I haven't played in groups yet Dark And Darker Gold, but I may do so in the future, however I don't think I'll be being a big contributor if I could strike my friends with spells (which I'm sure is the case since enemies are able to hit each one another). It's impossible to fit 3 players against four zombies in a tiny space with no verticality and expect players to be in front lines, middle, and back lines.
Left-clicking does jack all with the staff. Having to stop in order to cast the spell (which is reasonable since you're a wizard) makes enemies are able to catch up, and you exchange blows, in addition, some spells can hit you too. The first time I'm in the game, I'm at 20% HP.
If I try to cut a bug in the back but it doesn't work. The bug is too movable and the ice bolts are extremely precise, and melee combat is a disaster particularly when it's on the ground and I have to hit it with a stick with a dagger-sized hitbox.
I'm not going to complain that the game is over because it's public access blah and blah, but in reality it requires some massive balance. Do me more harm and make me more soft.
Magic Missile is THE best destructive spell in PvE. It is easy to kite and even reposition yourself with two other powerful abilities in the game Invisibility as well as Haste.
Remove your weapon before you attempt to walk to speed up your walking further to ensure you are in a better position. It's as simple as that.
Magic Missile, Haste, Invisibility are all mages bread and butter. You can make use of a specific dagger, quarterstaff Dark And Darker Gold for sale, or magic sword to compensate for the absence of melee damage.
The Wall