okay but you are kind of ignoring my previous point. Swords might as well be better then guns due to them literally being faster then guns.
Realistically swords are weak but when skills like flash strike can be cast you really don’t need guns for range and damage.
There is still magic in the body so slight buff
For the common pirate, bandit, etc etc yeah a sword is probably better.
A mage or something? Get the black powder out
Magic Energy from what we see can actively increase and passively change durability, lifespan, etc
If swords are literally better than guns in every single way you can think of then why do you think muskets and flintlocks were invented in the first place??? Do you think a guy went “Aha what if i put some gunpowder into this pipe and shove a stone into it!!! Its will be far weaker than a regular sword that everyone has but im going to invent it anyway and give it to literally everyone!!”
Vetex says otherwise. 
. Peak AO humans = Peak IRL humans. The difference is some humans are older and can shoot fire
We have different interpretations of the same statement
Vetex literally states ao = irl humans in physical feats. It’s not a debate just a fact. Magic is cool yeah but it’s not making you physically stronger. A metal wall can likely block bullets sure but that’s not a physical feat. It’s a magic feat
I’m confused, what are we debating?
are you suggesting that guns are better at taking out mages? Cuz thats likely not gonna be true unless the magic in question hits like a wet towel.
Literally all magic have an amount of destruction except like light but let’s be real you aren’t shooting down a light mage before he shoots you down. so It only takes a viel of magic to block bullets unless you actually have magic energy behind that but even then you wouldn’t be fast enough against all the crazy spells the mage can throw at you quickly.
Sword slashes and moves are far easier to avoid than a gunshot, let me tell you that. And im pretty sure a shot from a regular musket is far stronger than a beginner level air slash (How the fuck do they do this in the first place? Do you just get 10 times faster when you give yourself a katana? If it has anything to with magic then a musket is better though!!)
Let’s say regular solider had to fight a mage. Let’s say fire magic cause it’s a basic one. Is him running towards the mage better or
Pulling out a gun blasting their brains out while they charge a spell better?
Humans in Ao most likely subconsciously and consciously control the magic energy in their body to improve their durability, strength and etc
This is also the superiority of the gun, when that fire mage is halfway through spelling “Fire Magic: Epic Greatsword” you just point your little rifle right at that giant shining little target that your opponent just created
Probably a gun, but let’s be real. Vetex literally said that if people don’t have magic then they probably won’t go out to sea (Which is basically any form of combat rank like being a hero, villain or a soldier)
If we assume based on new lore ideas that magic energy has other applications like being able to be put in strength then literally all soldiers must have potential to be stronger in the future to be accepted in to the army
HOWEVER, Let’s assume the few weaklings we do fight that can’t cast skills are at their peak potential and did not have much energy potential at birth.
That would just mean that Ravenna and other kingdoms do allow anyone really to get in and their future potential in the future is always unknown.
Then it would be kind of embarrassing if a kingdom had to assign “Weak Soldiers” in their ranks and treat them differently and having to make production lines for those people separately so it would probably be better to treat all soldiers the same anyways.
Also I doubt a regular human with weak potential will be able to track a mage’s movement with air dashes and walls even if he had a gun. This isn’t Gotham street.
Guns do at max 600 HP but that is using magic traces skillfully at normal strength barely 70 damage
Main reason as I see is that Vetex just neglects guns in general. Most still have just 2 skills, with one having a lazily thrown together mode, their hitboxes are complete garbage (like the grab moves will fully phase through grabbable enemies even on a good server), long range attacks around 130 meters don’t even register either due to a bug or bad game design, and there are 0 unique or rare skills for guns. At least we got swiftshot which is the highest range multiplier musket to date but again, sniping is bugged! 
Edit: Oh wait no plunderers having a shorter range lazily put together piercing shot duplicate.
If we look at what the average criminal in AO is doing. It’s not much. Mages are all ready rare in AO and that’s assuming you get a useful and not something like… enchanting. Saying every criminal or most are mages is unlikely and even then if they were. Shoot them. If they’re a mage they have to yell their skills out. If they don’t have magic which most don’t then yeah use a sword. Dont waste the money on Ammo and powder on a dude who just swings a sword.
Everyone can use Magic traces to enhance attacks
Also… I mean… Marina misses a clean shot at you.. and she’s a experienced captain. I doubt you can just treat a random weakling soldier like he’s the marksman of the century. Bro will probably die in war before he get’s the chance to get that good.
btw the navy exclusively uses guns for their navy men and they barely do any damage to you because your character is magically enhanced. This also suggests that regular guns wouldn’t damage mages even if you did hit them cuz you’d need to have energy armament.
If we consider that regeneration is a magical aspect (would make sense) then magically active people can naturally regenrate from non-lethal or infectious statuses.