What are the must-have classes for a new MMO?

[Deleted]

The only must have imo is much freedom of choice and customization. It's harder to balance, but more fun, which is much more important to me at least.

[Zapgreen]

I thought SWTOR had a pretty cool setup.

Melee Tank
Ranged Tank
Melee Physical DPS
Ranged Physical DPS
Melee Spell DPS
Ranged Spell DPS
Healer

But My all time favorite class setup was EQ2. It gave alot of options for how you wanted to play. (really a shame that game died out)

Guardian - Defensive tank
Berserker - Offensive tank
Monk/bruiser - Avoidance tank
Paladin/shadowknight - Spell Tanks

Templar/Inquisitor - Reactive healer (heals when damaged, like earth shield)
Warden/Fury - HoT Healer (aka druids)
Mystic/Defiler - Preventive healer (uses Wards/shields, like a priest)

Coercer/Illusionist - Spell controllers/debuffers
Mage/Warlock - Spell heavy hitters
Necromancer/Conjurer - spell pet summoners

Assassin - melee physical heavy hitter
Ranger - ranged physical heavy hitter
Swashbuckler/Brigand - melee quick attack dps
Troubadour/Dirge - melee physical controllers/debuffer. (also the fastest running class in the game; could outrun horses on foot)


Of course, then there was SWG. where you could pretty much do anything you wanted. You had ~200 talent points (or something like that) and you could put them into any tree. Like imagine making a mage on wow, and being able to put points into Druids healing, a couple points in Warlocks for dots, maybe a few in rogue and warrior. You could be a jack of all trades/master of none, or you could specialize in certain weapons and be extremely deadly with that one aspect.

[demonskies]

Bards please. I want to play an instrument again and liven the spirits of my group.

[Volitar]

They need less stealth classes or they need to create and actual counter to stealth like in rev wards in MOBA games.

[Edge-]

They need less stealth classes or they need to create and actual counter to stealth like in rev wards in MOBA games.

Permanent stealth is one of the worst abominations to exist in a MMO, especially a MMO with PvP in it.

[Deleted]

Permanent stealth is one of the worst abominations to exist in a MMO, especially a MMO with PvP in it.

It depends how it is pulled off, really. I prefer tactical combat, so setting up ambushes is pretty exciting for me. I do think stealth classes should be unable to hide for a while once they unveil themselves, though. The 'vanish' mechanic is pretty irritating and cheap in my eyes.

[mistuhbull]

Tak
Healer
Physical Striker
Magic Striker

[Deleted]

Permanent stealth is one of the worst abominations to exist in a MMO, especially a MMO with PvP in it.

Of course, especially when every single game implements it as some kind of invisibility anyway.

On topic - there is not even need to have any classes to do a good MMO game. (True even for RPG games)

[J I M]

the more common a class is like the mesmer the less interesting it would be lets keep it unique shall we -.-

i personally prefer mage or a bow user like ranger/archer shame the GW2 mage (i forget the exact name of it) is a bit disappointing[COLOR="red"]

How is the elementalist disappointing in any way? Instead of only being able to use Fire and water spells like on WoW (arcane was garbage), you can use water,fire,earth, and air and there is alot of spells for each. Its the best mage class i've ever seen in a game.

---------- Post added 2012-07-04 at 07:22 PM ----------

Also a new MMO needs to look at DDO's class sytsem. There was Melee, with a bunch of melee classes: like berserker, warrior, blah blah i forget, range: elementalist, cleric, bard, necromancer, and so on Then there was the agile classes: rogue, ranger, etc. I really liked ddos class system because there was so much variety, and you could be a bard and get some ranger talents and use those, or a mages talents. You could mix your class up anyway you wanted.

[sacrypheyes]

give me a real good MMO based of shadowrun pen&paper RPG and you'll never need any classes to make it work.

[PizzaSHARK]

There are many MMOs on the market with new ones arriving every year. Some MMOs have more classes, while others tend to consolidate. But, which class archetypes can't be left out of any MMO? Please try to be more specific than Warrior, Rogue, Mage, Cleric. For example, is a Holy Warrior (Paladin,Templar) archetype mandatory these days? Do all mages need to cast Fire spells in your opinion? Should there always be a pet class? I'm just trying to get some insight on player expectations. What should be available and what do you want to play?

