Comments on: The EQ2 Class Dead Pool

By: Lomax

Lomax — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 13:03:19 +0000

Its definitely NGE, my take on it would be don’t worry, just each expansion make an attempt to balance up the classes. It will fail, but that’s not the point as
each expansion even if the game was previously perfect you would be changing it.

Over time it should be possible to get all the class roughly balanced, they don’t have to be totally different to be different then.

The only realistic way to merge them would be to make their differences choosable via talent points (with the title warden/fury awarded depending on
talent point choices), it would add in some easy of play, but take away long term playability.

By: Green Armadillo

Green Armadillo — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 16:27:26 +0000

This post reads to me like an argument for consolidating all twelve subclass pairings. You’ve voted to consolidate seven of twelve pairings outright, and expressed concern that several of the others are redundant but should be retained due to EQ1 nostalgia. The two Predators are the only pairing where there is a strong game mechanics argument for keeping both subclasses, because the two actually fill different roles (melee versus non-magic ranged).

That all said, I’m not sure how I’d feel about effectively converting EQ2′s subclass system into WoW’s talent system. (For example, in this model the “new” Sorcerer class would have a Sorcerer AA tree for general purpose enhancements, a Wizard tree for single target, and a Warlock tree for AOE.) This approach may or may not be easier to balance (WoW class balance is no cake walk either), but I feel that my EQ2 characters have much more in the way of story behind them than characters in any other game I play, precisely because the game forces me to pick a variation on a theme for each of them.

By: Ferrel

Ferrel — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 14:52:30 +0000

Oh I don’t disagree at all. This is an impossibility. I’m more making a point about class balance. When you’re so far out of whack that you can literally eliminate classes and not lose a role or “leader” that is pretty dangerous. Especially given that SOE is currently in a “radio silence” mode regarding it. The old tactic of “don’t speak when you can’t give any answers” just doesn’t work with such a sensitive subject.

By: Stabs

Stabs — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 14:18:51 +0000

It’s an interesting piece of theorising but actually implementing something like this would be a disaster.

Tobold has been talking today about endowment theory, the notion that you value something more when it’s yours. If you were to take someone’s beloved Bruiser and tell him, sorry your class is getting deleted you can probably kiss that player goodbye. Nothing you can offer is likely to work.

That’s because he values Shen Sheez the awesome butt-kicking ratonga from the mean streets that has a personal history much more than an offer of “you can reroll the character of your choice”.

To be blunt, doing this would be a NGE.