Archetype and Class ressources

Asgerr

In all the looks we've gotten at the game with an enabled UI, we've seen all players having an HP and a MP bar. This has led me to pose 3 questions.

First question: should all archetypes work off of MP?

In many an MMO we've encountered classes who use different ressources which function differently than MP.

From Warriors in WoW building Rage with certain attacks to then be expended on bigger skill, to things like the Gunbreaker in FFXIV having cartridges to expend on certain attacks/combos.

Should the physical skills of a fighter or tank in AoC all require MP? This would mean that all classes would need some sort of MP management skills to restore it, so as to not entirely depend on potions and other consumables (looking at you mana breaks in WoW dungeons).


Second question: if different archetypes were to use different ressources, what would they be?

From you personal experiences in other MMOs, which do you believe are ressources worth copying (to some degree or another) for the archetypes in AoC?

I would enjoy things like FFXIV where every Job has a specific UI gauge which corresponds to the specific mechanics of the class. From Dragoons having a bar that tracks their Blood of the Dragon timer or the number of Dragon Eyes available to enter into said state, to the Bard's Song Gauges changing depending on whether one uses Mage's Ballad, Wanderer's Minnuet or Army's Paean.

Perhaps something more simple like in WoW, where a Death Knight has runes to manage and a Warlock has its own separate thing, which is also different that the Rogue's etc.


Third question: how does this affect the addition of a secondary archetype?

Let's assume our AoC Fighter uses something similar to the WoW Warrior Rage bar. Would he then only gain an MP bar if he selected a Magic based secondary Archetype? Would they gain the different Gauge Bar of a Rogue or a Cleric, and have to learn to manage that one? Or would we simply be adding magical alterations to skills which still function off of the Rage bar?

Azherae

I don't believe that Archetypes should use anything other than MP.

They can call it whatever thematic thing they prefer, but no, just one, thank you.

The game's balance is better served in my opinion with just one flat thing, if everyone is going to be wearing the same gear. Crafting is also much better, resale of crafted gear is optimized.

Dygz

Should be fine with just MP, but...
We should test that during Alpha to be sure.

Ludullu

I'd definitely go with a purely MP-based system. Give all archs some way to "burn" mana of the opponent and give 2 archs the means to restore it for others (not themselves, outside of regen buffs).

Imo that would add way more fun pvp content and would be way easier to balance and control. If you have resources that would require you to get hit or hit your target (iirc wow rage worked like that), the pvp would just become a Benny Hill simulator with a few CCs in-between running. Yes, you'd have some way to get that resource through your own means, but those means would have to me quite limited as to avoid the overall system becoming useless.

McShave

Steven has said that for lore reasons, every class will be using magic as their ability resource. The land that the people of Verra were exiled to, Sanctum, was devoid of magic, and the people lost their ability to do magical things. Now that we are returning to Verra, we have our magic back and must build up and strengthen our magic usage (by leveling up).

Strevi

Asgerr wrote: »

Third question: how does this affect the addition of a secondary archetype?

Let's assume our AoC Fighter uses something similar to the WoW Warrior Rage bar. Would he then only gain an MP bar if he selected a Magic based secondary Archetype? Would they gain the different Gauge Bar of a Rogue or a Cleric, and have to learn to manage that one? Or would we simply be adding magical alterations to skills which still function off of the Rage bar?

I would prefer MP to be used for spells and some other gauge bar for physical actions which would simulate that you are tired.

But even if it is not so, if you would like to have for example a stamina bar, that bar could recharge from the greater pool of mana/the essence/chi.

Actions would not be triggered unless the stamina bar is full enough.
If you remove the visual representation of the stamina bar, then the time to recharge a spell or action, is like a 2nd gauge bar for each of them. Or you would have a kind of global cool down for the ones which share the same invisible stamina gauge bar.
Mage spells would have a cool down, indicating that the mage is mentally tired.

The consequence is that if you run out of mana, you will also not be able to sprint or evade.

Then with this way of seeing the recharge/cool-down, you can combine any primary and secondary archetypes too with as many spell/skill specific gauge bars (visible or not).