Chances of new PC race? Or new Classes?

Imagine all the achievements you'd be missing by swapping your 23-yr-old main for a new class.. All those collects to unlock trophy slots... all the trophies needed to fill those slots... all the heroic AAs.. all the anniversary clickies, all the bags.. I'm getting a headache just trying to make a small list..

You have my attention. Now to see if I can find that on the market...

They won't add races realistically because of a space limitation issue with things like the global file. The 64-bit change made it where that is less of an issue but not completely gone. However, they most definitely would have to create starter zones, have lore that explains why we haven't ran into them. They would have to create all the starter quests and home city quests, that all the other races have, people do still do them even if not everyone does. They could get around some of the starting zones by having them share a newbie zone with an existing race. Gnolls, for instance, could share the starting zones of Qeynos.

The Classes have all the same issue as races do as far as things having to be created for them from level 1 through max level, but on top of that they also have to give that class something to do, and all that you are going to do now is going to be steal from the existing classes. The class balancing is screwed as it is. Adding more classes to the mix will just make it worse.

Providing more race options to different classes is about the only thing that is reasonable, though some classes are easier done than others.

Yes, the Devs are more focused on providing content for where the majority of the player base are. But the reason why they won't do new races or class has more to do with the amount of resources it would require to invest to just create a new one in EQ. And with respect to classes, they don't know what to do with several of the classes that they already have without even thinking of adding more. Every new ability or feature that would go to a new class is one that could have instead been given to a struggling existing class to help with class balancing.

For the majority of existing races/classes, there would not be a ton of stuff that would need to be done if a new combo was added for them.. Add a couple GMs for the new class in the Races home city and have them or NPCs around them give out quests specific for the class with the rewards being effectively the same as the other races of that class get. A vendor NPC near the new GMs that sell the tomes/spells or whatever would be needed by the new combo. A script that makes sure that the items which that class can use are also useable by that race, and change them as needed. Then the lore for how the new combo came into being.

Now the classes which would take the most to add would be Beastlords and Monks, because they would require adding models or animations. The Beastlord pets are unique to the race so would need to be made as such. The Monk Flying Kick animations were not done for all races. Froglok's had an existing animation that was given a dual purpose as the flying kick.

While the races don't have any real things, aside from lore, holding them back from getting more class/race combos, one of them does have an advantage over the others in getting more combos. The Drakkin already have all the starter city things for all of the classes. But the only classes that they cannot already be are Beastlord (the pet would obviously be draconic), Berserker, and Shaman.

In the Bazaar, it would be found under Prize: Aspect of the Brood. If you are going to look in the marketplace you will need to find out which Legends of Norrath set it came with and get the matching loot pack.

EQ is still 32 bit, only the hardware, the server OS, and the game client had to get changed to 64 bit because of the hardware&software mafia cartel. So the hard-coded 16 classes, 16 races limit should be still there if that really ever was a problem.

It would be a huge undertaking regardless of the kind of expansion. EQ at its core code does not work that way and would not handle it well. It would likely be more work overall than a non-level expansion.

There are original classes who tend to fair worse than Berserkers do usually.

The problem with new classes is that they will step on the feet of existing classes; and in most cases classes are already standing on multiple feet.

Human's don't have Shaman and Barbarians don't have Paladins for the same reason. The game was originally based on D&D and at that time classes were limited to specific races, and the races which could be Clerics and Druids could not be Shamen, and the ones which did not have either a Cleric or a Druid could not be a Paladin. The original game developers used this same model, with the idea being that the races that have Clerics or Druids are too civilized to have Shaman. The Frogloks were the exception as their culture was such that it had clerics from its devotion to Marr, but uncivilized enough to have Shaman yet.

It is highly unlikely to be found in the bazaar on any server. Aspect of the Brood is extremely rare and highly sought after by those who enjoy illusions. It will easily have a multiple krono price tag.

It came from Legends of Norrath #7: Storm Break (not currently available)

For NPCs, yes. For players, no.

The father of all barbarians. First introduced in 1991 with fresh VGA graphics (320x200, 256 colors).
Erik the Red might be the historical prototype.

EQ2 has all races can be all classes though some race/class combos are better than others. There are a lot of players who chose the "brief chuckle" combos for many reasons and, even though they are less than optimal, become much beloved.

The all races can be any class is one thing I wish was in EQ. Why shouldn't halflings or dwarves have bards? or really, why not an ogre or troll? In many fantasy lores (including LotR) music is a big part of halfling and dwarf cultures. Ogres and trolls have their storytellers as well.

In EQ2, there are a few classes (fewer now than at launch) which are restricted by alignment but you can 'betray' to the other alignment for the races that can only start in one side vs the other. Doing so switches an alignment specific class to its opposite (i.e. paladin becomes SK). I also wish that was possible in EQ. Why not have a dark elf paladin who betrayed Neriak or a high elf SK who betrayed Felwithe?

But, to the practicalities.... Many of the races only have the armor for the models for 2 or 3 of the types. To have all races can be all classes (aside from a few alignment restricted pairs like paladin/SK), the classes that don't have all the armor types would need them added. For example, Vah Shir have leather, chain, and plate so could have all druids and beserkers added much more easily than enchanters because the later would require adding cloth/silk armor to the models. IMHO they -should- do that because it also affects the use of a PC illusion by one of those classes (i.e. my "Vah" enchanter whose father is from Felwithe and she's not a half-blood).

