2. I think so. Your background race are what determine who your character is to start.

3. Yes. As long as there are corresponding shortcomings to that race/background. You are sneaky because you were raised on the streets? Fine, you dont do well in high society without the proper training to get by.

4. Absolutely. This is what made me play COH for so long.

5. That would depend on the setting for me. Are there people around who have the ability to do this? Is there a mage type that specializes in flesh sculpting? Is there a super-hero/villian who has this skill?

6. Again this would depend on setting. Its tough in a fantasy setting to justify huge amounts of scarring with magical healing running around. Maybe a timer or something on wounds to cause scars? you are in combat, get hit for big damage, if you are healed then no scar. If you run away and let it heal naturally then you get a scar. Probably not really feasible as a game mechanic.

2. Race (or anything cosmetic) should not matter functionally. It would however be interesting if you could choose a certain ‘background’ for your character that aids in one way or another. It would be great for roleplaying and would also offer another means of making your character unique, seperate of classes/skills

3. It would be good that certain backgrounds are better in certain situations, as long as there is no ‘best’ background.

4. Character customisation now is extremely focused on looks. I’d like to see some other means of customisation such as speech, character history, psychologic/mental details, …

5. Do whatever would be possible in the world you are creating: face changes are fine in scifi settings, but not so in fantasy/medieval.

6. I’d like to see that your character is really impacted by the acid/fire/whatever is thrown at him, but all these effects should heal over time.

In the same way, picking your class in other MMO’s controls which skills you can use.

I submit to you that EVE is actually a class based game!

The only practical difference is that in EVE there are multiple classes available to the same avatar, as opposed to having to make a different avatar for each in most MMO’s. I prefer this system since it means you don’t have to reroll another character if your team wants a particular role, you just train the skills and buy the ship (class).

In the end, call it what you like, it doesn’t matter. But there does need to be SOMETHING in the game to limit which skills are being used together. There are other “skill-based” games out there that don’t have such restrictions. THOSE games are the ones that are really a balance nightmare.

Also, EVE Online devs achieved balance through Equipment. Battlefield 2142 same way.

Anyone that says skill-based is much harder to balance for sure hasnt p[layed EVE Online I promise you that

A skill is simply a tool. Why does knowing how to use a rifle is so unbalancing? If you dont have a rifle in your inventory, what does it matter?

The players WILL find skill combinations that are over powered way beyond the developers intentions, as WILL have to be nerfed. It’s inevitable

Min / maxing is far more rampant in a pure skill based game. Eventually a small number of uber skill sets will be found and anyone that does not use one of those will be considered a noob. You now essentially have your classes.

Skills, once learned should not be changeable, you spend your entire career learning to shoot a rifle, what do you mean you wnat to trade that skill you spent months gaining in for martial arts?

a) For “tactical transparency” in PvP – that is, being able to analyse the composition of your enemy and decide tactics on the fly. If you can’t tell what roles your enemy is going to play, you lose this important dynamic of PvP.

My reply: You dont need Classes for that at all. EVE Online achieves tactical transparency via Equipment. Same with FPS games (I know you have a Redeemer cause you carry a big gun). Other genres achieve Tactical Transparency completely without need for Classes. Also, they remove Hidden Potential making PVP way too straight forward and predictable. Somethings should be visible, but not everything

b) The learning curve in classless games is very steep. You have to do days of forum research before coming up with a character, etc. Those that don’t and just try to play the game “their own way” invariably get jibbed and make a bad build. This ruins their enjoyment of the game when they’re labelled “noob!” and other people’s enjoyment when the “noob” drags down their group. These problems are definitely still present in class based games, but are not as rampant.

It still happens much worse in a Class based game. Your Class can be nerfed into uselessness and there is nothing you can do to fix. In a skill-based game you can fix this by learnng new skills and dropping old ones.

Also, many of us find it fun to play around with spreadsheets and what have you to find a great build. Lastly, many players love steep learning curves (See EVE Online). It’s great for explorer tyope gamers that love to play with different builds and tryout different options

c) Skill balancing is difficult enough in pure class based games. When any character can use any skill, there are far more combinations to balance, and so the game will be much more difficult, if not impossible, to balance.

You can also gain the simplicity of Classes via equipment and limitations (like EVE Online),

Seriously, skill-based games completely and totally overlap Class based titles. There is nothing a Class based game can do that a skill-based game cant easily do

A skill-based game can display a tag over your head and declare you are a “Warrior” if you learn the appropriate skills and attributes

A skill-based game can limit you tactically via Equipment and Builds with ease

A skill-based game can be way simplier then Class based game (see Crackdown xbox 360)

Skill-based games can completely encompass a Class based game but Class based games lack the flexibility to do the same

2. Ideally, yes. Things like this are often considered to be just “fluff” or even annoying by some players. I couldnt disagree more. IMO, these types of features add loads of flavor and depth to a game. You remove enough of these features and you end up with the type of bland, sterile, lifeless MMOs that we have right now…

3. Yes. Really, this fits in with number 2. Things shouldnt be perfectly balanced in all situations.

4. As much as possible. You dont need a massive amount of facial features (like Oblivion), but you do need plenty of room to adjust body type, size, hair, clothing, etc. Taking things even further, Id like to see MUCH more stat and spec customization than we have now. I really do want to create a unique character or at least one that fits my play style.

