As a mage without ABS, once you hit the hero range unless EVERYTHING GOES COMPLETELY RIGHT I feel like I don't have much of a chance against a melee class. I'll say 20% or less for sure. To me, this is the inherent problem with mage classes, but perhaps it was meant for CF to be this way.

So I guess let's look at it from the perspective of the melee classes. I feel like at hero when there's a mage his entire set (aura, barrier, AND shield) that I have basically NO chance of killing him and I have to run. My chance of beating him are less than 10%.

Now... I guess if you've taken the time to gather your entire set then you have the right to be SUPER MAGE because you've put your work in. Unfortunately this sucks for people who have already gone through the tedium of finding these wands in the first place, and now they have to learn to "re-enjoy" the game by exploring and killing and find them AGAIN. That just ####ing sucks... end of discussion. Nobody wants to be FORCED to enjoy something they already liked.

On the other hand... the NON super mage is going to get his ass handed to him. Point blank period. He might find a aura or sleek and be able to go from HAVING NO CHANCE to MAYBE HAVING A CHANCE but it still tips below 50% until he can find an aura AND a sleek. I don't think it's fair that you put the survivability of a classon their ability to find wands.

Now... here's where I #### myself...
-Aura and/or Shield should be enough to go toe to toe with most, and since these locations are fairly easy to find this change is fine.

-Finding aura/shield is no different than a melee class finding a decent weapon or piece of armor to able to deal damage, so it balances out here.

-Now the SUPER MAGE with the barrier location has probably earned it, not only through exploring but being able to kill the mob that has it. This sucks for melee classes, but it just has to be accepted because most mage situations can be prepared for through preps (stone skin, protection, resist elements, mental, etc), or even getting ANOTHER mage to hook you up (quickning, shields, etc) unlesss of you're a rager, in which case the mage probably NEEDED all three, aura barrier AND shield, to hang with you anyway.

So basically what you have, in my opinion, is a fairly balanced system. Some people will be stronger than others, and some people will be complete beasts, but isn't that how it's always been?

Really the only problem I see with the system is the fact vet players have to relearn #### they've already invested days, weeks, months, and YEARS learning, only to have it thrown away at an immortals whim. That kind of sucks... but for the rest of the game it pretty much evens everything out. As much as I wanted to bitch and moan about it when I first saw what the changes were, after looking at it, I have to commend the imms. It's not a perfect system but it's getting better, at least the way I see it.

-I'd rather be the sheath to a sword than the bullets to a gun-