Discuss a hypothetical 4th Role Class.

[Reinha]

I can't figure out what the purpose of a 4th role would be in this game. Dps attack the enemy, tanks are attacked by the enemy and healers allow other roles to continue fighting. I guess another role could be support whose purpose is to provide the resources needed by other roles to cast their abilities, but in order for that to work the roles of the current trinity would have to be unable to sustain their own resources. A complete rebuilding of the combat system doesn't seem likely to happen.

[Zojha]

I can't figure out what the purpose of a 4th role would be in this game.

I would imagine the same as tanks and healers: To meet the demands of an arbitrary role mechanic.

My suggestion would be a stepmania role: When the combat starts, music starts to play and you need to press the right notes, i.e. abilities as they show up. If you fail, you/your party takes increasing amounts of damage (up to insta-kill). In the breaks, you can deal damage yourself as filler. Dancer is predestined for that role.

Sure, one might ask oneself "But why take such a role with you into a group?" and the answer is simple: Because you have to. Same as with tanks and healers. You'll just wipe from the music damage if you don't, just as you wipe from the unavoidable damage if you don't take tanks/healers with you. Maybe you can skip it if you outgear stuff. It's literally the same concept as behind tanks/healers, even using the same unavoidable damage gimmick to do the job.

Using this template, you can create a nigh infinite amount of roles. Sure, they exist only for their own sake - but so do tanks and healers. It's part of the trinity, so it shouldn't disturb anyone. Go nuts on the concepts!

[MistakeNot]

I can't figure out what the purpose of a 4th role would be in this game. Dps attack the enemy, tanks are attacked by the enemy and healers allow other roles to continue fighting. I guess another role could be support whose purpose is to provide the resources needed by other roles to cast their abilities, but in order for that to work the roles of the current trinity would have to be unable to sustain their own resources. A complete rebuilding of the combat system doesn't seem likely to happen.

As the game is designed there is no point in any 4th role.

Possible roles that exist in other games include Buffer, Debuffer, Crowd Control. For those to be viable there has to be a need for those roles though, and currently there isn't.