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Why exactly 7 schools?

AuthorMessage
Armiger
Jan 11, 2012
2497
This post won’t be like my last one about repurposing balance school, it’s going to deal solely with quantity of schools.

Anytime anybody asks to add or remove schools, people balk at it, saying 7 is enough or that 7 is just fine. What is it about 7 that makes it such a number to protect? What’s wrong with more or less? If the Astral schools were reworked to be playable and trainable, would you disagree? Sure as they stand, they're not playable in their current format, but what if they changed so they could be? We already have 10 schools (only 7 playable), so what would be the difference? Ignore the fact that you may not be able to play them because you’ve filled up your 6 wizards on your current account. While that’s a valid point of view, it’s also greedy. You’re saying “if *I* can’t do it, then nobody should be able to”. What if we could train 7 wizards on the same account, would that change your opinions? What if adding or removing a school improves the game?

I’m noticing that in general, the attitude of the people who post here is that "7 is the magic number of trainable schools" anytime somebody talks about adding or removing. It's one thing to disagree with their suggestion (and many people have gone thru to point out WHY they don’t like the suggestions), but I have to ask, especially since we can only have 6 wizards to train, WHY is 7 the magic number? You already can’t play 1 school, unless you start a second account, so how would 1, 2, 3 or more schools to train affect that at all? You’re already using 2 accounts (for those people who want to play every school). No, I don’t think we need 20 or 30 schools, but why are most posts about adding or removing schools met with such stubbornness (in general)? Sure, there are suggestions for schools that are similar to what we have now, and there have been some I’ve seen that are radically different. Some people like the ideas of the new schools others don’t. However, the STRONGEST replies are always “we have enough schools” or “no, that’s a dumb idea, we have plenty now”. So, the ideas are dumb because it changes from 7 schools to "X" schools?

Something that came out in one of my other posts, was that there were "teams" of schools; elemental and non-elemental. So what if they wanted to balance that out by having 4 elemental schools and 2 non elemental schools, and then balance? It's still 7 schools, so that should be ok right? What if all they did is simply change the NAME of a school and refocus the spells to that new name? Would that be ok? Why not?

I’m not anybody that has anything to do with Kingsisle other than the money I fork over to play the game, but I’m trying to figure out why my community is soo stuck on a position, because I want to understand more about the game.

Survivor
May 03, 2009
1
Well, i have noticed the only getting to train 6 characters thing, and it kind of bugs me because, like you said you either have to have two accounts or just not play one.
7 schools. To me it always made sense. I never argued that one should be taken away or add another. 3 elemental, 3 others, and balance is the combination of them all. What I dont get is the 6 characters thing.

But, honestly I doubt they're going to change the classes. They probably figured that, we can do 8 characters, but then they would have two of kind... so they settled on 6. Thinking 8 was too much, then they get more business when the players get two accounts. Make any more sense?

Historian
May 06, 2009
633
dayerider on Apr 21, 2013 wrote:
This post won’t be like my last one about repurposing balance school, it’s going to deal solely with quantity of schools.

Anytime anybody asks to add or remove schools, people balk at it, saying 7 is enough or that 7 is just fine. What is it about 7 that makes it such a number to protect? What’s wrong with more or less? If the Astral schools were reworked to be playable and trainable, would you disagree? Sure as they stand, they're not playable in their current format, but what if they changed so they could be? We already have 10 schools (only 7 playable), so what would be the difference? Ignore the fact that you may not be able to play them because you’ve filled up your 6 wizards on your current account. While that’s a valid point of view, it’s also greedy. You’re saying “if *I* can’t do it, then nobody should be able to”. What if we could train 7 wizards on the same account, would that change your opinions? What if adding or removing a school improves the game?

I’m noticing that in general, the attitude of the people who post here is that "7 is the magic number of trainable schools" anytime somebody talks about adding or removing. It's one thing to disagree with their suggestion (and many people have gone thru to point out WHY they don’t like the suggestions), but I have to ask, especially since we can only have 6 wizards to train, WHY is 7 the magic number? You already can’t play 1 school, unless you start a second account, so how would 1, 2, 3 or more schools to train affect that at all? You’re already using 2 accounts (for those people who want to play every school). No, I don’t think we need 20 or 30 schools, but why are most posts about adding or removing schools met with such stubbornness (in general)? Sure, there are suggestions for schools that are similar to what we have now, and there have been some I’ve seen that are radically different. Some people like the ideas of the new schools others don’t. However, the STRONGEST replies are always “we have enough schools” or “no, that’s a dumb idea, we have plenty now”. So, the ideas are dumb because it changes from 7 schools to "X" schools?

