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Phase I of Alpha Two testing will occur on weekends. Each weekend is scheduled to start on Fridays at 10 AM PT and end on Sundays at 10 PM PT. Find out more here.
Check out Alpha Two Announcements here to see the latest Alpha Two news and update notes.
Our quickest Alpha Two updates are in Discord. Testers with Alpha Two access can chat in Alpha Two channels by connecting your Discord and Intrepid accounts here.
Comments
The design is a system of augments to the base class, with different themes for those augments.
One theme I would call Multi-classing. Appears you will have four potential augments from this theme, with maybe a couple being worthwhile depending on the player’s desire for shaping their character.
Other augment themes would be Religion, Social Organizations, Race, etc. Combine that with Gear augments and you get the idea.
The safe choice, if you want to go as a specialized, dedicated main tank would be choosing Tank as the primary archetype. I would not get too wrapped up on the primary/secondary archetype combinations or the “class” names they use for those. Those aren’t classes in the traditional sense, they are options for augments to maybe make the character a little more versatile or to reskin an ability to match a theme, specifically a Multi-class theme.
I think a comparison, since people keep bringing Pathfinder up, is the feat system of that game. It doesn’t create a new class, it just tries to make the class “better” or take it in a direction to make the player feel it is more varied. That said, while Pathfinder has a lot of feats to choose from, a lot are suboptimal and could be considered false choices. Hopefully the augments, which should do a little more than feats, have more meaningful choices.
Overall I view multi-classing as either something a player wants to make up for their boredom of a single class or an attempt to create an over powered character. These augments may provide the flavor of multi-classing without offering too much. I find that most games fail at multi-classing.
Will there be enough augments from various sources to make a decent tank that is not a primary archetype tank? We will have to see. Perhaps there is a God of Tanks, organization of tanks plus gear that provides these augments.
I think they made it clear tanks won’t be forced into sword and board play style. They’ll be able to use a variety of weapons
I didn't mean anything towards them being locked to certain weapons or gear... I was referring to a playstyle
I am just going off of the video release and the lineup of skills that they'll have and they all lead towards a certain playstyle of tank. So far any description of secondary augments don't do anything to change that play style for the tank archetype... That's why I started this whole mess, to see if there will be any variations in how you can go about tanking that you can choose from...
So far the two answers seem to be either:
No, only the tank archetype can tank and secondary augments don't change him much.
Or
We don't know, we don't have enough information yet.
Assuming you have a wish, even an extremely specific wish, it's very likely to be considered because there are lots of ways to 'make sure you have a path to what you want' without necessarily overcomplicating the whole class.
If you just 'want to try something different', what would you consider 'different enough'?
You keep saying only Primary Archetype can tank.
Primary Archetype Tanks are primary/main tanks.
Secondary Archetype Tanks can off/tank.
Augments significantly change the ways the Primary Archetype Tanks play but do not change the primary role.
But augments are attached to and triggered by the abilities of the Primary Archetype.
Secondary Archetypes do not provide abilities.
It's inherent in the names:
Primary Archetype Tanks have a primary role of Tank
Secondary Archetype Tanks have a secondary role of Tank.
Also, Secondary Archetype Tanks are not the only variations of Primary Tank.
Primary Tanks can also have significant variations of playstyle based on racial augments or social augments or any other category of augments.
But, they will all be using the same ability tree.
If I were playing a Py'Rai Warden, I would not be wearing plate with sword and board.
I would still be using Tank abilities, yes. But, I would also be using Py'Rai and Ranger augments.
And that playstyle would be significantly different than a Vek Spellshield using Vek and Mage augments.
My Niküa Keeper also would not be wearing plate with sword and board and would be using Niküa and Summoner augments.
Even my Nikua Guardian would not be wearing plate with sword and board - I would have a Niküa Guardian wearing leather armor and very likely wielding a spear - and would be using Niküa augments.
And that playstyle would be significantly different than my Empyrean Guardian using Empyrean augments.
I've given a few example in earlier posts in this thread, such as a summoner tanking through his summons.
