This is an incredible game that I want to make sure credit is given where it is due. I understand this is "early access". However there is a HUGE balancing issue that needs to be focused on before I'll be able to play again. It is VERY obvious that this game will only be fun to those that play ranged right from the beginning. Excited that there was a tanking aspect to the game (I'm usually my party's tank in any game played), my friends and I jumped right in. Explored, crafted, built etc. As we approached current end game, it became VERY obvious that I was not needed. Now this isn't "boo-hoo I wasn't included". This is a "I am obsolete". There is absolutely no way for me as a melee to combat these flying enemies. There is no way to efficiently ground enemies without getting clapped. I have absolutely UNLOADED on the birds with stun arrows and there is absolutely no rhyme or rhythm to when they ACTUALLY get downed. Now don't even get me started on the banshee's and the sicklescythe's. There is NO way to stun them even if their stun bars get filled. Making it impossible to have any bit of a chance as melee. Granted, there are plenty of skill points to be able to spec into some sort of ranged, but that takes away from being a melee. I shouldn't have to dual spec is my point. If there are going to be very obvious roles with gear and weapons provided, I shouldn't have to be a dedicated warrior/ranger. Give me an option to effectively be melee.

The community's need to rally and ♥♥♥♥♥ about anything magic is extraordinary. As is the developers swift execution of any mechanic that helps magic based gameplay. Mage power, stats, and mobility was murdered in the last update. (Staff scaling & damage crushed from 57 pts on a max level staff, to 23. One handed weapons deal 23 power in damage at level 10, less than half the cap) Swinging your filler weapon now roots you. The squishy class. Casting a spell now animation locks you. Generally to death as the casters are lucky to survive a single hit from a charging enemy.
Melee use one jump attack, and Battle Heal restores 5% * number of crits, (averaging 1500 maxhp or more) be the hit on an enemy, object, terrain, or tree. But a Mage invests a quarter of a total character's skill points into the healing tree? That 19 hp / 2 seconds. That is the problem.

Angry rant posted to their Mage feedback megathread ---
I think part of the issues stem from not enough separation in "mage" from traditional casting mage, and the healer line. "Mage" keeps getting nailed every time anything in the blue talents is beneficial as if you're taking every single blue talent.
But that's patches ago; and 'mage' has been catching nerf after nerf after nerf since the demo. This current build just pushes it over the line; it is not fun. This is garbage. Lengthy animation locks on the class that gets 2 shot by swarms of charging enemies is not fun. It has to excel at something
Warriors get great damage, jump attack smash spam, frankly; stupid resource generation between orbs and I could write a page on Battle Heal alone being stupid. But no, ticking 12 hp every 2 seconds on water aura is the problem.
Rangers having a core part of their game play being mob avoidance between beesting and a whole talent line around enhancing their aoe - means the ranger can focus on avoiding the charge-spam enemies because that's part of their kit. Avoidance.
Mage has to find a stump, or a rock, or something unpathable out of necessity. You simply die if a charging mob is able to get to you And without damage or some type of utility to stop them. Guess what? Fel sword guy dive swings, 80% hp gone, or dead. Cyclops winding up to do a foot stomp? Well better not have used your wand; because you are rooted longer than his animation and are getting stepped on.
Mage has some major design issues in stacking buffs as well. It feels like that since flame scrolls and elixirs buff your damage - you are dependent on stacking everything to try and gain competitive damage back. If you gorge yourself on consumables you can be 'functional' for a while. Melee will have an easier time sprinting into things and spam clicking to victory while effectively invincible, and run off before the mage has finished a cast. But whatever.
-Mage is too slow. Being rooted every time I swing a wand just makes me hate the game a little more with each swing.
-Mage lacks stamina options to keep up with other players.
-Mage is too squishy. Significantly less total HP, and significantly less mitigation means you just die. A lot. Equally geared melee or rangers can take 3x the hits or more and shrug it off.
-Recovery spells suck. Between the lack of targeting ability, and the pathing of heal channel (not to mention chain heal can't even hit yourself) the limited "healing" we can do is so ridiculously unreliable just download the resource realm and grab stacks of health potions. Farming the resources isn't hard, nor engaging. It's tedious. Tedium is the opposite of fun.
-The whole healing tree is garbage. Killing yourself for a benefit to the party is stupid.
-Mage doesn't react nearly as fast as the other two arch types - and doesn't have the tankyness to off set that
-Mage damage is trash. Jump attack spam is easier, more effective, less risky, and able to be maintained thanks to that 300+ weapon durability, obscene health generation (battle heal), and easy access to orb generation & ludicrous stamina food.
-I'm running out of words to describe how insufferably bad the mana regeneration is in this game. You have non-stamina focused builds that can have 40 stam / s generation, plus 20-27 from a single food item. And mana... gets 1. 1. from boiled eggs.
-Mage has no area they excel in for all these downsides.
The arch type is garbage, and needs a complete rework, and imo - significantly clearer separation from 'mage' and 'healer'.
-I'm also just mad necromancer sucks so much. Worthless 10% spawn rate.
If I didn't like the game so much and have friends still playing I would have dropped this garbage and uninstalled over this patch.

The level design here is fantastic. Lots of little houses and dungeons and puzzles. The enemies get a bit repetitive and the combat is pretty linear, but it's a fun world to explore.