Gale Force Changes

[falmear]

One of the reasons the mage is getting a backwards dash is to keep the different classes feeling different. It takes a bit more skill to wield well but it's a lot of fun to use the new gale force and will certainly be useful in certain PvE situations. It also makes chasing interesting and does make sorcerers a bit more formidable in PvP.

On a related note I died a couple times during testing from neglecting to notice I was cursed as I tried to pummel his shielded mage with aim shot... and paid the ultimate price. Shame.

Dashing backwards has limited uses in PVE. It makes more sense to dash forward, and then have the wind effect/damage. Dashing backwards means the wind effect goes off and then you move backwards. Also in some maps you are fighting in close proximity to ice and if you dash backwards into ice you are frozen. I suggest you play Crystal Caverns or Oltagar Keep and see how useful dashing backwards is. You are going to be reluctant to use wind in these situations. In PVP dashing in any direction will be formidable, if you dash foward you can turn to run away and then dash. Turn into a fight to dash backwards seems like suicide.

[wawawa64]

Dashing backwards has limited uses in PVE. It makes more sense to dash forward, and then have the wind effect/damage. Dashing backwards means the wind effect goes off and then you move backwards. Also in some maps you are fighting in close proximity to ice and if you dash backwards into ice you are frozen. I suggest you play Crystal Caverns or Oltagar Keep and see how useful dashing backwards is. You are going to be reluctant to use wind in these situations. In PVP dashing in any direction will be formidable, if you dash foward you can turn to run away and then dash. Turn into a fight to dash backwards seems like suicide.

IMO, dashing in any direction has limited uses in PVE, not just for mage, but also for warrior and rogue too. Skysmash dashing for warriors mean you can be the first to engage in battle, but after that, it's pretty useless to dash because mobs don't run away and you are usually fighting at melee range. For rogue, shadow pierce dashing is only somewhat useful for dagger build. If you are a bow/trap rogue, it's not very useful.

As for mage, it depends on your build as well; if you like get to close and use staff and shield, dashing forward is useful, but if you like to use gun and attack at a distance, dashing backward seems more useful. For instance, you can launch a fireball to knockdown, run in to launch timeshift, then follow by gale force to knockdown again and dash backward to get away and launch another fireball.