Endless Conquest Class Discussion
I think the Endless Conquest classes selection affects the balance of the game a bit.
First off, im not a huge fan of BS's current balancing format of trying to conform classes (ie make all light takes about the same, make all secondary healers the same, ext). obviously you cant just have one class that just hands down better then another, but, daoc had/has something great with its realm level balance as well (and by that I dont mean just giving every realm every ability the other realms have but just make they both be able to have a fighting chance in a fight (think more of a statistical/theoretical balance in general)). However, i understand its a hard line to walk so i understand why they might do it like other games and must make mirror class on each realm.
Sorry that seemed a bit off subject but I think its important to why the current selection of "free" classes may be flawed.
current selection
Albion:
Midgard:
Hibernia:
At a passing glace this looks ok, 2 main healers in each realm, a light tank, something with speed, and a hybrid.
However, did you notice all of the hib classes except Blademaster are healing classes? hibs have a wonderful set of classes that can and tend to be played as support. If a realm had to much of something would it not be nice if it was supporting classes for the paying players? yes the other realms have supportish classes for the majority but having your low RR sorc get a mezz/roots or that your noob rune master is near sighting is not exactly the same as a warden bladeturn and heals, or a the two classes with demezz or a random heal. Theses a lot to be said but i just feel hibs got the stacked good supports even at low RR or noob status classes. (it feels funny to that hibs only have the mentalist for there ranged damage but its just such a classic hib thing to have more stun nuke nukes i guess : )
Mids seem to have the damages here, they got cave shames, and a main nuker, out of the light takes a feel mid has a slight edge with the low RR and Skill berserker or even the melee valks not bad. there cc is close to hibs here (insta mezz and stun heals alot compared to low RR/skill sorc trying to get a mezz off) there Runemaster has NS and Bubbles which helps to. But this might just be mids have always had better small mans because there classes can synergy easy (so with lower skill required). for a normal mid group though there is one glaring issue, no tank (yes the other realms don't have one but it feels missing why you talk about mid)
now Albs, so hibs and mids they both have free classes that have Near Sight, group Blade Turns, Insta CC/interrupts (not just taunt though that helps i guess), nukes (yes mentalist is not main nukes but its a secondary on multiple spec lines, sorc has matter only, we will talk about body) albs have none of this. This may or may not be bad, they have some other stuff like sorc has range and body life tap (but for low RR or not the best gear, they are free casual players that tend to be playing for free). albs do have an ok tank train going i guess compared to other (friar, merc, paladin) compared to only 2 melee on other realms but melee friar has not been given love in a long time (its not A quality, more like a C or something). ( albs have OK classes here but are lacking some basics, or have to many of the required things on the sorc, but this seems about normal for an alb pub group to be missing a few basics its just how things are split (casters have to root for healers and healers stun for casters))
I guess im just a bit worried at the balance once we get more people returning, new players. yes im optimistic about the numbers, yes I don't know how the clumped zerg play really works (only zerg fights I know are from back in the day when there was just constant fighting between 3 keeps (the RGB keep triangle) and it was spread out constant fighting or general sieges of keeps, not this new cant see your char because your in a sea of players and aoe in a claustrophobic tower or something).
I guess I just wanted to see what others though about it? (i would suggest just allowing all classic classes but that's just my option, but it gets easier to balance the more classes you give, or give them just merc/zerk/blade but who wants that, and you would have to deal with the realm with the best tank train, or counter to it then, see complicated). it kind of feels like the devs did this the same way they have done all the class reworks, give them the same stuff and assume it will be balanced (which it does kind of work, its just not very dark agey if you know what i mean... the asymmetric but balanced balance in my option is what makes the game and why people think they like classic so much).
Probably offended people concerning my comments regarding balancing to causal, low RR, noob, but I feel the game works best when its balanced at high level of play and the general player base not just one or the other and i'm sorry but Endless Conquest will not be filled with the hardcore players as they will either move to a different game or sub. And I've missed a lot about the balance between the realms and differences, I mostly just wanted to point out that there are differences and get people talking : )
First off, im not a huge fan of BS's current balancing format of trying to conform classes (ie make all light takes about the same, make all secondary healers the same, ext). obviously you cant just have one class that just hands down better then another, but, daoc had/has something great with its realm level balance as well (and by that I dont mean just giving every realm every ability the other realms have but just make they both be able to have a fighting chance in a fight (think more of a statistical/theoretical balance in general)). However, i understand its a hard line to walk so i understand why they might do it like other games and must make mirror class on each realm.
