Create a Class vs Pick Your Class

[G-Force]

In multiplayer shooters the in word right now is "customization" no longer do you have to play as a predetermined character with stats or a blank slate in your matches. Not only can you alter you character's apperance but now you can affect their overall health, weapon loadout and modifications, weapon and stat attributes and almost anything else under the sun. You can have a really stealthy gunner with silent footsteps or you can be a sniper that is resistant to grenades. Mixing and matching is strongly encouraged and rewarded. On top of this you can modify your weapons to include silencers, bigger magazines, attached grenade launchers, custom paints and red dots...it's rather dizzying.

On the flip side you have games like Team Fortress 2. While there are more customization options now you are essentially have a preferred role to play. You're not going to have a camping medic or a spy standing in a hallway in a prolonged fire fight. While games where you're forced to be play a certain role do limit you in your choices they also tend to be better balanced on account of how few combinations there are.

Of these two, which one do your prefer escapist?

 

[Kapol]

In shooters, I prefer create-a-class. It gives the character a more personal feel. I understand liking the picking-a-class as well. It gives each player a specialized roll so everyone has to work together.

 

[Hisshiss]

I prefer create a class or free reign, (such as runescape, the upcoming Skyrim, Oblivion to a a lesser extent) most of the time, for obvious reasons, that added control allows you to play directly to your taste while allowing you to push out elements of a character you wouldn't use anyways. That being said, balancing that kind of thing is a nightmare on a competitive level, which works out fine for me since I rarely play versus games, I'm a major Co-op nut.

My reply is so cliche and obvious xD. I really can't see the advantages of pre-set classes other than balance, which again, much bigger issue for competitive games.

I will say that WoW seems to be an exception to this rule, but that's most likely because the games classes have 1. Massive lore behind them and 2. Been polished to a mirror sheen over the years, you just can't have the kind of perfection and symbiosis that games classes have with a custom build. Even still, I would prefer a create a class MMO even still if I could find one even in WoW's general ball park in quality, as it's just really hard to find a pre-made class that fits my tastes perfectly.

Edit: My true love is free reign though, like the monster hunter system for example, where the only limitation is the work required to make the gear/raise the stats, and you can swap out skills and gear to fit the situation at hand.

 

[Samuel Lombardo]

In multi-player shooters, I prefer the the choose a class method, especially the way tf2 dose it tf2. the class system, allows theme to provide a great deal of information to the players. For one, it gives new players a general idea of how to play different weapons, and what it is that they should be doing. It can give you information about what your teammates are probably doing. It lets you quickly know how a particular enemy is most likely to engage you.

For instance, if you go and watch the developer commentary in TF2, you'll learn why each of the classes have a different body type. For those who don't know, its because valve figured out the first thing you notice about a player is their silhouette. So each class has a different silhouette, allowing for identification of threat levels.

Also, there is often a possibility for customization within your class, and if you find that you just want a big change, switch classes. In fact, other customization games, often have different roles that you play, they just aren't as easily identifiable.

By forcing the player into certain rolls, they can make sure that no matter what situation a player encounter, there is always a solution. For instance, can't get past they enemy sentry gun as a scout? get a demo man or a soldier to blast it.