[dev1033] Class name changes -> Specialization/Talent Trees Into Classic FF Classes

[Kurokikaze]

NOTE:If you're not going to read the entire post and understand it before making suggestions/comments then please just skip this thread entirely. Providing input without understanding what is being proposed is detrimental to the process. Again... If you cannot follow this simple instruction then hit the back button.


I posted this, somewhat, really deep into another thread and I don't want it to get lost in the wave of bad posts so I'll make a new thread for it.

Let's start with a quote from Eorzapedia:

Yoshida-san is between two possible plans at this time. The first idea is that the traditional names would be introduced as “higher” or “advanced” classes. The traditional classes would thus be something of a goal for players. The second idea is that the traditional names would be more of a subset or specialization within the existing classes.

Now this is exactly what I've been thinking to myself since I first started witnessing the blatant flaws in our current classes/armory system. In this post I'll lay out the problem, the solution, how to execute, and the post-implementation benefits of this proposal. Now let's start with:


CURRENT PROBLEMS

MAJOR:

1. No predefined roles:
There’s currently nothing that says anything about what you're supposed to do with these classes aside from the obvious (GLA has a shield = probably tank, ARC is um... obviously damage dealer). But what about CON/THM or PUG/MRD? I'm sure there are players out there that would love to be a damage dealer on their CON/THMs but seem to fall into the pits of healing since their nukes/dots are very inefficient. PUG/MRDs have a few abilities that seem to imply that it should be the one taking damage but its not often that you find one tanking. Now if you're going to suggest that these abilities should be obtained for use on other jobs then you should read #2.

2. Lack of class uniqueness:
Let's face it, everybody is a mix of everything with the Armory System and through all its freedom it’s actually crippling the gameplay for players. Players need abilities that are unique to their class and can’t be used cross-class. This way they can feel good about playing the classes they love. It's very disheartening to see players using high level abilities from other classes because of their strength. It might be cool for the players but what you're doing is taking away from that classes' identity. There is no reason to continue playing that class once you get X/Y/Z skills. I don't know many people that leveled LNC to 50, but I can name a few dozen that leveled it to 20 for Feint and the +movement trait while in active mode.

MINOR:

1. Final Fantasy Identification:
Players feel that they cannot relate to the current classes because they are not staples in the franchise and have just been thrown together for this game. This is not an issue for current players since we're obviously still playing. It's an issue for prospective players. XI players or FF players in general that stayed away from XIV because they felt they couldn’t relate. What we have now may or may not be acceptable to you but what is more important is what will bring players back in the long run.


All these issues and a few others related to classes can be accomplished with one giant rock.


SOLUTION - SPECIALIZATIONS/TALENT TREES WITH FF NAMES

Yes, we take Final Fantasy classes and use them as specialization classes for the current disciplines. You can call them advanced classes, specializations or simply talent trees but it's ALL the same exact thing. You're taking something and evolving it. In FF1 you took your Warrior and turned him into a Knight. Same concept except we don’t want the progression to be that linear in an MMO.

Edit (3/12/11):
Please note that the fact that its used in other MMOs is not a valid argument against the proposal. I called them "talent trees" because they are easily understandable to players that play MMOs. I'm really just referring to it as a concept which is something we have now with the Action Points Menu... only thing is that I'm adding more abilities (redistributing some), traits and a GUI to it. To help explain this better I'll use pictures:

This:

http://i52.tinypic.com/vymlpe.jpg

is the same as this:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...kaze01/wip.png

is the same as this:

http://www.ffnemesis.com/ff10/images/sphere_grid.jpg

is the same as this:

http://www.ffodyssey.com/ff12/ff12_license_board.jpg

is the same as this:

http://images.wikia.com/finalfantasy...crystarium.jpg

is the same as this:

http://www.blogcdn.com/wow.joystiq.c...ighttalent.jpg

So that is why I feel that "It's in every MMO" is not a valid argument because its actually in almost every modern game with RPG elements - all that changed was the look.

If you have legit complaints about this proposal I would like to hear them; this is far from perfect and I'm sure that with the communities' input it can be made better.


EXECUTION OF SPECIALIZATION WITHIN CURRENT SYSTEM

Introduce the Advanced Classes/Specs at a milestone level for players in the form of a class quest. Somewhere mid grind; 25 or 30 sounds good. These quests will let the players choose what path they would to go in. Of course, you still let players do all the quests, assuming they are of rank, so that they may have the option to switch in the future. Each of these paths has their own unique quest chains with cut-scenes/lore that eventually lead to Advanced Class/Spec specific armor/weapon at higher ranks.

Let's take the Gladiator for example:

After completion of the initial spec quest you now start earning talent points for each Rank after 30. These points will be used to further your Gladiator into the specs. If you want to deal damage then you can points into Dark Knight and if you want to tank you can do Paladin quest (these are non-repeatable quests btw) and put points into that.

These points will be used not only on traits/talents that raise your tanking or damage dealing capabilities but for abilities that will be specific to that spec as well. These abilities will not be able to be used on any other classes because they require talent points. You also need to make these abilities the defining point of the spec or the bread and butter.

For these talents SE will need to be creative. Eventually there will be one cookie-cutter spec but that will be after all the theory-crafting is done by most of the posters on BG. There needs to be more talents than you can put points in so that players have to decide what is most important to them and their parties.

Get really creative with these talents; introduce new weapon types that can only be used with that talent. Dark Knight will be able to equip Great Swords. Another talent that would work with Dark Knight is one that increases the player's damage if they use both hands for a weapon. This will make Gladiators doing the Dark Knight path shy away from shields. I'm just throwing a few ideas here but the possibilities are endless by mixing the Armory System with specs.

Players can still continue to play without spending their talent points but they will be crippling their play since specializing into a certain class would clearly be an upgrade. Don't think of this as replacing the current classes - you're not. You're evolving that Gladiator into a Paladin. People can call it a “Gladadin” if it makes them feel better but at its core; this is what an Advanced Class is. They used that term incorrectly in FFXI; they were just extra classes that required a quest to unlock. An "Advanced Class" is an evolution of the "Base Class" and that’s what this is accomplishing.