| DtL - Archives (2005 - 2006): Cardinal Classes |
| By: Magi, Posted at: Fri, Jan 26th 8:02 PM 2007, Last Edited: Tue, Oct 27th 1:22 PM 2009
Rated 3.66 by 3 people |
As the weeks go by the Lord of the Rings Online becomes so much more interesting, if not controversial. It all starts and ends with the Thursday Updates and we received a particularly interesting one last week. According to the updated FAQ there will be a “mage-like class of some kind.” That alone is enough to spark constant discussion and unheard of concern. That is not what this editorial will focus on. It is perhaps the culmination of the past two Thursday Update's that has prompted the discussion I wish to have: speculation of the seven cardinal classes. Last week on From Middle-earth to Azeroth our very own TucksMa asked Patience (Community Manager, Lord of the Rings Online) about these cardinal classes. All we got out of Patience is that cardinal simply is another word for base (meaning there are no sub classes) and of course, no information on the classes themselves. I will be taking this time and space fueling my own speculation on what those classes might be. Thursday is tomorrow but I don't think we'll see information on classes and if we do, so be it. In addition I will also touch on the issue of race restrictions on classes. The two issues are related after all. Warrior The first class I will speculate on is the Warrior and this is more procedural then any real thinking on my part. The Warrior as I portray it is more of your stereotypical tank class in a given MMORPG. So they are your medium strength, high defense class that is designed to take damage and lots of it. I will allow that combat in Lord of the Rings Online will be quite different than any MMORPG but I strongly feel we will continue to see some of the standards and a tank is one of them. What else would this Warrior be comprised of? Well for one thing they would use weapons and shields, be it one or two handed. They will obviously have taunt abilities (skills that convince the target mob to attack them over others) and will have limited ranged abilities. They will also wear heavy armor (this is one way to ensure high defense) and in all likelihood have very high “base” morale so to speak (but this is a debate for another day). As I stated earlier this isn't very different from your standard tank in any MMORPG and I don't see a reason for it to be any different in the Lord of the Rings Online. Unless Turbine is reinventing the wheel (which they're not) tank characters will be a standard in the game. Minstrel In Hakai's developer diary where the morale system was originally unveiled there were definite hints that a Minstrel or Bard class would be evident in the Lord of the Rings Online. Fortunately Hakai limited how much information is available in regards to this rumored class so it leads the way for a lot of speculation on the part of the community… and me. To start, I think there will be some major changes as it pertains to how the class is played. In previous MMORPGs – most notably the EverQuest franchise – Minstrels were seen as a primary buff class. That's not the best way to put it: essential is much better. They also had weapons at their disposal (usually dual wielding swords) but their damage was average. They were there for the buffs, not damage. While I do think that all of these things will be a part of the Minstrel's arsenal in the Lord of the Rings Online there will be one further, very important role: morale replenishment. That's right, you guessed it, I'm suggesting that Minstrels may turn into the stereotypical healers in the Lord of the Rings Online. We already know from discussions on the morale system that the morale ‘bar’ will play a very important role in the success or failure of any combat encounter. It has also been established that Minstrels will be able to sing songs to raise the morale of the fellowship. Just put two and two together: it's that easy. The one thing that I will allow is perhaps the buff role that I suggested may not be evident if certain conditions exist. This all will culminate when I discuss the “Mage-like” class later on in this editorial. I merely wanted to throw that out at this time. Ranger Before we received any information on the morale system – and subsequent Minstrel class – there was a lot of rumors and speculation regarding a possible Ranger class. Given that it is quite natural to suggest that we may see a Ranger class in some form. I wish to place emphasis on the words “in some form” as it is a key distinction that I want to make. The Ranger could very well be our melee and ranged hybrid of sorts (as they were proficient in both). Speaking strictly from an MMORPG perspective, these hybrids are usually evident and given that magic will be play a subtle role at best in the Lord of the Rings Online it is logical to assume that a melee and magic hybrid, which has been quite evident in previous games, is ridiculous. That said, given the emphasis on weapons we all expect, a melee and ranged hybrid seems logical. The other thing to consider too is hybrids have a very important role outside aesthetic or multi-faceted appeals: they are often the “best possible solo class.” What I mean by this is that players who like to solo choose these classes exclusively because they are best suited for this purpose. Some may disagree with me but the Paladins in World of Warcraft are a great example of this. So we need one such class and Rangers certainly fit the bill. The only thing I wonder in regards to this class is