I play a 30th level magician on the Erollisi Marr server and up to 29th level I loved to play him...I could solo effectively when I wanted to and I could usually find a group that would want a magician to help them out. This all changed when I hit 29th level. The fact that I have failed in 12 attempts to create my earth elemental has caused my soloing efforts to become generally incredible failures. Water and air pets can't seem to taunt well enough to keep things off me so I can cast ans fire elementals don't have enough hp's to survive long enough for me to kill things. therefore I am, like most classes, forced to the tedious task of seeking out a group.

Now comes the group seeking part. Most groups will not take me because I am a magician. The response I get alot of the time is "sorry we are holding out for an enchanter/wizard" I didn't think that those two classes could be that much superior to my own class, and they aren't when it comes to soloing (although I have personally witnessed a 30th level enchanter kill 5 spectres at a time by herself) but really I didn't realize how non-group viable us magicians really are. lets compare the things that each class lends to a group.
I am basing my next examples on 30th level character, since that is a nice halfway point it seems in this game, and I know about it first hand.

MAGICIANS

Shock of spikes - 173 damage

Rain if Flame - 91 damage rain spell

Inferno Shield - 13 point damage shield

Summon spells - most items are substandard, the 4 that other people actually ask me for are - food, water, arrows, and coldstones

Invisibility - makes target invisible

Pets - they do damage and cast some decent spells of thier own

ENCHANTERS

Chaos Flux - 149 damage and stuns

Suffocate - 200 pt. DoT and lowers targets strength and agility

Tepid Deeds - slows targets attack speed

Feedback - 11 point damage shield

Enstill - roots target

Mesmerise - makes opponent stop

Rune II - absorbs damage

Augmentation - raises targets attack speed, agility, AC, and Str

Alacrtiy - raises targets attack speed by large margin

Clarity - raises targets mana regeneration rate

Uleen's animation - Pet, adds more damage during battle expecially since the enchanter can buff his pet very nicely

Ultravision - gives target night sight

Invisibility - makes target invisible

WIZARDS

Thunderstrike - 247 pt. damage spell and a stun

Inferno Shock - 240 PT. damage spell

Bonds of Force - AoE slow movement spell

Enstill - root spell

Energy Storm - 96 pt. rain and reduces stamina of target

Tishan's Clash - stun spell

Levitate - makes target walk above ground

Fay, Tox, and North portals - group teleportation spells

Evac North - group evacuation spell

Ok let's do the numbers now, magicians have basically 6 group useful spells, Wizards have 9, and Enchanters have 13. now some of the above may not be exactly right as I have never played an enchanter or wizard to 30th level, but I am sure that it is close.

In conclusion why would a group want a magician when there are so many wizards and enchnaters out there? If the group wants Direct damage, the wizards is FAR superior to the magicians, and if the group just wants to make the group more efficient then the enchanter is clearly the better candidate. You need to come up with some way to make us group viable, as it is we are the least played to 50th class in the game and I think that the main reason for that is the lack of being able to group.

Thank you for your time if you actually read this.

Dyce Steelslinger
Order of Ascension
Magician of the 30th circle
Erollisi Marr

This post talks about how groups always want a wizard over a magician.

So my question would be, who is right? Well despite the paradox of it all, they both are. The fact is that people tend to be more sensitive to things concerning their own class, so I'm sure they perceive that their class sucks and someone elses class rules.

My advice to everyone would be to play what you want to play, and quit worrying about what other class might be more powerful. Just ask them, your class is better than their class anyway.

The groups are there for you to join. How do I know this? Because everyone posts how they can't find a group because all the groups want someone of a different class than they are. The key in successful grouping is to start early. People get attached to people they know, because they don't want to die. I've seen many-a-druid powerlevel up to 50 only to find that they can't get a group for a dungeon, despite the fact that public opinion has them as the "most powerful class".