Sorry that seemed a bit off subject but I think its important to why the current selection of "free" classes may be flawed.
current selection
Albion:
- Cleric
- Friar
- Paladin
- Sorcerer
- Mercenary
Midgard:
- Shaman
- Healer
- Valkyrie
- Runemaster
- Berserker
Hibernia:
- Druid
- Warden
- Bard
- Mentalist
- Blademaster
At a passing glace this looks ok, 2 main healers in each realm, a light tank, something with speed, and a hybrid.
However, did you notice all of the hib classes except Blademaster are healing classes? hibs have a wonderful set of classes that can and tend to be played as support. If a realm had to much of something would it not be nice if it was supporting classes for the paying players? yes the other realms have supportish classes for the majority but having your low RR sorc get a mezz/roots or that your noob rune master is near sighting is not exactly the same as a warden bladeturn and heals, or a the two classes with demezz or a random heal. Theses a lot to be said but i just feel hibs got the stacked good supports even at low RR or noob status classes. (it feels funny to that hibs only have the mentalist for there ranged damage but its just such a classic hib thing to have more stun nuke nukes i guess : )
Mids seem to have the damages here, they got cave shames, and a main nuker, out of the light takes a feel mid has a slight edge with the low RR and Skill berserker or even the melee valks not bad. there cc is close to hibs here (insta mezz and stun heals alot compared to low RR/skill sorc trying to get a mezz off) there Runemaster has NS and Bubbles which helps to. But this might just be mids have always had better small mans because there classes can synergy easy (so with lower skill required). for a normal mid group though there is one glaring issue, no tank (yes the other realms don't have one but it feels missing why you talk about mid)
now Albs, so hibs and mids they both have free classes that have Near Sight, group Blade Turns, Insta CC/interrupts (not just taunt though that helps i guess), nukes (yes mentalist is not main nukes but its a secondary on multiple spec lines, sorc has matter only, we will talk about body) albs have none of this. This may or may not be bad, they have some other stuff like sorc has range and body life tap (but for low RR or not the best gear, they are free casual players that tend to be playing for free). albs do have an ok tank train going i guess compared to other (friar, merc, paladin) compared to only 2 melee on other realms but melee friar has not been given love in a long time (its not A quality, more like a C or something). ( albs have OK classes here but are lacking some basics, or have to many of the required things on the sorc, but this seems about normal for an alb pub group to be missing a few basics its just how things are split (casters have to root for healers and healers stun for casters))
I guess im just a bit worried at the balance once we get more people returning, new players. yes im optimistic about the numbers, yes I don't know how the clumped zerg play really works (only zerg fights I know are from back in the day when there was just constant fighting between 3 keeps (the RGB keep triangle) and it was spread out constant fighting or general sieges of keeps, not this new cant see your char because your in a sea of players and aoe in a claustrophobic tower or something).
I guess I just wanted to see what others though about it? (i would suggest just allowing all classic classes but that's just my option, but it gets easier to balance the more classes you give, or give them just merc/zerk/blade but who wants that, and you would have to deal with the realm with the best tank train, or counter to it then, see complicated). it kind of feels like the devs did this the same way they have done all the class reworks, give them the same stuff and assume it will be balanced (which it does kind of work, its just not very dark agey if you know what i mean... the asymmetric but balanced balance in my option is what makes the game and why people think they like classic so much).
Probably offended people concerning my comments regarding balancing to causal, low RR, noob, but I feel the game works best when its balanced at high level of play and the general player base not just one or the other and i'm sorry but Endless Conquest will not be filled with the hardcore players as they will either move to a different game or sub. And I've missed a lot about the balance between the realms and differences, I mostly just wanted to point out that there are differences and get people talking : )
Post edited by rocketait on
Comments
https://forums.darkageofcamelot.com/discussion/2788/endless-conquest-first-impressions#latest
and here
https://forums.darkageofcamelot.com/discussion/2791/more-classes-for-ec-accounts#latest
I'm sure after these few days, Broadsword has already got a good idea how much mtx premium they'll generate. So this is probably more a financial decision than a balance one.
[edited]
Going free to play was a good idea and the right thing to do to try and bring players back to the game. It should of been done years ago. But the way it has been done is horrible. I said it in another post 3 months from now the game will be dead again if things stay the same. And once the game dies and the player base / sub count is even lower EA will pull the plug and shut the game down. I don't see them trying to run a live service game that isn't making them any money. Although I guess worst case scenario would be that they could add it to their EA premium all access game list.