New class, why aren't more upset?

I was thinking about this morning playing some FFXIV during the server downtime. FFXIV has added 9 new classes (counting blue mage) in 3 expansions. Aion has added 4 in 4 expansions (a game with nearly the same playerbase, maybe less). WoW drops a new one every 2.5 expansions. But Everquest has gone 19 expansions without adding a new class? In a game that is far FAR easier to create a character.

Animations are very limited and making a spell list for melee abilities is nearly cut and paste (just change the names and minor stuff). Heck even have some from EQ2 you could just pull the lore from and adjust it for EQ1. I just don't understand how we can go 19 expansions and people aren't upset about it, should be 10x more frustrated with this then FV or PVP servers not happening. Four or Five expansions and no class, sure can blame it on money and dev time ect, but to try to justify that a dev couldnt create a new character over 19 expansions is just bad decision making. A new EQ class would bring a lot of players back just for the new experience, 10x more then some Overseer program that's for sure.

The class could be simple. A cleric type DPS caster (focus on DPS but has some spot healing like druid). Another Tank that can ACTUALLY MT besides a warrior (maybe a Ranger type Tank that doesn't get spells but is more tuned with weapons/leather avoidance). A warlock class that is nuking DPS dark magic but no pets (you have one of those in EQ2). Another rogue style class that is based off something other then backstab.

I get it, you have to write a quest line for the epics 1.0-2.5 and have to adjust some gear ect. But heck at this point I think people would just be happy with a new class. If you told us...Hey EQ, we made a new class, it's balanced but we just don't have time to do an epic quest line now we will add it in the future so just will have to use raid loot, I don't think anyone would really care because at least they have something else to play. I'm not saying it's easy but over 19 expansions is just confusing the more I think of it. We aren't picking DPG's. If you don't have time to add an epic quest path, don't. If you only want to make it ONE race so you don't have to add a dozen different types of animations, don't. Make it a new class with 1 allowable race, we would still play it (though I suggest at least 1 good and 1 evil faction). We would be happy with a new class that is something you slowly adjust over time and add to it. Really hope one is created and have it backdated to a previous expansion (House of Thule? This way people would have a reason to experience the many expansions people give up on before) but even if it was just for the newest expansions, at least it's something.

ffxi is the best for jobs, ie my main is 99 on all the jobs, you take the job needed for whatever you need/want to do. i tried ffxiv when it launched then it changed and i never went back.

Yeah FFXI was pretty great at it. FFXIV has kept the same mentality. I was just looking and Ultima Online which is older and has like 1000 players still playing has added 4 new classes/skills during the 19 expansions EQ hasn't added any. That I didn't know and is shocking.

Agreed - replay is another way to engage your customers and a new class would add another replay option

The topic of a new class or race gets brought up at least once a year. The problem is EQ is built on ancient foundations (i.e. 1990s game engine, clunky or spaghetti code).

The is what a dev said about new classes or new races in 2018:

https://forums.daybreakgames.com/eq...ace-or-a-new-class.247363/page-2#post-3633326

Yep, a ton of work. I'd maintain that there is still unique design space available for a new class, particularly in abilities that scale with player and mob positioning. Some sort of Time/Space caster.

We all realize the effort would be massive, buggy, and cut into new expansion content. That's why not many are upset about it, imo.

Pally / Monk combo!! So he can Really lay hands to a mob!!

That exists yet in game, these are the 2 knights classes.

Well first you go the wow route and your new class does not start at level 1 you start it at say level 105 that eliminates the need to add that class to the item list for pre 105 items and removes the need to create content for that class before level 105.

As for the need it would be nice, but what role is missing and is it worth the resources to do it ? I don't think it is we're better off having them spend the resources on boosting heroics to 105.

