Classes and Skills

How are we going to go about these things?
We could approach it in many different ways:
Classes

• Tiers:

After reaching a certain level, you could go up a tier in your class. See Seiken Densetsu 3. This could also be used for elite-like classes.

• Primary and Secondary:

You can chose a primary class, which you cannot change, you pick a secondary which is changeable later one. (optional) See Guildwars

• Single Class:

You create a character with a class, that's it.

• Multiple Classes:

Like that one Final Fantasy (4 or 5 I think), you can unlock all the classes freely switch between them, but have to level them up as if they were characters.(?)

• Good and Bad Classes:

Your actions change how your class is played. (could get very complicated)
[/list]

Or any variation of those.

Ideas for classes:

I think we should really try and be original, but try and stay true to RPG roots.
We need different a general supportive/buff class, but should also be able to protect itself.
Cursing class, basically a de-buff class, should have other skills aside from debuffing so it doesn't seem totally useless unless you're in a big group.
Some sort of high-damage fast attacking low-armor classes. Or a slowish attacking class that specializes in very high damage attacks that have a high cooldown, but other attacks that don't do too much damage, but can be pulled off in huge chains.
A necromancer like class. Enough said =D
....


I'm kind of tired, so I'm going to leave it at that.
Discuss/toss around more ideas.

I like Tiers.  I'll see what I can do and/or if it exists already

also- Multiples is from FF3

How are we going to go about these things?
We could approach it in many different ways:
Classes

• Tiers:

After reaching a certain level, you could go up a tier in your class. See Seiken Densetsu 3. This could also be used for elite-like classes.

• Primary and Secondary:

You can chose a primary class, which you cannot change, you pick a secondary which is changeable later one. (optional) See Guildwars

• Single Class:

You create a character with a class, that's it.

• Multiple Classes:

Like that one Final Fantasy (4 or 5 I think), you can unlock all the classes freely switch between them, but have to level them up as if they were characters.(?)

• Good and Bad Classes:

Your actions change how your class is played. (could get very complicated)
[/list]

Or any variation of those.

Ideas for classes:

I think we should really try and be original, but try and stay true to RPG roots.
We need different a general supportive/buff class, but should also be able to protect itself.
Cursing class, basically a de-buff class, should have other skills aside from debuffing so it doesn't seem totally useless unless you're in a big group.
Some sort of high-damage fast attacking low-armor classes. Or a slowish attacking class that specializes in very high damage attacks that have a high cooldown, but other attacks that don't do too much damage, but can be pulled off in huge chains.
A necromancer like class. Enough said =D
....


I'm kind of tired, so I'm going to leave it at that.
Discuss/toss around more ideas.

I agree with most of the things you suggested except one : Wouldn't Multiple classes can get a bit cumbersome to manage?
Oh, and The Good/ Bad Alignment thing is a great idea. "Don't bully lesser characters!"

Balanced Classes are important, true.

i think there's a PK point system or something, not sure, I'll take a look.

we 'do' however, need to settle on a single system.
the default is one class and that's it,.

also- Multiples is from FF3

Orly, I thought it was 5.

i think there's a PK point system or something, not sure, I'll take a look.

What is PK?

Player kill

I was thinking of a system that combines classes with ranks/titles, and some freedom of choice, too.  I don't know if this is what you mean.  I want some classes to follow the traditional concepts (melee fighter, swordsman, magic user, ranger/archer, jack of all trades, etc.) but with some original ideas, too.  For example, classes are not the same as professions.  So you start with very generic classes, but you can later choose a more specific profession.  For example, Magic User => Black Magic User, or something like that.  So yes.  It's something of a Primary Class => Secondary Class thing.  Titles can also affect your stats or abilities, and even access to some areas, items and skills.  The titles could be achieved by means such as questing.

I just want to make sure that the class system doesn't get boring quickly.  I mean, I don't want something extremely complex, but not something simple either.  I say, let's release some few classes at first, and then add more in the future.  We don't have to do everything for the first version of the game.  The good thing about PC games and MMO's is that they can easily be expanded with updates.  Introducing new features every now and then is a good way to keep interest in the game.

I have so far only found a game (developed with this engine) that may be worth playing: Jerrath 2.0.  Check it out for an idea of what things can be done with this engine.  Note that the graphics are not very impressive.  They are not very consistent either.  But it's still the best example I could find.

Another game to look after it's released is Legacy of the Zodiac II.

Anyway, before we choose the classes, I think we should work a little on the game's background: story, objective, main features, audience, mood, setting, etc.  What do you say? 

(By the way, classes can be added/edited from the admin panel.  And with the scripting subs and commands, some things can be achieved.)

EDIT:  I just remembered something else!  I had thought about letting players have their own houses/lands in the game!  We could charge for this, because, after all, we'd be the ones to map the place and update it for them.  I don't know if I can give mapper permissions to a certain player and restrict it only to a certain map.  Probably not.  But if that were possible, then I'd let the players map their own places to their liking.  It would be ideal.

Arwym, you want to do a LOT that requires in depth scripting knowledge of the game system itself
i understand VB6, but not how this game engine operates (all 'that' well).

I think we should go simple and fun, ratehr than try to bite off more than we can chew.

I was thinking up a very simple class system.
Tier 1 -(quest)> Tier 2 -(quest)> Tier 3
for all the different types of characters

so...
white mage -> priest -> paladin
or
rogue -> assassin -> shadowdancer

something simple like that

doublepostbump

since we're using VBGore now, I propose that we drop classes altogether and go with a built in stat system.

the one where you use as stat to increase it
so by attacking your str grows
take hits your def grows, etc...

which allows for fully custom strats and characters, and makes our (my) job that much easier