Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Where Is WoW's "Meta" Class? (And a bunch of other random shit)

So, I created a thread here questioning if a Mesmer /Psionicist (check links if you're unfamiliar) "meta" style class could fit into the WoW world as maybe a hero class? After playing Guild Wars some lately I've come to realize that these classes which are so unfortunately absent from WoW are a large reason why I'm so often drawn to other, ultimately inferior games.

They are truly interesting to play and really have a high learning curve and "scale with skill" quite well. Would a class like this fit in all that well in WoW's ultimately dumbed down MMO model? I'm not sure. I feel bad saying that because it is such a great game, by far the best on the market, but I can't help but feel that the developers cater to the least common denominator(AKA below average "casual" morons who don't even understand the game) too much. No doubt a large reason why it's so popular, but hey, I like complicated things!

It really is a shame that a hardcore yet high quality MMO hasn't surfaced yet. I don't mean hardcore in the grindfest/raid 7 days a week/suck the life out of you type of game, but just a game with very complex gameplay systems, LOTS of classes, choices, customizations, etc. Sure, it would be a tough thing to balance for sure, but my geeky interest in the genre always seems to focus more on the underlying system of the game than even playing the game itself. Does it surprise you that I always spent more time creating Dungeon and Dragons characters than actually playing the game? There's just something about the mechanical side of RPG games that's always caught my interest. It truly is a shame that the jobs of men like Tom Chilton and Brad Mcquaid aren't the types of positions you "apply" for...Who knows, maybe I'll end up working for some game company in their financial department and eventually work my way into a "game systems developer" title :P Maybe, the gaming and MMO markets are both quickly growing!


(One hell of a rant, eh? I think I managed to string together 3-4 separate ideas into something I had initially intended to be about WoW getting a new type of class)

42 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good work.Nice reading.^^,it need lots of classes?

Unknown said...

I feel your pain on the dumbed down feeling of WoW and the much more engaging experience that other games' meta type classes, such as the Mesmer from Guild Wars offers.

I'm another that enjoys figuring out the systems behind things.
Creating characters and learning how they function can be more fun than playing that character out at higher levels sometimes.

I came from DAoC to WoW with a couple of friends and the major thing I missed from DAoC (aside from the far superior PvP and wider class selection/diversity) was the relative complexity of interaction available between the different characters - I actually feel that everyone being so capable in a solo capacity in WoW hurts the grouping aspects of it as no one truly needs anyone else to get things done.

I prefer the more 'subtle' types of classes such as the Mesmer when they're available as they offer a more interesting way to affect a situation rather than just straight up making something explode, be it by spell or by sword.

Oh and wowup, yes more classes are great :) I know that the more classes there are to explore then the more chance I have to enjoy the game for longer as I can find just the right class for me as well as having so many more mechanics to learn and apply in creative ways ^_^

Sorry for the long post :-|
(omg I previewed it and it may as well be a blog post on its own :( )
-Scott

Anonymous said...

Did you ever check out eve online ? it`s hardcore, it`s complex and it`s almost retard free :)

Anonymous said...

pshh...

PSHH... sounds like a Warlock that can't cast a pet, Shadowbolt, LOLtap, Seed of Skill, drain life, drain mana, or fear.

I like the idea, but I don't think a class like that would fit currently in WoW's design. Right now, the game is all about tank, heal, dps. Perhaps in the future, they will explore more nontraditional roles. A class that scales well with skill would definitely be appreciated. I wish all classes were designed that way, but its really only noticable with Hunters and Druids.

Anonymous said...

necropost reply...

RE: I feel bad saying that because it is such a great game, by far the best on the market, but I can't help but feel that the developers cater to the least common denominator(AKA below average "casual" morons who don't even understand the game) too much.

This precisely the reason WOW *has* 10M active accounts. It is also the reason you're enjoy Sunwell Isle, because Blizzard has tons of money to create new content.

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