Defining one's class

Ok how about a set of buffs perhaps innate auras that can be defined at a given level, such as a witch that perhaos has so many points put into cold damage that she now can choose to receive less damage from cold attacks or a cold energy field that causes damage or something else only available to witches under a particular build, would this restrict a few builds? Maybe. . . But it would give a sense of identity to those who seek it plus innate ability to class and specific build. And new buffs auras could always be implemented giving more choice and all.

Sorry I like how it is.

And there are things that do stuff like that in areas of the skill tree, sure everyone can acccess it but that is hte point.

The devs won't make a drastic change like that. would ruin what they worked so hard to achieve. I think moving the characters to their own starting point was enough to give advantages to each class, but doing something like this would limit what we can do.

Personally I want the pay option to use whichever character model I want but start in a different class position.

This topic is pretty popular. The current system is pretty amazing, and the classes are nicely defined. The biggest issue is that there isn't an advantage for staying in your 1/6 of the tree. In fact for Mar/Duel/ and maybe Ranger, it seems like you are penalized for staying in your area.

Most of this is a balance issue. Being able to say "Rawr I'm a Marauder and I'm awesome, and noone can do what I can" feels pretty good, but you can't say it when you stole half your skills from the witch and templar tree...

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Personally I want the pay option to use whichever character model I want but start in a different class position.

I really like the idea of being able to start in any position with whatever appearance you want. I think that GGG should do an experiment and let everyone do this for a month or two. It would really show the balance of the game if everyone chooses the same keystone areas to start in.

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SEOINAGE wrote:

The devs won't make a drastic change like that. would ruin what they worked so hard to achieve. I think moving the characters to their own starting point was enough to give advantages to each class, but doing something like this would limit what we can do.

How would adding a few additional new skills to each class limit what each class can do compared to the status quo?

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Iscariot013 wrote:

This topic is pretty popular. The current system is pretty amazing, and the classes are nicely defined.

Well, that's kind of the point here - they aren't really defined at all. What separates a Marauder from a Dualist? About 8 points on the skill tree. Which is fine if that's the design goal, but then GGG should open it up to just picking a starting spot and your own class name rather than pretending that their archetypes have any significance.

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Well, that's kind of the point here - they aren't really defined at all. What separates a Marauder from a Dualist? About 8 points on the skill tree. Which is fine if that's the design goal, but then GGG should open it up to just picking a starting spot and your own class name rather than pretending that their archetypes have any significance.

You shouldn't use Marauder and Duelist in your example. They actually "are" very similar archetypes with Duelist being a Hybrid off Marauder.

I think they are still nicely defined from eachother. Marauder(pure Strength) has the easiest access to strength nodes and different strength based physical damage. Duelist(Str/Dex Hybrid) Has good access to physical damage and strength nodes, but also has good access to dexterity based nodes.

I think that clearly shows that Marauder is being defined as brute force melee while Duelist is being defined as skilled/adroit melee. They can blend closer in certain individuals.

The problem I am seeing is that these two classes in particular get forced to leave their areas in order to be effective.

Regardless; I don't mind if the starting point becomes selectable and your persona is just selected for RP and backstory. I actually agree that the archetypes would be better off made meaningless.

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Iscariot013 wrote:

I think they are still nicely defined from eachother. Marauder(pure Strength) has the easiest access to strength nodes and different strength based physical damage. Duelist(Str/Dex Hybrid) Has good access to physical damage and strength nodes, but also has good access to dexterity based nodes.

See that's the thing. A class isn't truly defined by stats (a passive tree that doesn't exactly give them new abilities). They are defined by what they can do. As it stands now, everyone can essentially do the same thing as everyone else (visually but maybe not as effective in the very end, which is NOT the point).

Sure this is cool and all, but when concerning titles such as "Marauder" and "Witch" this makes no sense if a big brute can summon zombies like a witch. I'm not saying this is a bad idea because we can think of a Shadow Knight summoning undead to do his bidding. However when forced to being a "Marauder" we should essentially be a "Marauder", not a "Shadow Knight."

Like I saw in another post and what I mentioned earlier - we should have no classes, just a starting point from which to choose. A str, a str/dex, a str/int, etc., etc., etc. No use giving a senseless title to a character when they don't directly perform what that title has been stated to do in myth/lore. For a game that is more logical and 'realistic' than many others out there, this is one thing that bugs me. It's like GGG plastered rarely used titles on character models that they felt matched them.

We all crave customizability, else we probably wouldn't be here. Take it from Oblivion then, let us create our own class name (and maybe choose our own character skin, be it through the shop or not). For we all know a "Templar" wouldn't be summoning undead or casting ice spear. He would be slaying undead with the holy power and supporting his allies with courage and discipline.

I for one would thing this a very attractive feature to this game if it was done. Many people would play this just to make that character that isn't available in many other games. They may be able to do it now, but that won't give as much excitement and pleasure to those players if they can directly call themselves a "Shadow Knight", "Swashbuckler", "Necromancer" and countless more.

If you're too close minded to understand the concept and how it would help and not do one thing to change the current system besides adding even MORE customizability then please just sit there and scratch your head and forget about replying. If you have something constructive to say rather than "NO I LIKE HOW IT IS" then please do. I love this game and I only want it to get better.

Nothing I have stated will make the game more confusing considering if people look at the skill tree and decide that that is too confusing, they most likely won't play anyway. If anything selecting a "Strength" character would be more understanding than say selecting a "Marauder". Remember - not everyone reads up on a game before they choose to try it out. :)

I think defining ones class should come from the person behind the keyboard and not the developers.

I feel like in the context of the POE world, not deviating a whole lot from one another, if you choose to take paths similar to other classes, is a reasonable outcome... as these are just some people washed up on the shores of Wraeclast. Just people who start off with different aptitudes, but who can quite easily take on the traits of other people if so chosen.

It is possible to make class choices though that are significantly more difficult or even almost outright impossible to be done by other classes due to differing starting points.

I'm actually in favor of both types of systems... where the developer defines the class with a more rigid structure, and games where you start off as an omni-type character and choose your fate as you go.

POE is somewhere between I feel... perhaps it's because the passive tree is pretty traversable and your stat balance doesn't impact class as much as some might feel it should.

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Wittgenstein wrote:

I think defining ones class should come from the person behind the keyboard and not the developers.

Exactly. Remove the false titles and let us define what we are. It may be a silly thing to request because it's just a name you choose in the beginning. But it is something that truly means a lot to the individual who creates this character. If you want people to get into their character and really feel that it is his/her own, then we need to define that class by name and by ability.

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Jyrex wrote:

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Wittgenstein wrote:

I think defining ones class should come from the person behind the keyboard and not the developers.

Exactly. Remove the false titles and let us define what we are. It may be a silly thing to request because it's just a name you choose in the beginning. But it is something that truly means a lot to the individual who creates this character. If you want people to get into their character and really feel that it is his/her own, then we need to define that class by name and by ability.

Oh, sorry, no I don't mean the names... they could remove them I suppose, I don't care. If the Marauder was called a Barbarian or a Warrior, or if his name was Peter, that wouldn't change anything for me.

I meant, you define your class by choosing skills/passives.