Interview with : 

Emeraldwind

Name, level, server, message board name : My name is Emeraldwind (no real last name though I like Orion), I'm currently level 60 (almost 61), I play on Leafcull and I go by the moniker of Emeraldwind on all message boards relating to Asherson's Call.

Favorite message board : Of all time? It's a major toss up between Collegium Arcani (back when it wasn't JUST formula and "Where do I hunt my level so and so <insert mage type here>?" posts) and Dizz's Main Mage Forum.

How long have you been playing AC? Since October 1999.

How much do/did you play every week? In my on periods, I play 5 to 6 hours a day... during off periods, it's VERY random...

What template of mage do you currently Play? I have played only War/Mana C spec mages my entire AC existence (when it comes to mages, that is).

Is AC your first MMORPG? in not what others have you played and did you play a mage? I've played Ultima Online as the other commericials MMORPG and dabbled in EQ for 3 months (friend's account). I've also been playing MUDs since I first got on the internet, back in 1994 or so. I've played DragonRealms, Gemstone III, and a host of Telnet MUDs. In every game, I've played a mage, either on the side or as my primary character. In UO my primary character was at first a tailor and then a mace wielding bounty hunter... in Dragonrealms I was a Cleric and a War Mage (my cleric still exists) ... in EQ I played a Wizard... and in every other game I've used a mage type of class to play.

What was your first mage character? Do you still play it? Aisubeki Wabei was my very first AC mage character. When I created her in Beta for the 3 or 4 days I played, she was War, Mana C, and Arcane Spec'd. Focus and Self at 100 each. When I recreated her on Leafcull (which I found out was the same server I played in Beta! Neat huh?) she was just named Aisubeki, same skill set... got her to level 20 or so... but playing a mage back then was way too tedious... and I started to dabble in melee skills... and Aisubeki was deleted in favor of Kigaru, who subsequently went on to get deleted and remade as another incarnation... and whom I quit (I still have her) in favor of playing Emeraldwind and proving the War Mage template with Arcane Lore to nay sayers... heh.

How do you play AC? Are you in it to power-level, Dungeon Dwelling, adventuring, friends, etc. I've done everything. There are times when I LOVE pushing that little green triangle... I can't wait for it to pop up to let me push it again. There are times when I want to do nothing but explore the ins and outs of a dungeon (Floating City) and take pictures to remember everything. There are times when I want to do nothing but quest to get rare artifacts, even if I can't use them, and lore. And there are times when I log on and if no one I know is on, I just log right off and go do something else. ... but to put it bluntly, AC is an escape to go live in a world and do things I can't do normally and have fun!

What gear do you normally hunt in? In my early life, I wore the Emerald suit, which is dark green amuli. The Kabuton and solls got carried over to my new suit, which is my Exarch War Mage Armor, which I haven't taken off since I got it.

What do you feel was the best thing to happen to mages in the game? Bar none is the spell tabs... Everything else we got has been great but those spell tabs have bar none been nothing but a complete and utter help for all mages everywhere.

What do you think is the worst thing that affects mages? It's not so much a thing skill wise, just monster wise. Hollow minions (or monsters, since we have Olthoi now and we've had the Raiders) can be a huge hinderance to mages and quests... there are times I'd love to at least just go look at a quest dungeon but I can't because of the presence of those hollow freaks.

Are mages overpowered? I think mages have extreme power in the high end of the game. In the low end, it's a bit harder to be a mage and that makes up for the power that you have... in the high end... well, let's just say that mages should be powerful but should also be scared a lot of the time... and we aren't.

What are your thoughts on Drain Health I? It's saved my butt. Perhaps a range reduction again would be a GOOD thing... as in the thing has to be standing right next to you. Otherwise, it's benefits far outweigh it's negatives, to me... since it's one of the few ways I could really survive in a fight with 6 or 7 things.

What template do you advocate for a starting mages? An all trained mage or a Life spec. They are the easiest to play and the easiest to learn with. After some experience, I would tell them to try an Og, Battle-Mage, or, of course, War Mage, as those are the middle ground mages... takes some levels to get them to their full status but it's not as hellish as a Grandpa.

What do you feel turbine needs to do with mages, if anything? I'd love to see Life Mage Armor, Creature Mage Armor, or Item Mage Armor. And something that would rival the focus stone. We don't have a lot of goodies we can go get. They've tried to add things like the Staff of Clarity, Quiddity Orbs, but those only help a very SMALL segment of the population (War Mages if you take the steps I did with the template), but nothing can rival the focusing stone. I'd love to see some orbs with High Self buffs... or a medium focus and self buff instead of what the single stones give... or even an EXTREMELY high focus or self buff with a detriment to the opposite by a small amount... something to spice up what we hold in our hands. And also a change to how Item Magic works... give us a reason to want to spec the skill... to say "Maybe I should spec Item instead of Creature" ... just a few thoughts on how to make the mage class more versatile.

After the primary skills have been obtained what skill do you think a mage should take? Arcane, Healing, Lockpicking, or MeleeD? I think both Arcane and Lockpicking are more important than Healing or Melee Defense. It see it as this... Melee Defense will help you in quest situations where there are Hollows... that's about it. Don't spend lots of credits on something like that. Healing has the same basic use... for buffing. I mean, of course people will find uses for them outside of these situations but, for me, they have limited to no use for me. Arcane and Lockpicking, however, can be used anywhere, anytime.

Care to reminisce? What has been the best patch or moment or epiphany that you have had in AC. The best moment for me in AC was the day I logged in in Yanshi, turned around, and stared at the horizon for about 20 minutes... I had NEVER seen anything like it in my life... it was absolutely amazing to me. The best patch has got to be Child of Daralet and the one proceeding it... Bael'zharon was a big obsession for me... as I'm a lore fanatic (I collect books and scrolls... have a whole mule dedicated to it) and I love Empyrean lore... so getting to know the big guy was stomping around was a big ball of orgasm for me. And my epiphany? ... that AC has changed so much from what it used to be it's scary... I look back at pictures from long ago and... wow... remember when the Lugian Outpost outside of Qal was THE place to be? 45 - 50 people in a single place collecting loot and hunting... and, you know, it's only going to get better from here.

Comments? Shot outs? Shouting out to Dizz for, once again, hosting my journals and supporting me in what I did with them. And thanking everyone who's talked to me, encouraged me, and helped my gimp butt up to level 60. 70 is my newest goal so I can do the Queen's Quest... let's see if we can get me there. And I also want to thank those people who support Dizz and his site... I don't think any of us would be in the great place we are now if it wasn't for them.