You are mage, and proud of it. You've hunted mobs, using your skills to ease your way through the first levels. All the sudden, you realize it's not easy anymore. What are you doing wrong? You have all the latest equipments and spells for your level, but you just can't solo as effectivley as you could before, so you join a party. Then you realize that you've just opened a whole other can of worms. And those worms are out to get you.

Here's a scenario for you: you are in your leveling party, ready for battle. The battle starts, and what do you do? Naturally, you pull out your sword or staff and start bashing. Suddenly that `very tough'; monster begins killing off your teammates. One falls, and then another, to its special attacks. Your leader tells you to run, but suddenly that monster is after you, even though you barely landed a hit. Why? You are a caster. And you made that monster mad.

For a white mage: what went wrong? You attacked with your main weapon, and you therefore entered combat mode. This goes for black and red mages, too: do not enter combat mode until you run out of MP, and even after that, it is better to rest up and start casting again. Back to the white mage... What should you do then? Get within the maximum range of your spells, and wait. No one needs to be healed right after they enter the battle. Countless times have I seen white mages do this, and everytime I think the same thing: he's gunna die. White mages, keep an eye on the HP of others, because you are there to help others. Help yourself, but only when needed, and help others, again, only when needed. Every time that you cast a spell, the monster will look at you, gradually considering more and more whether or not you are an asset that your party needs. If you gain enough of this `hate,' that monster is going to attack you, and chances are, it will not stop. Next, use appropriate spells only when needed. If you want to cast barstonera, wait until you confirm the fact that the monster you are about to fight is indeed a stone-element creature. Similarly, only use all bar spells when needed, because they don't last long, and they cost precious MP. Also, when you have to cast curative magic, use more spells that are not as hard on your mana unless it is completely necessary to cast a more powerful spell. The reason is, that if your curative magic skill is high enough, your regular cure spell is going to be almost as effective as your cure II spell, so why spend all that extra MP to do basically the same thing? The only time that you want to use that more powerful spell is if and when you really need that extra 15 HP recovered. Also, when you are standing, waiting for one of your party members needs, take a look around and make sure that there are no monsters around which might choose your party for its next target.

Red mages, heed the same warnings as white mages in terms of healing. You are probably one of the best support additions that a party can have, due to the fact that you can heal and such, but you can also use attack magic in a pinch. Make sure that you are well versed in your attack magic, because that knowledge is going to save your party more than you think. You can blind an enemy, lower their defense by casting dia, and you can cause direct damage by using your elemental spells. A redmage is best thought of as a lower-level white mage with black magic for backup. Don't cast your black magic unless completely necessary, because it is not as effective as a real black mage's magic. That, of course, doesn't mean you shouldn't use it though. Remember, it's for emergencies, or when you're soloing. Otherwise, you are effectively a white mage. When you do attack, make sure to remember the element of the monster you fight (see the black mage section).

Black mages, you have to have the most intimate knowledge of your magic. You have to account for elements, as well as how much `hate' a particular spell will cause toward you. You are the only mage class that is made specifically to cause major damage through your spells. Most importantly, you have to remember the elements of the monster. Each monster that is associated with an element has a sweet spot; that is, when you cast a particular element on the creature, it will do about 1.5 times more damage than normal. Rarely, this sweet spot might be intensified, doing up to twice the damage that is normal. When you find this disadvantage, exploit it. You will want to `nuke' the creature, that is, repeat the spell over and over again, hitting the creature for more and more damage. This is where black mages really shine. Furthermore, you can also cause magic breaks by combining your spells with the skills of the melee attackers, or `tanks'. When this happens, you'll know, because the monster you're fighting will be blasted off the face of Vana D'iel. Red mages, take note, you can do this too, of course, but it won't be quite as effective. Also, make sure to inflict status effects first before doing anything else. This can make or break a battle. Blind them if they are melee attackers, silence them if they are casters, lower their defense, do whatever you have to do.

Here's another scenario: you are in your party, and your leader calls to pull your first mob of the day. You find and target it, readying your first spell. Your tanks immidiately pull out their weapons, but you don't. The first thing you cast is the spell blind, for the target is a physical attacker. It swings at and misses its provoker, because of what you just did to it. You then cast a dia spell to break its defense, and then start casting fire spells, because your enemy happens to be a water-type. It falls, you having dealt the most damage. You gain experience, and go on to easily do the same to the next.

Or, this could happen, for you white mages: attacking begins. You stand calmly away from the battle, scanning the area for any other threats. You spot one, and call it out to the party. They move, pulling the monster with them. You just saved someone's life, and you know it. Suddenly, you see one of your party member's HP turn red. You spring into action, using macroed spells to quickly get him back on his feet from near-death. He thanks you, as they finish off the monster. That person was one of your attackers. If he had died, you could've died yourself. A message to white mages, you are the most important addition to any party. Know that.

Mages, choose your parties wisely, and allow them to do things they would never be able to do without you, and in turn, they will take you places as well. You may think that it's hard to be a mage, and it's not worth the trouble, but it is. Just think of it this way: the melee classes depend on you, but you also depend on them. Don't change jobs if you don't like it, because it will get better, and the world is in need of good mages anyways.

As always, if you have any questions, you can contact me, the_briarpatch, through email at the_briarpatch@adelphia.net, or you can reach me through AIM, my name being `iBriar', or you can contact me on MSN Messenger; my address is the_briarpatch@hotmail.com. I am now accepting donations through PayPal, so if you feel that I've helped, feel free to send me an email and I'll get back to you with details. A poor student does need money to fuel his gaming, you know. :-)