Will KMS change the magic formula?

I was wondering whether or not KMS is going to fix the biggest problem with Arch Mages. The KMS updates in January did do a lot to balance arch mages, but I still think that the formula needs to be fixed to fully balance the class.

I personally don't know if they will; they mentioned changing the formula in the interview, but their changing the base attacks of many skills makes it seem otherwise. If they do change it, I think they'll make int no longer add to MA, and int and MA will be multiplied. I think it will pretty much be the WA formula, just with MA instead. This makes all the items that add a pitiful amount of MA compared to the amount of WA added actually worth while for mages.

And since This thread would get boring fast if it were just for the MA formula, give general predictions for what and how classes will be changed.

The only thing that needs to be changed in the MA formula is so that luck isn't f'ucking useless as a stat.

Also, awesome bucc changes.

KMS should get the change in march, along with the next set of balance patches.

The only thing that needs to be changed in the MA formula is so that luck isn't f'ucking useless as a stat.

Also, awesome bucc changes.

Pretty much this, any changes reguarding INT could make Magical classes more screwed over then before, or Overpowered.

If the current Int/Magic formula is changed, it could also cause chaos with the Magician/Evan community across MS, and that is never a good thing, really Nexon is better off giving LUK an Magic attack boost as Takebacker mentioned, so there is an actual point in raising Luck above 4, or just boosting the base power/speed of spells again.

Isn't march supposed to be that "HOLY S'HIT HUGE PATCH OMG" or was that may?

Isn't march supposed to be that "HOLY S'HIT HUGE PATCH OMG" or was that may?

Their "forecast" ended by April so pretty much the rest of it will be pushed into next month. They get Dual Blade through the rest of this month and we'll probably see mixing of the new area and balance patches through the weeks of march. It should be a busy couple of weeks.

Whatever the new formula is, I want a few things:

-Int and MA not essentially the same thing
-Luk acually doing something, as others said. At least enough so that wearing the higher level equips is better than wearing a lvl 20 robe.
-MA keeping its worth as you level. At high levels, 1 WA is worth more for weapon classes, but for magic classes 1 MA becomes more worthless. If the current multiplier for Weapon Attack is WA/100, then maybe something like MA/200-300, since current weapons and equips give more MA than WA.

The magic damage formula requires an extra variable (basic spell attack) in comparison to the weapon attack formula which works on the weapon attack alone, so that'd have to be crowbarred in there somewhere as well, not to mention the disproportionate amount of Matk/INT mages have in comparison to attack classes (on average around 6 times more, INT is easier to come by off equips than other stats which results in higher average total stats).

LUK adding base Matk would be nice. Even if was something as tiny as 0.5 Matk it'd still shift the game in favour of those with the most stats on their equips rather than the ones with the most INT, especially in a version without Eweapons like kMS. Evidently it is easier to get more stats out of high level mage equips than it is common LUKless equips or low level mage equips and the stigma of adding LUK would be virtually entirely removed, so then both LUKless and LUK users would both be uh, "viable" options.

Just out of interest, if the above were to come true, my AM would get an 83 Matk bonus (167 LUK total, giving a clean total of 1268) along with anyone else who can equip an Estaff 5-8. Bear in mind this is just speculation, nothing more >_>

I'll be satisfied as long as they make Luk and M.Att do more than it is now. Mages are the only class where your secondary stat is completely optional, and you can be up there in terms of damage without putting a single point Luk. It's pathetic how shafted Luk and Low Luk mages are, compared to our Lukless counterparts. Even more so, when compared to weapon attack classes. For them, it's like HELL YEAH 100 ATT!! For mages, an increase of 200 M.Att pales in comparison.

But I guess all we can do now is speculate...who know what kind of changes Nexon will pull out of its ass...

The magic damage formula requires an extra variable (basic spell attack) in comparison to the weapon attack formula which works on the weapon attack alone, so that'd have to be crowbarred in there somewhere as well, not to mention the disproportionate amount of Matk/INT mages have in comparison to attack classes (on average around 6 times more, INT is easier to come by off equips than other stats which results in higher average total stats).

LUK adding base Matk would be nice. Even if was something as tiny as 0.5 Matk it'd still shift the game in favour of those with the most stats on their equips rather than the ones with the most INT, especially in a version without Eweapons like kMS. Evidently it is easier to get more stats out of high level mage equips than it is common LUKless equips or low level mage equips and the stigma of adding LUK would be virtually entirely removed, so then both LUKless and LUK users would both be uh, "viable" options.

