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Greetings, Wizard101. I hope you get to come across this post and read this.

These are some suggestions/changes to the game and some mechanics and issues that I have found over the last 3 years that would make this game possibly a whole lot more fun, enjoyable, and longer lasting.

Now, before you roll your eyes and approve this post without even reading any further, please, read this entire post. While some suggestions require extra work and programming from the staff/developers, in the long run, is it not worth it if you keep happy and longer subscribers? Happy subscribers and longer subscribers equals more potential money for you guys. I and we ALL know that money is what makes this planet go 'round. Don't pretend that you would not care for it. Please, read this entire post.

Issue I have had since 2008:

Monsters using mutate spells. While I suppose it is 'legal' in a technical sense, it becomes nothing but a cheap cop out. Especially in Celestia, when mobs have 2,000 more health, and use Ice spells with the same exact strength of storm spells. (Icezilla, Ice Kraken, etc)
It is also very inconsistent. You then, when advancing further into the game, face more ice mobs that won't cast those spells. It is sloppy AI, in my opinion.
Aside that, make mobs more *interesting.* Make the mobs cast spells only from their school. With the exception of bosses, if you really do insist on them casting mutates. Instead of them always casting a Stormzilla of a specific element, or a colossus of a specific element, or a kraken, make different school mobs actually use those spells that we don't ever seem to see except in a few very rare circumstances. I have had an issue with this since forever. I don't know, am I the only one?

Encounters. I hope you have read all my previous rants about the encounters. Long story short, there has to be a reason to enter encounters other than just simple and mindless quest objectives. One part of the reason this game may bore players over time is the fact that the only thing you can do is quests. Maybe countless quests is not the only thing you can do to level? The whole reason fleeing is such a huge issue in this game IS because encounters are worth nothing outside quest objectives.

Ideas I came up with to improve on the game even more.

Dueling Circles. At most, 4 players are allowed to enter. And, if a minion is summoned, it automatically locks out the player from participating.
I have noticed that the duel circles have 8 circles. Well, there is enough spaces for two more evenly spaced circles. Those circles can be designated to minions. They can be of a slightly different design or color, to indicate this.
This allows a full 4 player duel the use/aid of minions. Now, before you say something like "this allows the players to be overpowered" think of this: Celestia.

Classes and their 'balance.'

Myth wizards pretty much lose their minons, in a sense, once they enter Celestia. They become inefficient, counter productive, and simply suicidal to keep up with. The only minion that effectively becomes the Myth wizard's ace is the lvl.0 Living Puppet. Improve the power of Myth's minions, and Myth players will have a lot more fun and reason to play a Myth wizard. Their lower damage is perfectly justified with this, and no longer will a legendary Myth become a weak, washed out has been with low damage and ineffective stuns.
Bringing us to stuns. Why make bosses and ELITES immune to stuns? This does not make too much sense, in my opinion. The card like Medusa would become much more potent, even with the lower damage. Any type of stun brings up 4 stun blocks, preventing players from completely stun locking opponents. So what is so overpowered about the stuns that justifies an incredible decrease in spell damage? Especially since at legendary level, most players will spend the majority of grinding/fighting on bosses and elites.

Ice Minon. While the Ice minion will certainly be nice to have, and unquestionably LOVED by any ice wizard, I believe the Ice minion is incredibly overpowered, considering that not even MYTH minions are not even a match compared to it.
It will regularly cast Ice Bats, and Ice Shark. Ice Shark? If you took away the Storm shark from the myth minions, why are you allowing the Ice minion the Ice Shark? True, you don't have a Myth shark, but we are talking about the spell strength here. If Ice wizard mechanics dictate low damage, and incredible tanking ability (class distinction) don't apply a double standard here and keep it that way. I just find that, cheap. Yea, yea, another player complaining about "unfairness" but it is not "unfairness" that I have an issue with. It is about the whole 'class distinction' issue. Also never seen anyone complain about it on forums, and I may be the only one, but, here you have it.

Fizzles. Fizzles have been an ongoing, hot debate, since the start of the game. I have a solution to this. Instead of making it possible to fizzle 4 times (or even more) in a row and being totally smashed to the ground, give players an edge, especially when it comes to Celestia. After 3 fizzles in a row, fizzle rate (the natural fizzle rate, not affected by any spells) is reduced to 0. This will fix any fizzle concerns, but keep this game's balance in 'check' in terms of strength's relation to accuracy.

