Today I am going to broach a dangerous subject. It is one that will likely see a lot of disagreement from both developers and the player base. I am here to tell you that the talent system is a failed game design feature. All I ask is that before you destroy me with your mind hear me out.

What is it? The talent system premiered in WoW and basically allowed players to “customize” their character by placing a finite amount of points into various trees. Since then virtually every MMO has copied this system in some fashion. On the surface it sounds great. In reality it really isn’t. Let me explain.

The first portion I have to tackle is that a talent system allegedly allows character customization. The theory is that “no two characters will be alike.” In practice it is pretty well established that this isn’t true. For every game and every class the players will define two or three primary specifications that are the “best” and then argue minor variations on each one. You may see that one spec is better for PvE and another for PvP. Regardless of this few players blaze their own trail. Some obviously do just based on what they like but this is a minority.

This is almost proven by the fact that almost every game allows for unlimited re-specialization. It has become so common place that it now acts as the primary money sink in some games. If you’re going to do arena in WoW you specialize one way. Then, when you’re ready to go off and raid, you change back. My question is, does this system actually add to the game? The answer, in my mind, is no. In fact, it is just another hoop to jump through. Which leads me to ask a really obvious question: If re-specialization is unlimited and my character has a best PvE spec and a best PvP spec why not just allow me to be both at once? What balance would I break by being able to change on the fly? Does that five minute trip back to town and minor gold cost really make a difference? Honestly guys, no, it doesn’t.

What I am getting at is pretty scary to hear. It basically comes down to this: Either limit the amount of re-specializations players are allowed to have or just go ahead and let them have everything. Players would never stand for the former and they’re already doing the latter. Why keep pretending?

If you do away with talent trees think of all the benefits you would gain:

1. Less play frustration. We can just do everything our class can do already at all times without constant trips back to town.
2. Balancing deflates from multiplicative to additive. Instead of balancing 12 classes with three specializations each you just balance them as a whole.
3. Less filler abilities. Come on, you know you create abilities that you expect nobody to ever use. It’s the same reason that Magic the Gathering designers create less useful cards. They admit they do it. It is time you do the same.
4. Less confusing to new players. Nothing is more annoying than finding out you’re the “wrong spec.” Sure folks will say “There is no wrong spec.” Of course they say it out of the side of their mouth.
5. Class differentiation. Developers will be forced to decide what a class is. I don’t consider it a good thing that a druid can be the best tank, the best healer or a just as good as everyone else dps dealer in WoW. Classes should offer something unique. Versatility doesn’t necessarily mean unique.

With all of that what do you really stand to lose? Not much other than the ability to make one class into three. I understand the importance that a paladin not be tank and heal specialized at the same time. The question is do they need the option to be only one or the other? Again, I say no. Make them both at the same time and include mechanics to handle this. Make difficult to successfully cast arcane and divine magic while using all tank gear and when you’re taunting, for example.

That all said I have to address two questions: “How do I differentiate my character” and “Won’t this make all the classes worse than they are now?”

To the first I say that you already don’t as it is. You’re not losing anything here. When you go grab someone else’s spec you’re not differentiating. I say differentiation is best allowed by making each statistic compelling and making loot the deciding factor.

Do I stack strength to increase my damage noticeably or do I forgo strength for wisdom so that my heal spells are more powerful? A two-hand weapon gives me more damage but a sword and shield increases my survivability and gives me block. Perhaps I should go with agility and increase my dodge? The point is if your statistics actually matter, and I mean every one for every class, then you can differentiate yourself that way. Collecting an entire tank set of gear and an entire heal set will take time and effort. I dare say it adds more replayability than swapping specs from arena to raid does.

That said, to the second question I have to again say no. Your character will be the exact same. You’ll just have all the abilities at all times. You just might not use them. It might not be productive to cast your biggest heal while you’re trying to tank. If anything you’ll be more versatile. If you show up to a raid and you’re a healer short you can just open a bag, swap gear, and you’re good to go. As long as gear cannot be swapped in mass on the fly you should never be able to min/max by the second.

Beyond all that I have three words, alternate advancement points. Again, I know, “never do anything that EverQuest did.” They got it half right though in letting you buy everything. If you want to have points so there are more goodies when you level, create these. Stop treating new players like idiots and denying them specialization until level 10+. Tell them early on that paladins are an alternative to warriors as tanks, are pretty good secondary healers but aren’t going to top out on the damage meters. Then they can pick their gear and AA as they go. If you don’t want them to endlessly grind don’t make a ton! If you don’t want to endlessly balance around them, don’t recreate what you don’t want to balance around!

My suggestions are by no means perfect. I won’t pretend that they are. I will say, however, that the talent system isn’t all that amazing and it is high time someone tried something else. We have enough WoW clones as it is!

Tags: Ferrels MMO, MMO Design

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 9th, 2008 at 12:01 and is filed under MMO Design. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.