while I probably more agree than disagree with the premise of the post, I disagree with many of the points you used in your post to get to that premise.

the last one, stopping spellcasting.

mace specs have cranial.

axe specs have pincer.


all specs can choose the drive-lag legecy (although relying on this for perma lag, I hear, is a BIG mistake)


anyway, the main reason I agree with your main premise, is the whole a/b/s thing.


I really dislike it. for a number of reasons, I'll outline two of them.

one, either a mage class is balanced without a/b/s, then because a/b/s is so much of an insane boost to dam redux, any mage class balanced without it is overpowered with it. Or...a mage class is balanced for a/b/s. Then, by the same token, they are way way underpowered without it.

if the first case is true, I believe a/b/s is far too prevalent, and should be more limited. if the second case is true, I believe a/b/s is far too limited, and should be easier to find.


a second reason, is that I don't buy that the whole argument the imms have given in the past for the existance of abs is the optimal solution.

one thing I've heard often in the past,was that there should be some sort of benefit to those people who explore, who actually read room descs, and can pick out details. so a/b/s is also so that area creators can feel like people are looking at their work, which isn't a bad idea.

neither the "benefit for exploration" or "benefit for actually looking at the author's work" are bad ideas.


what is a bad idea, is a benefit that only effects mages (and trap/poison thieves to some extend), and has the pwer/availability so messed up (in my opinion).


I think a better solution, would be to have secret items that can be eaten, or worn, or invoked, or quaffed, or whatever, that would give a timed, tangible benefit to one or more skills/spells or class of skills/spells.

the coding basis for this is actually already there, kinda.


imagine, a wearable amulet of living fire that gives invokers/ap's stronger fire spells that lives and dies quickly, so doesn't last forever

a rune a warrior can attach to his shoulders that makes flurry/drum more likely to hit 8/5 hits that drains of power over uses or time.

a special book that exists in both this plane and the negative material plane that can sometimes make people get poisoned when a necro using this book casts crimson scourge on them, but use destroys it's connection between planes over time.


an amulet that can store communes for 10 hours (think the WOT terangreals that could store the power...called wells). the pally/shaman/healer prays up to 5 communes into the amulet. Then, if in the net 10 hours he is worldbound he can invoke the amulet and get Lilo output from the amulet (last in, last out, is lilo).

some gnomish inventor has created magical/mechanical gloves that increase finger strength for a fraction of a second, but only works a few times before breaking. Allows disarm protection 2 times, or allows an assassin a boosted chance that strangle will work 5 times.


the options are endless. and, I don't see a problem with moving these around like a/b/s does when they need to change positions when things get too well known.

and, this gives warriors/ranger/assassins/shaman/etc a reason to explore too. instead of it just 95% being a mage thing to fine a/b/s now.


the current a/b/s system is also I believe the main reason why mages are more often considered overpowered, because of the reason above, and also indirectly.

because the a/b/s system is the only really major way the game rewards game knowledge and exploration, the veterancs, when they want to play a pk badass, nearly always pick mages, because they know that a/b/s offers such a HUGE advantage.

why not share the exploration benefit love a bit? if every class can benefit from exploration like mages can now, then veterans will have more class options to choose from when they want to use their years of exploration knowledge to create a badass.