Aside from the looks, what are the diffrences in damage type and skills?

To be very brief, Sorceress is a nuker.  Magus is kind of like the Dwarven Engineer - area denial through deployables.

Sorceress is a ranged damage dealer, using her own spells to give her power (and potentially harm herself by overusing them).

The magus is a defensive ranged fighter, summoning stationary demons like turrets (and the engineer) to do damage.

Ballparking it there - VERY different characters.

Sorc = grossly overpowered class at the moment, only those who play sorc will tell you it isn't. Their direct damage, especially when critical can take out most classes in 2-4 nukes. Pure nuker that needs to be lowered a bit.

Magus, is susposed to be a defensive utility class like Engineer... but it sucks massively. Worst class I have ever played in an MMO to date. Still love the game, but omg, this class needs some serious work.

Originally posted by Chiram

Sorc = grossly overpowered class at the moment, only those who play sorc will tell you it isn't. Their direct damage, especially when critical can take out most classes in 2-4 nukes. Pure nuker that needs to be lowered a bit.

 

Magus, is susposed to be a defensive utility class like Engineer... but it sucks massively. Worst class I have ever played in an MMO to date. Still love the game, but omg, this class needs some serious work.

Greatest signature...EVER! I had to go pee I laughed so hard.

Sorc is a heavier nuker bc the magus relies on dps/help from pets...

The maguc would be decent if the pets were better but as it stands now the sorc blows the maguc away...i played both of these classes in CB and the sorc is one of the best dps classes in the game. sorc also gets a heal - a few snares - a knockback..they rock.

magus = a gimp eq1 magician without conjured items (pet toys!) imo...

Originally posted by Chiram

Sorc = grossly overpowered class at the moment, only those who play sorc will tell you it isn't. Their direct damage, especially when critical can take out most classes in 2-4 nukes. Pure nuker that needs to be lowered a bit.

 

Magus, is susposed to be a defensive utility class like Engineer... but it sucks massively. Worst class I have ever played in an MMO to date. Still love the game, but omg, this class needs some serious work.

Sorcs and Bright wizards are not overpowered.  They die in 2 seconds if you melee them, and they also blow themselves up if they constantly nuke, which kills them just as fast as it kills you.  You have to manage the class's power with its ability to self destruct.  It's a very unique and often frustrating class.  Don't cry about it because you got nuked for 1/3 your hp a few times.  Go smack them with a sword, they drop quick.

And yes, in terms of effective ability, engineer and magus are near worthless.  Sure, if the enemy comes to you and you've got time, you can DPS a bit, but its not worth the trouble.  Great defensive characters - unfortunately, the game has too much movement and capture points to constantly be throwing down turrets, etc.

It really helps to look at the classes via their factional pairings:

• Magus = Engineer
• Sorcerer = Bright Wizard

If you look at it this way, then you won't be in for any surprises. 

The sorcerer and bright wizard are very offensive nuker classes.  True glass cannons.  They're a very fast-paced, dynamic class to play, where you have to be constantly on your toes.  They're VERY easily killed, but they are also really good at putting out a lot of smackdown.

The magus/engineer combo are very defensive.  They really come into their own when they're in groups, and can make a huge difference as part of a well-organized team.  They're also awesome in many public quests because they can set up in the middle and just control everything happening around them. 

Many people absolutely swear by their engineers.  But those people really knew going into things what they were getting themselves into.  I think that many people playing a magus come in with the misconception from other games that magus = mage = nuker.  I know that happened to me, as my first character was a magus.  By the time I was level 6 I'd figured out that he wasn't anything like what I'd expected, and I started looking elsewhere.  But if you go in expecting him to be like an engineer, and you like that kind of play, you'll love the magus.

Originally posted by Elmoren

Originally posted by Chiram

Sorc = grossly overpowered class at the moment, only those who play sorc will tell you it isn't. Their direct damage, especially when critical can take out most classes in 2-4 nukes. Pure nuker that needs to be lowered a bit.

 

Magus, is susposed to be a defensive utility class like Engineer... but it sucks massively. Worst class I have ever played in an MMO to date. Still love the game, but omg, this class needs some serious work.

 

Sorcs and Bright wizards are not overpowered.  They die in 2 seconds if you melee them, and they also blow themselves up if they constantly nuke, which kills them just as fast as it kills you.  You have to manage the class's power with its ability to self destruct.  It's a very unique and often frustrating class.  Don't cry about it because you got nuked for 1/3 your hp a few times.  Go smack them with a sword, they drop quick.

