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Mandatory class popularity thread.
Santiak
Member Posts: 130
Heyho folks.
So, in a bid to get a bit more activity going on forums - seeing as it also serves as an outward image of community activity, regardless of how active we may be in our little IRC cave - I thought I'd do the nigh mandatory, but always interesting "What class do you plan on playing?" poll.
Now, exactly how class selection will work, is something we're still not entirely clear on. It may be an active player choice upon joining in, or it may be an organic selection-process based on player mission preference and ability. Either way, if not the former, then what class do you hope you'll get?
For the sake of getting a somewhat clearer distribution, as I suspect alot of us are teetering between two classes, I've opted to include the two main "either/or" groupings, so even if you are not entirely sure, we can still get a rough indication of what class distribution we might be looking at.
Also, feel free to "justify" your choice - as for those yet to decide, any ruminations you might have could be helpful.
Briefly on classes: (In alphabetical order)
Note: Primary Skills are skills set at level 5. Secondary Skills are skills set at level 3 or 4, Tertiary Skills are skills at level 2.
- Main Objectives: Finding Rupture sites, dealing with virtual leaks.
- Primary Skill(s): Code Breaking and Puzzle Solving, Online Research and Analysis
- Secondary Skill(s): Companion App
- Tertiary Skill(s): Real-World Knowledge
- Main Objectives: Finding Rupture sites, site investigation.
- Primary Skill(s): Real-World Knowledge
- Secondary Skill(s): Online Research and Analysis, Community Leadership
- Tertiary Skill(s): Code Breaking and Puzzle Solving.
- Main Objectives: Dealing with physical leaks.
- Primary Skill(s): Tactical Skill (APM), Companion App
- Secondary Skill(s): --
- Tertiary Skill(s): Online Research and Analysis, Real-World Knowledge
- Main Objectives: Securing Rupture sites, dealing with physical security breaches.
- Primary Skill(s): Tactical Skill (APM)
- Secondary Skill(s): Companion App
- Tertiary Skill(s): Community Leadership
Comments
Well then, might as well explain my own choice.
Went with Scientist. While I do like Code Breaking and Puzzle Solving (CBPS) and Online Research and Analysis (ORA) aspects of the Cybertech, which one might consider the "arche-typical ARG" class, I felt that Scientist was, perhaps, more up my alley, with the initial focus on Real-World Knowledge.
However, I'm also looking forward to seeing the possibility of "Advanced classes" - i.e. the evolution from a basic class into a new type of class, based on player performance and activity - for example a Scientist doing a lot of Tactical Skill mission being promoted to "Major". As such, I felt it would, perhaps, be a bit shame if not all then most of my favourite skills were maxed out from the get-go.
The other side of things, is the Companion App and Community Leadership. In the grand scheme of things, the Companion App is not the main pull for me. By all means, I'll quite likely make good use of it, but not to such a degree that I'd want my experience to be focused around it - that, of course, always leaves room for improving that skill as well.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the types of missions I suspect a Scientist would come across the most, are the ones I tend to enjoy the most in ARGs.
Oh, and it might be my Humanities centered study that's also coming to bear, but oh well.
On a final note, from a purely RP perspective, I do enjoy the "Scientist"-archetype. Moreso than I'd enjoy the archetypes I connect with the other classes, which of course are just my personal bias.
I have, after all, always been rooting for Dr. Daniel Jackson - than either Sam (Cybertech?), Teal'c (Sniper?) or O'Neill (two L's, Soldier?), since I first got introduced to Stargate.
Chose Cybertech or Scientist because I love the puzzle and analysis aspect of the game.
I still lean towards sniper though because I just love snipers in other games! will have to see how they actually work in order to figure out the final choice
I am a scientist, through and through. I can do the research and have a whole bunch of not-yet-useful real world knowledge stored up from various pub quizzes and past ARGs (Oblomov! The Bilderburg group! Ogallala!)
The kind of code-breaking that have happened in past ARGs though (UNIX Commands?) is just beyond me at the moment. I'm not very familiar with programming stuff. Guess it's a good time to learn!
A.K.A. nikel
I'll definitely go for the Cybertech. I love breaking codes
, plus the Cybertech Black Hat power up is calling to me xD
And maybe, thanks to the advance class system, I'll try to go hybrid, like Cybertech + Soldier or Cybertech + Sniper (Cyber-Threat Countermeasure Agent?), I love tech and codes but I also like some action :P
Why so few soldiers? Makes want to be one just for the sake of making sure we have enough.
Scientist or Cybertech. Very split between these two.
I'd probably go with soldier with a side of sniper or cybertech.
I guess we have to work on the soldier to make this classes more appealing. Clearly it's trailing behind the others. I think people don't realized that as a Soldier and Sniper, you have access to military equipment that you don't have as another class, mostly the Drone combat mode.
Source: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/258253359855959749/
Sniper have stealth drone aiming at specific target elimination while soldier have long range bomber drone and the most high end DPS stuff. Drone mission use MOBA style keyboard system (1-4 spell) with APM. They also are the first to used research weapon created with the generation engine and can have quite heroic role holding the line when the rest of the community try to claim a rupture site.
That said, I do understand that many of the TSW players who are interested in TBW are not moba / combat or even pvp oriented.
