I hate RNG mechs too but you should not be getting hit period and still being allowed to cast. At least above a certain amount of damage you should always be interupted instead of RNG at any damage.
You are asking to buff mage which instead needs a nerf.
So we at least agree on no RNG, that is good starting point, but why do you think magic should be a class which cannot be used if you ever get surprised by someone, or try to fight PvE enemies? Do you think mages should always just be in groups behind the enemy lines or on a mount running away hoping no arrow hits them?
Large point of mine was the solo play: All other playstyles are allowed to PvE on their own, a mage cannot (or can with MM but that can cause mobs to de-aggro, aggro when not wanted because of the long movement in one direction, also it is still hardly skill-based, just very slow and tidious). In dungeons where you don't get a mount it is impossible though, while good melee players could technically deal with even more than one enemy at a time, mages can't do anything against even one.
Or are you trying to argue that this game has no space for pure mages, that all mages should be forced to learn a weapon class and switch to that when in melee?
Also, I am NOT asking a buff or a nerf to mages, I want the core mechanics to be changed so that they favour SKILL over RNG, and allow for skilled players to play mage as solo as well as in group. I don't want to play a healer, I want to be a mage and I like exploration on my own. I don't need to be able to kill everyone in PvP, but a solo mage has no chance against most PvE mobs even because you literally won't be able to cast. And your solution is to guarantee that you won't be able to cast?
Why would it make sense that mages would become useless in melee, that they couldn't do anything while every other class can?
I have suggested even a "nerf" which would be to allow armor to reduce magic damage, to compensate for this increased reliability that I'm looking for as a mage.
Why would it not be okay for a mage to be able to click the correct side while in the "cast mode" (so no weapon drawn) to be able to "magically parry" attacks when timed correctly, like you can do with melee? Henrik even talked about allowing bows to do this, why not magic?
Why is it good gameplay that mages either need to be far away and cast stuff which goes through armor (and "hitscans" idk what that means it is quite easy to miss tbh, or you mean that the projectiles travel instantly? I'm not opposed to changing this if it means the mechanics become more reliable otherwise) but when approached in melee they become toddlers who cannot do anything with magic?
I propose a system where both win, it will become more options for non-mages to reduce magic damage, I'm not opposed to even giving melee players options to react in the correct time to somehow mitigate magic damage if needed, but mages really need a way to parry to somehow survive the melee time, they need somehow visible interruption bar and more reliable way to cast while they are being hit, as it makes no sense that they will just continuously fizzle until they die, literally no game does this (afaik).
The 4 directional combat system is interesting, if working properly, I could definitely see magic benefitting from that too or something similar, rather than just the current system. I don't have all the answers, but it is plain to see that what we do have is awful for everyone.