Have you played FFXI? I'm trying to understand if you have this wish because you have had the experience before, or because you specifically haven't, since the 'concern type' is different.
That's a game where it isn't too difficult to find all sorts of ways to tank, at least respectably, using just basic game mechanics. Two or three clearly defined tanks, at least seven alternate special tanks for tanking enemies with particular mechanics or attack styles.
Our summoner does not do much tanking in that game, but she could have. We expect that the way she tanks in that game will be the same in Ashes, and would also be concerned if it wasn't possible.
But the devs would have to go completely out of their way, to make it not possible, and that's why we're not worried and why so many posters might seem to be misunderstanding you. It's possible they all just 'can't see how it would be difficult' since they've done it before in other games.
You would have to play a Summoner with a tanky Summons and see how well Tank augments allow you to main tank, which is still unlikely to be as well a Primary Archetype Tank can main tank because that tanky Summons is unlikely to have all of the Primary Archetype Tank's abilities.
Obviously a tanky Summons with Tank augments will be able to tank to some degree.
And, yes, the devs will not be going out of their way to prevent Secondary Archetype Tanks from being main tank, they just won't be designing Secondary Archetype Tanks to be main tanks.
Ensuring that Secondary Archetype Tanks can main tank is not a design goal.
That was kind of my original question
Or the rogue with tank secondary being able to dodge tank.
But you came in real hot with a hard no at first.
Even if it isn't as easy to play (as in hard to mess up) like the main tank archtypes would be, I wanted to know whether anyone had heard of these x/tank secondary types would be possible.
I'm ok with summoner tanking being possible but really hard to get right. Imagine having to play puppet Master to get all of the positioning right that a main tank would have to do but doing it all through your summon. I imagine that would be really difficult, but I would love to have it being possible and therefore really rewarding when you get it done. Sure the main tank archetype would be easier to just do it yourself but having the different style possible is what I want.
It is unlikely that a Secondary Archetype will replace the need for a Primary Archetype Tank.
As long as you understand that, try to see if you can make a Secondary Archetype that can main tank.
Just don't be upset if you can't because the devs do not have the goal of ensuring that you can main tank and their expectation is that Secondary Tanks will not replace the need for a Primary Archetype Tank.
Have fun trying to make that rare build. It's not necessarily impossible. But, the only way to know how possible it is - how close a Secondary Archetype Tank can get to main tank - is for people to give it a try.
That's not the same thing as Secondary Archetype Tanks not being able to tank at all.
If you want to try to push at the edges of the design and see if you can create a build of Secondary Archetype Tank that can main tank - go for it!!!
But I mean even wow has trouble balancing their tanks. Who's to say that a random X/tank build doesn't turn out better than at least one of the Tank/X primary.
I know they said the goal is to prevent any kind of meta from forming where something feels required. But you know that's what the player base is always going to do... Crunch numbers and determine that a tank/cleric with blah blah blah augments has the best survivability. I feel like having some good tank strength in the x/tank column would help prevent that too...
It's not a huge difference. It is exactly the same thing.
What do you think probably not means??
If you didn't understand my 1st post on the first page, I made it even clearer in my 2nd and 3rd posts on the first page.
Expect x/Tanks to have augments from the Damage Mitigation School.
That does not mean that x/Tanks will replace the need for a Primary Archetype Tank.
Let's have classes that can switch roles with meaningful choice in augments that significantly change skills (e.g. reduces damage of an ability while increasing a defensive stat to make the clas tankier).
Expect the Tank augment to increase the defensive stat without reducing the damage from the base ability normally does.
Significantly changing abilities does not mean the Primary combat role changes. How that Primary combat role is played will change significantly.
I can't imagine any optimized PvE DPS build including the tank secondary.
That depends on the degree of change you want the augment to have. Some augments could have smaller benefits only, others could have stronger benefits balanced by negative effects... talk about some awesome meaningful choice with a system like that!!!
I'm not looking for your interpretation of what Steven has said in the past.
