More than buffing mages(wizzes), Bowling Bash should be nerfed.
It deals 500% ATK in one hit (1000% if you position correctly I think), costs 22SP and has a very short cast time and delay allowing it to be spammed. On the other hand, us wizzes have AoEs with a lenghty cast time and cast delay (5s when not in strings) that will more often than not leave some survivors (SG freeze, MS missing) making us take even longer to kill a mob. Also remember you gotta prep before you cast your AoE by casting your wall of choice and maybe quagging the floor.
This would balance itself if SP regen items weren't so easy to obtain since knights are 1 int brutes with a pitiful SP pool, but WoE pots enabled them to break their SP limitation and allowed them to stomp over every other class since the server opened.
Also don't forget they have the highest HP pool in the game and access to a peco while us wizzes are the squishiest class and... tbh our only saving grace is that we have a little bit of utility in our kit in the form of walls and stone curse.
Maybe if that skill gets nerfed the Knight:Leecher meta will change towards real parties. The only moments I get to play wiz is during guild parties and WoE. Quite sad .
Wow. I disagree with this post so much I was compelled to post on the forums. That...rarely ever -_- happens.
The damage from bowling bash is fine. I've played this game since 2004 and it's always been a strong skill limited only by its SP consumption. Let's be honest though, a single knight in woe doesn't do enough damage even with bowling bash to stand there soloing classes like it's dynasty warriors. That literally does *not* happen, please don't make it sound like it does simply because you're unhappy with your class. The reality is knights are strong in groups. Where I will agree with you is that WoE pots enabled the knight: leech meta. I say enable because you're free to level on any other class however you see fit. You're not forced to play a knight. I've leveled my 1hand battle crusader to 99 with holy cross, a ton of knights, a crit sin, a HC crusader( 2h Spear ), a SW wizard and priest. I still do duo parties with my friends that enjoy them. Ultimately you can play whatever you want, however you want to...you just have to come to terms with the fact that you won't be as efficient as some other classes. The exp disparity is nowhere near as bad as TKMs or biochems bombing their way to victory in Thor's Volcano pre-renewal. As an LK / Paladin player I had to come to terms with the fact that I could not pull TKM / Chem exp. I also couldn't MvP like them or monks. Regardless of efficiency I play what's fun for me, and it's probably why i'm still having a blast on this game after a decade.
The fact that wizards are currently in a bad place is a separate matter entirely, and I agree with you there as well. A wizard's damage isn't the problem at the moment ( in pvp ). Their durability is lacking as well as reliable cc in pvp/woe. This is in addition to long cast times for high level abilities. My characters are geared fairly well, and a wiz with a +9/10 EBW combo can almost kill my knight in 1 SG ( assuming i'm not potting ). Their damage is huge, but their HP pool is so low that they die to everything that looks at them wrong. If wizards had better mitigation / more hp / reliable cc / faster cast times the class would be a little more viable in this unlimited potion meta. Mind you those were in no particular order just an observation from an avid pvp/woe enthusiast.
If you want to talk about busted i'd like to point you in the direction of the nearest monk or trap hunter. Somehow unlimited mobility( snap ), extreme mitigation ( mental strength ), the ability to cc your enemies ( looking at you decrease agi, freeze, and sleep) in a variety of ways, sight out hidden opponents / prevent them from hiding, and the ability to kill every class in the game in 1 hit all while maintaining enough VIT to resist stun is 100% fair lol. I just laugh and assume one of the devs really loved the monk / hunter classes. The hilarious part of this is that this statement is almost interchangeable between the two classes. The only real difference is a hunter being able to fire their G-Fists at you with arrow shower, and no MS.
The point of the above^ was not to cry OP, just to help people realize that there are plenty of borderline OP abilities / playstyles / classes in RO. There are also a few ways to combat them. You simply have to find them, and find what works for you. I carry 8 weapons, 5 armors, 2 garments, 3 clips, 3 headgears, and 4 accessories just to combat the aforementioned. It's a pain in the ass but it's doable. Thank god for battlemode.
TL;DR - Please rework the Wizard class to keep them relevant now and in the future. Don't nerf a class when it isn't actually the issue, woe pots are lame / broke the party system, and play what's fun for you regardless of the meta.
TL;DR#2 - If you see some dickhead MVPing on a crusader, it's probably me cause its fun.