>>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.

>Or, they're balanced to have it sometimes, and not have it sometimes.

Huh? If A/S/B are readily available to a character, they are going to use them in pretty much every fight they get into. The only fights I can think of where they wouldn't, would be surprise attacks from characters they cannot see coming.

I see it pretty black and white, too. You either have A/S/B or you don't. When you have it, you're superbly survivable, even under some seriously bad odds. Or you don't have it, and you pretty much don't stand a chance. I can't remember a recent fight I've been in with a/s/b and felt like I couldn't win, or at the very least, get away alive. Then I've been on the flip side of that coin, and felt, why even bother fighting this mage when I'm hitting them with an offense form that normally does DEMISH for regular hits, but its now doing mauls/decimates?

Do you think the current system is perfect or something? Did you design it and just don't want to admit it has its (serious) flaws?