Advanced Classes?

[Vril]

I'm curious to know if advanced classes (or skills) are planned for the future? I think they could be really cool, for instance:

Dark Knight
Requirements: Necro 75, Psychology 75, Endurance 75, Sword 75
-Life steal abilities
-Mitigation abilties
-Summon undead abilities

Chimera
Requirements: Cow 75, Deer 75, Spider 75, Bat 75, Pig 75
-Ability to shapeshift in combat to new forms
-Hated by druids and animal town
-Can freely shapechange from animal forms
-Special Beast form

Skald
Requirements: Hammer 75, Bardin' 75, Mentalism 75, Shield 75
-Sings, thereby doesn't require an instrument
-Vocal attacks
-Lighting attacks with hammer/shield

Flower Child
Requirements: Druid 75, Gardening 75, Flower Arrangement 50, Mycology 75, Nature Appreciation 75(50)
-Natural Animals will not attack (unless provoked)
-Can cast buffs similar to flower buffs
-Can summon fae guardian

With the vast amount of skills in PG there are probably thousands of possibilities. As a player, I always like trying to achieve the next thing--there is a ton to do in PG, but I wouldn't object to a ton more

$.02

[Khaylara]

I think it would become a bit too complex (with so many requirements for one "class") but I like the idea of "ascending" as a form of specializing-i.e. a hammer user lvl 100+ would be...idk "slam master" (forgive the uninspired title) and gain abilities that are not trainable but innate. Skald would be a lvl 100+ bard with max in poetry too who could gain vocal abilities and sing battle songs.
I prefer your idea but players already comment a lot on the prerequisites for training certain skillsets-i.e. lvl 50 alchemy for battle chemistry or poetry for bards (to me it makes perfect sense but other players might not receive multiple requirements too well).

[Crissa]

I like the ideas ^-^

Of course, the entry requirements are more... Well, they could be more flavorful, but the ideas are certainly cool mixes.

[Atis]

That would be another incentive to just pump up all skills. Is that really what game needs?

[Crissa]

That would be another incentive to just pump up all skills. Is that really what game needs?

...More combat skills that need other combat skills is an incentive to select all the combat skills?

It certainly sounds like gated content which incentivizes selecting narrow rather than broad 'all skills' paths.

[hazmatbrigade]

"Slam Master"
Every body get up, it's time to slam now, we got the real jam goin' it's a space jam, come on.

[Atis]

...More combat skills that need other combat skills is an incentive to select all the combat skills?

It certainly sounds like gated content which incentivizes selecting narrow rather than broad 'all skills' paths.

Nah, it will be incentive to pump up anything because anything will be prerequisite for something now or later. "i have materials to get 10 levels in this tradeskill but i hate this tradeskill. eh i'll do it anyway, because it's required for that advanced skill that sounds nice" - already happens with chemistry, will happen with everything if it's pre-req to something.

[Leodane]

Well, if the "advanced classes" were mechanically better than using a combination of base skills, then yes, it would narrow the field - players who play a ton would feel like they needed to select one of these advanced class to be playing the game right, and players who don't would probably be left in the dust. It would also probably just become a soft gate for content when the population grows and large guilds begin to control certain content, as is likely to happen with non-instanced worlds..."Are you raid-geared?" will become "Are you 75 advanced?" It'll also make it that much harder to balance development, as content will probably need to be flagged "advanced class" or not, for balance testing. It might start off as being something above and beyond what a normal player does. Then, eventually, it will become "normal," and people who don't have it will become "not good."

Or, if the advanced classes are just different, not better, most folks won't bother with them unless they are looking for a challenge and are bored (which I would prefer.) It would become an optional achievement. Or perhaps it would unlock some interesting cosmetic options, like a badass glowing death sword and skull helmet for dark knight, or some interesting new songs for skald.

Adding more powerful options always raises the bar for what players think is "normal." I'd be more in favor if these were optional, interesting perks. Not that they're anything more than a forum thread right now =)