Interview with : 

Ozymandias

Greetings and salutations!
Aye, I know who you are--indeed, your reputation precedes you. I like the idea of an interview section, and I appreciate the opportunity to participate. I shall try not to ramble excessively.


Name, level, server, message board name :
Favorit message board :

Ozymandias of Solclaim, formerly of Frostfell, occasionally of Leafcull and Wintersebb. Never gotten a character past 40, mostly because I spend more time helping friends and Vassals than I do hunting. After a 6 month break to work on melee characters (most of which have been subsequently rerolled at least once), I am presently playing my mages again. I am -Ozymandias- on the AC Vault boards (which is the only message board I really spend any time on), where I am the Moderator assigned to the Magic Shop.

How long have you been playing AC?

Since 11/03/99, made my first mage the next day.

How much do/did you play every week?

I still play almost every day, but usually only for 3-4 hours, as opposed to the 8+ hours when I first started.


What template of mage do you currently Play?

My main mage is Mana Con spec, am also working on a War/Mana Con spec. Since my first experience with an all-trained mage, every one I've made has had Mana Con spec.

Is AC your first MMORPG? in not what others have you played and did you play a mage?

I played Dark Sun Online and Meridian 59 before AC, I played both mages and mage/melee hybrids in those games. I've been playing pen and paper RPG's for 20 years, and have always played mages, even in superhero type games--I'm a mage junkie.

What was your first mage character? Do you still play it?

My first mage was a template Sorcerer, I managed to cripple him pretty seriously as he gained skill credits. By the time I'd gotten him to level 20 (still 6 levels from being able to train Life, due to foolish/uninformed expenditure of skill credits), I thought I had a pretty good idea of how to build a better mage. So I made an all-trained mage, which quickly demonstrated the advantages of high Mana Conversion. I don't play that Sorcerer anymore, partly because I changed servers.

How do you play AC? Are you in it to power-level, Dungeon Dwelling, adventuring, friends, etc.

These days I spend most of my ingame time helping friends, or just idly chatting, though I'm always up for quests or a bit of exploring. In the days before SplitPea/SpiltBeans/ArcaneKnowledge, when being a mage meant you had to actually learn about the magic system, I spent a great deal of time teaching magic (at no charge, of course) to any who asked--even tried to start up a magic school of sorts with another mage on Frostfell.

What gear do you normally hunt in?

After what seemed like forever in a matty coat and celdon leggings, I have finally upgraded to Greater Shadow Amuli.

What do you feel was the best thing to happen to mages in the game?

The addition of four more spell tabs, without a doubt--though @fillcomps could be a close second.

What do you think is the worst thing that affects mages?

Hollows! Seriously, I think the worst thing for mages is the game's dependence on magic, and the ability/perceived necessity to make hybrid characters--melees and archers train multiple schools of magic, mages invest xp in weapon skills, as a result, there are very few true mages. Cracking the mystery of personal tapers was also a serious bad thing, IMO, as being a mage has lost most of its meaning.

Are mages overpowered?

Mages overpowered? I'd say no, in that everyone is a mage to some extent now. Magic itself is overpowered. Yes, magic should be this powerful mystical thing, but it should be a balanced alternative to a career as a melee or archer, not a superior one. Part of this problem is that Magic Defense is underpowered, and not very well implemented. Though from what I've read thus far, I do have high hopes for the magic system in AC2.

What are your thoughts on Drain Health I?

Despite how often I rely on this spell, even I think it's overpowered. I've seen a number of ideas on how to fix this, both good and bad--the best one I've seen is to tie its effectiveness to a mage's skill level--e.g., having it return relatively the same amount of health it does now, but cause less damage at lower skill levels.

What template do you advocate for a starting mages?

Based on the concept of "play this one for a while til you see what you like/what your playstyle is, then make one that fits you better," I usually recommend something very basic, like all-trained. My thinking on that choice is this--you get an idea of what the various schools are capable of, and a good opportunity to learn basic hunting and mana management tactics. Thus, when you create your long-tem mage, you have a good idea of what you want, as opposed to what others think you should do. I've just seen too many people who have created 'extreme' template characters as their first mage, and have no idea how to play them.

What do you feel turbine needs to do with mages, if anything?

Interesting question. Most of what I'd like to see involves new spells (and probably new tech)--true area effect spells, damage over time spells, creating a short-duration weapon from magical energy, turn to stone, that sort of thing (yes, I do realize my D&D years are showing here). I rather think that any such new spells added at this point should only be learnable by completing a quest, though. And I wouldn't turn down a new spell tab or two.

After the primary skills have been obtained what skill do you think a mage should take? Arcane, Healing, Lockpicking, or MeleeD?

They all have their potential benefits, but I'll give you my thinking on all four. Arcane Lore--great luxury skill, but it's still a luxury skill. I personally like this one a lot, as helps to reduce buff cycles, conserve mana, and can be used to prevent certain crucial buffs from expiring during combat (but keep in mind this is coming from a hardcore spec Mana Con advocate); number one on my secondary skills list. Healing--nice if you plan on ever going PK, but I think its usefulness in regenerating mana is easily surpassed by a good Stamina to Mana/Revitalize cycle. Lockpick--despite the changes to its usefulness over the course of the game, it's still great for getting to places you could not otherwise access, especially on quests; number two on my secondary skills list. Melee Defense--I couldn't recommend training this, really, unless there were significant changes in other areas of the game. Simply put, at low levels, you can't afford to put much xp into this skill, as that expenditure would hamper development of your magic skills. At high levels, when you can better afford to pump xp into it, your Life skill is high enough that you're already taking minimal damage. Add to that the fact that the new generation of melee characters are shying away from training this skill, and it seems pointless for a mage.

Care to reminisce? What has been the best patch or moment or epiphany that you have had in AC.

My favorite patches have been the ones that were the most visually striking--the first snowfall, the first spring, the turning of the waters to blood, seeing the shadow of Bael'Zharon on the horizon during storms; these have really added to the immersion factor. The one thing that really sticks in my mind was in the first month of the game--I'd just made my first four school mage, and spent a few hours in the mage shop, experimenting. The concept of having to research spells to learn them was the single biggest draw for me, and figuring out how the different components related to spell effects, and what spell words they made, hooked me forever.

Comments? Shot outs?

I'd just like to say I think the idea of mage interviews is a great one, and it was my pleasure to participate. Okay, I'll indulge in one lone shout out--Sarien Telfair of Frostfell, my first Patron (who also got me into this game in the first place), log onto the Vault one of these days and check your private messages!
And my thanks to Turbine for making the most addictive game in the history of gaming addictions.

~~Ozymandias