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How the Class System Works:
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Ashes of Creation Class System
There seems to be a great deal of confusion regarding the Class System in Ashes of Creation; I'm going to break it down in a way I hope everyone can grasp.
The first thing to keep in mind is that there are 8 Archtypes.
Period. Stop. End of discussion.
Semantics are important, ok? For whatever reason, folks are using improper language to describe what happens to your Character based on the selections you make at Character Creation and during gameplay. You need to realize that everything else you choose about your character does not change your initial Archtype; those choices simply add flavor to your character in order to keep you from being the same as everyone else.
Think of it like being a Chef. If you cook a steak, and I cook a steak, we're not going to have the exact same outcome. Maybe you're from Italy, while I'm from America. That alone will make our styles different, even though we're both Chefs (our Archtype), and we're cooking the same meal (using the same ability).
In Ashes, there are multiple ways to flavour our Character.
1. Race/Sub-Race selection.
If we're both Fighters, and we're both using the Charge ability, in most other MMOs it would look and act the same. However, in Ashes we get to move away from that simplistic design. If you're an Orc, for example, maybe you cause a bit more damage when you hit the opponent, whereas I, as an Elf, am more fleet of foot causing me to charge across the field faster while not doing as much damage as the Orc.
We're the same Archtype, using the same Ability, but our Race allows us to slightly modify that Ability to allow for different playstyles.
2. Religion.Ok, right now we have absolutely no idea how Religion is going to modify things in the game. We simply know a Religion system is in place, and it will allow us to further flavour our Characters. Expect it to work just like Race-- it doesn't give us any NEW abilities, it will simply allow us to flavor the ones our Archtype comes with.
3. "Class" selection.Here's where the semantics are driving people crazy. At some point in your Character's development, it will get to choose again from the 8 Archtypes in order to create a combination we define as our Class. The thing to keep in mind is this: You Are Not Adding A Second Archtype To Your Character. You're simply choosing another flavour for your abilities based on the playstyle you plan to implement. And yes, you can choose the same Archtype to become a Fighter/Fighter, for example.
Just as a Human Fighter and a Dwarf Fighter are both the Fighter Archtype, a Fighter/Cleric and Fighter/Ranger are different Classes, yet also JUST Fighter Archtypes. Choosing an augment Archtype is about selecting a style of play and not about opening up your character to another Archtype's abilities.
The exact example we've been given is:
A Fighter/Fighter using the Charge ability will run across the field and whack an opponent.
A Fighter/Mage will teleport across the field to an opponent and then whack it.
As you can see, neither the Archtype or Ability has changed from its basic function: you're still closing the gap between yourself and an opponent, and finishing with an attack. The manner in which you do so, and perhaps a secondary effect, has simply been modified to give your Character a unique twist.
The bottom line is this:
A Fighter/Cleric and a Cleric/Fighter are completely different Archtypes--one being a Fighter, and the other a Cleric--with completely different sets of Abilities.
Whereas a Fighter/Cleric and a Fighter/Ranger are the exact same Archtype, with the exact same Abilities, only with very different playstyles, or flavour, applied to those Abilities.
Always keep in mind that Archtype refers to the first Role you choose for your character, and Class refers to the second Role you select. It has also been stated that while you may not change your starting Role, they may allow us to switch our secondary Role--and thus our "Class"--at some point during gameplay.
And with that, I hope you have a better understanding of how the Class system for Ashes of Creation works. 
Comments
still many people assume that the second archetype gives them new skills/skills of the second archetype. But that's not the case. if someone chooses the cleric as a second archetype they will get no healing skills. they may augment their primary archetypes skills so they may heal the player, But don't expect a Tank/Cleric to tank and heal the group
I think Enrif's point wasn't clear in the OP. I'd expect a Tank choosing a cleric to open up some form of healing, even if it was just self-heals.
The way I read the initial post said you would just change the graphical effect or functionality of an ability, but you wouldn't up new families of ability. For example, a fighter augmenting mage would replace charge with blink, versus adding fireballs ability (a new family).
Choosing "Cleric" as your secondary does NOT give you Cleric abilities. It simply puts a Cleric spin on the ones you have.
For example, let's take that Charge ability. Perhaps instead of only doing DPS when you charge forward and hit the target, you also set off a small heal on any friends in a small AOE around the point of impact. That means, you don't have a "Heal" spell like a Cleric gets, you just add a bit of Cleric flavor to YOUR ability: Charge.
Maybe a fighter/cleric would add healing over time to a specific fighter skill, but not give you a new healing spell to use. That sounds about it, right?
One question though, is the first point you made, about races making your character that more unique, confirmed? Would it be a system similar to games with passive abilities to each race? Maybe also active abilities?
Just like rabbit described.
Making some races better on a class than other races.
Yep!
>>>>
I'd have said that sooner, but I've been on vacation for a couple of weeks.
Thanks Rabbit, helped a whole lot.
Cheers
Thanks Rabbit, helped a whole lot.
Cheers
Except this part, I like your summary!