Mage islanders need a buff.

"This custom, self-imposed path that I chose, is irrelevant because other people are choosing a different custom, self-imposed path."

 

at this rate just put a copy of grendel the really old on maple island

 

Why would you willingly choose to go a sub-optimal path if you're going to be upset later on that it's sub-optimal? You voluntarily chose this build didn't you?

 

Why is the claw’s existence relevant to you? It doesn’t affect you.

 

And yet the addition of the claw to the game, that doesn't affect you, is still the rationale behind you asking for a buff.

If everyone got what they asked for just because "it doesn't affect" someone else, this game would be an absolute disaster.

 

I don't necessarily think a buff to Three Snails is needed, considering just Maple Island and no other game content. The skill has already received a buff that I personally dislike, by no longer requiring snail shells to cast. Removing the ammo for the skill has reduced just a tiny bit more of MapleStory's unique flavor into what's becoming a bland soup that's "for everyone" but ultimately a less satisfying experience, at least in my particular philosophy.

I'm not really for or against a Three Snails buff, since I'm no hardcore islander, but I still use the skill often enough to have thought about whether a buff would work or how it should be applied. A simple increase in damage is fine and functional. Scaling with INT is an even more interesting option, but I have weird feelings about heavily INTed mid-washing characters using the skill to progress meaningfully through the game. They are just my feelings. I don't really care to rationalize them.

A small idea I'd pitch is perhaps buffing Three Snails' damage IF one has snail shells as ammo in their inventory. The default, no-shell Three Snails damage would remain its current default damage, and its buffed damage could perhaps be a multiplier. 5x damage, for a cap of 200 damage per red snail shell thrown? 10x damage, for a cap of 400 damage per red snail shell? This idea may or may not fall into the "too custom for ML" category, but I'd love for snail shells to actually have an effect on the skill again, while maintaining its current already-buffed status.

Sweet Fork Cake vs. Three Snails​

The Sweet Fork Cake still has its own downsides that Three Snails does not. It performs a claw punch when you're within claw melee range of an enemy, which does much less damage than a star throw. You'll have to jump attack often to train effectively, so it's much more active as a training method (this matters a lot when EXP rates are slow). You generally have to use Subis, as Maple throwing-stars are a very rare and coveted item. You're unlikely to get those without extreme luck and island farming strategies during the anniversary or befriending an OG Islander who wants to loan you some stars.

The Sweet Fork Cake has an edge above Three Snails in its own way, as well. The claw starts out much weaker than Three Snails and requires getting to level 30 or higher until you really begin to slay pigs/orange mushrooms effectively... but the claw also has a higher power ceiling, since it scales primarily with LUK and secondarily with STR and DEX. Its damage is lower than what one can achieve with a STR build and melee weapon, but also safer and sometimes more consistent as it's a ranged attack.

Some island casuals think damage is meaningless on the island beyond just 1-hitting enemies, but damage means a LOT during those boss rush events (where you're defeating boss after boss on a timer, solo or with a party). You can even obtain normally unavailable items in the boss rush from monsters spawned by bosses.

While I'm generating more dumb forum noise with this post I should also mention that I'm pretty sure that Three Snails speed is unaffected by weapon speed. My Sweet Fork Cake's Fast (4) attacks seem faster than Three Snails while using a Fan at Faster (3) speed. I have a hard time finding the exact formulas for Three Snails, like its hit rate for example is unknown to me. Its speed can probably be found by digging through one of those Maple asset browsing websites, but I'm not going to bother with that now. Have some demonstrations instead!

Demonstrations​

Range and Claw Punch Damage demonstrations had cider buff; Speed demonstrations were done clean

- RANGE


Three Snails max attack range

Sweet Fork Cake, unable to hit at Three Snails' range

Sweet Fork Cake max attack range

- SPEED


(1) Three Snails w/ Fan; (2) Sweet Fork Cake star throw; (3) Sweet Fork Cake claw punch

I wasn't able to upload these, so they are self-hosted and may not load all at once. Sweet Fork Cake is definitely faster than Three Snails.

- CLAW PUNCH DAMAGE


Claw punch damage, noticeably lower than a star throw

Keep in mind that the damage shown isn't realistic for a LUK claw islander. The damage builds very, very slowly. My DEX and LUK islander is level 31 and can't 100% 1hit pigs/orange mushrooms yet, and gets swamped by enemies and tanked EXP rates if I start claw punching. It's not as easy as just picking up a claw and being better than a DEXlander or even a Magelander.

This is outside the scope of the thread, but I'd like to see the Sweet Fork Cake and Magical Mitten both added as permanent fixtures to Maple Island. Why not just put them into the Amherst or Southperry stores, so that islanders and odd builds that want to use them can purchase them? Magical Mitten hasn't been back in years (hasn't been available since I joined), and I'll bet Sweet Fork Cake isn't making a rotation again any time soon either. Would the players that are actually on drugs Maple Island dig that kind of change?

Edit: Somewhat selfishly, I also suggest to put those two weapons into Lith Harbor's weapon store for those that missed them, or to make the Sweet Fork Cake always purchasable with event points during anniversary, and Magical Mitten always purchasable with points during winter events.

 

I wouldn't mind if 3 snails used snail shells, if it didn't cost MP. I have way too many snail shells in the early game, and not enough MP. Maybe even let it toss Mano shells for super damage. If not, whatever. It's a fine beginner skill as is. I use it frequently.

If it's accuracy and damage scales with INT, then it needs to do trash damage to start, and it should always sit below the minimum damage for 1st level jobs. I really don't want to be snail shelling all the way to 2nd job.

Example:
Lvl 1 DMG=INT+10
Lvl 2 DMG=INT+20
LVL 3 DMG=INT+30
Mano shell DMG=INT+500(Or whatever)
Option 2: Mano shell turns enemy into snail.

So even if an islander goes pure INT, snail shell will be doing decent damage for islanders at high levels, but still trash for everyone else, unless you have a Mano shell, and those aren't worth farming.

As Redwop said, it's a tutorial skill. It doesn't need a buff. I find it to be overpowered on low levels. I can insta-kill enemies from a distance, and I can kill higher level enemies across gaps. Once snail shell starts missing, then it's put on the shelf to collect dust for the rest of the game.

Even if it doesn't get changed(and it probably won't), it's fine as is.