of your spells gets resisted, again, you'll need IAM. Pull two things and you'll start your second battle at melee range - again, IAM. You'll recall that I advised IAM to cover previous vulnerabilities, and that's an important factor to consider."
Yeah, I realize I was assuming perfect combat conditions, which rarely occur. I'll have to do more research I guess. ^_^
On a completely unrelated note, how do you adjust the board setting so you can read all replies to a message instead of having to click on each?