Linear Warriors, Quadratic Wizards: Difference between revisions

** Averted in ''[[Final Fantasy Tactics]]'' where the wizard and summoner classes are most potent in the early and mid game, but fall off a bit in the late game as you start to pick up increasingly powerful characters, most of whom are warrior types. The long charge times of magic, especially summons, also limit their usefulness. But if you've got a mage with [[Game Breaker|Calculator skills]], it's played straight again.

*** To elaborate, most magic-using classes rely on fairly finite MP to cast spells, which can have charge times ranging from immediate to longer than the battle is likely to last. The calculator skillset, however, allows the character to access most of the spells she has learned from many of the magic classes, including some of the more powerful ones, and apply them to enemies instantly at any range without the expense of MP, provided said enemy meets the criteria of a player-generated mathematical "formula." This potentially allows mages to throw veritable nukes into enemy numbers or heal all their allies at once. It's somewhat limited by the calculator class's turtle speed and poor magic stat, but this is easily overcome by giving a black mage (a class with a very high magic stat and decent speed) calculator as a second class.

* In ''[[Kingdom of Loathing]]'', this applies less to magic users (Mysticality classes) and more to rogues (Moxie classes). Because the Moxie stat determines your character's chance of dodging regular attacks, thieves may be the weakest characters offensively, but with high enough moxie, enemies can only damage you when they land a critical hit (about 1 in 11 chance).

** Though it does apply to the other classes as well, in a "Linear Warriors, Quadratic Wizards, Half-Ass Thieves" manner. Mysticality classes are difficult to play at low level, with low hit points, lack of skill with weapons, and weak spells, but they dominate the high-level content, with massive damage and the ability to target elemental weaknesses. Muscle classes start off pretty decent and remain pretty decent all the way through. At high level, they don't do quite as much damage as Mysticality classes, but they're much more survivable due to massive HP and good defenses. Moxie classes are easy to play at low levels (because nobody can hit them), but are considered to be underpowered at high levels (though they still excel defensively, ranged weapons are weaker than melee weapons, and they have no high-damage attack skills or spells, so killing high-level monsters can take a while).

* ''[[E.Y.E.: Divine Cybermancy|EYE Divine Cybermancy]]'' averts this in a [[Mind Screw|special]] way in that Endurance is just as important as PSI-Force because while PSI-Force increases the potency of your powers and your resistance to others', Endurance increases lowers stamina drain used for sprinting, leaping, and most of all...your powers, and before claiming that this is played straight in a way because you can just be a sort of tanking wizard...other characters have access to Cybernetics that don't get stronger on PSI-Force to use, while each "class" DOES have their own specialty; balancing your stats properly is highly recommended since going for a ''[[Dump Stat]]'' can produce an overall weak character.

* [[Global Agenda]] has the Assault class, an absurd tank and a good destroyer, depending on build, but is nearly useless at low levels. The most sought-after teammate class (exceeding even the medic!) at higher levels.

 

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