Need advice on playing a wizard

[BrickleberryPi]

So, having restarted a wizard 3 times, I'm a bit puzzled by the spell effects, AoE types, and general distribution of spells for the wizard. Admittedly, I'm new to CRPGs that have a strong DnD influence and I just dived in without doing a bit of research first (yes, it was a dumb move on my part). 

 

A bit of background: I tend to play spellcasters in most western/online RPGs as I do enjoy standing back and throwing direct damage spells at enemies. Having restarted 3 times, I can't help but get a feeling that I'm approaching the class wrong.

 

I know that some RPGs classify debilitation and attrition typically as some sort of "dark art" and is usually attached to terms such as "necromancer" or "thaumaturge" while direct damage casters could be labeled "mages" or "elementalists" or even "wizards." As for other types of magic classes and other roles, I did recognize priests as the "support/buff/potential solo machine," and chanters are more utility based which are basically the standard RPG "bard." Druids are basically the shape shifting melee spell oriented classes with a slew of nature based magic up their sleeves (damage, and debilitation mostly). Ciphers are oddly like a magic assassin? But what about the wizard's specific role?

 

From what I read about the spells, the wizard can CC, debilitate (debuff), self buff, cast ranged spells, point blank ("touch") spells, cones, bouncing spells, and many other things. Some of these spell types are just puzzling. Aren't touch based spells more suitable for more melee oriented caster classes EG: Druids?

 

So is the class supposed to be played as a jack of all trades caster? If so, then are there ranged spell damage dealing classes? If not, how should I approach the wizard?