Class System Review
- Jan 12, 2007
This week we take a look at some of the changes that are taking place during the beta process and wanted to put some 'meat on the bones' on a decision tying into the class structure in Age of Conan.
This week we wanted to announce one of the major changes we have made during the beta process. As always we trying to give the best possible updates on any changes we are making to what has already been announced. For this week we wanted to put some meat on the bones on a decision tying into the entire class structure in Age of Conan.
One of the key things that the designers consider when going through the early stages of the beta process is whether the gameplay has turned out to be fun and involving. Have the designs that were originally done worked as we expected? Do they ensure that all-important fun factor is there?
Perhaps the most important factor we had to consider was whether the character development provided the right balance and sense of progression. Are the classes fun to play? That’s the question we have to keep foremost in our minds.
After our initial rounds of testing we found that the classes did what we had originally intended them to do, but there was one important aspect that we all felt was lacking a little and that was diversity of abilities. Each class played within its role, but those roles meant that each class had a more limited scope than we felt players would appreciate in the long term. With that in mind we started to look at the class roles, and decided that it was important to provide each final class we wanted in the game to have a little more flexibility. It was important that the classes didn’t have too much crossover between them which would blur the definition of what that class could perform.
So what we have done is a consolidation that provides each class with a more flexible role in the class structure. This means that in the long term it will ensure that there is an extra playability in each of the classes. We feel players will appreciate this approach much more than if we stuck to a more rigid structure with less scope within each of the professions.
So what has changed?
Effectively what we chose to do was to merge the character classes in order to improve the game further. This meant we could achieve our objectives without loosing anything from the original class listings. So for those of you that have followed the development from the previously listed professions here is the breakdown of what we have done:
Guardian and Halberdier have been merged, class name is Guardian.
Barbarian, Reaver and Master Thief merged, class name is Barbarian.
Conquer and Liberator merged, class name is Conqueror.
Zealot and Dark Templar merged, class name is Dark Templar.
Defiler and Lotus Master merged, class name is now Assassin.
Ranger and Waylayer merged, class name is Ranger.
Stormcaller and Druid merged, class name is Druid of the Storm.
Scourge of Derketo’s abilities have been merged across the Priest archetypes
So the final line-up is now as follows:
Priest Archetype – Druid of the Storm, Scion of Set, Priest of Mitra, Bear Shaman
Mage Archetype – Demonologist, Lich, Necromancer, Herald of Xotli
Soldier Archetype – Guardian, Conqueror, Dark Templar
Rogue Archetype – Ranger, Assassin, Barbarian
All the originally listed skills and abilities are still in the game, but they are just spread across fewer classes. We know that the players will benefit from the added abilities when it comes to the roles each class will fulfill in gameplay terms. We also know that this had to be done for the greater good of the game, and that our choice will seem the only logical one once you get your hands on the game.
What these changes accomplish is simply put that each class has much greater gameplay diversity, and we felt this was essential for the long-term playability. With more tools at their disposal players will for sure have a greater scope for their characters and thereby not feel so hedged in to a set role. At the end of the day it is all about the fun, and this consolidation will make the game more fun to play.
We didn’t feel that having classes that felt a little restrictive was the way to go as it simply didn’t make the game as much fun. As we see it is more fitting that characters who would flourish in the brutal and demanding lands of King Conan would have more then a few tricks up their sleeves!
You can check out the updated
Class tree for all the details on the class specialities and keep your eyes out for special class previews over the coming times both here and on some of our partner sites.