And yes, in terms of effective ability, engineer and magus are near worthless.  Sure, if the enemy comes to you and you've got time, you can DPS a bit, but its not worth the trouble.  Great defensive characters - unfortunately, the game has too much movement and capture points to constantly be throwing down turrets, etc.

That's disappointing, Magus was going to be my 5th or 6th string alt, bah, so may characters appeal to me...

In rough order:

Chosen, Swordmaster (I really like to tank), Disciple, Shadow Warrior, Witch, Magus, Sorc

Originally posted by Elmoren

Originally posted by Chiram

Sorc = grossly overpowered class at the moment, only those who play sorc will tell you it isn't. Their direct damage, especially when critical can take out most classes in 2-4 nukes. Pure nuker that needs to be lowered a bit.

 

Magus, is susposed to be a defensive utility class like Engineer... but it sucks massively. Worst class I have ever played in an MMO to date. Still love the game, but omg, this class needs some serious work.

 

Sorcs and Bright wizards are not overpowered.  They die in 2 seconds if you melee them, and they also blow themselves up if they constantly nuke, which kills them just as fast as it kills you.  You have to manage the class's power with its ability to self destruct.  It's a very unique and often frustrating class.  Don't cry about it because you got nuked for 1/3 your hp a few times.  Go smack them with a sword, they drop quick.

And yes, in terms of effective ability, engineer and magus are near worthless.  Sure, if the enemy comes to you and you've got time, you can DPS a bit, but its not worth the trouble.  Great defensive characters - unfortunately, the game has too much movement and capture points to constantly be throwing down turrets, etc.

Played a sorc for quite a while, they are grossly OP. I am pretty much done with playing one until they fix the damage they do. It's WAY too powerful, a single sorc can out-do a healer wtih ease, especially 20+. If by self destruct you mean that little damage it does every now and again? you have to be kidding right?. If you release the power it doesn't matter, the self destruct mechanic makes them more powerful all in all.

Originally posted by Elmoren

Originally posted by Chiram

Sorc = grossly overpowered class at the moment, only those who play sorc will tell you it isn't. Their direct damage, especially when critical can take out most classes in 2-4 nukes. Pure nuker that needs to be lowered a bit.

 

Magus, is susposed to be a defensive utility class like Engineer... but it sucks massively. Worst class I have ever played in an MMO to date. Still love the game, but omg, this class needs some serious work.

 

Sorcs and Bright wizards are not overpowered.  They die in 2 seconds if you melee them, and they also blow themselves up if they constantly nuke, which kills them just as fast as it kills you.  You have to manage the class's power with its ability to self destruct.  It's a very unique and often frustrating class.  Don't cry about it because you got nuked for 1/3 your hp a few times.  Go smack them with a sword, they drop quick.

And yes, in terms of effective ability, engineer and magus are near worthless.  Sure, if the enemy comes to you and you've got time, you can DPS a bit, but its not worth the trouble.  Great defensive characters - unfortunately, the game has too much movement and capture points to constantly be throwing down turrets, etc.

Every Caster dies in two seconds.  I see some casters but by far I see more Melee than I do Casters

 I have play a lot of magus.  Basically they have stationary turrets.  And they do most of their damage in very close range.  They have good DoTs and a few area spells.  And they have more armor then the sorc.

So if you want to be an up close caster, go magus.  Long range very squishy, go sorc.  Funny looking, go Squig herder.

Sorc is better with area damage as well, but the magus has some.

whoa i thought this thread died hours ago...thanks for all the input.

my preferd class in any mmo is a glass cannon mage.  I like the sound of this "over use and nuke yourself" thing. 

Also im a firm believer that if your going to make a glass cannon class that they have to die very fast, but do much more damage than any other class in game, you know drop the enemy before they can touch you class. So hearing people complain that the sorc/bright does too much damage is, in my opinion, exactly how a glass cannon is suppose to damage.

Well its official im excited now....

Originally posted by crunchyblack

whoa i thought this thread died hours ago...thanks for all the input.

my preferd class in any mmo is a glass cannon mage.  I like the sound of this "over use and nuke yourself" thing. 

Also im a firm believer that if your going to make a glass cannon class that they have to die very fast, but do much more damage than any other class in game, you know drop the enemy before they can touch you class. So hearing people complain that the sorc/bright does too much damage is, in my opinion, exactly how a glass cannon is suppose to damage.

Well its official im excited now....

 

Having played the Bright Wizard to 13 in PW1, I think you're going to have a blast.  Literally.  :)  The backlash mechanic takes the classic Mage/Wizard archetype and just plain makes it edgier.  Especially when you also add in how fast your yellow bar regenerates -- down time is almost nonexistent. 

