I don't understand Mastery

It does raise minimum damage, just less so than DEX.

It's like this. If mastery is 60%, a certain amount of STR will add 60 minimum damage and 100 maximum damage. If mastery is 10%, the same amount of STR will add only 10 minimum damage and 100 maximum damage.
That amount of DEX will always add something like 25 minimum damage and 25 maximum damage.

And remember that these are only for swords. As soon as you equip a bow or gun, STR and DEX reverse roles.



Magic attack times itself.

Well, 60 is higher than 25 so it still explains the concern for mastery.

I understand much more now though, thanks a lot. If there's anything else to know, I'd like to hear it.

With the way the magic formula works, Magic Attack also adds a little bit to Mastery for every point. As you get more and more Magic attack, your mastery gets to be higher and higher causing a tighter damage range. This is why high-leveled Evan players that have 90% mastery have VERY tight damage ranges. The base mastery is 90%, and MATK only adds to that.

In a nutshell, for magicians:

INT:
Adds to MP regained per tick
Adds to MP per level
Adds a small, constant amount of damage per point
Base INT gives bonuses to Maple Hero
Includes all the benefits of MATK (because 1 INT also gives 1 MATK)

MATK:
Exponential for damage - each point in MATK is worth a little more in damage than the previous point
Adds a little bit to mastery per point

LUK plays no part in the magic damage formula.

Well that certainly explains why you're always exclaiming how pointless it currently is to go anything but lukless.