Finally got my pledges put forward, so psyched for this. Hope it happens.
Welp, that changes things up a bit - for me, anyway. A lot more "pull" from those two classes now, for me.
On a slight side-note, it might be worth considering whether or not you should do a short "showcasing" of how each class plays; how will DPS factor into an ARG? How long-range is long-range - do Soldiers still have to go out into the field to deploy drones? Does claiming a rupture site absolutely necessitate being out in the real-world as a Soldier, which would make them dependent on relative mission activity in their area, or do they operate just as much via the Hub as the other classes, deploying drones and the like from there - possibly with "more powerful" drone variations available if they can manage to get to the spot physically?
Either way, I think elaborating a bit more on how each classes roles actually come to bear, is at least half the battle of bringing Soldiers up to par.
Will it require an internet connection and/or GPS service to use when out and about? I'm assuming at least the latter if it's a "take with you and activate in the field" sort of game, much like a few ARGs currently available on various app-stores. However, there are certain apps (like Zombies, Run for example) which utilise a wi-fi connection to first download necessary data (storing maps, etc.) before simply activating GPS in the field (which then works without an internet connection). Some apps that use an internet connection on the other hand simply store the new data before uploading it/downloading new data when you connect.
The wifi/gps isn't necessarily a problem (at least for me), but for some of us, things like 3G and 4G (cellular data in general, really) are a little pricey to be using for much longer than a minute at a time.
Originally posted by laokoko
"if you want to be a game designer, you should sell your house and fund your game. Since if you won't even fund your own game, no one will".
I'd love to do a mission like this, like a Soldier/Scientist/Cybertech escort quest, the Soldier keeping an eye on the surroundings while the Scientist/CT performs quick tests on a possible rupture site.
It's just a shame I live in such a remote part of the UK. :P
Hrm... With tentacles like that...
I bet I could program one of those suckers to go out and fetch beer... I'll take two!
The crowd who's active on the forums and IRC right now is also a rather small sample size to judge by (a whopping 35 of 1,192 as I write this), and I suspect we may not be entirely representative of the overall playerbase. Those of us currently making noise seem to be (not surprisingly) largely made up of ARG veterans and/or people naturally given to dissecting ideas, proposals, possible futures, and general improbable speculation (since, well, that & trying to level up our Fund Raising are really the only areas of play available so far) - in either case, probably more inclined towards the traditionally ARGy scientist/cybertech roles.
Of course, that does nothing at all to explain the popularity Sniper is showing... but, rather than coming up with a theory that actually fits the data, I'm just going to ascribe that to the fact that snipers, like ninjas, pirates, and dinosaurs, are inherently cool & call it a day. Especially ninja pirate dinosaur snipers.
Personally I spent a while on the fence between Cybertech and Scientist, but, as an ex-sysadmin (of the two-fisted BOFH variety, specifically), I figure I'm both better equipped to aim for Black Hat and very, very poorly equipped for community leadership.
-Bats
(If I decide on a sudden class change to Sniper, it's probably a result of too much of that 'community' stuff. But don't worry - it'll be friendly fire. Very friendly.)
EDIT: Is it wrong of me to feel vaguely offended every time the forum tells me "Your post has been been flagged as possible spam"?
^..^
Scientist: Site Investigation - Boom, done! that's where they had me.
I too would like to know more about the advanced classes... I like the idea of field work as a scientist, but not some stuffy labcoat wearing recluse. If I had to design a class, I would go this:
Primary: Real World Knowledge
Secondary: Tactical Skill, Companion App
Tertiary: ORA, Community Leadership
Where's that class?
Maybe a fifth "Field Researcher" class? XD
Edit: This will be my first ARG, and I'm super excited for it, I'm trying to recruit my wife and some friends as well, though it seems slow in coming on that account, but I'm an experienced roleplayer of 15 or so years, so it should be relatively easy to get into the groove of things... I like the scientist class, but I'm crap at ciphers... absolute crap... I couldn't work out the puzzle on a box where all you had to do was select a single 0 or 1 to open it, I'm that bad...
That being said, I think it would be nice to actually be able to build a class that suits your personality and/or play style... I'm all about going and doing some field missions, and in general enjoy front line support characters overall, and there doesn't seem to be a real solid class to cater to that...
I'll stick with scientist for now, though... XD
"Advanced classes" are, for the moment being, mostly concepts. On top of that, they are "player-driven concepts", if such a thing makes sense.
For "Adv. Class X" to become a reality, someone among the players will have to pioneer it; for example by being a Scientist, but making extensive use of both the Compaion App and Tactical Skill, making HE go "Hey, this person's created a niche with this focus.", or merely "That player really needs some acknowledgement for that".
If you're the first, they may take the fact that it was you who "pioneered" the class into account, and look into your likes and dislikes, and perhaps decide a name and backstory that seems fitting to your tastes?
If you're not the first, you're "merely" offered the oppertunity to promote to the "Adv. Class X", along with the benefits that it might bring. Who knows, perhaps a "Field Researcher" has access to a Scientific drone, sweeping a possible Rupture site, to possible work towards new and better ways of discovering rifts faster - in the long run - as well as acting as a "mobile research station", so to speak.
O.O!
This!
I'll be working on this from day one.