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| Copyright 24th
March 2003 |
Random
Ranting 001: Comparing Classes -Expanding the comparison |
by Steve
Fletcher |
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This was written as a reply to a long, drawn out thread on a MUD which I
frequent, discussing the imbalance between classes. It's something I see all
too often generally, and so I have included it here - after editing out the
name of my character, and the name of the MUD itself.
I might as well stick my oar in here - cheer up those who've obviously been
expecting me to do so a lot earlier than this .
I don't have much to say about thieves, or assassins, other than what has been
said here. My main experience is with bards, much of the rest has been garnered
from conversations with others, and my char's usual quiet observation. That
said, I feel I need to raise a point here, that the discussion is skittering
around.
I'd say that there are two types of class in the world (yes, Koth, world, not
game *grin*). The central classes, such as Monks, Theurges, and possibly barbarians
on one side, with a great many perks, and relatively few disadvantages; on the
other, we have the thieves, assassins, druids, paladins, bards, et al (getting
progressively worse as you go down the list - excepting racial modifiers of course).
If, like me, you've been around this world too long, you'll have noticed there's
a definite bell curve going on. Most of the players (except the real sadists
like me ) tend to gravitate towards having really powerful chars. Excepting
the influence racial modifiers are going to have, this means we;re going to
see more higher-tier characters, over time, in the most powerful guilds, and
less in the weak.
Sure, we'll see lots of low-levels all over the place, but the guilds with
that have had more powerful high-level chars are going to be the most powerful,
by sheer probability.
Now, which guilds have had the most high-levelers? Well, Theurges seem to top
the list. No surprise there. They're not as all-powerful as they once were,
but they're still immensely popular. Their drawbacks are far outweighed by their
advantages.
Moving on, who's next? Hmm, here I'm not too sure, it's either warriors, or
barbarians. The brute-force tanks of the world. Again, it's very easy to take
a tank, and just smash it through everything, repair damage, and repeat. Not
too much that can be done about that, I suspect (not till the high levels anyway
- by then it's a bit late).
Next, come the monks. Now, I understand the problems with the monk class, but
trust me, they're -nothing- compared to the difficulties up-and-comings in some
of the other classes face (not just finding the guild, either ). Monks are another
primary class, particularly with their hiding abilities - and the viewing of
hiding others. It's nigh on impossible to sneak up on a monk (unless they're
lagged to blazes), but it's very easy for one to sneak up on you.
Right, that's them out of the way. Now, let's take a look at some of the weaker
classes. We'll start at the bottom. As mentioned above, I'm one of the players
that've been here years. In all that time, I think I've seen one guild alchemist.
Now, I don't know about you, but that's not a good ratio. Why is this? Aside from
insanely hard-to-find guild? (There were three others before, to my knowledge,
but all gave up, because they could not find their way into the guild).
Moving up one, my favourite pet hate. Bards. There have been half a dozen bards,
all but two gave up before reaching the high levels. Why is this?
Aside from the low, low stamina and health?
Aside from the fact that songsheets don't exist (and have been 'under construction'
for years), and you can only learn songs from another bard (if they're on, and
deem you worthy - if they don't, you could reach T20 songless)?
Aside from the fact that every single song (save SoD)has has it's effects duplicated
by a spell, obtainable by studying a comparatively easily obtainable scroll?
Aside from that there are s-e-v-e-n, count them, 7 songs, and 50-something spells,
which keep increasing in number?
Aside from that, if you're silenced, you're dead, as your defense with weapons
is even worse than a mage's?
Taking these aside, I have absolutely no idea why the bard's class would be
classed as one of the weaker ones...
I would mention druids as well, but I know so little about that class, due to
it's not being played (well, I think there was one), that I can't really say anything.
The others, I'm aware of similar fallacies, but, I'll leave describing them
to those that've played them.
Suffice to say, there's a class system, but it's not the one you think.
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