BTW, I perused through your module changelog quickly, had some concerns/confusion if you're interested in hearing them -- but probably would be better suited for a feedback thread or PMs I imagine?
I'll send you a PM in a minute. In fact, the main purpose of making this small PvP module was to get feedback on the modifications and overall balance, so I'll gladly hear your opinions (or anyone else's for that matter).
What do you consider to be interesting mage tactics? I don't see how you could consider "Spam X spell until the boss randomly just instantly dies, which could be the first cast or the 40th" interesting mage tactics, no? So presumably you mean something besides random instant death effects.
Me:
Tchos:
Me:
Tchos:
Good day, sirrah, good day.
Oh, now we're parodying the opposition's arguments, are we? You're a fine piece of work, you are. How about you stop quoting lines from me when you can't seem to distinguish form from meaning?
Another heated debate in the NWN section and Tchos is at the centre of it again! I'm shocked! /sarcasm 
Just to release this thread's tension a little... regarding the whole Warrior VS Mage debate:
The reality:
The whole problem with user made modules is that enemy encounters next to the scripting can be some of the hardest parts to create. Understanding the time it takes to create a truly balanced but challenging game is what made me appreciate a game like Dark Souls all the more. The developers really have to make sure to account for your class, level and the route you choose to take and ensure that no matter what the game remains not just challenging but balanced too.
The problem I see with many NWN modules nowadays is that they are either too hard or too easy.
Instant death spells and disabling tactics are legit for mages (as legit as dev crit, I would say).
That way, the boss fights can still be a challenge and not a matter of spamming this or that until a save is failed and then it's over, but at the same time, bosses aren't immune to everything to the point where half the mage's arsenal is just a list of spells that do nothing.
Oh, now we're parodying the opposition's arguments, are we? You're a fine piece of work, you are. How about you stop quoting lines from me when you can't seem to distinguish form from meaning?
The problem I see with many NWN modules nowadays is that they are either too hard or too easy.
I wish it was parodying.
Doctor: I fear our patient just died.
Nurse: Nonsense, he's perfectly fine.
Doctor: Er...he's not breathing.
Nurse: So I saw, but he's not dead.
Doctor: And his heartbeat has stopped.
Nurse: That's true, but he's perfectly fine.
Doctor: And he has no brain activity.
Nurse: Yeah, yeah, so what?
Doctor: ...
Tell you what -- since you like these parodies so much, here's one that I think is a pretty accurate representation:
MagicalMaster: The combat in DA:O is terrible, stupid, and headache-inducing.
Tchos: I didn't think so. I loved it. It was fun, even for a non-optimal character.
MagicalMaster: IMPOSSIBLE! It is an objective fact that it's terrible! I demand that you agree!
Tchos: I'm not going to agree that something's terrible, stupid, and headache-inducing if it wasn't that way for me.
MagicalMaster: How dare you ignore force fields? That proves that I'm right!
Werelynx: Agree to disagree, guys!
MagicalMaster: This is an objective fact! There will be no disagreeing!
Tell you what -- since you like these parodies so much, here's one that I think is a pretty accurate representation:
Tchos: I'm not going to agree that something's terrible, stupid, and headache-inducing if it wasn't that way for me.
Ah, I was missing a part. Here it is, then:
MagicalMaster: Sign this paper testifying that the combat is terrible and broken, including the parts that you didn't actually do or experience yourself, and I will stop posting walls of text about it.
Tchos: I'm not testifying to things that I didn't experience. I will give you that if what you say about this particular thing is true, then I agree that's broken.
MagicalMaster: Not good enough! *posts more walls of text*
This is all about me enjoying the game.
Tchos: I'm not testifying to things that I didn't experience. I will give you that if what you say about this particular thing is true, then I agree that's broken.
And you've taken all this trouble to protest your astounding ignorance rather than take 5-10 minutes to verify what I've mentioned...why?
Why do I choose not to look for ways to stop enjoying a game I enjoy, and instead continue speaking to an astoundingly arrogant and obstinate individual? Well, the answer to the former should be obvious, but the latter is because you won't let anything go and just snipe around with snarky little comments if I don't.
What I wonder is why it's so important to you that I, personally, share your hatred of the game.
Why do I choose not to look for ways to stop enjoying a game I enjoy, and instead continue speaking to an astoundingly arrogant and obstinate individual?
What I wonder is why it's so important to you that I, personally, share your hatred of the game.
Good. Glad we agree now. Now you can let it rest.
I don't want to get into one more argument which will probably end up in a battle, as most arguments do. I just want to point out two fundamental problems we have here.
1) Terms like "balance problems" and "broken systems" really depend on perspective. There is no definition of "perfect balance", as everyone prefers a different balance. There is no a commonly accepted standard of what a good balance is, and as such "balance problems" out of context doesn't have much meaning. And in context, it is confusing, since everyone has a different context they argue from.
In other words, what one player may dislike about the balance, another may like, and vise versa. Talking about some objective problems doesn't make much sense.
2) Facts are cunning beasts. It is always possible to handpick some video illustrating one's point and say, "This proves I am right". Another person then may handpick another video, illustrating the opposite scenario. To make a linked video into a relevant argument, one must prove that this video shows regular scenario, not a, extreme deviation from the norm. For example, in our disagreement on the balance of warrior vs mage in NWN games, you can link a video of your Sorcerer slaughtering entire room of enemies with a couple of AOE spells. I then can link a video of me dying to a single melee warrior in arena in Mysteries of Westgate (although it is NWN2, similar balance notes apply), since he hits so hard, my Wizard fails all concentration checks and can't cast a single spell before dying in 5 seconds. Both are scenarios that occur in games, and both support our arguments. However, you say that the first scenario proves that mages in NWN are strong, while I say that the latter scenario occuring in my games makes me dislike the way mages are implemented in NWN. Both claims are reasonable, and it is a matter of taste of what is important for you. For me, the second scenario happening from time to time is too annoying for the first scenario also happening to redeem it.
Ultimately, all these arguments are reduced to what is important for the player, or, specifically, what they like/dislike about the game. I liked DAO combat way more than, pretty much, any other Bioware/Obsidian team-based combat (I liked Mass Effect 2/3 combat even more, but that is a different beast entirely), and if there were balance specifics I disliked, they were not significant enough for me to like the combat less. I played all major classes in DAO for my protagonist (mage healer, DPS mage, warrior-tank, rogue-archer, DW rogue), and I didn't notice any of them to be particularly harder or easier to play in any scenarios. While in NWN games some battles really made me wish I was a different class. Morag battle as Arcane Archer with Daelan in my group probably killed half cells in my body, while for a well built Wizard or Sorcerer it is a cakewalk. Oppositely, fighting Desther as Wizard/Sorcerer must be a huge pain, while my Fighter didn't have much trouble there.
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