First of all i wanted to say i believe great work has been done on class design. I realise any major work or changes will not be made, even so, i wanted to point out a potential problem and see how people would correct this problem.
We have 5 classes designed for dps, 3 designed for tanking, 3 for healing, but only 1 for control. It is possible that the bard class will be given the group role of control.
So lots of choice for dps, tanking and healing, but not for control. I believe there should be more choice of control classes. So how would you design a class based on a group role of control and keep it fundamentally different to the enchanter?
Echanters may be the masters of crowd control, but it's worth reiterating that, beyond "mezzing", roots and stuns are forms of control too. So potentially, any class with access to these abilities (Rogues and other casters, in particular) will likely emerge with some control abilities.
Druids and Rangers, too have (in EQ) had snares, which is a form of control, too, one might argue.
I agree that it seems odd that DPS, Tanking, and healing seem more widespread among the classes. Pure CC isn't. So maybe we will get that Bard class sooner rather than later?
In a recent stream (recorded at PAX, I think) Bazgrim interviewed Joppa about the classes, and he (Joppa) made a "soft announcement" (his words) that he felt quite confident that the Bard class will be in place at launch (paraphrased).
Cromwell said: We have 5 classes designed for dps, 3 designed for tanking, 3 for healing, but only 1 for control. It is possible that the bard class will be given the group role of control.
As Jabir linked you the video I won't link it again, but Joppa confirms that yes the Bard will be a crowd control class like the enchanter and in his words "I feel confident, from my perspective, that we will be able to have the Bard in by launch."
The Bard making it in game before launch would be awesome. Implementing the Bard as a control role would be a good solution. That would give us two classes with the control role, still less then the other roles.
Would two classes with control roles be enough? I was thinking maybe the necromancer could be designed as a control role? That would give us a choice of three, same as tank and healer. What would necromancer players think of the class playing as control? Personally i think a control necromancer would be quite cool. You could have spells that bring skeletal arms out of the ground causing a root effect. Mezz type spells could be based on the necromancer projecting nightmare images into the victims mind.
I like the idea of the Necro being at least a partial control class.
Specifically, I loved doing the Trickster's Haven dungeon in Vanguard as a Necro and rolling in with a Rogue. Being able to have some control ability over undead was extremely useful and, I feel, fitting for the class due to the mob-type restrictions.
I have said it before and will say it again, I think that the Necro would be best suited for CC as their primary role.
Here's what I think would be decent roles with some classes fulfilling multiple roles... necro and bard are obviously complete speculation.
** = Likely best at role at end game
Ranged DPS: Wizard**
Ranged DPS: Summoner
Ranged DPS: Necro
Ranged DPS: Ranger
Melee DPS: Monk
Melee DPS: Rogue**
Melee DPS: Ranger
Alternate DPS = not primary reason people should play the class but will likely be a role fulfilled at endgame.
Alternate Melee DPS: Dire Lord
Alternate Melee DPS: Bard (Likely, although a ranged bard would be amazing)
Alternate Melee DPS: Warrior
Tank: Warrior**
Tank: Paladin
Off-Tank = Can primary tank for trash mobs or for specific encounters
Off-Tank: Dire Lord**
Off-Tank: Monk
Healer: Cleric**
Healer: Shaman
Healer: Druid
Support Healer = Abilities restore some life or resources to allies
Support Healer: Paladin**
Support Healer: Necro
Support Healer: Bard
Hard CC = Long duration mez/charm/incapacitate
Hard CC: Enchanter**
Hard CC: Bard
Hard CC: Necro
Soft CC = Short duration stuns/incapacitates
Soft CC: Rogue
Soft CC: Ranger
Soft CC: Bard**
Resource Regen: Bard
Resource Regen: Enchanter
Resource Regen: Necro
Sarim said:I think you can add the paladin for "crowd control light":
- detain (Glorified Self, Miraculous Shimmer)
- mez (Knight's Persuasion)
- stun
- pull / knockbackYou could also add summoner and cleric since they can put up barricades which block opponents.
It depends an awful lot on how the scripts handle being blocked as to whether those barricades are useful CC at all or noob traps headed straight to deathville...
Iksar said:MauvaisOeil said:@Darch I wouldn't want to be a Shaman or a Druid in your system...
Or a Dire Lord especially, they don't even have a primary role in his system.
They do, they are a Primary offtank. Let's sum it up "Best at a Second role"
Of course I'm beeing sarcastic here...
Iksar said:MauvaisOeil said:@Darch I wouldn't want to be a Shaman or a Druid in your system...
Or a Dire Lord especially, they don't even have a primary role in his system.
@M.O. it's not "my" system, but if it was I wouldn't want anyone playing anything they didn't want to play. I will probably play a druid even though they will likely not be as preferable of a healer as the cleric. I will like the additional abilities and utility that I can bring to a group.
@Iksar The "system" is referring to end game content and the description beside the category the DL is in describes that the DL's primary role will likely be tank for specific encounters... in my opinion, being the preferred tank for "specific" content makes a class an offtank.
Having the Necro as a primary CC would make a lot of sense in my mind.
Skeleton Hands from the gorund (root), Frozen with fear (combination Stun/Mez. Starts with a stun and then tunrs into a mez, but shorter duration than Enchancter mezzes), Bone Prison (allows movement but prevents attacks/spells), Still Blood (powerful slow). A lot of very cool options. Add in a lifetap that does light-to-moderate group healing and you have a class which is unique.
Enahcnter is CC, mana control, buffs (with light debuffs)
Necro is CC, health control, debuffs (maybe with light buffs or higher dps but not both)
Bard is CC, buffs, dps (with light debuffs)