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What if current MMORPG's removed their class systems?
-Zeno-
Member CommonPosts: 1,298
Imagine if in World of Warcraft, ESO, Wild Star, and the many other EQ clones out there removed their class systems and allowed players to pick any skill combo? Example: limited to 8 normal skills active at any given time and allowing 1 ultimate skill like what Darkfall Unholy Wars just did.
How would you think that would change each games mechanics? How would you design your character? How easy would it be for dev's to balance these games?
The definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over expecting different results.
Comments
If they removed the actual classes there would be 3 cookie cutter builds... best tank, best healer and best dps. With Dungeon/Raid centric PvE games there is less diversity as people always want to top the meters.
Why should they even try to balance the game? So long as each player can potentially have different stats, gear, or abilities, there can never be balance. It's not about the number of classes, it's the fact that everyone is potentially different.
In the game of chess you have the same number of pieces and moves... it's balanced because both sides start out the same. Inbalance occurs once you start losing pieces. Unless you all want to wear the same gear, play the same class and have the same abilities, you're dream of balance is a pile of crap.
WoW and ESO have a lot of class flexibility.
WS is the one who should have had more variety in the classing system because its awfully limited.
With that said, removing class system from existing games wont change anything. Class flexibility doesnt work well if the rest of the game is crappy(mmos in general). Classless system or any other varied and more open system work well with similar varied gameplay mechanics. A generic world that revolves around boring quest hub to hub grind still kills any good features.
We can only hope future games stop doing the same mistakes and freaking evolve the character progression in pve once and for all.
You could create a points system and then the player can place those points in certain skills sets. Each skill could have tiers you unlock as you gain experience in that particular skill tree.
So say you get 250 total skill points. And you have these skill, we can call them "Professions". Each profession has different sub skills, maybe 4, and you apply those points as you unlock each level, like level I, II. III. IV. Each level will unlock new power sets, armor weapons etc. And if you unlock all 4 tiers you cash Master that profession. You could even do it with things like crafting. This would give the player total control of their character build, they could mix and match their 250 skills points however they want, truly making a unique character.
The definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over expecting different results.
There are plenty of games with asymmetric balance doing very well. Starcraft, League of Legends and DotA 2 are among the most well known right now.
Maybe you should check out some of them.
I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been -Wayne Gretzky
I agree with this. Trying to balance (homogenise) every class for 1v1 combat kills a game for me very quickly.
And chess is NOT totally balance. Only one guy get to go first.
Starcraft, LoL and DoTA2 are more balanced than chess. Why? Because everyone can pick ANY race, or heroes. If you think you are getting stiffed by picking Terran, don't .. you can always pick zerg or protoss. So from a meta point of view, it is 100% balanced.
...just like in UO, AC and EVE.
owait...
There isn't a "right" or "wrong" way to play, if you want to use a screwdriver to put nails into wood, have at it, simply don't complain when the guy next to you with the hammer is doing it much better and easier. - Allein
"Graphics are often supplied by Engines that (some) MMORPG's are built in" - Spuffyre
Can you explain what you mean?
It's a ridiculous statement but one that some people just won't give up on despite over fifteen years of proof to the contrary.
There isn't a "right" or "wrong" way to play, if you want to use a screwdriver to put nails into wood, have at it, simply don't complain when the guy next to you with the hammer is doing it much better and easier. - Allein
"Graphics are often supplied by Engines that (some) MMORPG's are built in" - Spuffyre
Because there are multiple ways you can go. There isn't 3 "best".
The definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over expecting different results.
"it would be a lot more MOBAish"
Never thought of it that way, but now that you mention it, I could definitely see something like that happening.
"how do you factor in tier set bonuses?"
Holy cow, could you imagine the raging when rolling on drops? BoP drops and rare drops would have to change. In their current state they would simply be tables waiting to be flipped.
There isn't a "right" or "wrong" way to play, if you want to use a screwdriver to put nails into wood, have at it, simply don't complain when the guy next to you with the hammer is doing it much better and easier. - Allein
"Graphics are often supplied by Engines that (some) MMORPG's are built in" - Spuffyre