"A new class is a colossal amount of work. Same code the same issues as above plus magnified possible special case, and then for design, it's simply colossal. New spells, AA's, massive item changes, possible epic quests... etc... And new balance issues. It has s relatively small art impact.
And yeah, for classes... we are already fairly saturated. If you pare it down there are 3-4 archetypes (tank, healer, DPS, Crowd Control... and some say there should be even less than those 4) and we have plenty in each of those."

Work? Yes. Colossal...no I am going to disagree. First, who cares about a new race. Use what is here already. No need to make it twice as hard. For the first NEW class since Gates, just make it a hybrid. New spells, New AA's, ect. They make it sounds like we are asking for 100 new spells or 700 new aa's. Just make a few spell lines different and keep the same spells of other classes (like SK uses lower versions of necro spells but have a few spells of their own...that ultimately are just adjusted versions of other spells out there). You can't tell me that if ranger WASNT in the game but druid was...that making a ranger today would be some colossal undertaking. It is 90% druid spells with warrior melee and a mix of aa's from other classes. I'm not saying it's easy but they do not have to start from the ground up. They have AA's, spells, abilities that if you mixed them all together and made a dozen or so "new" ones to make the character unique would be more then enough to make people happy.

Also if you DON"T try then you will never become better at it. If someone tried to make a new class say 15 expansions ago, they might of realized it wasn't that bad and released another 2-3 by now because you get better the more you try.


Magic based Tank.
Literally steal a lot of Mage pet based spells and make the character be able to cast them on themselves. Cloth based. Absorption shielding tank (magical barrier). Low weapon skills but can cast spells on their weapons to make them proc more damage/aggro/ect. Few low level nukes for aggro and the ability to self port. Three minute defensive cool down that is absorption based (vice pure mitigation). Now we dont have to have just warriors be the MT. Doesn't take away from pally or SK and gives us another clothy. Dagger and 2handed blunt based. So don't have to make a million weapons. Give them a few unique spells like maybe armor spells for different resist types and make them better at magical defensive then pure melee raid bosses...so both MT's have their place. Gnome/Dark Elf only.

Basically a Magician that becomes one with his tank pet.

Could we really not make something like a Magic Based Tank in the last 19 expanions? I have more faith in the devs then they obviously do themselves.

No thanks, they have a hard enough time trying to keep the 16 classes we already have in some kind of balance. Adding another class would take something away from the uniqueness of the others, there is already too much overlap IMHO.

I could get behind a new race with the same classes or new race combos.

DPG seems to have a problem balancing/managing the classes in game NOW. Why the hell would anyone want to throw something new into the mix and make it that much worse? A new race/class would mean taking away the already stretched thin resources from actually fixing crap in the game right now and throwing it at something practically nobody cares about or wants.

New class? No thanks.

Rogue is the only class in EQ.

If Pally and SK is able to tank any boss in the new expansions based on some new ability or AA then cool, I am surprised and happy at that change but retrograde the change so that it's usable in all the expansions (or at least the majority). Prior to VoA, warriors and defensive is the only way to go during progression unless you want to make things more challenging just for the sake of it. Two Knight classes so why not two MT classes. Honestly I don't care what they make just as long as there is something new.

More content before new classes pleases.

Because it would bring in new money and give us something to do. Won't change the users need and want to level it anyways? Monk is the strongest melee DPS for a very long time on the TLP's but there is a huge player base playing the other melee classes also. People like new things. They will NEVER get all classes in some type of perfect balance...so waiting on something that will never happen to make new things is a bad plan/business model. New content will always generate new money, fixing old content most likely will cost more then you make because once you miss that window its very hard to loop back around to profit off it.

A new class is new content. What are you referring too? You rather have Overseer then a new class? Which is fine some people don't like alts, but just curious what you define as content.

Overseer is garbage. Even when first released and was useful it wasn't content, then they nerfed it and now it's trash.

Content: Missions, Zones, Tasks, Quests, Raids.

The hundreds of missions it took to go from looking at the moon to landing on "luclin" says otherwise. We are now moving drones on Mars.