Defining one's class

The issue with giving every class their own defined skills or buffs or auras or whatever, is that suddenly it's very easy for a certain class to become optimal for a build. Currently the choice of class is to some extent informed by optimization (i.e. a Marauder has a hard time reaching CI/GR), but there's also a big question of utility. I love playing Shadows as casters because they get such quick access to high Crit nodes, but the downside is that it's hard for me to reach the elemental damage nodes in the Templar area.

In other words, most builds currently have two or three viable classes as starting locations, and the choice between the two is one of personal preference, whether this be for the smaller utility options the class offers easier, or just aesthetics.


Now imagine Witches get an innate passive catered to casters, but Shadows get an innate passive catered to dualwielding. Now, if I still choose to be a Shadow, I'm suboptimal. Objectively suboptimal. It's no longer a utilitarian choice. It's blatant numbers.


I'm all for giving the classes some more character, but straight up class-only spells or buffs would make the skilldrassil's freedom only an illusion of choice.

In my opinion they should just add much more key nodes in the passive tree because making anything not accessable from any other character is actually decreasing the number of different builds.

For example, right now there is 6 different ways you can play lighting arrow bow character, and if you made the ranger have a bonus with bows for example the choice might be much more obvious.

Currently there are big pros/cons to each of the different characters even if going for the same build, even the order you can take points is extremely important and will make the duelist bow user different from the ranger bow user even if they take the same points in the end.

I kind of feel like perfectly defined classes is a little overrated. I'm ready for something different which is Path of Exile. It gives alot more freedom to experiment and I still feel like the different locations on the skill tree makes a gigantic difference which does help define classes.

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Jyrex wrote:

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Sure we can play in the direction to be that character, but it's almost an insult to see a 'caster' shooting a bow as their main ability or a giant barbarian or a holy man summoning undead and shooting out ice and fire. This goes against all lore behind these classes.

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I still say remove the titles and give us the option of creating our own Class Name. That way when people see my undead summoning "templar" with a staff beating the crap out of enemies they can read my horribly uncreative title name of "Shadow Monk". This will let people know what they may be up against or grouped with or just even give people a laugh by what others decide to call their class. :)

I find lore important as well, but I think it is actually not impossible, given a bit of creativity, to justify any crazy build within the current class backstories.

For example:

Bow Witch: The Witch was persecuted for her use of magic back in Oriath, so she learned to hide her magical abilities by using a bow to channel her magic. When she needed to cast a spell like ice spear or fireball, she would fire an arrow and cast the spell at the same time, making it look like iceshot, fire arrow, lightning arrow, elemental hit, etc.

Necro Templar: After spending some time reading forbidden works of necromancy, the Templar has come to believe that it is possible to save the souls of dead unbelievers from eternal damnation by "allowing them to repay their debt to god," ie serving under a Templar as a minion. For these heretical beliefs, he was exiled to Wraeclast by the mainstream Templar establishment.

Caster Marauder: Despite the Marauder tribes' reputation as being warriors, shamans also play an important role in Marauder society. Unlike spellcasters in other societies, Marauder shamans are not fragile glass cannons. They look every bit as burly and strong as the rest of the tribe. The Marauder shamans gain magical knowledge and intelligence not by careful study of books and scrolls, but by honing their mental fortitude in the violent and brutish environment of Marauder society.

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Personally, I'm not a fan of the custom class name idea. I wouldn't mind this feature in a single-player game like Oblivion, but in a multiplayer game, I feel like it would only serve to give people another opportunity to come up with stupid/offensive class names. The custom classes would also probably mess with the class rankings in ladders.

The current classes are fine as they are. For players concerned with the lore of crazy builds, nothing is stopping you from informally calling your character on the forums a "shadow monk" or whatever. I just don't want my in-game experience to be ruined by bad custom class names.