Pre NGE creature handler in SWG. Being able to go out into the wild and find baby animals to tame was exciting to me. Miss that class. Beastmaster was not the same and as fun.
My SWTOR referral link for those wanting to give the game a try. (Newbies get a welcome package while returning players get a few account upgrades to help with their preferred status.)
Beastmaster in FFXI. I just loved to be able to have such powerful pets and also the little frission of danger as you wonder if your pet would uncharm and turn on you.
It levelled with a bonus to stats that put it on par with a buffed up class*. It fought with a single one handed piercing weapon. It could self-heal and steal a target's stamina and it had a generally fun/flashy rotation of abilities for PVE.
Necromancer from Dark Age of Camelot
What made it unique
It summoned an undead creature through which most of its spells were cast which would effectively be its body, while the caster became an invincible shade If the undead creature/pet was slain, the necromancer came out of its invulnerable shade status with 5% of its HP and could be easily slain.
So you basically had no possible way to kill the caster until the pet was dead, but of course AI pathing was always an issue :P
*Buffs in Dark Age of Camelot being a special pathway that each realm's dedicated healer could spezialize in, there was only one class that could hand out buffs like this to other classes in each realm in DAoC.
Kobold Shaman (was best stats for shaman-able races until Frostalf came out, but I still like Kobbies better).
The ultimate all-around class IMO, even if you specced them highly on Cave or Augmentation, you still had decent heals, and depending on the split between Cave and Aug, you still have awesome buffs for the party (and yourself of course), good magic DPS, you could wear medium armor, AND you could use a cudgel/blunt weap.
I found no caveats with that class. Now it's making me want to play DAoC again... Maybe after my 2mo WoW game card is up.
EDIT: LOL the above poster beat me to DAoC!! Well played, sir/madam. Well played.
There are certain queer times and occasions in this strange mixed affair we call life when a man takes this whole universe for a vast practical joke, though the wit thereof he but dimly discerns, and more than suspects that the joke is at nobody's expense but his own. -- Herman Melville
My favorite class of all time is also from Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. The Black Ork.
I really liked the combo system, the 2H or sword n' board options, the PvP taunt/guards and ranged projectile blocking, of course everything about the look & feel - no one does Orks like Warhammer does.
You had a kick to the groin attack called "Right in Da Jibblies" - 'nuff said!
Crusader from Diablo 3 Reaper of Souls is pretty high up there, just everything the Paladin/Knight/Cleric/Crusader etc. archetype should be.
Valewalker and Animist from DAoC. The Valewalker was more or less a battlemage type of class, which I am a sucker for. The Animist was one of the most unique pet classes I have ever played, plus I am a sucker for "builder" classes with fire and forget mechanics.
I loved the Death Knight from WoW with the old talent system, when you more or less had to spec across multiple trees. Being able to DPS or Tank across all specs was extremely interesting.
Other than that, I also tend to really enjoy rogue/thief type classes. I remember playing my Lurikeen Nightshade in DAoC and playing the stealth game out in the frontier, especially during daytime hours where it was stealthers hunting each other.
Guess I should also add that I really enjoy warrior/healer type classes as well. Paladin templates tend to be my favorite. I don't like being a straight up healer, but if I can heal as I am performing other actions like attacking or debuffing/buffing then it's right up my alley.
As to the OP's question: I love debuffers that most. As to specific classes that stand out over time. CoX Masterminds will always be a remembered with great affection. Defenders were great too!
As a general class, I like Paladins (ala pnp dnd).
Kyleran: "Now there's the real trick, learning to accept and enjoy a game for what
it offers rather than pass on what might be a great playing experience
because it lacks a few features you prefer."
John Henry Newman: "A man would do nothing if he waited until he could do it so well that no one could find fault."
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Comments
EQ didn't have a beastmaster class it was called a Beastlord.
Sorry, it's been a decade or so.
Herald of Xotli from Age of Conan, loved the idea of a cloth wearing mage-like demon with a big a** sword
Vanguard Blood Mage and EQ1 Druid.
The bloodmage is the coolest vampire healer ever.
Something Awful this way comes.
Toss up between EQ Enchanter or EQ Bard.
Followed closely behind pretty much anything I build in DDO
Raquelis in various games
Played: Everything
Playing: Nioh 2, Civ6
Wants: The World
Anticipating: Everquest Next Crowfall, Pantheon, Elden Ring
Mastermind. (R.I.P City of Villains)
My SWTOR referral link for those wanting to give the game a try. (Newbies get a welcome package while returning players get a few account upgrades to help with their preferred status.)
https://www.ashesofcreation.com/ref/Callaron/
Wasn't bein funny mate you had me thinking for a min lol.
Vanguard Bloodmage was a great and unusual class, hopefully Brad and Co give us something similar in Patheaon.
I can't really pick a top one, but if I had to it'd be WoW BC Warrior. But really there's are 4-5 that I could choose depending on what I want to do.