Something that came out in one of my other posts, was that there were "teams" of schools; elemental and non-elemental. So what if they wanted to balance that out by having 4 elemental schools and 2 non elemental schools, and then balance? It's still 7 schools, so that should be ok right? What if all they did is simply change the NAME of a school and refocus the spells to that new name? Would that be ok? Why not?

I’m not anybody that has anything to do with Kingsisle other than the money I fork over to play the game, but I’m trying to figure out why my community is soo stuck on a position, because I want to understand more about the game.
Well, the thing about the matter over all is simply: There's no where else we can go from here. If you went to go do research on every time of magic known to the planet earth, it's all been summed up in this gain with the major powers that over see the smaller bits. Also all these schools pretty much cover a common personality type that some people are prominent in. I can be very serious when the time comes. I don't like to work in groups and I know I'm smart. These are all the things that make up Death wizards. Let me give you an example:

Can we have a Water, Cloud, or Lighting school?
Storm covers over that

Can we have a Lava school?
Look for Fire commprendo

Hmm, will we see a school of Shadow?
Death's pretty dark in it's ways.

Music School?
If you mean a new activity, sure! But a damage dealing school? Life's got it covered.

Out of these schools, they all cover any possible magic and possible mindset. It's all been done there's no were to go. Even if we had the Astral Schools become new schools of focus, it would still be cover. Sun would be an even more passionate perspective of the already creative and passion Fire players, they would just occasionally "out shine us." Moon would be about those kinds of people who constantly change (1 hour ago I liked that shirt, Now I think yellow is the way to go, Next, hmm brown?). People who can't stay consistantly in one field. Star is sort people who are selfish Balance guys. Star is the balance of Sun and Moon (natural opposites). Because Stars light the dark like sun but not as much like moon, they are the astral Balance. They change but to use the bits and pieces of Sun and Moon for themselves not the group.
Plus they'd have to come up with new magic names like Necromany and Theurgy and Sorcery.

Not much can be done to expand out of the 7 primary schools or the 3 secondary schools. It was built that way since Wizard101's early development.

You can't remove or repurpose a school because too many people 1.) like that school and 2.) like the way things are simply put. I'm creative and open minded but in a situation where you wanted to rearrange or repurpose a school or take away a school, there's nothing you can do and still make it work because very last school has set purpose a role to the game: in a group/pair (Balance, Life, Ice, Storm) or soloing (Death, Myth, Fire).

And again, out of +30 million players playing this game (that's saying 4,285,714 students are enroled in each school), it is extremely hard to remove a school or repurpose (but you can totally improve it no problem!). It's like trying to move concrete walls, it can't be done without cracking one down.

Explorer
Jul 22, 2009
82
Trust me bro I have tried before to think of 7 LEGIT schools and its hard so maybe the couldn't think of any schools other than those elements but then again you would ask yourself why did they add myth well maybe they wanted to equal out the elements 3 on one side Ice Fire Storm and the other Life Death Myth they just needed a spot filler and I feel like 7 is enought.

Survivor
Jun 10, 2009
15
dayerider on Apr 21, 2013 wrote:
This post won’t be like my last one about repurposing balance school, it’s going to deal solely with quantity of schools.

Anytime anybody asks to add or remove schools, people balk at it, saying 7 is enough or that 7 is just fine. What is it about 7 that makes it such a number to protect? What’s wrong with more or less? If the Astral schools were reworked to be playable and trainable, would you disagree? Sure as they stand, they're not playable in their current format, but what if they changed so they could be? We already have 10 schools (only 7 playable), so what would be the difference? Ignore the fact that you may not be able to play them because you’ve filled up your 6 wizards on your current account. While that’s a valid point of view, it’s also greedy. You’re saying “if *I* can’t do it, then nobody should be able to”. What if we could train 7 wizards on the same account, would that change your opinions? What if adding or removing a school improves the game?