I understand your position on this topic and I disagree with it. I believe making augments more meaningful... to the degree they have potential to change your primary role... will make for a better game.
Why do I feel this way:
1) One of the core design flaws of MMO is the locking in of a player to a single role combined with the significant time investment required to play each character. One of the best ways to mitigate this issue is with choices that can influence the role a class can play (within reason of course as it needs to fit within class fantasy). This provides SIGNIFICANT increases in playability with a single character and can be done without breaking immersion.
2) Flavor only augments are not going to do much to actually change your class playstyle. A tank/x is still using the same core abilities. This doesn't give true variation if tanking styles when compared to MMOs that support multiple tank classes with entire toolkits that are different.
3) Many MMO players want to try out different roles and they don't want to be sub-par hybrids (i.e. trying to do both at the same time and failing at both). Being able to do only one role at a time, but able to do it as well as others in that role is the best way to manage the desire to play multiple roles with class balance.
4) Tanks and Healers tend to be underrepresented in MMOs, especially at the dungeon level. This leads to tanks getting elitist attitudes cause they can easily find other groups and DPS literally begging for groups. The 8-player group size will help with this, but I don't think it will be enough, especially if someone has to commit to being only a tank. Having the ability to switch roles will help with the supply demand. It also makes it so two friends that are tanks can actually group with each other as well (one of them just goes DPS augments/gear for the adventure). This can go the other way for raids as well where you might have too many tanks. If the extra tank can switch over to DPS then that's better than getting sat.
5)There isn't any downside to this so long as there is still class fantasy/emersion maintained (not all classes need to be able to do all 4 roles, but each should be able to do at least 2 and some 3 or 4). The name "Tank" for a class is more empersion breaking than what I'm recommending.
6) Dygz, don't be the destroyer of fun
I'm just making sure people understand that is not the game design and is not a dev goal.
I'm not destroying anyone's fun. My decisions cannot ruin the game for others since i'm not the one implementing features and mechanics
According to the game design, that is false.
We'll have to see how well the devs are able to implement the design.
The active skills stem from your base archetype. So from a design standpoint, even though augments do radically change the way your active skills provide you abilities, there's still a primary focus on the base archetype itself and not the 64 whole classes.
––– Steven
We're not really talking about 64 true classes, we're talking about eight classes with 64 variants... There isn't as much variance between the 64 classes as you might expect. It's not like there are 64 different versions of... radically different classes. There are eight archetypes that have the same chassis but then they have different augments put on top of that to change the performance of that chassis....to make a car analogy.
––– Jeffrey Bard
"The protected one who takes or avoids the brunt of the damage while holding enemy focus"
"The one that gets close and hits things really hard or fast."
"The one that stays far and hits things really hard and can hit many"
"The one that stays far and hits things really hard focusing on just one."
"The one that heals damage."
"The one that specializes in ranged Damage Over Time"
"The one that uses stealth and positioning to get damage or bonuses."
"The one that openly uses positioning to get buffs and debuffs."
"The one that controls other entities to do a little of all these things."
You can mix and match these, which is probably the point of augments, and games really do try, very often, to mix and match them, and these often result in new 'classes', but because there simply aren't enough other things to even do, that's all it usually is.
If someone told you 'you have 100 points over 6 related sliders, pick which ones you want', it's almost always possible. Everything an MMO developer tells you is just 'their way of putting that fact into words'. They're just moving the sliders (Damage Mitigation, Melee Offensive Output, Ranged Offensive Output - choose DoT, Burst, or Highest Single Target, or take a little of all, which is what nearly all people with this slider will do, Healing, Positioning Bonuses, Pet Control).
Obviously this is hyperbole a little, but 'classes' are almost always just 'a mask put over a slider preset'. All we have to care about is 'how well the Augments let us move the sliders'.
The car analogy is technically 'they're all vehicles'. Most of them are cars, maybe one is a truck, maybe one is a jetski.
If you interpret those two quotes to mean what you're saying I don't feel like augments are going to change the tank class very much.
have you found any examples of how secondary augments will affect the activated abilities of the tank archetype?
