Best class system can only be judged by how it works with the game it exists in. Different systems are good for different things. I once preferred an open skill systems but have since preferred a pure class system because of the strengths it provides. Classes enforce variation, identity and lore.
Classes can tie directly into lore and also have skills shared or restricted to others. The best of both worlds can be combined but how they enforce the concept of the game they reside in is key. Daoc would not exist how it does if classes were mirrored. I have found skill systems offered little for the identity of a game other than a mechanism to force players to obtain every skill as means of retention. Once done each player merely picks the most powerful combinations and most skills are rarely used again (tank mages which take over most skill system games).
Classes, although needing to be extensively developed to also allow retention of interest, provide the boundaries required to maintain identity and offer difference in play style. Even so they are only as good as game they reside and this game must allow the differences between classes to have a reason to exist (in mmorpg terms this means more rock, paper scissors and not everyone having nearly all the same capability. Wow started out as rock, paper, scissors but this vanished with later arena balancing).
Ultimately though, a game may be better off with skills over classes or other combinations if it works with that game. For more classic style mmos I greatly prefer the more classic class structure because identity, lore and role are paramount or the game dissolves (like Wow did). The class concept must enhance the concept of the game and not simply be a mechanism to get players to get more skills like TSW where you have an otherwise interesting game made "blaaaah" because of a mess of a combat and skills system where getting all skills is the objective instead of simply being allowed to play a concept you wanted ... which is likely negated by other powerful skill combos anyway.
I really liked the lineage 2 classic class system:
40 classes, and once you chose you're class, you had access to learn all skills from that class (there was no tree line skills). Once you hit level 75, you were able to start another sub class to switch between the two classes (so essentially you didn't have to reroll).
For example, humans, elfs, and dark elfs could have archer type classes. But any race was able to sub class:
I agree that was a great game but I'm pretty sure they do have skill trees.
"We all do the best we can based on life experience, point of view, and our ability to believe in ourselves." - Naropa "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." SR Covey
FFXI. Not only did we have a lot of classes but we also had subclasses and everything could be leveled on one character. This made knowing everyone on your server easier as your main name stuck with you and your reputation.
I liked the simplicity and depth. 5 Archetypes: Blaster (range damage), Controller (crowd control), Defender (healer/buffer/debuffer), Scrapper (melee damage), and Tank (damage soak). City orf Villains added even more archetypes for villains. Within those archetypes you have 5 to 7 powersets. You choose a major powerset and minor powerset, making an excellent variety in the archetypes. The customization went further with the addition of enhancements that you used to slot/upgrade your powers. These enhancements were dropped as rewards throughout your adventures. Many players went the min/max route, which this system allowed, but if you wanted "different", you could be.
I really liked the lineage 2 classic class system:
40 classes, and once you chose you're class, you had access to learn all skills from that class (there was no tree line skills). Once you hit level 75, you were able to start another sub class to switch between the two classes (so essentially you didn't have to reroll).
For example, humans, elfs, and dark elfs could have archer type classes. But any race was able to sub class:
I agree that was a great game but I'm pretty sure they do have skill trees.
I was just getting ready to post Lineage 2 as my favorite. I love systems where your class can evolve into another.
I always preferred role heavy systems with focus on tactical coop mechanics. With that in mind, Everquest 1 has no competition. Some newer games would include Neverwinter that as one of the few has managed to make tactical action combat with no targeting, but included coop mechanics (roles) such as healing, tanking, crowd control.
The class systems I do no enjoy are the solo centric "all are damage dealers" - Even if some of them have other qualities, if is generally not enough to make them interesting to me.
This is my take also but it sure made for some interesting times on the PVP server
“It's unwise to pay too much, but it's worse to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a little money - that's all. When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do. The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot - it can't be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run, and if you do that you will have enough to pay for something better.”
Probably LOTRO. Every class worked solo but they also worked really well in a typical group dynamic. Plus the classes themselves were pretty unique.
My minstrel was badass with his hobbit screams.
That's interesting. I fiddled about with the beginning of LotR but never got far. Working solo AND well together in a group is a major factor for my tastes.
At current, the front runners seem to be SWG, FF11, CoH, EQ, UO, and Rift (all ranging between 8-13 cast opinions).. Very interesting data.. Some I definitely expected to be in the running, but a few I am very surprised to see make it (or not make it in a few cases)..
..because we're gamers, damn it!! - William Massachusetts (Log Horizon)
At current, the front runners seem to be SWG, FF11, CoH, EQ, UO, and Rift (all ranging between 8-13 cast opinions).. Very interesting data.. Some I definitely expected to be in the running, but a few I am very surprised to see make it (or not make it in a few cases)..
Notice most of those are older titles. Diversity of classes hasnt really been a thing for quite a while.
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
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Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
EQ1 and FFXI, two games with so many unique and different classes/jobs. Love these two games to death. Reasons? People on the pages ahead of me explained it way better than i can.
I also really enjoyed the way EQ2 was doing their classes and advance classes until they basically dumbed it down but still after that, the classes all felt different. It felt like i was playing something totally different with every class i chose.
