My main concern about the class system

[Malorn]

What you are complaining about is only going to get worse. Is there a heavy indoor battle? Most everyone jumps to HA classes. Is it a heavy outdoor battle? Most everyone jumps to AV or long range AI classes. With classes the game of Rock Paper Scissors will get WORSE, not better.

This is a really good point. If anyone can switch at any time they'll go with whatever the best class is for the situation. I'd like to hear how they plan on addressing that.

I don't think the old system is the correct solution, it would need some modification but the core ideas are sound. Of course at this point they've probably invested so much into the new design that completely revamping it may not be practical. It was one of the two big hightlights of the fanfaire...the new cert system & the resource/territory control changes. Going back on that would take a lot of convincing and would require some fundamental flaws that cannot be resolved by tweaking that system. I think that is quite unlikely. The new system is very likely going to stay, so the question is the nuances of it as opposed to the fundamentals.

[Headrattle]

Originally Posted by Malorn

This is a really good point. If anyone can switch at any time they'll go with whatever the best class is for the situation. I'd like to hear how they plan on addressing that.

And this happens in most class games. Enter into a TF2 game for example. Even though it is a constant close in battle, and everyone has their roles, if there is a role sorely lacking (no medic or no heavy) the new guy is more likely to choose that role. This will get worse for PS2. Assaulting a base with high walls? Most people will likely use the jump jets to get there. Constant infantry zerging in? Most will choose HA. People will tend to choose what they are having the most success at in any given moment. There were many times in PS1 that I wish I had a certain cert at a certain time, but didn't so I had to make due. I still had fun, but I couldn't be everything at once with any real success. With classes, if I need to be something at a certain time, I just hit an equipment station and I am that class. I believe that most players will do this because in other less varied games most players DO do this.

I don't think the old system is the correct solution, it would need some modification but the core ideas are sound. Of course at this point they've probably invested so much into the new design that completely revamping it may not be practical. It was one of the two big hightlights of the fanfaire...the new cert system & the resource/territory control changes. Going back on that would take a lot of convincing and would require some fundamental flaws that cannot be resolved by tweaking that system. I think that is quite unlikely. The new system is very likely going to stay, so the question is the nuances of it as opposed to the fundamentals.

I agree. We shouldn't have a cert system exactly like PS1, but we should be working to make it better. There is another thing. The cert system gave your character personality. This is my tank driver, he is geared to drive tanks and support when out of the tank. I have an HA/AV guy, but he isn't as high. Things like that.

I think that getting the cert so you can choose the class in the first place would be good, but only after so much time has passed so you can know what you want to do.

[Coreldan]

Originally Posted by Headrattle

I agree. We shouldn't have a cert system exactly like PS1, but we should be working to make it better. There is another thing. The cert system gave your character personality. This is my tank driver, he is geared to drive tanks and support when out of the tank. I have an HA/AV guy, but he isn't as high. Things like that.

I think that getting the cert so you can choose the class in the first place would be good, but only after so much time has passed so you can know what you want to do.

On another note, "requiring" alts is bad design, IMO

[Headrattle]

Originally Posted by Coreldan

On another note, "requiring" alts is bad design, IMO

Who said anything about "requiring alts?" You don't have to have an alternate character. Why would you think that? For example: I have a few alts, but I never play them, thus I don't have to have them.

[kaffis]

Originally Posted by Malorn

This is a really good point. If anyone can switch at any time they'll go with whatever the best class is for the situation. I'd like to hear how they plan on addressing that.

Time-based skill tree training.

Sure, in an indoor fight, everybody will be in the HA role or whatever. But only 4 people out of 20 will be heavily invested in it. So you've got 16 people grunting around at 100-105%, and 4 people grunting around at 115-120%. I'll take that. Especially when you consider that it'll be 4 people grunting at 115%+ HA, 3 people Medicing at 115%+, 2 people Engineering at 115%+, one or two people Commanding at 115%+, 2 people in MAX suits at 115%+, and then the remaining 8 people (who are heavily invested in vehicles and piloting) HA grunting at 105%.

Honestly? I like this better than a restrictive number of certs in old-school PS1 days. Because now, my whole two-squad platoon is working together inside, instead of the tank driver(s) and his gunners sitting in the courtyard while the reaver pilot(s) just roam all over the damn place because they weren't certed for indoor combat.