Classes?

[bottlegnomes]

I could see strength-focused sword units, but skill-focused axe units strike me as a little weird (the whole point of axes being they are big and unwieldy and heavy enough to really hurt if they do hit).

Not that it technically has to make sense, I suppose... and I'm sufficiently out of touch with FE that I can't really comment on what it would or wouldn't do for game balance.

It's just kinda 'cause I'm sick of seeing axe classes always focusing on strength and usually defense while usually neglecting skill and speed and sword classes usually focusing on skill and speed while neglecting strength and defense.

[Celice]

Skill-based axes--tomahawks, light scythes and cleavers, hatchets... there's a sizable audience for them.

[The_Purple_Knight]

Wouldn't having axe users with high skill and sword users with high strength unbalance the game ? Swords are accurate but weak and axes are powerful but I

Inaccurate. If there are a bunch of characters runing around with high skill that can use axes then it would completely remove any cons there are in using axes and vice versa for swords.

[Anouleth]

Wouldn't having axe users with high skill and sword users with high strength unbalance the game ? Swords are accurate but weak and axes are powerful but I

Inaccurate. If there are a bunch of characters runing around with high skill that can use axes then it would completely remove any cons there are in using axes and vice versa for swords.

Yeah, because FE6 Echidna was soooooo imba. And where would FE10 Nolan be without that 70% skill growth? Languishing in bottom tier, amirite? And FE9 Stefan and FE10 Edward were completely imbalanced too!

It's just kinda 'cause I'm sick of seeing axe classes always focusing on strength and usually defense while usually neglecting skill and speed and sword classes usually focusing on skill and speed while neglecting strength and defense.

The thing is that these classes are set up statistically to exaggerate the flaws and advantages of their weapon type. This is a feature, not a bug. If Sword classes had high strength/low skill and Axe classes had low strength/high skill, then it would feel like there's no difference between them at all. The current system at least makes classes feel different, and preserves a simple emergent weapon triangle: Axe users with their high strength and mediocre speed beat defensive but slow Knights, Knights with their huge defense beat sword users who can't damage them, and Sword users with their high speed can avoid Axe users and beat them.

Edited December 1, 2011 by Anouleth

[bottlegnomes]

The thing is that these classes are set up statistically to exaggerate the flaws and advantages of their weapon type. This is a feature, not a bug. If Sword classes had high strength/low skill and Axe classes had low strength/high skill, then it would feel like there's no difference between them at all. The current system at least makes classes feel different, and preserves a simple emergent weapon triangle: Axe users with their high strength and mediocre speed beat defensive but slow Knights, Knights with their huge defense beat sword users who can't damage them, and Sword users with their high speed can avoid Axe users and beat them.

I'm well aware of why they did it, but I still would like to see a few classes, not a ton, where they use a weapon that compensates for their weaknesses rather than exaggerating them like they do now. There wouldn't be a ton of the them, just a few, and all the other normal classes would still exist. I mean, we've had characters who've done it, as you pointed out, why not have a few classes for characters like that? Would Nolan really have been much different if he had, say, Ike's class caps?

[Anouleth]

I'm well aware of why they did it, but I still would like to see a few classes, not a ton, where they use a weapon that compensates for their weaknesses rather than exaggerating them like they do now. There wouldn't be a ton of the them, just a few, and all the other normal classes would still exist. I mean, we've had characters who've done it, as you pointed out, why not have a few classes for characters like that? Would Nolan really have been much different if he had, say, Ike's class caps?

No, but I can't really say that any character would be much different if you merely tweaked their 3rd tier class caps that only come into play in 4-E-3, 4-E-4 and 4-E-5.

[Byte2222]

OT: good and interesting magic users:

• Mage Knights
• A class that mixes physical and magical roles successfully
• Warlock -> Sorcerer instead of Shaman -> Druid (think Canas and Etzel instead of Sandima and Knoll)
• Bishops that don't suck
• As a corollary to above some differentiation between promoted magic classes; ATM they're all "hit it for big damage until it dies" and "staffspam" inb4 all units do that, you treat a Swordmaster differently to a General don't you?
• Flying magic users would be nice but unlikely

Also I'd like playable Archers that don't suck (more of a unit thing than a class thing, though), a orderly system of classes (like FE4 or FE10) and only one or two unique classes (*stares at FE10*).

Edited December 1, 2011 by Byte2222

[Dark Sage]

I could see strength-focused sword units, but skill-focused axe units strike me as a little weird (the whole point of axes being they are big and unwieldy and heavy enough to really hurt if they do hit).

Not that it technically has to make sense, I suppose... and I'm sufficiently out of touch with FE that I can't really comment on what it would or wouldn't do for game balance.

FE5 fighters were essentially myrmidons/mercenaries with axes. One of the axefighters was OP, but that was because he had a 60 use 1-2 range Killer Axe as a PRF weapon and had Wrath, not because the class was unbalanced. Brigands though had the traditional stats of a fighter.

