[Zuranthium]

Originally Posted by Hasbinbad [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Zuranthium, World of Warcraft is that way: ----->

Oh please, the class balance I find best is nowhere near WoW.

Originally Posted by Stormhowl [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

People get way too bogged down on creating unique abilities for each class. WoW, for instance, has gotten to the point where every class has TOO many abilities.

These are completely separate things. Every class having unique abilities and every class having too many abilities are not at all related.

I'm not advocating the EQ classes having more abilities. Exactly the opposite, in fact. Some classes in EQ already have too many abilities and there are too many shared abilities between classes. I'm advocating that many of the crappy abilities the classes have become viable and that the classes are more refined into distinctly different playstyles.

Originally Posted by Stormhowl [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

EQ1 is a prime example of KISS in work. There isn't a huge list of abilities, there aren't any rotations, and there isn't a need for stances or any of that garbage.

LOL? There aren't any rotations? Hello C-heal chain. There isn't a need for stances? Hello disciplines.

Classic EQ is definitely better than WoW in terms of the "list of abilities" thing, as casters are restricted to equipping 8 at a time. This is surely how it should be; WoW casters are overwrought and if you don't force a restriction then you aren't letting the player make any choices, which is always what you want the player doing. The problem in EQ, though, is that there isn't really much competition for those 8 spell slots. Most spells just become trash as you level and move onto the next set of spells that do basically the exact same thing, just with a different name and bigger numbers that are needed to keep up with fighting the more powerful monsters you'll be moving on to.

Originally Posted by Stormhowl [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

EverQuest 1 did it right. Every class has its own unique play style.

There isn't a big difference between playing any of the melee classes in EQ1, when it comes down to what you're actually doing in melee combat. There isn't even a big difference between playing some of the casters, at times. And then post-Original EQ, so many of the classes become crap that the "playstyle" is irrelevant because their contribution to the group doesn't really mean much anyway.

Moreover, there isn't hardly any customization when it comes to characters in EQ. A Cleric is a Cleric is a Cleric. A Warrior is a Warrior is a Warrior. The only thing that matters is getting the gear/level and then you're the exact same as everyone else of your class. There isn't much choice involved about which skills you'll put on your bar (despite the multitude of spells in the game) and how you want to focus your character. Granted, it's almost inevitable that certain skill/specialization choices would become rather standard for classes, but you want as many different choices to remain viable (within reason) as possible. The "ideal setup" would vary from area to area of the game anyway, meaning that there will hopefully always be an area for your level range that caters to how you prefer to play your class (although quests should be enticing players to move around and experience different areas, which then requires them to adapt and learn).

Look at how many classes get "Root" right now, including the Druid/Ranger version which is essentially the exact same thing - a total of 8. I would instead only have 3 classes get that specific ability (that's with an extra class in the game), and then Wizards would get a different style of root, and Rangers would get an even more different style of root. Less classes would get lulls. Less classes would get feign death. Less classes would get "buffs". Less classes would get generic damage spells. Less classes would get invisibility. AoE damage would actually be useful for something other than Quad-kiting, opening up an entire different strategy in playstyle. Every melee class would play much differently. Playing a healer would be far more dynamic and the differences between Cleric, Shaman, and Druid would be very significant. "Debuffing" would not involve simply throwing spells on a MOB at the beginning of a fight. Stripping protective abilities would be far more proactive and far less classes would get that ability (compared to how nearly every class in the game current gets "Cancel Magic").

There's so much room for making combat more exciting and skill-intensive (which is really what the game revolves around when you come down to it), as well as giving the classes more flavor and refinement while still keeping things balanced.