Ten Ton Hammer - Taking MMO Gamers to the Next Level!

Apart from those rare RPGs that place players in the shoes of a specific hero complete with predetermined motivations and goals, one of the most defining moments in the genre comes before gameplay even begins. Regardless of how robust the visual aspects of character creation may be, selecting a specific class to play can at times be a daunting decision depending on how broad a role those classes ultimately play.

Class slection is one of the most defining moments in any RPG

MMOs are no exception to this rule, as class selection can be even more challenging considering the weight of that decision alone will more often than not shape how a given player will experience hundreds of hours’ worth of gameplay. The moment a new MMO is announced, speculation of what playable classes will be offered immediately begins in earnest, and when you throw a massive IP like Star Wars into the mix, speculation can become an obsession as fans spend countless hours locked in heated discussions over which classes will make the final cut.

While BioWare has made it pretty clear from the start that Star Wars: The Old Republic will focus on the conflict between the forces of the Republic and Empire with Jedi and Sith the most obvious candidates for possible classes in the game, the field is otherwise wide open. Will the developer take the EverQuest approach, offering an exhaustive list of specific roles for players to choose from, or will BioWare take a page out of the Blizzard playbook, narrowing the list of playable classes down to a tight-knit core that offers plenty of variety while allowing for a more balanced, soloable MMO experience?

Factional, Iconic Classes

The first major class announcement for The Old Republic made late last month is also the most telling, with an excellent dev blog discussing the Bounty Hunter touching on a key component of BioWare’s overall approach to classes in the game. While The Old Republic itself is considered a part of the expanded Star Wars universe, the developers at BioWare made the decision early on that for the game to appeal to a broad audience of Star Wars fans, it was necessary to focus on creating classes that would be instantly recognizable to anyone familiar with the films alone, rather than the hundreds of novels, comics and even video games that have helped expand the setting’s overall universe over the years.

What’s also interesting to note is that classes in TOR will, at least initially, be specific to one of the two main overarching factions. While I tend to consider myself an MMO “gray hat”, there is a point to be made by encouraging players to take a stance on one side of such a massive conflict. For example, while Han Solo may not have intended to become a hero for the rebel alliance, even simple smugglers weren’t immune to the effects of the war.