Does certain class fantasy tropes/certain class gameplay matter to you?

Eronakis · December 2023

For one aspect of deciding to play an mmorpg, does certain class fantasy/certain class gameplay matter to you?

Essentially, in class selection most designers go with the foundational tropes for class choice. IE: rogue types, magic types that have pets, magic direct damage over magic damage over time, same for healing. Stuff of that nature.

When class design doesn't necessarily have the traditional fantasy tropes/class gameplay, does that deter you away from playing? For me, I typically play the wizard trope, glass cannon. If an mmo doesn't have that as a class choice, I am more cautious to play it. Depending on how magic classes are designed I'd give it a try. I am in the middle ground. I don't rule it out completely.

What about you?

What specific class trope do you play and would like to have?

If that specific class trope is not accessible in class selection for the game, would that deter you away from playing?

(This discussion is about classes, not non class sandbox games)

cheyane · December 2023

I think I need a class I can play more than a type but more often than not I tend to gravitate towards pet classes. More so in action games because I find I am too terrible at the controls without pets to help buffer my terribly skill. However in games where I can navigate the game and find I can manage the combat I tend to try out more classes.

So I would not say I need the class to conform to some older standard or requirement but rather I need to be able to play the game in the first place before I look at the other classes. Take PSO2 I can only manage a summoner in that game. Every other class was too hard for me.

However in Undecember I had a small platoon of alts I enjoyed. In wow I have played every class and often in each faction too. Everquest 2 I had a legion of alts. City of Heroes don't ask don't tell is my answer because the number is quite high.

Sovrath · December 2023

For me it depends on how the classes play. While I prefer spell casters (I don’t particularly like sci-fi or westerns, etc) if I don’t like how they play I’ll play something else or even just pass on the game.

Setting is also important. Why I can’t get into New World.

mekhere · December 2023

Eronakis said:

For one aspect of deciding to play an mmorpg, does certain class fantasy/certain class gameplay matter to you?

Essentially, in class selection most designers go with the foundational tropes for class choice. IE: rogue types, magic types that have pets, magic direct damage over magic damage over time, same for healing. Stuff of that nature.

When class design doesn't necessarily have the traditional fantasy tropes/class gameplay, does that deter you away from playing? For me, I typically play the wizard trope, glass cannon. If an mmo doesn't have that as a class choice, I am more cautious to play it. Depending on how magic classes are designed I'd give it a try. I am in the middle ground. I don't rule it out completely.

What about you?

What specific class trope do you play and would like to have?

If that specific class trope is not accessible in class selection for the game, would that deter you away from playing?

(This discussion is about classes, not non class sandbox games)

It deters me to a degree. I love tradition. Don't get me wrong though, I do love to try new things. I keep an open mind and do try to play out of the ordinary mechanics. I find it fun.

[Deleted User] · December 2023

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Brainy · December 2023

Eronakis said:

For one aspect of deciding to play an mmorpg, does certain class fantasy/certain class gameplay matter to you?

Essentially, in class selection most designers go with the foundational tropes for class choice. IE: rogue types, magic types that have pets, magic direct damage over magic damage over time, same for healing. Stuff of that nature.

When class design doesn't necessarily have the traditional fantasy tropes/class gameplay, does that deter you away from playing? For me, I typically play the wizard trope, glass cannon. If an mmo doesn't have that as a class choice, I am more cautious to play it. Depending on how magic classes are designed I'd give it a try. I am in the middle ground. I don't rule it out completely.

What about you?

What specific class trope do you play and would like to have?

If that specific class trope is not accessible in class selection for the game, would that deter you away from playing?

(This discussion is about classes, not non class sandbox games)

I like playing traditional healers and wizards.
If either of these options have a pet class that is better than the traditional class, I probably wont play it. I am not going to be forced into a Pet class in order to compete.

Dots vs direct damage, I am cool with either but prefer a mix. I remember playing both an Eldritch and a Mentalist in DAOC, both were fun to me, but my Midgard Healer was my fav.

If they dont have healers/mages at all, yeah probably has a huge negative, not saying I wont play, but unlikely to play.

Gorwe · December 2023

All that matters to me is that they play differently and that they are all viable. Under these conditions, the more the merrier. But those conditions are paramount.

[Deleted User] · July 16

The user and all related content has been deleted.

Dibdabs · July 16

If it has a Necromancer class, I'll play it.

Nebless · July 21

Not really, for me it's more about the games setting and if I like that than I can adapt to whatever class looks good.

I usually do ranged or fighters.

cameltosis · July 21

For me, gameplay is king. I generally try to find the class with the most depth, as that means that class will keep me entertained for the longest. A class with depth is also generally hard to play, so there are not that many people who can play it well.

That said, not many RPGs have much depth to their classes, so the artistic style / trope is fairly important!

My first preference is for the heaviest armour possible. Full plate is best, with added spikey bits. And yes, I do love oversized shoulder pads!

I generally pair this with a 1h weapon (pref axe) and shield. But, this is mostly so that I can test out the full melee mechanics of an RPG. I can test block, parry, evade, by having a shield. I can see if the game respects those choices. For example, Elden Ring did not respect that choice: blocking was functionally useless in virtually all boss fight i did in that game.

My real preference for weapons is 2handed halberds and spears. This really comes from LotRO, I loved my captain! But I also think a long hafted weapon has some real advantages. Shoutout to Brandon Sanderson and his character Kaladin in the Stormlight Archives, best spear-wielding fighter I've come across in a book. Sadly, RPGs rarely have good 2h spears and halberds, and rarely have good moves for them when they do exist.

Angrakhan · July 21

I will say I always side eye these games that claim they are classless and you can build whatever you want. You think that ok you'll just build a plate wearing mage with healing and solo the whole game. That's never the case. They always separate the stats for each role forcing you to specialize. You can see this in New World. You want to do high melee damage you have to stack strength. If you want to do high magic damage it's intelligence. Healing is Focus. Tanking is Constitution. Thus, if you want to try and be the fireball casting tank that can self heal you're going to have to split your stats and end up sucking at all three. So in spite of New World allegedly not having any classes it in fact does have classes and they're driven primarily upon which stat you choose to stack. Project Ascension which is "classless WoW" is the exact same. Build your own custom class but you have to pick what stat to stack which will in turn drive your role and what you will be effective at.

It's funny to me that no matter how hard we try to get away from classes what ends up happening is we just put different lipstick on the same pig and pat ourselves on the back and claim a game is classless when it isn't. To truly be classless means creating completely OP classes that wipe the floor with anything in the game. Case in point go play the original Daggerfall elder scrolls game where you could be the plate wearing mage that heals and can stealth and backstab with a 2h sword. It was silly and ultimately boring.

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Does certain class fantasy tropes/certain class gameplay matter to you?

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Does certain class fantasy tropes/certain class gameplay matter to you?

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