I’m noticing that in general, the attitude of the people who post here is that "7 is the magic number of trainable schools" anytime somebody talks about adding or removing. It's one thing to disagree with their suggestion (and many people have gone thru to point out WHY they don’t like the suggestions), but I have to ask, especially since we can only have 6 wizards to train, WHY is 7 the magic number? You already can’t play 1 school, unless you start a second account, so how would 1, 2, 3 or more schools to train affect that at all? You’re already using 2 accounts (for those people who want to play every school). No, I don’t think we need 20 or 30 schools, but why are most posts about adding or removing schools met with such stubbornness (in general)? Sure, there are suggestions for schools that are similar to what we have now, and there have been some I’ve seen that are radically different. Some people like the ideas of the new schools others don’t. However, the STRONGEST replies are always “we have enough schools” or “no, that’s a dumb idea, we have plenty now”. So, the ideas are dumb because it changes from 7 schools to "X" schools?

Something that came out in one of my other posts, was that there were "teams" of schools; elemental and non-elemental. So what if they wanted to balance that out by having 4 elemental schools and 2 non elemental schools, and then balance? It's still 7 schools, so that should be ok right? What if all they did is simply change the NAME of a school and refocus the spells to that new name? Would that be ok? Why not?

I’m not anybody that has anything to do with Kingsisle other than the money I fork over to play the game, but I’m trying to figure out why my community is soo stuck on a position, because I want to understand more about the game.
It's probably unlikely that they would change how much playable schools there are, but I guess your idea is understandable.

Hero
Jul 30, 2012
771
Dayrider asked:

"What is it about 7 that makes it such a number to protect? What’s wrong with more or less?"

--> Would you be asking a similar question if Wizard101 always had 8 schools? Or 4 schools?

--> I'm not familiar with KI's development, but the final product shows the schools as being heavily integrated into the game. School specific gear, pets, quests, locations, housing items, npc's, and enemies. I expect adding a new primary wizard school would be a significant undertaking.

--> The idea of more playable primary schools is great, and I can't imagine KI would lose many customers if suddenly a bunch of fantastic new schools were introduced. Assuming of course the new schools are well done and don't unbalance the game.

--> Removing an existing primary school makes no sense. It would upset many paying customers, result in no improvement to the game, and financially cost KI time and money to implement.

Armiger
Jan 11, 2012
2497
RottenHeart on Apr 23, 2013 wrote:
Dayrider asked:

"What is it about 7 that makes it such a number to protect? What’s wrong with more or less?"

--> Would you be asking a similar question if Wizard101 always had 8 schools? Or 4 schools?

--> I'm not familiar with KI's development, but the final product shows the schools as being heavily integrated into the game. School specific gear, pets, quests, locations, housing items, npc's, and enemies. I expect adding a new primary wizard school would be a significant undertaking.

--> The idea of more playable primary schools is great, and I can't imagine KI would lose many customers if suddenly a bunch of fantastic new schools were introduced. Assuming of course the new schools are well done and don't unbalance the game.

--> Removing an existing primary school makes no sense. It would upset many paying customers, result in no improvement to the game, and financially cost KI time and money to implement.
I would be asking the same question for 4 or 8 schools if the responses were the same as they are now (generally speaking), because I don't understand why people are so locked into a set quantity. Sure, coming up with new schools is tough, doing all the required programming is a very long process, and making sure it fits in and is well balanced compared to other schools is, all in all, a gigantic undertaking.

Hero
Jul 30, 2012
771
dayerider on Apr 23, 2013 wrote:
I would be asking the same question for 4 or 8 schools if the responses were the same as they are now (generally speaking), because I don't understand why people are so locked into a set quantity. Sure, coming up with new schools is tough, doing all the required programming is a very long process, and making sure it fits in and is well balanced compared to other schools is, all in all, a gigantic undertaking.
It appears your question is why forum members are so against changing the number of schools.

I just zipped through the last 10 pages of Dorm Message Board posts and it appears there is no more opposition to the idea than other proposed ideas on these boards. A quick search shows generaly positive attitudes, but some posts get shot down if a specific idea has issues with it. Some proposed ideas are excellent while some aren't well presented, have logic or gaming issues, or just don't sound very good. You can't expect everybody to like various ideas.

Armiger
Jan 11, 2012
2497
RottenHeart on Apr 24, 2013 wrote:
It appears your question is why forum members are so against changing the number of schools.

I just zipped through the last 10 pages of Dorm Message Board posts and it appears there is no more opposition to the idea than other proposed ideas on these boards. A quick search shows generaly positive attitudes, but some posts get shot down if a specific idea has issues with it. Some proposed ideas are excellent while some aren't well presented, have logic or gaming issues, or just don't sound very good. You can't expect everybody to like various ideas.
of course, and I don't ever expect everyone to agree with everything. Maybe it's the "naysayers" tend to be the loudest vocally, I don't know, it just SEEMED that more people were against new playable schools than were for it.