Just out of interest, if the above were to come true, my AM would get an 83 Matk bonus (167 LUK total, giving a clean total of 1268) along with anyone else who can equip an Estaff 5-8. Bear in mind this is just speculation, nothing more >_>

Yuo don't really get any more INT off anything than you do thief clothes get luk. Mages do have more pure MA (discounting MA added by int which I'm hoping gets taken out) So I think if a new formula were to be modeled off WA formulas, MA would be divided by 200 or more.

The problem with the magic attack formula is that it's parabolic. Going from 1000 to 1200 MATK gives a huge boost to power, whereas going from 200 to 400 doesn't mean so much. For physical based classes, it's the other way around - the class is based on a straight line determined by your primary and secondary stat plus a multiplier.

I would love to see the following:

Instead of showing MATT in the stats screen, show instead the base damage for a magic attack. Then calculating damage is simple - base attack * basic attack. This is the way many other physical based classes work, so why not for magical?

my hope would be that they rework the formulas so that you have a magic attack range and your damage is your magic attack range multiplied by the spell's basic attack. if I understand correctly, exactly what fiel said.

Magic formula is not gonna change ever, unless Nexon puts 30sec cooldowns on ultimates and / or gives all classes an ultimate...

Just don't get exited people, Nexon is not gonna change any formula, since that will bring so much bugs to maple...

Maybe something for maplestory2... which noone is gonna play... :+)

Using Nexon logic, the reason must be: It's magic and doesn't work like attacking stuff with objects so lets make the damage formula different.

Gah, gonna have to wait and see what they do, if anything.

Magic formula is not gonna change ever, unless Nexon puts 30sec cooldowns on ultimates and / or gives all classes an ultimate...

Just don't get exited people, Nexon is not gonna change any formula, since that will bring so much bugs to maple...

Maybe something for maplestory2... which noone is gonna play... :+)

Most of your posts give me this feeling like "wow this guy has no idea what he's talking about. Ever."

1. Nexon ANNOUNCED they were changing the magic formula. They made a point to say specifically that at the same time that they announced the skill changes. They would not have done so if they skill changes were meant to compensate for the current crappy formula.
2. Ultimates will never get a cool down. It's too late for them to add something so brutal that it would essentially ruin the class. The only thing mages have going for them is their power to train. You've got to be pretty ignorant to believe that Nexon will either remove that or completely overshadow it by somehow giving all of the other classes that already have their own benefits something equivalent, which would also ruin mages.
3. Everyone will play Maple 2. You're not sensible if you honestly think people will go HUH A SEQUEL TO THE GAME WE'VE BEEN PLAYING FOR 5 YEARS WITH NEW AND INTERESTING FEATURES? I THINK I'LL PASS ON THAT.

Seriously, man.

1. Nexon ANNOUNCED they were changing the magic formula. They made a point to say specifically that at the same time that they announced the skill changes. They would not have done so if they skill changes were meant to compensate for the current crappy formula.

Nexon Korea stated that they were thinking of doing it, not that they announced that they would do it. If you know of some such announcement, I'd like to see it.

It's way too late for a major change to the magic damage formula. It would be nice to see the small int part get replaced by a quadratic luk component though, something like luk^2/2000*spell attack.

They could just increase the quadratic factor.

i.e. replace M*(M+1000) with M*(2M+1000) or something. (This is probably horribly unbalanced; I haven't tested it against actual values to calibrate it sensibly.)

It's way too late for a major change to the magic damage formula. It would be nice to see the small int part get replaced by a quadratic luk component though, something like luk^2/2000*spell attack.

I think they just need to be REALLY careful when changing it, like trying to keep the numbers somewhat the same. It requires extensive testing, but I think it can work out. They just need to do a few things:

1) try a few different formulas. See which ones work without changing the magic stats already on items.
2)keep luk as a lower factor in damage since it's still a second stat, but make it have an effect.

Once they find a system that works, then can change the OP/UP skills by adjusting base attacks. If the ultimates do too much damage, they can reduce the base attack. If bossing skills still do too little, they can increase the base attack

Time consuming? Yes, they would probably have to test out the best one in beta for a while. Worth it? I think so. A decent amount of people that quit are magicians because they have nothing to do end game, and an improved formula could probably bring a good amount back.

Something else I'd like the see is a damage range for magic attack. The only problem with this is all magic skills have built in mastery. They really can't give a general range of magic attack since until you have all your skills maxed they have different ranges. This could be fixed with a 'spell mastery,' but there's not really any room for it. I think mages are just gunna have to deal with sum of their MA.

lol every 3 or 4 luk = 1 MA. Not possible though.

at least higher luk = lesser exp loss when you die, but its useless when you are lvl 200 lol