whether or not it will be called Ranger when the classes are released. There are certainly lore implications since we cannot play the Dúnedain. That said, whatever name it is placed under, I fully expect to see the characteristics of a Ranger class evident. Rogue In Player versus Player enabled games (fortunately Lord of the Rings Online will not be such as it is described) I abhor the stereotypical Rogue class and for good reason. Though I won't necessarily mind them in the Lord Lord of the Rings Online. Especially since they will be working towards my and the rest of the fellowship’s gain. Rogues, besides being cheap back stabbers, are most often the dominant damage per second (DPS) class in MMORPGs. They often wear medium armor (for balance purposes) with high attack, high speed and dual wielding weapons. I don't expect them to go too far from this definition in Lord of the Rings Online but they may be a little different. So how different will they be? I can see a larger emphasis on them sneaking around trying to cause mischief or simply attempting to advance their fellowship in the deep, dank dungeons. Contrast this with the sneaking around for the simple reason of getting behind an opponent and unleashing powerful attacks. Perhaps we will call them “Burglars” in this instance but who knows. Mage-like I mentioned earlier in this editorial that I would address the “Mage-like” class and here we are. Arguably this “Mage-like” class is going to be the most controversial when the developers decide what form it will take. Some will praise it and others will damn it. That said there are a number of things that we know that it won't be: the fire throwing, frost bolting, ground shaking nuke machine that previous MMORPGs make them out to be. So the question is what could they be? I've thought about this matter and read posts on the official boards and have come to the conclusion that it may be a utility mage of sorts. What I mean by “utility” is a buffer and debuffer kind of mage. For those who don't know, a buff is a beneficial effect and debuff would be the polar opposite. I will also allow for the possibility of mesmerize-like spells that Enchanters in EverQuest had at their disposal (this spell temporarily nullified any movement or action from the target). All of that said I don't feel confident that this is exactly what the mage-like class will result in. Personally I would rather see magic-like skills being given to other classes but that doesn't seem to be a possibility at this point. Needless to say we are all waiting to see what this class could end up as. Archer and Weapon Specialist I decided to group these last two classes under the same heading since I am running out of time rather quickly. Like Rogues I envision these two classes being primary DPS but through different means: Archers use ranged and Weapon Specialists utilize melee. So far per our definitions we do not have a primary ranged or melee class and given the lore and stereotypical demands of MMORPG players, this would be the best fit. These two classes would also give some flexibility if past MMORPGs would give us any evidence of that. Some players, and I'm included in this, don't want to play a Rogue but still wants to contribute greatly to DPS: Archers and Weapon Specialists could provide this. Some players also want to focus on melee or ranged so they push aside the Ranger and play one of these two. The Weapon Specialist could also take the role of a tank if the Warrior isn't evident. It's true that they wouldn't be as good as the Warrior but if necessary they could fill the role. Then quite obviously the Archer could take the role of the Rogue in more ways than one. I mentioned before that it would be the Rogue's duty to sneak around (be it for treasure, devices or mob locations) and maybe the Archer's long-range capabilities would aid in the party advancing. To be blunt sometimes mobs are closely spawned together and if the Archer has long range they could bring only a few at a time instead of the Warrior taking a whole bunch. In short I see these two classes emerge out of necessity more than anything else. The developers need to give the players a great choice and both of these classes represent that. There you have it. The seven cardinal classes that I think we'll see revealed are Warrior, Weapon Specialist, Archer, Ranger, Rogue, Mage-like and Minstrel. Most of these – minus the discussion on Mages – I feel very comfortable to the effect that I think I’m fairly accurate. On the same token I could be completely off on some of them and only time will tell. I mentioned earlier in this article the likelihood of classes being restricted based on race and I still hold to it. There are a number of lore considerations to take in mind. Would it be logical for a Hobbit Warrior to be as strong as an Elven one? Should Hobbits become Rangers? Do we really want Dwarf Rogues? All of these are important questions that lead me to believe there will be tough race restrictions on class and I will touch on it again another day. Maybe tomorrow, maybe next week or perhaps a month from now we'll learn what the seven cardinal classes are and the race restrictions, if any, on them. Whether I am right in my speculation doesn't really matter. At the end of the day we'll have seven classes that will be easy to balance and will provide an exciting experience for the player base. I can't wait to find out what they will be when Patience reveals them. |
| LOTR: Editorial: DtL - Archives (2005 - 2006): Cardinal Classes, by Magi |
Submit a correction