Survivor
Apr 13, 2012
7
dayerider on Apr 21, 2013 wrote:
This post won’t be like my last one about repurposing balance school, it’s going to deal solely with quantity of schools.

Anytime anybody asks to add or remove schools, people balk at it, saying 7 is enough or that 7 is just fine. What is it about 7 that makes it such a number to protect? What’s wrong with more or less? If the Astral schools were reworked to be playable and trainable, would you disagree? Sure as they stand, they're not playable in their current format, but what if they changed so they could be? We already have 10 schools (only 7 playable), so what would be the difference? Ignore the fact that you may not be able to play them because you’ve filled up your 6 wizards on your current account. While that’s a valid point of view, it’s also greedy. You’re saying “if *I* can’t do it, then nobody should be able to”. What if we could train 7 wizards on the same account, would that change your opinions? What if adding or removing a school improves the game?

I’m noticing that in general, the attitude of the people who post here is that "7 is the magic number of trainable schools" anytime somebody talks about adding or removing. It's one thing to disagree with their suggestion (and many people have gone thru to point out WHY they don’t like the suggestions), but I have to ask, especially since we can only have 6 wizards to train, WHY is 7 the magic number? You already can’t play 1 school, unless you start a second account, so how would 1, 2, 3 or more schools to train affect that at all? You’re already using 2 accounts (for those people who want to play every school). No, I don’t think we need 20 or 30 schools, but why are most posts about adding or removing schools met with such stubbornness (in general)? Sure, there are suggestions for schools that are similar to what we have now, and there have been some I’ve seen that are radically different. Some people like the ideas of the new schools others don’t. However, the STRONGEST replies are always “we have enough schools” or “no, that’s a dumb idea, we have plenty now”. So, the ideas are dumb because it changes from 7 schools to "X" schools?

Something that came out in one of my other posts, was that there were "teams" of schools; elemental and non-elemental. So what if they wanted to balance that out by having 4 elemental schools and 2 non elemental schools, and then balance? It's still 7 schools, so that should be ok right? What if all they did is simply change the NAME of a school and refocus the spells to that new name? Would that be ok? Why not?

I’m not anybody that has anything to do with Kingsisle other than the money I fork over to play the game, but I’m trying to figure out why my community is soo stuck on a position, because I want to understand more about the game.
I agree with those who say 7 is enough, it's a good choice because of the fact that fire, ice, and storm are well represented of those into elemental type stuff, life, myth, and death, I just suppose they just may fit you're type of personality. but on another note, I am with you on the whole get 7 spots for wizards on one account, at least just to see how the game would be like in other school students' eyes and to see how different schools spells can do.

-Michael fire breaker level 90

" if you think you can't do it, don't do it at all " another self quote

Geographer
Mar 12, 2013
923
CattyMac on Apr 21, 2013 wrote:
Well, i have noticed the only getting to train 6 characters thing, and it kind of bugs me because, like you said you either have to have two accounts or just not play one.
7 schools. To me it always made sense. I never argued that one should be taken away or add another. 3 elemental, 3 others, and balance is the combination of them all. What I dont get is the 6 characters thing.

But, honestly I doubt they're going to change the classes. They probably figured that, we can do 8 characters, but then they would have two of kind... so they settled on 6. Thinking 8 was too much, then they get more business when the players get two accounts. Make any more sense?
It pains me to think of all the sweet death gear I've gotten as drops and sold or fed to my pet because I didn't have room for a necromancer.

If I had it to do all over again I think I'd skip making a myth or ice and make a death instead. Ice is just awful and boring to me except for Polymorph Gobbler and you don't get to stinky salute people until you're like level 50 or something.

Maybe when I've gotten an existing wizard to level 99 or something, I will delete it and start a death wizard.

But the six wizard limit seems like it is designed to force you to make a painful choice so you are really encouraged to buy another account.

Survivor
Jan 29, 2012
6
I think seven school is perfect. Even though i dislike balnce a lot.... Seven is the perfect amount of schools.
-Suri Deathstone, level 46, Death student

Delver
Jan 13, 2010
267
I cant think of any other schools that will be possible. Another thing is Wizard101 is based in Harry Potter. 7 is the magical number there, so if it is based on Harry Potter? But there are no other schools I can think of. If i were going to think of some schools, i would not have got balance and death and life, so it is almost impossible to get another school.

