Is it really necessary to cast open Implosion?

[Asile]

Part of this is to bitch, and part of this is honestly trying to figure out the tactics of a class I've never played before.

Marni was hunting in the Blighted Forest this evening, in the area across the bridge, when all of a sudden she got stunned out of nowhere. I thought it was a critter getting off a REALLY lucky shot at first, since a few came in right at that time, but once she got untunned and made sure she wasn't going to die, I scrolled up and saw this:

The air begins to thin rapidly.
Air is sucked away from you!
Debris strikes you in the leg.
+13 Hits.
Stunned for 2 rounds!

I foolishly thought it was some freak thing, or there was an ogre I'd missed seeing that was making that happen, so got ready to attack some critters. Then this lovely mess happened:

Air begins to rush in violently.
Air slams into a massive black boar.
Blast to the black boar's shield arm.
Its shield arm snaps like a twig!
+15 Hits.

Air slams into you!
Blast annihilates entire skeleton.
Reduced to a gelatinous pulp.

* Marni has been vaporized!
{Spells drop}

* Marni just bit the dust!

While I waited to see if someone would come out for the rescue, I IMed some folks to figure out just what that was, and got confirmation it was from open Implosion. So...if you're a Sorc hunting in the Blighted Forest around 7:15ish ET Thursday evening and just had to cast Implosion without targetting it, for whatever fucked up reason, thanks a fucking lot and I hope you feel even more uber-evil now.

Having got that out of my system...

Would it be possible for people who currently or have played Sorcerers above level 50 (mind you, stuff in the Blighted Forest ranges around 55-65) to explain, with some seriousness, why you would cast Implosion openly in an area that lately has been populated by more than just one or two people at a time? While Marni was on the Dais waiting to get Raised, I talked to a Sorc there who said he also hunted the Blighted Forest, and he said he "occasionally" did open Implosion if he had a swarm...but a friend of mine said that by the level of the Blighted Forest, a Sorc should know better than that.

Should they? Was this person just clueless, or being an ass, or a little of both?

And just how far can that damned spell reach anyway?

And if I could ever confirm who casted, would it be worth taking out a leg and then lecturing them about using a mass area effect spell that can actually KILL another hunter? (I doubt I'd ever have the opportunity for this, but at least 'til I get a good night's sleep, the thought is nice.)

[SolitareConfinement]

little of both if you ask me. and open implode if i remember correctly (been a while) goes 1 deep of the surrounding rooms.

[Methais]

implosion is fine l2p

[Kitsun]

Can't Grimswarm sorcerers cast open implode too? I'm fairly certain I got the crap kicked out of me by one once.

[Kitsun]

implosion is fine l2p

Meh. Open implosion is fine under some conditions. Using it and wiping out other adventurers on a regular basis is a good way to get kicked in the nuts.

[Allereli]

Marni's never cared about anyone before. Best to just avoid any area where she is and save the headache

edit: wait, you're Marni? If I remember right Marni did that all the time to people.

[Asha]

I never use open implosion. Not even when I'm in the shit.
Although I know sometimes I could and save my ass, say when 8 ithzir have me in trouble, I can't be bothered with the whining casualties.

BUT if I'm being MA'd in PVP 435 --> 720 open.
That's my only exception.

[Fallen]

Open implosion has its uses, but you should cast it with the mindset (outside of warcamps and the like) that there is a real possibility that you can and will strike an unintended target. We were given these spells, we should be able to use them. Everyone's definition of "responsible usage" will differ.

[Tolwynn]

Wizards were given death cloud, stun cloud and firestorm, too, at least until everyone bitched enough.

[Mighty Nikkisaurus]

Wizards were given death cloud, stun cloud and firestorm, too, at least until everyone bitched enough.

And meteor swarm.

To this day I am yet to see when meteor swarm is allowed to be used without Andraste pulling up the wizard and threatening to swing the banhammer down on them.