Editorial: Class Act - A look at classes

New games come out on an almost weekly basis. More often then not, games are immediately compared to others that preceded them. As common as this practice may be, many developers ask and demand that their game be seen as unique and different from everything before it. Age of Conan follows along in the same practice, claiming that all of their classes are unique and have never been done before. In reality, the uniqueness of AoC comes not from the classes but instead from the system itself.

Ever since the inception of the class based roleplaying game there have existed four main archetypes from which all others have emerged: the warrior, the mage, the cleric, and the rogue. For those unaware of their purposes, magi kill things with fire (Spell based burst damage), warriors take the hits (tank), clerics keep the group alive (heal), and rogues kill it with stabbing (sustained DPS). As time passed, the a fifth archetype could have arguably come into being which is a bard, or the character that adds support and utility to the four pure classes. By combining these tried and true archetypes, one can create an almost infinite combination of classes. Age of Conan utilizes this system to the fullest and combines two or three basic archetypes per class. The resulting creations create a series of classes that have been done before with minor tweaks here and there.

This is not bad. Instead, it shows that the developers are working with a tried and true system which has been shown to work. If they instead chose to redefine the classes and build things from the ground up, it would be easier to bomb the final result simply because it hasn't been tested. This is hardly a sound practice and the developers claiming that all their classes are unique is simply a request to not fall into the stereotype of previous MMOs. While a barbarian can be compared to a WoW rogue or a ranger compared to an EQ 2 ranger, each of the previous classes exist with certain misconceptions that probably do not transfer over to AoC. Instead, we should compare the templates and skills of each individual class and leave prejudice and dislike towards any particular type of player out of it.

Age of Conan is setting up to be a rich and marvelous world that many will undoubtedly call home. While it is tempting to claim one class or another as nothing but a mirror image of a previous class from a previous game, let us instead study the system and how the classes will operate in the new system. A WoW Hunter will operate under a different system as an EQ 2 Ranger, despite the similarities of the class. Do not be afraid to compare the classes, as we have no other reference point for any given class, but do not forget the world that they exist in. It will make the discussion much more comfortable and enjoyable for everyone.

--Kenteko