I quickly grew bored with the mage in WoW, and most variations of it in other games.  But the Bright Wizard and Sorcerer are just fun as hell to play.  You feel like you're always pushing the limits.  And the truth is, you really can do exactly that.  You're always making the decision as to how much risk you're willing to live with.  You can play it safe and never worry about backlash at all.  Or you can push for those big crits, and yes it can kill you.

 i had the title for blowing myself up until i died in the first 10 mins of having the level 3 spell that allowed me to keep my backdraft at 100 constantly hehe, once i had a pet healer on me 24/7 i was getting first place dmg in every scenario with a good 300% over everyone else (ild get 30k+ to their 10k)  but ya you can die without taking a hit easy, its all about the pew pew, the engineers and magus put out respectable dps but theyre a ton harder to kill then you are, they can go toe to toe with you and win if you backfire enough just because you take yourself out they have more health and thats how it goes =D  but lots of fun but very different play styles!

Frankly BW/Sorc need to be strong when left alone, because once I get a tank or melee dps on them they melt.  Most BWs versus my Marauder I see the first fireball and make the range decision.  If I can within if I'm within 65 yards, I can charge and tongue into a  snare and its over.  If I'm in the middle of a fight I extend to my side and hope they chase or change target.  Nobody is going to go 2v1 with a BW nuking on you.  Maybe a tank but dollars to donuts they'll extend the second add and run the BW down.

I still most people are confused with the magus, as I see a lot more engineers work around the turrets.  While turrets aren't going to solo you, if it's 1v1 and the turret starts chipping away on you the fight clock has already started.  Depending if the engie is play range on it, it can add up a pretty hefty dot damage.  In large scale combat you might as well not even look at it, with the random targeting IIRC.

Looking at Magus Abilities, it appears to be a late bloomer.  Coming up with a build favoring long distance nuking and pet trickery:  www.wardb.com/career.aspx I don't think it makes much sense to say whether or not classes are viable <10.  I would've quit playing my Witch Elf long ago, but the Kiss of Death and Prowl abilities really change the classes effectiveness, and that's only level 10.

THe damage you can dish out with a sorc or brite wizzy if you have someone healing  you is a bit crazy at times. but with nobody healing you..... you will kill YOURSELF faster than you will kill an opponent. i can vouch to that one.

Originally posted by Chiram

Sorc = grossly overpowered class at the moment, only those who play sorc will tell you it isn't. Their direct damage, especially when critical can take out most classes in 2-4 nukes. Pure nuker that needs to be lowered a bit.

 

Magus, is susposed to be a defensive utility class like Engineer... but it sucks massively. Worst class I have ever played in an MMO to date. Still love the game, but omg, this class needs some serious work.

im on a sorc right now, and ive gotta admit you nailed it on the head. those of us playing em will never admit they're overpowered.

with no other class have i died this many times in pve in any mmo, because i see this class built for players with a god complex and attempt to play accordingly, pulling one mob, nuking it, leaving it with a dot, then moving on to the next with the first still kicking. I try to do the same in rvr, and ive had my lil chat screen flooded with

you have been slain be [my name here]

at the same time, i did a lil jig in my seat when i critted a swordmaster a couple lvls above me, dropped half his hp in one blow, and killed him before he realised he wasnt about to get that easy rp, or whatever it's called. ive netted 30k damage in a scenario when i was lvl 5 or 6. and despite the fact that i tried it again later on and got another

you have bee slain be [my name here]

ive soloed elites higher lvl than me. ive also been pwned by order toons several lvls down, it all depends on what you land where and how much you pray when you chuck it. my only fear is when this class get's its mass overhaul, which im sure it will, this balance they've worked so hard to set up and not have us players tearing hair from out scalps will be torn down by accident.  

 the sorc as has been said is a suicidal glass cannon, the magus is an ae dot machine, you dont see alot of the magus true powers till after 20 and added on to with mastery but a magus specced for close range domination added in with a chosen useing the magus supporting auras and a marauder or 2 using monstronsity can ae down an entire flank of the order army and take little to no dmg due to survivability, sorcs can ae nuke but the more they do the faster they die and sorc are always prime targets for the orders hunter assassins, order ignores the magus until its too late and said magus has 10 dots on each of them that are going to drop them while the chosen and marauders ae as well, healers just cant keep everyone alive when you play like that hehe then you focus down the few that survived the carnage

edit: forgot to mention that in scenario play sorcerers never beat my monster spec marauder in dps or kills, but sometimes a well played magus does

about damn time a thread that dosent consist of bashing MMOs and comparing games who copyed who and all this wah wah baby bullcrap