Fleeing. I have not come up with a solution to this, really, but an idea. Players who enter duels or get drawn in are forced to spend at least 120 seconds in it. To counter simple 'passing' a player who passes 3 times in a row automatically forfeits the duel, and will be locked out of dueling for 10 minutes. (to prevent afk'ers.) Not sure how viable this is, but that was my idea. Or something simliar to this.

Endgame. A very common thing I see is "What next?" and "What am I going to do now?"
I have a solution to this, other than gardening, pet breeding, and crafting. Players get the option to "merit grind." This brings the reason to play at legendary to a whole new level. Any encounters, NOT including boss encounters, gain you exp. Well, at legendary level, it will gain you "points" instead. Or exp towards a 'merit pool.' Upon reaching a required amount of points, players get to increase their wizard's stats. Now, a lot of points should be needed, to keep players from downright grinding themselves towards God mode.
But lets say every 2000 points (based on current exp earnings) gets you an increase in stats. That increase may be in health, accuracy, power, defense, resistences, etc. That would give a wizard a reason to enter random encounters, and something else to do other than constantly farming boss mobs for pets or other items.

Pet training. Make it free. I realize, you are trying to earn money here by trying to coerce players into purchasing crowns to refill their energy, but people will have a much higher incentive, and more reason to breed and train pets if they are NOT limited to only a certain amount of training per day. Also, that will make the whole pet breeding a lot more fun. Remember, more fun=more money for you.

Celestia. You have heard this before too, I am sure. Celestia is hard. It will slap casual players like me right in the face, and drop kick anyone else. Why? Yes, you want to provide players with challenges, but keep that restricted to boss fights and dungeons. The whole point of the game is to make it casual, fun, and addictive and fun to play, right? Simply adding a 'grudge' factor to players by slapping players with such a high difficulty gains you absolutlely nothing. Yes, I still keep up my subscription, but my opinion of you guys not even willing to debate the 'difficulty' issue just drops it that much lower. One good way for starters is to eliminate mob criticals. Just one critical can be enough to destroy a fight, and the fun of it.
I read a post on the Celestia thread regarding the difficulty, and a response that really should hit home. The response read something like 'this game was made to be enjoyed casually by casual players geared towards the younger audience.' Well, I don't see the general audience enjoying Celestia very much with all the "this is hard" posts. Why destroy part of the casual enjoyment? There can always be boss fights and special dungeons in which you guys can ramp up difficulty to frustrating levels and have this game be perfectly fine.

If you can make this game much more fun to play, and give players much more reason to play at endgame level (other than continuously raising level caps), you will make a much more happy player environment. In the end, much like a 'happy employee is a productive employee' a 'happy subscriber is a continued subscriber.' That is the whole point behind you having created this game anyway, correct?

Please, I hope you have read all those ideas, suggestions, and issues. And to all you wizards, tell me what YOU think. Are my ideas good? Are my solutions to any of the issues good? Is my reasoning justified?

Edited: Proof read, clarification, additions.
Edited: Grammar.

Response to Colagada or anyone else who thinks the same way.
While these things may make the game easier, that is not the point.
It is to simply make the game more enjoyable and entertaining. Sure you can say 'it already is easy.' Any legendary will turn around and think so once they hit level 60. Any death or life or even ice wizard may turn around and say the same before they even hit level 60. But based on general observations and experience being in Celestia, it is not as easy as you make it so sound.
And while 'hardcore' players will find a way around the difficulty, adapt and face it, those people who can not do so will simply be frustrated and 'left in the dark' when they cannot find extra people or friends to play with.

I like the idea of an extra spot for minions in PvP dueling (not PvE battling). I don't care for anything that makes the game any easier than it already is.

I like some of your ideas especially the one about the minions having their circle. I am a life wizard that hates it when 4 player join and I want to put my minion out. I'd rather fight then heal some days.
The only issue I have with the ice minion is that it fizzes too much (my son's minion fizzes much more then my storm spells do.)
I like the fleeing idea and the endgame merit idea.
Pet training doesn't affect me because I do not buy the mega snacks. I just use the regular ones and I have not trouble leveling up my pets quickly.