5. Id say, your appearance should change, at least a little, as you play the game. Scars, tatoos, hari, body type and size…

6. Guess I already answered this.

2. I’m indifferent to races. I guess I would prefer to be able to learn any racial ability on one avatar

3. I suppose it is okay. Races are just another way to achieve Classification

4. I want alot. Spellborn and City of Heroes. Thast level, the max

6. Interesting concept will have to think on that

2. It should not have a dramatic effect on gameplay but races can come with certain benefits. I also do not think that races should be faction bound or that factions should be unable to interact. Both cut down on the “roles” one can play and the choices one faces. Did I grow up a certain race but not agree with what they stand for? Am I rebellious and want to side with the other faction just to rebel? My close friends or family are a part of the opposing faction, do I rat them out or protect them? To whom do I remain most loyal?

3. As long as each race has something it is “most powerful” at and it does not limit ones choices (dwarves might be the best miners but I could pick another race and choose to mine and perhaps become as good a miner as a dwarf but with a bit more “practice”)

4. Big fan of character customization from the little sliders in developing the character’s looks to the profession choices one makes to the choices in what to wear. I want to be able to spot my character amongst hundreds with just a glance at the screen.

5. Like being able to make changes to character as long as one can’t change species or character name. (character name should only be able to change if you’ve filed a harassment case against another player which has been proved valid and the name change is approved by GMs)

6. like this idea as long as it isn’t totally permanent. Being out in the sun makes one tan but staying indoors or only coming out at night eventually turns them white. Scars may fade over time esp. if one continues to apply ointment to the scar. Weight and muscles vary according to activity one engages in. Medics may be able to perform plastic surgery (could have it require certain resources so it has a cost and isn’t a “quick fix” so players aren’t careless about getting disfigured, “oh, it doesn’t matter if I get acid burn, all I’ve got to do is find a medic and poof with the click of a button it’s gone for free” but “hmm, I need to be careful because I don’t want to waste my funds and I’m going to need to hunt down someone with the resources or find the resources myself if I want to get the burns fixed”).

Let me try to explain that. Say I started off with a basic caster class. Now it generally goes without saying that physically those classes are not as agile and strong as a rogue or warrior “the typical melee sort”. But as suggested by Gnomig about a mage doing the sneak thing usually done by a rogue, the mage should have to spend time developing his agility.

I’ve never been a fan of doing instant respec’s as in WoW. To me that cheats the real player in trying to master something. If I was a mage, and I wanted some warrior skills then as a 90lb weakling I would have to bulk up. That takes time even if you take steroids. As my Strength builds and I spend less time at other things such as thinking maybe I lose a little intelligence.

Those things no matter what skill you attempt to learn should be governed by how often you attempt them. You don’t become a pole vaulter overnight nor a swordsmen. You should never expect to go up to a trainer (npc mentor) and instantly learn something.

Rather than picking and choosing a class, maybe there should just be things you can do in the game no matter who you are at the outset. At first you will have greater number of failures. The more times you try the move you succeed. This would even substitute the need for levels. You wouldn’t need levels or even “epic” gear. You really only get “epic” by being diligent in your expertise at things you do in the game.

It might sound like that become repetitive, but hey I think I would rather do a 1000 jumps, slashes, spin-kicks or conjures / casts than have to worry about getting from level 1 to level 70.
If you get bored with doing those there’s nothing to stop you from no longer casting bolts of ice to picking up a dagger and trying your odds at backstabbing someone.

As far as races or backgrounds go, that shouldn’t matter. Maybe gnomes might be more nimble at sneaking but that shouldn’t stop a large overgrown ogre from attempting it. Given that things such as size is really the determining factor of a successful sneak than a passive race trait. But a ogre would be good at smashing down a door than a gnome who had no lock picking skills. Physical and mental traits of a class should determine their success rate to a variable margin based on what they are actually trying to do given their limitations. A ogre might have limited intelligence but if he spent the right amount of time he might be able to concentrate and perform a magic of acceptable limits. But like I said earlier he would probably sacrifice so much time in this endeavor that he would lose strength in the long run.
If a orge on performed crushing blows all day everyday, then he should get a bonus. If a Elf ranger hunted at night every night, his eyesight and aim should give him a bonus. Action driven rather than picking something off a chart.

I don’t really care about altering my character after the beginning, although I do like the idea of the character being alter due to events, i.e… acid in the face. Maybe even aging in the game as well to a limited extend. For every year of real time playing your character should age say in dog years. Just a idea.

For those of you who skipped the ramblings of my post, to sum it up:
Character development in my opinion should be action driven not something you pick off a chart or talent tree. That in itself is only limited by how often you attempt that action. The more you try the more you get better at it. The amount of success rate you would never see in your character sheet. You would just know that your successful attempts seemed to be kicking someone’s else’s ass more often than not. Of course defenses against some sort of attack would work the same way. How often you defended against say a slash from a blade would determine you hidden ever adjusting success or failure rate for that action.

That’s my thoughts. I would rather be known for how good I am at something than “oh I’m level 70 and I have a epic staff”

Undeadmojo