You already said it: Warrior, Mage, Rogue, Cleric. Warriors are the guys wearing metal armor and using big weapons and heavy shields. Mages use fire, ice, lightning, etc. Rogues can use knives or bows and wear leather. Clerics can either be D&D style wearing heavy armor, or they can be more priest-like wearing simple robes.

Those are really the only archetypes any RPG needs. Anything else is just fluff and will probably just make your game harder to balance.

[Clash the DK]

You already said it: Warrior, Mage, Rogue, Cleric. Warriors are the guys wearing metal armor and using big weapons and heavy shields. Mages use fire, ice, lightning, etc. Rogues can use knives or bows and wear leather. Clerics can either be D&D style wearing heavy armor, or they can be more priest-like wearing simple robes.

Those are really the only archetypes any RPG needs. Anything else is just fluff and will probably just make your game harder to balance.

Yes, but that would be pretty boring.

[Nuvuk]

You always need someone to stealth, you cant have a game without that ability. Nut everything else you need the basic tank, heals, melee and ranged. I would say for tank a paladin or death knight(although they are necromancers so Im not sure if that should go to ranged) cause warriors are basically gladiators. Heals should have a medic or priest. Melee should have assassin, rogue or monk. Ranged should have wizard, Ranger or gunner.

[PizzaSHARK]

Yes, but that would be pretty boring.

How so? Why do you need 34 classes that all essentially do the same thing as everyone else?

[sacrypheyes]

how about why would you have to be pigeonholed to a few generic classes (and their usual characteristics) when there is actually no "need" to?

why would a "warrior" not be able to stealth or cast magic spells?
why would a "mage" not be able to wear plate armor?
etc.

[ZeroWashu]

There are many MMOs on the market with new ones arriving every year. Some MMOs have more classes, while others tend to consolidate. But, which class archetypes can't be left out of any MMO? Please try to be more specific than Warrior, Rogue, Mage, Cleric. For example, is a Holy Warrior (Paladin,Templar) archetype mandatory these days? Do all mages need to cast Fire spells in your opinion? Should there always be a pet class? I'm just trying to get some insight on player expectations. What should be available and what do you want to play?

I never understood why you must have classes. I guess it is so people don't have to think. It is far easier to adapt to a role than make it up. Having started with UO and then moving to AC classes were not something you worried about. Your question is odd because you listed what most people consider to be the archetypes and then dived into derivatives.

[wariofan1]

A physical melee class which hits with heavy blows, a berserker type of class. Also able to tank.

A physical melee class which hits with swift blows, sustained damage.

A magical ranged class who specializes in spells to take down the enemy.

A ranged class who specializes in artillery weapons, usually fast autoattacks.

A healer who helps keep the whole group alive.

Then you can have multiple variations of the different roles, but in the end I think these are the ones you'll need to have to atleast catter to most people's interests.

[Apellosine]

None of these options that I've seen so far apply to the DCUO classes(called power sources in game).
Original Power Sources:
Fire - Tank (High HP/self heal tank)/AoE DPS
Ice - Tank (High armour/dmg mitigation)/Heavy Hitting DPS
Sorcery - Heavy hitting/pet healer and DPS
Nature - Hot Healer/Shapeshifting dps
Gadgets - Pet DPS/Controller
Mental - Weak DPS/Controller

Added with DLCs (In order):
Light - Stringing powers into combos DPS/Controller
Electricity - Odd Burst Healing mechanic/DPS
Earth - Pet Tank/heavy slow hitting DPS

[Goretex]

Pirates man Pirates!

[Clash the DK]

How so? Why do you need 34 classes that all essentially do the same thing as everyone else?

Style.

And I don't think you need "34" classes to cover all the bases either. But for example: I enjoy playing a Warrior type class with some magic abilities. Many others enjoy a pure physical Warrior archetype. I enjoy playing a Ranger class, but I dislike pets. Lots of players love the idea of pets and most of the time you see Rangers designed as a mandatory pet class. Options are good.

I'm not so sure about the fully customizable classless design than many have brought up in this thread. It seems to me that would leave the door wide open to class imbalances or cause extreme cookie cutter scenarios.