1. WoW BC Warrior - back when you could switch stances mid fight and it did something, miss berserk stance
2. WoW Early Feral Druid - could both dps and tank, versatility ftw
3. GW2 Ranger - You have to try to actually kill yourself...it's OP if you ask me, by a lot lol.
4. AoC Bear Shaman - The first time I saw the fatalities from 2hand mace
Another hard to kill class
5. FFXI Beastlord - Another hard to kill class. The only class that could solo extremely easy.
Vampiir from Dark Age of Camelot,
What made it unique
It levelled with a bonus to stats that put it on par with a buffed up class*. It fought with a single one handed piercing weapon. It could self-heal and steal a target's stamina and it had a generally fun/flashy rotation of abilities for PVE.
Necromancer from Dark Age of Camelot
What made it unique
It summoned an undead creature through which most of its spells were cast which would effectively be its body, while the caster became an invincible shade If the undead creature/pet was slain, the necromancer came out of its invulnerable shade status with 5% of its HP and could be easily slain.
So you basically had no possible way to kill the caster until the pet was dead, but of course AI pathing was always an issue :P
*Buffs in Dark Age of Camelot being a special pathway that each realm's dedicated healer could spezialize in, there was only one class that could hand out buffs like this to other classes in each realm in DAoC.
Kobold Shaman (was best stats for shaman-able races until Frostalf came out, but I still like Kobbies better).
The ultimate all-around class IMO, even if you specced them highly on Cave or Augmentation, you still had decent heals, and depending on the split between Cave and Aug, you still have awesome buffs for the party (and yourself of course), good magic DPS, you could wear medium armor, AND you could use a cudgel/blunt weap.
I found no caveats with that class. Now it's making me want to play DAoC again... Maybe after my 2mo WoW game card is up.
EDIT: LOL the above poster beat me to DAoC!! Well played, sir/madam. Well played.
-iX
Necromancer in EQ1
Bard in Vanguard
Hunter in WoW
Black Mage in FFXI
City of Villians had the best classes in the mmo world. I loved the Corruptor.
Vanguard also had the best classes, personal favorite was the Disciple a Cleric/Monk
Any mmo worth its salt should be like a good prostitute when it comes to its game world- One hell of a faker, and a damn good shaker!
A few stand out for me...
The illusion controller from CoH.
The dirge from EQ2.
The tyrant from Lineage 2.
There are certain queer times and occasions in this strange mixed affair we call life when a man takes this whole universe for a vast practical joke, though the wit thereof he but dimly discerns, and more than suspects that the joke is at nobody's expense but his own.
-- Herman Melville
My favorite class of all time is also from Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. The Black Ork.
I really liked the combo system, the 2H or sword n' board options, the PvP taunt/guards and ranged projectile blocking, of course everything about the look & feel - no one does Orks like Warhammer does.
You had a kick to the groin attack called "Right in Da Jibblies" - 'nuff said!
Crusader from Diablo 3 Reaper of Souls is pretty high up there, just everything the Paladin/Knight/Cleric/Crusader etc. archetype should be.
Valewalker and Animist from DAoC. The Valewalker was more or less a battlemage type of class, which I am a sucker for. The Animist was one of the most unique pet classes I have ever played, plus I am a sucker for "builder" classes with fire and forget mechanics.
I loved the Death Knight from WoW with the old talent system, when you more or less had to spec across multiple trees. Being able to DPS or Tank across all specs was extremely interesting.
Other than that, I also tend to really enjoy rogue/thief type classes. I remember playing my Lurikeen Nightshade in DAoC and playing the stealth game out in the frontier, especially during daytime hours where it was stealthers hunting each other.
Guess I should also add that I really enjoy warrior/healer type classes as well. Paladin templates tend to be my favorite. I don't like being a straight up healer, but if I can heal as I am performing other actions like attacking or debuffing/buffing then it's right up my alley.
Teras Kasi from old Star Wars Galaxy was my favourite class by far. I have always liked unarmed classes, and it could take a real punch.
In beta, Blood Mage was by far the best class!
As to the OP's question: I love debuffers that most. As to specific classes that stand out over time. CoX Masterminds will always be a remembered with great affection. Defenders were great too!
As a general class, I like Paladins (ala pnp dnd).
Epic Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAigCvelkhQ&list=PLo9FRw1AkDuQLEz7Gvvaz3ideB2NpFtT1
https://archive.org/details/softwarelibrary_msdos?&sort=-downloads&page=1
Kyleran: "Now there's the real trick, learning to accept and enjoy a game for what it offers rather than pass on what might be a great playing experience because it lacks a few features you prefer."
John Henry Newman: "A man would do nothing if he waited until he could do it so well that no one could find fault."
FreddyNoNose: "A good game needs no defense; a bad game has no defense." "Easily digested content is just as easily forgotten."
LacedOpium: "So the question that begs to be asked is, if you are not interested in the game mechanics that define the MMORPG genre, then why are you playing an MMORPG?"