One of the thrills of any new roleplaying game is creating your character. You can transform into someone completely different, a person with the potential to become a great hero or a terrible villain. Exciting as this process is, when it takes place in Middle-earth where great battles are being fought in a world that we already know and love, it becomes even more exciting.

As game designers we know that options for your character couldn't be more important. What choices will you have during character creation, and during the hours that follow? What is the role of your character in the world? Just like you, we want characters we can easily create and enjoy, and that feel at home with the grandeur of Tolkien's creation.

As many of you have gleaned from our hints on the message boards, in magazine articles, and elsewhere, Middle-Earth™ Online will be using a class-based approach to answer the most basic questions of how a character finds his or her place in the world. We want to pull back the curtain and show you why we chose this system and how it will work.

Why Classes?

We use classes because they give players identifiable roles from day one. When players enter the world of Middle-earth for the first time, they probably have something in mind for what they'd like to become. Some Tolkien fans dream of taking up the heavy axe of a Dwarf from Erudluin, while others want to emulate the adventurous Hobbit who strikes out to see the world. Experienced online gamers may want to play a role similar to one they enjoyed in another game, or choose their path to support the activities of their clan or group of friends. Then again, some fans will be new to the whole idea of persistent worlds and online gaming, and could use a character choice with a helpful title attached to guide them along.

Classes let us satisfy each of these different types of players. We've set up the classes in MEO to allow players to pick the broad role they wish to pursue without restricting all their choices at the same time. Do you want to be a stalwart Soldier of Men? A nimble Elf Archer? Each class in MEO has clear gameplay implications, making it easier for players to group together in combinations that will find success in their adventures. And of course, we have drawn the classes from the books themselves, so those who wish to have an authentic Middle-earth experience will not be disappointed.

Using classes also results in characters that are balanced, instead of the best skill combinations leading to what are actually fewer roles to play. Classes also steer players away from bad combinations of skills and abilities that they would end up regretting.

Classes and Skills

In its simplest form, a class represents a selection of skills. The class defines many of the skills available when a character enters the world, and this list can grow and change over time. As a character progresses in Middle-Earth™ Online, they can choose from an increased selection of skills.

Some skills are shared by every class. Every character, no matter what his class, can learn to pick up a sword and wade into heroic combat. But some classes gain skills that allow them to make especially accurate attacks, deal critical blows, or debilitate an enemy with a single attack. Some of these skills are so specialized they are available only to a single class. Skills such as the tricks of the Rangers and the runes of the Dwarves are secrets kept only by a select group, and not often shared.

In the same way, some skills are known to all members of a race. For instance, no matter what class Hobbits choose they will be able to take advantage of skills that allow them hide from the bigger people of Middle-earth. This offers more options to players and also preserves the feel of racial specialization found in the books.

Each character has a variety of skills to choose from, but choices must be carefully considered. A character can know only so many skills, and while players can change and revise those decisions over time, meaningful choices are what make one character different from another. While two characters might be of the same class, options about which weapons to master and which armors to learn have a lot to say about the character's evolution. Axes, swords, and hammers, aren't just pretty things to hold in your hands; weapons behave differently, and monsters may react to them differently. There are offensive skills, defensive skills, and other tricks and abilities. And yes, for some, there's what men would call magic.

Of course these skills aren't all just waiting for you. At least, not all of them. Some skills you will learn by advancing your characters generally, but others must be learned from the people of the Middle-earth. The legendary characters of the world, along with many NPCs you don't know yet, have a lot to teach you. Then there are ancient books and new armors and weapons to learn and master. Who knows what ancient relics that may unlock new gifts for you to explore?