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NWO Needs 20 Classes
drajan
Member Posts: 0 Arc User
Dear PWE
I believe that you have made a key strategic error in thinking that launching with limited classes and customization was the equivalent of what is described in the startup world as a "minimum viable product". The lack of classes is not a smart strategic move that will allow you to get the "core" right and then increase your audience as you add more. Instead, you have inadvertently shortchanged the "core" and caused mass confusion and disappointment among your potential user audience.
NWO has amazing potential, particularly with respect to the Foundry as a steady source of new content. However, I am one of many who are waiting for the "re-launch" of NWO, not when you add one or two class-builds, but when you have 20. That is the point when I know there will be something for each of the friends I want to bring into it (including me).
Classes are not "content" but rather a core building block to experience the content, and you have essentially launched a "minimum non-viable product".
The announcement of the upcoming update is a clear indication that you are doubling down on this strategy. What evidence would it take to convince you that classes and customization are core rather than enhancements? How do you measure the lost opportunity cost of the people who are not on the forums today discussing balance, bugs, and end-game but have instead just stayed away?
I believe that you have made a key strategic error in thinking that launching with limited classes and customization was the equivalent of what is described in the startup world as a "minimum viable product". The lack of classes is not a smart strategic move that will allow you to get the "core" right and then increase your audience as you add more. Instead, you have inadvertently shortchanged the "core" and caused mass confusion and disappointment among your potential user audience.
NWO has amazing potential, particularly with respect to the Foundry as a steady source of new content. However, I am one of many who are waiting for the "re-launch" of NWO, not when you add one or two class-builds, but when you have 20. That is the point when I know there will be something for each of the friends I want to bring into it (including me).
Classes are not "content" but rather a core building block to experience the content, and you have essentially launched a "minimum non-viable product".
The announcement of the upcoming update is a clear indication that you are doubling down on this strategy. What evidence would it take to convince you that classes and customization are core rather than enhancements? How do you measure the lost opportunity cost of the people who are not on the forums today discussing balance, bugs, and end-game but have instead just stayed away?
Post edited by drajan on
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Exactly!!
They need to get the core classes down first.
Plenty of time to introduce new classes and new races down the road.
No edition of D&D has ever released with 20 classes.
Agree with this post, 20 is way too much, Lets keep it at 5 and take the time to make sure all 5 are fleshed out with paragon paths as well as skills that work properly. Their is one thing that irks me about the way Cryptic approached character development in this game.
1) Fighters-Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition:The fighter's role is that of a defender, which involves high hit points, good defensive capabilities and the ability to protect other party members from enemies.Two fighter builds are presented in the Player's Handbook: the Great Weapon Fighter, which focuses on offense, and the Guardian Fighter, which focuses on defense.
When you read over the above information pertaining to the Fighter Class in D&D 4th Edition, it lends it's self to question, why didn't Cryptic create a system like that? Instead of having Two fighter classes, Have One fighter class with two different paths players could choose from depending on what build of fighter they wanted to play. Use this same formula and apply it for all the classes in this game.
So, you have 1) fighter class with two different builds players can choose from, and you apply that same approach to all the other classes we have right now. Accept, you remove the two (2) separate fighter classes we have, and you ad a ranger class, with different build paths for players.
Their you go, you have your fighter, your wizard, your cleric, your ranger, and your Rogue classes to launch the game with. Next, figure out which races are usually represented as the Norm and you add those races in the game and you have a decent system to keep players playing and some what happy until your first module comes out.
With each Class having multiple builds to choose from as well as different races,it gives players more customization and more options which make for a happier player base.
Life is a dream for the wise, a game for the fool, a comedy for the rich, a tragedy for the poor.
~Sholom Aleichem
After a few more are added that way it will be impossible to get your own gear to drop. Every class they add will decrease the chance of finding your own gear. But they seem to want players to be able to get their own gear (With the change to Need being BOP). That's why I think they will add a few more. Then stop while they figure out how to rework the loot system.
Hopefully we will eventually get a bunch of classes though.
Another error PWE/Cryptic is making with the classes is trying to mollify PvP crowd by tweaking the classes to give the appearance of balance. What should have been done is that a brief statement made in the Trade of Blades that in D&D, classes are designed to function as a team and are balanced for teamwork not individual combat, for those that have never played D&D and now are disappointed in the PvP of Neverwinter.
No but every edition of D&D has classes you can actually customize such as choosing what armor type you want to use what weapon you want to use Ect. IMO their biggest mistake was locking the classes down into linear non-customizeable same-same <font color="orange">HAMSTER</font>.
In a D&D game the biggest part of playing, is playing the way you want to play. Fighters should be able to pick up any (non-exotic)weapon and swing with it as well as using light, medium, or heavy armor. and any cleric should be able to use mace and shield or even a two handed mace if they want. Every rogue should be allowed to use a crossbow Ect. it just goes on and on. Any true D&D player that started playing this game expecting a D&D game(such as myself) should be so disappointed that this abomination of D&D..
Rant aside this game is fun and i enjoy playing it, I think they are doing a great job, But WOTC should take their product name off of this.
To expand, taking a fighter example, the herioc feats would be same for all fighter paths as would starting skills below 30. But the paragons would be different for each path and gained when you choose a path. The paths being gained at 30, as now, with paths being Guardian fighter, Great weapon fighter and maybe one other say a dual weapon fighter?, adding skills above 30 for that path? All fighter would be a defender type though, all would want to be in the fore close up to opponents. How the play when there would feel different though, great weapon fighter doing wide swings with a small push back to keep mobs at swing distance?, guardian fighter using sword and shield (shield as a weapon too with sheild moves, slam? bash? sheild slash? aswell as defence.) and the dual weapon fighter using both swords, extra parry maybe? extra dodge? as not using a heavy shield or weapon?
Then could then add more complex semi hybrid classes like ranger, paladins etc. If they have 2 or 3 different paths too? then thats alot of varity. Balancing is always an issue not matter how many or few, though if a class has a set role (defender, striker, leader, controller) but each path has a different way to achive that balancing might be easier as you balance to that role.
Easy Peasy, before than the mob rolls for the loot of the current player/party, he checks the class/classes of the player/party, and rolls the loot needed for them. That way there wouldn't be a problem of loot if there are more than 5 classes.
"The harder the game, the better."
I would have preferred to see this too.
OMG..someone that thinks like me. Well said OP. Where is the marketing team on this project where is product development, what are they doing?