The problem is, what you are really asking here is, Intrepid, please make my choices not matter. You are asking to do everything, whether or not you are doing them at the same time. Why look for any particular class, when you can do any? And it does heavily impact other peoples play, especially in our current discussion of roles within a group. (Side note: If this is a request you need, the Summoner has already been tapped as a jack of all trades)
In a post after this one, you reference WoW, which throughout it's releases dumbed itself down again, and again and again. They homogenized the classes down to some classes tank, some classes heal some classes dps, and some classes mix. WHICH class you use is almost irrelevant, beyond the tuning that puts one or 2 to the 'meta' for a patch cycle. Having classes not feel unique is not a positive.
As to whether or not augments will just provide flavor, i agree if the augment just makes the sparkles i make have a different color, or get a special animation, i would be dissappointed. I don't think this will be the case. But i also don't think you'll be able to change your role. otherwise, If a tank/rogue and rogue/tank can both survive an encounter, and the rogue/tank does more damage, why would you ever pick the Tank/Rogue? And if Rogue/Tank can't survive an encounter they have failed in their most basic role as a tank. Adding tank should just give you survivability options, maybe you feel rogue is just not working in the big knock down drag out field battles, or just not to your liking, so you add some beef.
That's going to depend on the level of hate management. In a game like retail wow where it is impossible to take aggro from a tank without a taunt like ability, I'd agree with you, as dps just has to avoid the lava and face roll the keyboard in whatever way makes the most ouchies. In systems where Over DPSing is an actual concern, or where bosses often hit the entire raid hard, or fill the area with so much area denial, the group is just going to take some damage, A dps who needs a little less care and attention, or who can pop all their ability and hold some hate on the boss for just a bit off time, perhaps to rez the tank, or clear nasty dots or curses can come in handy.
"When you pick Cleric as a secondary class, two of the augments (Schools) are Life and Death. Choosing Life augments, on certain skills, will have the ability to both potentially impact others to a degree, and give them life-giving benefits, to a degree through you skills, and also provide healing benefits to yourself through your skills, as well.
So any class that's going to choose Cleric as a secondary class will have the ability to pick from those augments (Schools) to influence their skills to affect the Life of others around you and yourself.
It (augments) changes the primary abilities to some degree. And that degree depends on the augment that is applied to it. So, yes, you only get active skills from your primary class and that ability could look totally different after the augment is applied. It really depends on what the augment is."
---Steven
https://discord.com/channels/256164085366915072/256164085366915072/739365922246098987
"Some cleric augments applied to certain skills will indirectly provide the ability to heal others. These will not replace the need for a cleric archetype."
---Steven
"We have our eight base archetypes; and the trinity is a pretty strong influence with regards to the eight base classes. However the area in which we actually begin to play with that line between the trinity is in the secondary classes that you can pick. That's where we begin to blend those spaces and allow people a little bit of influence over their role and whether or not they fit perfectly within a particular category within the trinity."
---Steven
An option might be a taunt that’s a debuff on a target that attacks someone other than the tank. But the opponent still has a choice on who they attack.
Depends on if they add that secondary effect for pvp. I've seen it work well. Other then that they are perfect for hold the objective type assignments, So they definitely have a place.
I'm sure there will be a variety of stun augments.
We'll have to see if there is a Stun School for Secondary Tank.
Jokes aside, Imo , Tank/x should have more threat than a x/tank.
it shouldnt be possible or fair to have both dmg and tank a dragon at the same time.
I know a lot of people who would rather quit a game or just avoid PVP than go through an endless stun chain where they are essentially helpless. That can take the player skill out of PVP pretty quickly. So they may also need some good counters to get the player skill back.
That said I am sure there will be some tank killer builds to counter a lot of this. With the whole rock, paper, scissors thing. Anyone know of the contender yet?
And we have no clue at all what the abilities for Rogue, Bard, Summoner and Fighter will be.
If Tanks have lots of single-target cc, I think summoner could do well as anti-tank, though they'd be vulnerable to AoE.