MMORPG Showdown: Class-Based vs Skill-Based--Which Fits You Best? | MMORPG.com

System · November 7

MMORPG Showdown: Class-Based vs Skill-Based--Which Fits You Best? | MMORPG.com

I often feel there's a divide between gamers that really enjoy class-based games and skill-based games. If you're an MMO gamer, you likely have a preference, so, let's dig into the core of each system before you take to the mean streets of the forums to let us know which you prefer.

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Angrakhan · November 7

Class based because skill based is just class based with different lipstick on. Just because you move the XP bar to individual abilities instead of an overall class XP bar doesn't really change the fact there's still a meta and still a best combination of abilities for a given activity. Just bundle the most effective sets of abilities and call it a ... Class. Class based just eliminates the 50k bad combinations of abilities you can choose in lieu of at least giving you a direction of what is going to be effective in the game. I imagine it's also much easier to balance instead of hoping you find in testing all the broken unintentional synergies that break the game. Games that are truly skill based and let you max everything end up with horribly OP builds like the early TES games. You really don't want that in an MMO I promise. I'll also point out PoE 2 is going class based when PoE 1 is skill based even through you sorta pick a class in the beginning but not really. You should ponder why that is if skill based is better.

Slapshot1188 · November 7

Skill based because it's more natural to me. We don't fit into cookie cutter boxes in real life (no matter how some like to try and sort us). If I want to be a mage who happens to dabble in wilderness skills... why NOT?

Let me get good at something because I do it. If I chop wood I get better at chopping wood (and maybe some associated skills or attributes). Why should I suddenly get an ability to summon a demon pet because I spent my time casting fireball and "leveled up"? Makes no sense...

Skill atrophy takes care of being able to max everything...

I love it.

KnightFalz · November 7

Both work fine so I have no preference.

Theocritus · November 7

Class based and skills go up with use.....

Dattelis · November 7

I've always been a fan of how FF11/14 even Rift did things to a lesser degree, which is just letting you play a job (class) on a character but switch whenever you were in the mood. It always felt nice wanting to mix things up from time to time without essentially having the play the entire game over again just to experience a different class.

Aeander · November 7

Dual classes are the sweet spot

Alverant · November 7

Class based for computer games, skill based for TTRPGs.

Valdheim · November 7

I prefer class based with dual classes like in GW1/Rift or class based where you can switch classes on one character like in FFXIV. For me MMOs are all about class fantasy and for that I need 'classes'

goemoe · November 7

Always class based. True skill based is rare anyway, most are hidden under gear based stuff which is not so far from class based. Classes offer more fluff more canon to the games. Skill based tend to lead to weird metas hurting the soul of any 'R' in a rpg game. After lots of tested games I would never play a game 'because' it is skill based. If at all I would play it 'although' it is skill based but offers good stuff too.

Lithuanian · November 7

If Lotro, not mmorpg.com asks me - only class based.
Skill based: first, try these tens of thousands combinations to see which 2 actually work. Next, try thousands class tree combinations to see which 2 actually work. Then, browse through thousand equipment pieces to see which 10 would actually work on your level. Not to mention you may have to set-up your pet or mount skills.
Class based sound just honest: you are Mud-mage, so you use skills of Mud-mage and equipment of Mud-mage and in any shop you look for Mud-Mage option. Period.

Scot · November 7

I am happy with either but there is an elephant in this MMO room. Over the years the importance of class and skills has waned. Class and skills differentiate players and studios do not like the idea that a player may feel disadvantaged relative to other players for any reason.

So the importance of skills and the differentiation of class has been whittled away. That's why roles like trinity have gone, there is less crowd control and everyone heals. So whichever you prefer you will be getting less of it or it will be less meaningful to your play.

Maybe it is time for another one of those articles which ponders on why MMOs are not so popular now, it is a real mystery.

zyxxery · November 7

For me it comes to what gives me a great sense of identity as a player

Back in the day, games such as Ultima Online and as you said, SWG (pre NGE) were amazing as you had the flexibility to do what you wanted and were never truly locked into your decisions.

I want to feel as unique in the world as I do in real-life. For that reason I enjoy skill based much more, as often with class based systems, there's nothing apart from gear to differentiate me.

As MMO games become more 'casual' and more about the destination than the journey, it's getting harder to find a fit that reflects my playstyle!

olepi · November 7

I like both systems. Skill based is more fun *ONLY* if you can use all skills all the time. If you are limited to a subset of skills then it's just a class based system with perhaps more flexible classes.

I think Ryzom did it the best. Your character doesn't have a "level", it doesn't have a class. You level up skills one at a time and the level of the skill being used determines what level you are at while using it.

For example, let's say I am lvl 50 in healing and 100 in melee. If I'm with a group fighting lvl 50 creatures I will get good XP using my healing skill. If I used my lvl 100 melee skill the mobs would effectively be too low and we'd get no XP at all. So you are basically every level that you have a skill at.

edit: Slap said "Skill atrophy takes care of being able to max everything..."

Ryzom max level is 250 and there are dozens of skills. It takes a long time to max even one skill and many years to max them all.

Elidien_ga · November 7

As someone who cut their MMO teeth on EQ and DAOC, I prefer class based. When I think about my best MMO memories or back to those games, I think about the classes I played - Merc or Friar in DAOC, druid in EQ, shaman in WOW, etc... Thats what I enjoy. I feel like in MMO's its fun to have a role (off tank, buffer, etc...) and classes help fulfill that.

ShinyFlygon · November 7

I'm fine either way, as long as the progression is interesting, preferably with meaningful choices every step of the way.

What I hate most is level-based progression where there are no choices, and only the numbers get bigger. That's utterly meaningless fake progression because your enemies have bigger numbers as well.

Sovrath · November 7

Hard to say for me.

I really liked having a class in Lineage 2 because the classes were so recognizable and unique to each other and could work together.

In the elder scrolls games I like having a set of skills that imply a class but that I can change things up as I see fit.

Nanfoodle · November 7

Skill based combat has been tied to action combat. Like Tab target games don't take skill. Ashes of Creation makes a unique game space. You can play action combat and tab target in the same game. I see both sides killing each other equally in PvP.

losthewar · November 8

If it doesnt have pvp I wont play it

KnightFalz · November 8

Scot said:

I am happy with either but there is an elephant in this MMO room. Over the years the importance of class and skills has waned. Class and skills differentiate players and studios do not like the idea that a player may feel disadvantaged relative to other players for any reason.

So the importance of skills and the differentiation of class has been whittled away. That's why roles like trinity have gone, there is less crowd control and everyone heals. So whichever you prefer you will be getting less of it or it will be less meaningful to your play.

Maybe it is time for another one of those articles which ponders on why MMOs are not so popular now, it is a real mystery.

While every character in ESO can have some ability to self-heal only those built around healing others can support groups in difficult content. You can't tank well for groups in such content without building your character for that role either.

You get what you build for to the degree you build for it.

KnightFalz · November 8

Nanfoodle said:

Skill based combat has been tied to action combat. Like Tab target games don't take skill. Ashes of Creation makes a unique game space. You can play action combat and tab target in the same game. I see both sides killing each other equally in PvP.

I feel both are skill based but in different ways. For myself having dozens of abilities to use with some on long cooldowns that are especially important to push at particular times but largely wasted outside of that is challenging. I'm much better able to handle games with fewer abilities that I can use more frequently. The means of targeting isn't the key factor in my case.

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