[Dimmie Dunce]

This is a bit facetious. Remove armed and unarmed and holy/cosmic/occult/illusion are all just as bad off.

In fact, elemental magic is actually vastly better to 'specialize'. Because, for Earth?

You can go Earth (20)

And go around 6 different specializations. Just in earth alone. Fire? Plasma/Explosion isn't hard to get into!

Holy/Occult? If you dare go shadow/light, you're trapped behind a wall of 'starter' costs that grant nothing. You really struggle to escape these trees once you're in them.

Armed/Unarmed are just overly cheap for their values in what they give, which is why they're used. If you don't want them? You're super out of luck.

Give me an example. Because you've lost me.

I dropped a Plasma/Explosion/Magma build on there:

Fire: - Attunement (20) = 20

Plasma: - Strike (30), Tesla (15), Overcharge (15) = 60
Explosion: - Bang (30), Inferno (15), Pyroclasm (15) = 60 
Magma: - Slide (30), Aura (10) = 40
Total = 180 RPL

Bar Slotted Spells: 7

I'm talking about how thematic builds involving Advanced Magic outside of The Metaphysical, Holy, Occult, and Ether are stuck at 2 Trees to obtain a 10 bar ability.

Whereas just about any combination of the aforementioned trees can be fully built at 185 RPL with 3 trees involved.

Holy Light Cosmic? Sure I got you.

Holy: Light Orb (30), Guardian (10), Mend (10), Shield (10) = 60
Light: Lightspeed (20), Scattered Lights (15), Prisim Beam (15) = 50
Cosmic: Meteor Dash (30), Astral Ambience (10), Star Rain (10), Invigorate (10) = 60
Total Cost: 170 RPL

Abilities you can slot and use on your bar in combat: 10

I like to think everything feels rather viable as a playstyle in 3ternia. I'm not speaking about the 'meta'. I'm speaking about themes that can be built from 3 spell trees being combined. That above one could be called "Grossly Incandescent" etc. As a theme around a certain concept.

Give me a combination of three out of the following: Occult, Holy, Light, Shadow, Ether Magic or Metaphysical magic, and I honestly believe I can make a thematic build revolving around it, that fills up all 10 bar slots by 180-185 RPL.

Whereas if you try to do a Trifecta with Advanced Elements, you'll be 3-4 slots with basic essence abilities. By 180 rpl.