34 réponses à ce sujet

[berelinde]

I've been getting ridiculous amounts of enjoyment trapping a pack of enemies in an upgraded Static Cage, plopping an upgraded Fire Mine in the middle, and watching the 5-digit damage figures flash across the screen. Total cheese, but still satisfying.

[wepeel_]

I generally agree that BioWare tried a little too hard to deviate from the mage norm with DAI. The lightning bolt spell seems like a primary example, having convoluted, crowd-depending mechanics that end up doing everything but what you would generally expect a lightning bolt to do (completely mess up the **** of whatever it strikes). This leads to weird RP effects like getting hit by the butt-end of a 2H weapon is more likely to take you out of commission than getting struck by lightning (not to mention more damaging than getting slammed with the business end of said weapon).

 

Something I've done at times is removing the class restriction on weapons and equipping my mage with a high-damage 2H weapon, removing their ranged autoattacks but boosting ability damage several times. If used with some discipline (easily abused of course) I've found it can turn mages into more of what they "should" be. Instead of whipping around a staff like a little wand and tossing out multiple weak attacks you can limit yourself to a few spells per encounter - but when you do cast something, it's guaranteed to burn out the room.

 

I might be traditional-minded or too fond of 2nd edition D&D, but that's how I like to think of mages, at least: not running around like acrobats doing small hits; but standing at a distance, evaluating the battlefield, letting the warriors do most of the footwork, concentrating and then casting one or two spells that win the battle.

 

Disclaimer: Am also well aware that you don't need to do much in the way of optimization (let alone remove weapon restrictions) to beat the game, obviously this is all about getting a class to feel the way you want it to feel.

[SpaceV3gan]

Well, min/max alone can make the game boring easy at any difficult level, I wonder what can be achieve with mods...


My advice for those struggling with mages (or any other class) is first and foremost to invest heavily in Crafting: acquiring high-end schematics (black emporium has many, you don't even need to farm for them anymore), high-end crafting materials (which can be acquired at any point after you reach Skyhold), investing in Crit Chance as well as Crit Damage, hunt for high-end Accessories and upgrade, use and abuse of Potions, Tonics and Grenades.

If you don't want to go Support, then invest in high damage abilities such as Fire Mine, Immolate, Winter's Grasp, Static Cage, Energy Barrage among others. Any specialization and pretty much any build will work, as long as you have mastered Crafting.

[PapaCharlie9]

If you don't want to go Support, then invest in high damage abilities such as Fire Mine, Immolate, Winter's Grasp, Static Cage, Energy Barrage among others. Any specialization and pretty much any build will work, as long as you have mastered Crafting.

Static Cage has to be removed from the list as of Patch 10, but you can add Rift Mage Stonefist and even Veilstrike with AoE damage toggle.

Agree about crafting. In fact, an interesting mage IQ PT would be to craft the hell out of the IQ's gear, but don't craft anything except grenades for companions. They only get looted or purchased non-unique gear. That ought to boost the mage's DPS standing, if only relatively speaking.

[SpaceV3gan]

Static Cage has to be removed from the list as of Patch 10, but you can add Rift Mage Stonefist and even Veilstrike with AoE damage toggle.

I refrained from including Specialization abilities since then I would be favoring this or that specific Specialization, while they all work just as fine. Even a non-specialized Mage will do fine. Crafting is what dictates power in this game, builds are a matter of personal preference (unless one is soloing or doing something odd).

I would personally choose Rift Mage, for me it fits the lore better and it has the easiest and best spell combos. Still, some people may convince me that a Necromancer or a Knight Enchanter are better for some other reason. At the end of the day, they will all rolfstomp the game at any difficult level.

Also, yeah, I forgot that detail about Static Cage... Well, if anything, it still is a decent companion mage ability.

[Beerfish]

I won't go into the details and builds but I felt they were under powered as well.  I had far more problems with most big battles in the game my 1st game playing as a mage as opposed to my 2nd game playing as an archer.

[Bigdawg13]

Static Cage has to be removed from the list as of Patch 10, but you can add Rift Mage Stonefist and even Veilstrike with AoE damage toggle.

Agree about crafting. In fact, an interesting mage IQ PT would be to craft the hell out of the IQ's gear, but don't craft anything except grenades for companions. They only get looted or purchased non-unique gear. That ought to boost the mage's DPS standing, if only relatively speaking.

 

I've been "away" for a while.  What happened to static cage?

[Wulfram]

Go Fire. Good damage, and low mana costs.

I particularly like dropping the new Trespasser upgraded firemine(s) in the middle of a group of enemies.

[PapaCharlie9]

I've been "away" for a while.  What happened to static cage?

I believe it was nerfed for Patch 10. Admittedly, not everyone agreed:

http://forum.bioware...1#entry19639888

It seemed to do intrinsic damage with Lightning Cage before patch 10. After the patch, the intrinsic damage was replaced by paralyzation.

In any case, I don't think it's in the same class as Fire Mine or Energy Barrage for intrinsic/direct damage. If you cast it on a target that doesn't try to leave the cage, and then do no additional damage to that target, it does nothing.

[SpaceV3gan]

I won't go into the details and builds but I felt they were under powered as well.  I had far more problems with most big battles in the game my 1st game playing as a mage as opposed to my 2nd game playing as an archer.

Rogues are crazy overpowered in this game, and 'big battles' are they specialty. Dragons and bosses shouldn't last more than a few seconds for a min/maxed Rogue.

That said, Mages can still do well, as Ottffsee and others have shown us.

 

Go Fire. Good damage, and low mana costs.

I particularly like dropping the new Trespasser upgraded firemine(s) in the middle of a group of enemies.

Flaming Array is awesome, and combined with the Ring of Doubt and high Crit Damage, it is overkill.