If it's too difficult to add the extra armor to the races that don't have models with all four types, at least opening up the other classes of the same armor types they already have shouldn't be an issue because most new characters have CR as their origin so no new low level class quests or whatnot would need to be added. For TLP, it could even be linked to the SS expansion with Crescent Reach. Or it could be added to PoP with the 'low level class" quests of an ally being available (i.e. Neriak bards could train in Freeport, though getting around in the city might still pose a few issues -- are there currently any "evil" races that have bard?).

In short, all races that have plate classes should be able to have bards! (though, yeah, for bards there are some "pesky" animations... not sure if all of those are covered by the other races, though bards are one of the classes with more illusion items in original so they might be).

SWG did something like that for Jedi in a couple ways before it's final major change to a purely class-based system. First they had an unlock from doing masteries (which masters were needed for a specific character to unlock was random), then they had a quest line to unlock (and the requirements were pretty bonkers). After the game changed completely, Jedi were a normal starting character because of how little either of the previous systems were liked by most players (and especially by those who only wanted to play a Jedi).

I see it fairly regularly in the bazaar. Probably moreso around the times when Storm Break is available. Maybe on Tunare it is less of an issue. Don't see it going for multiple Krono here, honestly haven't even seen it go for one Krono here for several years. Suppose it varies with server.

Ogre and troll bards would make to much use of their back shawms and gnome tinkerers would have to invent methan catalysts first. Halflings would only sing drink songs maybe, do you really want to hear and smell that all day and night long ?

Rijacki please stop spreading misinformation!! These statements are incorrect.

I went through great lengths to explain and describe the Illusion Trick to you.

ALL RACE/CLASS/GENDER models have a robe model and can wear cloth appearances and robes.

Please learn it.

It is NOT misinformation, nor is it incorrect. Without a "trick" all races do not have all armor types.

As I noted before, if the illusion "trick" works with non-ornaments is likely a BUG that never got fixed. And, illusions are not readily available to every class unless they use a potion or item, both of which do get pricey especially for new characters and/or new players, and, as you admitted before, they would need to reapply every time they zone.

As for your illusion "trick", it doesn't work in all cases either.

I have an enchanter. I use a Vah illusion on her. She has the AA to make it permanent (only need to reapply after many many many hours). When she had a leather-look chest item, it looked like Vah leather. When she is wearing a robe without an ornament, the model is wearing the "naked" top. I had to unlock Hero's Armor on her in order to use an ornament to not have the blue halter top. I currently use a leather-look ornament.

I suspect, though, the only reason your "trick" works is because leather and cloth wearers can both wear cloth ornaments and so they had to add a robe, at least the ornament type, to races that have leather but not cloth classes.

And, I think you need to learn more about your "trick" and its limitations before you make claims about misinformation or declarations about what is incorrect.

But, if all race/class/gender do have a non-ornament robe model, then it would be even easier to add all classes to all races if the race/class code was modifiable. Not having to deal with art assets and character animations/models would make the "cost" of the addition significantly less.

There are all/all plate, chain, leather, and cloth armor pieces. All races and classes can wear all armor types. No trick necessary.

Many of the old PC models definetly cannot show robe graphics. All those races that don't have cloth casters as a class option. Wood Elf, Dorf, Ogre, Troll,...

Look, IN THE OTHER THREAD, I explained the Illusion Trick to you as a way to look any way you want, while using the stats of a different armor. Because the topic of that thread was appearances. And I told you then every class/race/gender has a robe model.

IN THIS THREAD, the topic is you claiming they are 'held back' by not having models. You're wrong about that, they already have those models.

FOR WHEN YOU HAVE NEW MODELS TURNED ON.

The only time they don't have all the models for all the armors is when you're viewing OLD models.

Your assertion it would take effort to make those new models is incorrect. They already have new models in the new model system.

That is all.

I've mentioned this a few times as I think this is a way around a lot of the race limitations. Add mutated races using a hidden illusion over a base race.

Every race can be a vampire/zombie. The armor you wear is based on your base race. A hidden illusion makes you look like a vampire/zombie but the illusion isn't in your buff window and you can still get illusions on you. Vampires can get their own newbie area and quests.

These newbie areas and quests could be used to make a Heroic Character tutorial. Perhaps even make all hybrid races require a heroic purchase in which you start in the heroic tutorial to do their race specific quests to justify their addition. All heroics would also use this area and expand upon the original tutorial to include additional training on discs, etc.

Obvious hybrid races would be vampires, lycans and zombies. Good races could be things like Fae. None of them would be affected by itemization or hard coded limits since the server would simply see them as one of the existing 16 race/class combinations and the newbie quests for them would be designed as a heroic tutorial justifying the costs of development.

An option is to tie that heroic purchase to the base tutorial, so when you finish the tutorial, instead of escaping to norrath, you are "turned", dinged to L100 and wake up in the second tutorial, and your bases are based on what you selected on Character creation. (Make a DEF SHD and you are "turned" to a vampire but the server still sees you as a DEF)

New races and classes are very problematic because it does mean much work in such an advanced game. They have to be integrated into the environment and items, graphics, zones, quests and lore would have to been build for them. And many thousand items would have to be updated.

A revamped shroud system could offer more race options with PCs that are not just weak toys. Adding vampires, werewolves, undeads and a few other options to it would be interesting. A special shroud NPC could be placed in a new monster city zone like a lvl 120 Crescent Reach.

It could be even integrated into a new expansion with Tenebrous Mountains 2.0 and a quest line to unlock the vampire shroud. The shrouds should then be all available in PoK as a new subtheme in addition to animals, etc . Even a luclin themed shroud subtheme is possible with races like vampire, shissar, grimling, goranga and akheva. 1-2 shroud races unlockable per expansion. Some shroud races could be only accessible by AllAccess accounts.