Why Not Have Classes? And Other Things

[Volki]

You know guilds are never going to be treated that way, Rigwyn. That will also heavily limit someone's social circle. And guild really isn't close to the definition of a class.

Taya, I don't see how I am being rude? I don't have an answer to your question because 1) it's off-topic, 2) I haven't thought about it much, and 3) the game is in beta, so I don't see why it's really an issue. You are arguing with yourself. Edit: I re-read the thread, and I just noticed that I missed some provocative statements from you. Keep the drama off my thread. Don't bother posting again unless you have something worthwhile.

[Taya]

I really want to leave the thread, and I really was trying to get something constructive from your idea. You can read that however you wish, but here are some replies to your points.

You've not answered several questions. The one that matters is where I asked you for some kind of example of what you would want to see.

1 - No, it's not off topic. In your original post you talked about class, but nothing anyone replies with seems to be hitting the mark you have in mind. So asking for more information about what you mean is certainly on topic. You also talked about NPCs offering more information and schools players could somehow be part of to connect with this NPC interaction. You've said the arena doesn't make sense here, though you haven't explained why or what else it could be used for to justify it not having a role in such things. Asking about this is on topic, because if not the arena and NPCs that can be based there, where else will these NPCs be? (The ones relating to combat 'classes' anyway.)  How would whatever you want work? Would it be a mechanics change? Settings? Simply a change in how people RP with each other?  (Your reply to Rigwin maybe hints that you don't believe that will happen.)
2 - I would request that you do think about it. I wouldn't have been asking you questions if I wasn't interested in understanding what you do want to aim toward. I am trying to work on areas of the game which are quite likely to connect to some of this or at least touch upon it, so helping my understanding of what you are hoping for might lead to me working on things a slightly different way.
3 - I'm not saying the beta status of the game is 'an issue', just that it's the reason the answer to some of the questions you have asked isn't known yet. Or rather, isn't known in game yet.

[Volki]

You were asking about the arena specifically. I don't have anything to say about it besides what I've already said. When the game does not sufficiently explain something, I look for the answers in the real world. Usually the answers I find are close enough. Which is why I wondered about the arena. People don't treat it like an arena. Right now it's used as almost purely training grounds, and you say that the settings relating to it are unfinished (due to alpha/beta). That is why I see the discussion of an arena's purpose as off topic.

Were you thinking that I was comparing the arena to a school?

[tman]

Let me see if I understand you correctly by comparing it to something I think is similar in my favorite single player game, TES3 Morrowind.

Nearly every NPC in the game had the dialogue option "my trade" where they would tell you their class, what they do, and what skills they use.  For example, a knight would tell you they use long swords and axes, wear heavy armor, and train in speechcraft and armor repair.  Also, every class would point you to one person who could tell you more about that class if you wanted to learn.  That person would be able to tell you about all of the skills involved in that class - the different types of longswords in the game, how to perform armor repair, etc.  Some would also tell you who could train you in the skills involved in the class.

Basically if I understand this idea right, it would be similar for the NPCs, and players would be able to pick a class or change their class if they want.  And NPCs would address them by their name and class.

It seems like this could be incorporated into the already existing factions system in the game.  Members of the food association could tell you where to get cooking/baking training, crafters could tell you where to train smithing or whatever...

[Eonwind]

It seems like this could be incorporated into the already existing factions system in the game.  Members of the food association could tell you where to get cooking/baking training, crafters could tell you where to train smithing or whatever...

IMO you hit the point, being part of a faction as they are conceived today is basically picking up a profession. This seems to be the closest thing the topic talk about since classes means a set of specialized features and limitations in every known game rule. But since one of the core features of planeshift is not imposing and hard limit on what you could possibly train then being part of a group or professional people is the only thing left possible to divide what a character (mostly) do in predetermined categories.
This concept is not yet fully developed by the questing system yet, but as far as I know it's being expanded and perhaps in the future the NPCs will be able to address your characters with the title he deserves (example: master chef, master smith, ...).

One last thing about the arena: the arena is conceived as both a training area AND an area for combat shows, and it's actually used for both, just think about the Champinship Cup http://www.planeshift.it/events/24/1386450000

[Taya]

You were asking about the arena specifically. I don't have anything to say about it besides what I've already said. When the game does not sufficiently explain something, I look for the answers in the real world. Usually the answers I find are close enough. Which is why I wondered about the arena. People don't treat it like an arena. Right now it's used as almost purely training grounds, and you say that the settings relating to it are unfinished (due to alpha/beta). That is why I see the discussion of an arena's purpose as off topic.

Were you thinking that I was comparing the arena to a school?

I wasn't thinking so much about the arena itself as a school, but about it being a focal point for combat learning since it's where people interested in combat go to test themselves and where recognition of a combat class and whatever else we want to build up from the idea could occur. I don't see it as off topic because you are talking about trying to add a new element of interaction and areas of the game that are not yet finalised seem like they'd be the ideal areas to build that into (depending of course on the end result wanted).

I like tman's suggestion of tying it into factions, because they should matter more than they do right now, though I also think we need to be careful with them, but that's true of everything.

[Taya]

Bluh double post due to cat attack.