Loved Lineage II (pre Goddess of Destruction) for the massive diversity of classes. Some pure support (healer, buffer), some pure tank, some pure DPS and some screwed like hell (dwarfs mostly) because of the classes being extremely unbalanced.
If talking about classless systems, I'd say The Secret World. You can basically make your character 100% like you want it to be. But truth be told, the cookie-cutter builds are the ones you'd prolly see the most
DAoC had a lot of classes with a range of diversity, of course some were better than others. Between the 3 realms there were around 40 classes though.
Lotro had some of the best class design I've seen in a game. So many classes did such a wide range of things and taking advantage of all of a classes potential was challenging in a lot of cases. I played burglar and warden mainly (some loremaster as well) and they were tremendously fun to play once I became proficient.
Guild Wars one's system was seemingly simple (class + subclass, 8 skills total), but the limitations imposed along with the sheer volume of skills made creating builds tremendously rewarding.
UO simply gave players the freedom to create anything they wanted within the limitation of 700 skill points and all of the available skills in the game.
I really enjoyed all of these systems quite a bit. Not sure I could pick a single favorite but these are probably my collective favorites.
Dungeons and Dragons Online (because it was so deep/flexible and felt a lot like the actual pnp game). ESO because of the incredible flexibility and skill-based approach. GW2 because you can quickly and easily change between specs/builds, making theorycrafting a lot of fun.
Comments
Classes can tie directly into lore and also have skills shared or restricted to others. The best of both worlds can be combined but how they enforce the concept of the game they reside in is key. Daoc would not exist how it does if classes were mirrored. I have found skill systems offered little for the identity of a game other than a mechanism to force players to obtain every skill as means of retention. Once done each player merely picks the most powerful combinations and most skills are rarely used again (tank mages which take over most skill system games).
Classes, although needing to be extensively developed to also allow retention of interest, provide the boundaries required to maintain identity and offer difference in play style. Even so they are only as good as game they reside and this game must allow the differences between classes to have a reason to exist (in mmorpg terms this means more rock, paper scissors and not everyone having nearly all the same capability. Wow started out as rock, paper, scissors but this vanished with later arena balancing).
Ultimately though, a game may be better off with skills over classes or other combinations if it works with that game. For more classic style mmos I greatly prefer the more classic class structure because identity, lore and role are paramount or the game dissolves (like Wow did). The class concept must enhance the concept of the game and not simply be a mechanism to get players to get more skills like TSW where you have an otherwise interesting game made "blaaaah" because of a mess of a combat and skills system where getting all skills is the objective instead of simply being allowed to play a concept you wanted ... which is likely negated by other powerful skill combos anyway.
You stay sassy!
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City of Heroes/Villains for class-ic systems.
Open skill systems otherwise, though it should probably include a skill cap so that everyone isn't an uber fighter/mage/crafter.
If you are holding out for the perfect game, the only game you play will be the waiting one.
"We all do the best we can based on life experience, point of view, and our ability to believe in ourselves." - Naropa "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." SR Covey
I liked the simplicity and depth. 5 Archetypes: Blaster (range damage), Controller (crowd control), Defender (healer/buffer/debuffer), Scrapper (melee damage), and Tank (damage soak). City orf Villains added even more archetypes for villains. Within those archetypes you have 5 to 7 powersets. You choose a major powerset and minor powerset, making an excellent variety in the archetypes. The customization went further with the addition of enhancements that you used to slot/upgrade your powers. These enhancements were dropped as rewards throughout your adventures. Many players went the min/max route, which this system allowed, but if you wanted "different", you could be.
Simple, yet elegant, I think.
VG
Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.
I was just getting ready to post Lineage 2 as my favorite. I love systems where your class can evolve into another.
My minstrel was badass with his hobbit screams.
--John Ruskin
VG
..because we're gamers, damn it!! - William Massachusetts (Log Horizon)
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Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
I also really enjoyed the way EQ2 was doing their classes and advance classes until they basically dumbed it down but still after that, the classes all felt different. It felt like i was playing something totally different with every class i chose.
If talking about classless systems, I'd say The Secret World. You can basically make your character 100% like you want it to be. But truth be told, the cookie-cutter builds are the ones you'd prolly see the most
Lotro had some of the best class design I've seen in a game. So many classes did such a wide range of things and taking advantage of all of a classes potential was challenging in a lot of cases. I played burglar and warden mainly (some loremaster as well) and they were tremendously fun to play once I became proficient.
Guild Wars one's system was seemingly simple (class + subclass, 8 skills total), but the limitations imposed along with the sheer volume of skills made creating builds tremendously rewarding.
UO simply gave players the freedom to create anything they wanted within the limitation of 700 skill points and all of the available skills in the game.
I really enjoyed all of these systems quite a bit. Not sure I could pick a single favorite but these are probably my collective favorites.
ESO because of the incredible flexibility and skill-based approach.
GW2 because you can quickly and easily change between specs/builds, making theorycrafting a lot of fun.