[whase]

all I want is to have classes with characters that are actually good at what they're meant for

I want generals to have high def, low spd (unlike FE10 Meg)

I want Pegasi to have high res (unlike FE11)

I want low spd but high mag druids (unlike Pelleas)

I could continue, but you get the point.

[Anouleth]

all I want is to have classes with characters that are actually good at what they're meant for

I want generals to have high def, low spd (unlike FE10 Meg)

I want Pegasi to have high res (unlike FE11)

Pegasi do have high resistance in FE11, with 6 where all other physical classes except Paladin have 0 or 3.

[The_Purple_Knight]

I personally feel a character who doesn't fit in his class is a nice change in pace but I get annoyed when NONE of the characters match their class description . Fe11 really annoyed me with the sorcceor with absolutely no chance to gain defense in a class which in game description states they have higher defense then mages . Or the generally trend now towards speer generals all the knights in fe12 had ridiculous speed growths ,and who can forget fe10s gatrie and Meg .

[bottlegnomes]

No, but I can't really say that any character would be much different if you merely tweaked their 3rd tier class caps that only come into play in 4-E-3, 4-E-4 and 4-E-5.

Did I ever say I only meant third tier caps? No. I meant second and third tier.

Anyway, I also wouldn't mind seeing a flying magic user, ala mage knight on a pegasus.

Edited December 2, 2011 by bottlegnomes

[Refa]

Anyway, I also wouldn't mind seeing a flying magic user, ala mage knight on a pegasus.

Something about that seems a little unbalanced. Oh well, it'd be kind of neat to see (I'd miss the cool animations though).

Edited December 2, 2011 by Refa

[CrashGordon94]

That could be a good class for an "Est" character actually.

[Rothene]

Mobility+natural 1~2 range that normally targets the weaker of the 2 enemy damage mitigation stat which should theoratically make it easier to feed kills to since the unit can now be IN the fight...and suffer no damage loss when attacking at range?

of course the question of survivability always remains for such a low level unit...

[CrashGordon94]

That, plus Canto would make it so they could run away easily if things get too much as well.

Edited December 2, 2011 by Kirby

[bottlegnomes]

Something about that seems a little unbalanced. Oh well, it'd be kind of neat to see (I'd miss the cool animations though).

Oh, I know. I really don't give a fuck about balance.

Though, like crash said, it wouldn't make a bad class for an Est.

[Rewjeo]

I don't see how it would be more unbalanced than mounted physical units. The mounted mage would likely lack the physical defense to apply their offense much on enemy phase, compared to, say, paladins.

[Vicious Sal]

I just watched the first video again, and an enemy, I presume soldier, was wearing roman style armor. And a mage had a pointy witches hat. SO there is absolutely some change, in style at ;least, I'd say we can get some other classes as well. Hunter I'm not sure about, since enemy bandits had archers around them, whereas that would better fill the hunter role...

[Izzak]

Gladiator

Beserker promotes to this one

[Fei Mao]

Ｉ　ｗｏｕｌｄ　ｌｏｖｅ　ｔｏ　ｓｅｅ　ｍｏｒｅ　ｐｌａｙａｂｌｅ　ｂａｌｌｉｓｔｉｃａｎｓ　ｏｒ　ｎｅｗ　ａｒｔｉｌｌｅｒｙ　ｕｎｉｔｓ．

[Mirron]

I look forward to seeing the new changes. Soldiers don't sound too different, but mages do, at least, when it comes to appearance. Class-wise, I just hope that we see more balance between physical and magical classes, whereas right now it's somewhat unbalanced. Lots more physical classes than magical.

[Aurabolt]

Here be my wish List:

TRUE Magic Knight (Tier 2): By that I mean I Knight/Myrmidon/Soldier/Fighter that can use weapons and Magic.

TRUE Paladin: Like above, a Knight who can use Light Magic and/or Staves.

TRUE Summoner: I'd like to see a summoner who can summon multiple creatures in a single turn to fight for you. Kinda like that one boss in RD =D

Brigand: Enough fighting them, I wanna play as one XD

May come up with moar later ^_^

[Othin]

Here be my wish List:

TRUE Magic Knight (Tier 2): By that I mean I Knight/Myrmidon/Soldier/Fighter that can use weapons and Magic.

TRUE Paladin: Like above, a Knight who can use Light Magic and/or Staves.

TRUE Summoner: I'd like to see a summoner who can summon multiple creatures in a single turn to fight for you. Kinda like that one boss in RD =D

Brigand: Enough fighting them, I wanna play as one XD

May come up with moar later ^_^

There are Mage Knights like you describe in FE4/FE5/BS, as well as female Paladins with healing (in the first two; it's a separate class in BS). It's my understanding that certain characters can use summoning spells like you describe in FE2 and TRS, and both FE5 and FE6 have playable Brigands. So whether or not FE13 has those things, you can get them from the earlier games if you want them.

[Book of Ereshkigal]

I do hope we get a Brigand type character and a solider. Even if they suck :v

I'm also hoping for decent dark magic user(s).