Survivor
Apr 13, 2013
13
I actually don't know why there are 7 schools but i think there should be a school on pets and gardening and stuff but i think its bull that you HAVE to unlock the Death school ( its behind the waterfall in wizard city ) there should also be a Balance school and not a guy with luggage in Ravenwood

Jessica Death
Death school
Level 13

Survivor
Mar 03, 2012
10
OK, try thinking of a new school that is not dumb. Light school? metal school? wizard101 already got all the elements of everyday life. Seven is just a number like like more or less then seven. Wizard101 is changing sooo much! I think making a new school wouldnt be fair for it costs a lot of time and money making new spells, robes, ect with no profit. They already did so much with new updates give them a break xd

Mastermind
May 12, 2009
382
Although I may be off on this, seven is basically a universal lucky number. It is also a Holy number, however, I am not getting into religion here, so please do not carry this on. If you do think, there are the Seven Wonders Of The World and Seven Seas, along with Seven Continents. How about the seven phases of the moon? Or maybe even the seven colors in the rainbow? The Greeks (to the best of my knowledge) actually believed that seven was the perfect number. Thank you for allowing me to share my perspective.
~Shannon Skybreaker

Survivor
Jul 24, 2011
1
dayerider on Apr 21, 2013 wrote:
This post won’t be like my last one about repurposing balance school, it’s going to deal solely with quantity of schools.

Anytime anybody asks to add or remove schools, people balk at it, saying 7 is enough or that 7 is just fine. What is it about 7 that makes it such a number to protect? What’s wrong with more or less? If the Astral schools were reworked to be playable and trainable, would you disagree? Sure as they stand, they're not playable in their current format, but what if they changed so they could be? We already have 10 schools (only 7 playable), so what would be the difference? Ignore the fact that you may not be able to play them because you’ve filled up your 6 wizards on your current account. While that’s a valid point of view, it’s also greedy. You’re saying “if *I* can’t do it, then nobody should be able to”. What if we could train 7 wizards on the same account, would that change your opinions? What if adding or removing a school improves the game?

I’m noticing that in general, the attitude of the people who post here is that "7 is the magic number of trainable schools" anytime somebody talks about adding or removing. It's one thing to disagree with their suggestion (and many people have gone thru to point out WHY they don’t like the suggestions), but I have to ask, especially since we can only have 6 wizards to train, WHY is 7 the magic number? You already can’t play 1 school, unless you start a second account, so how would 1, 2, 3 or more schools to train affect that at all? You’re already using 2 accounts (for those people who want to play every school). No, I don’t think we need 20 or 30 schools, but why are most posts about adding or removing schools met with such stubbornness (in general)? Sure, there are suggestions for schools that are similar to what we have now, and there have been some I’ve seen that are radically different. Some people like the ideas of the new schools others don’t. However, the STRONGEST replies are always “we have enough schools” or “no, that’s a dumb idea, we have plenty now”. So, the ideas are dumb because it changes from 7 schools to "X" schools?

Something that came out in one of my other posts, was that there were "teams" of schools; elemental and non-elemental. So what if they wanted to balance that out by having 4 elemental schools and 2 non elemental schools, and then balance? It's still 7 schools, so that should be ok right? What if all they did is simply change the NAME of a school and refocus the spells to that new name? Would that be ok? Why not?

I’m not anybody that has anything to do with Kingsisle other than the money I fork over to play the game, but I’m trying to figure out why my community is soo stuck on a position, because I want to understand more about the game.
Hello new to this but here it goes.
i have 6 girls and would love to have a seventh WHY you may ask well i cant have class specific pets for the one i dont have and cant use the spells for that class only as a secondary school. And as a pet collector that sucks . I dont like the idea of haveing to start a new account just for one class not everyone has the money for that. So it would be nice to have all seven in my opinion.

Survivor
Jan 18, 2013
37
Survivor
Dec 20, 2009
6
The reason they do seven schools is because one has to have resist and boost to a school and another. Balance is mainly added because, and I'm sorry to say this balance wizards, blades, traps, power pips, and making people weak. Although they to have attacks they are mainly used as a boost and a weakness! But they really make seven schools because they need to even everything out and have this school for healing, this school for attacking, this school for blades, etc.

~~~Nathan SpellStaff
Level 62

Explorer
Oct 30, 2011
82
After some research I found out 7 is the ''magical number''

Jonathan Frogheart - Archmage Thaumaturge of the Astrals