I honestly don't know anything about the Alien universe. So what classes would be appropriate? I am guessing a soldier or engineer would be obvious options. What classes do you want to see?

Assuming military background, you can pick classes out of nearly any multiplayer first person shooter. Heavy weapons, scout, sniper (which I'd be surprised to see, but who knows), engineer, specialist, medic, etc. It's not a fantasy property, so people aren't running around as archetypes in the movies.

 

A large part will depend on the setting/background and also gameplay style. If it's heavy solo action closer to Diablo than Neverwinter Nights 2, then you might not see any support or technical classes.

 

Whatever they use to design and determine classes, I just hope they have on class called "Warrant Officer." They have to.

Edited June 24, 200718 yr by Tale

You've got a jar-head, a Bishop, and a Ripley for starters. They each performed a different role in the films, and were necessary to complete separate goals (especially in Aliens).

 

I naturally (for good or ill) think of and compare with the KotOR classes, except Force Powers would be intelligence-based tech skills (more like System Shock 2).

Rather than classes, I'd rather that they had "pasts" or "presets", like Colonial Marine, Engineer, Xenobiologist in the vein of System Shock 2. You could do whatever, shoot, hack, research, haggle and none of the presets would be hindered in any of the venues, but certain backgrounds would give you unique assets, knowledges and skills. In essence, this doesn't differ so much from choosing classes, but you wouldn't be tied to any path.

 

I'd like the new system to distance itself from class-based systems like D&D as much as possible.

Theres no point in classes as there aren't enough differences to speak of, although they could give the generic grunt a better weapon skill tree and the egghead computer skills.

 

Actually creating a whole set of classes seems a bit beside the point.

 

No Han Solo space rogues pls-

Edited June 24, 200718 yr by Gorgon

Given Obsidian's past - the desire to move from 2e to 3e for IWD2, the SPECIAL system for Fallout, and the unsuitability of an archetype system for the alien universe, I very much believe that this Alien RPG will not feature classes.

 

I think that there will be a focus on creating your character as the game/story progresses, probably featuring a sufficiently diverse character creation to allow for replayability of different character types. That is: roughly the same choice at character creation as SPECIAL, and at least the same or more choice to build your character as the game progresses. Planescape and 3e granted additional stat points as you levelled up. 3e and SPECIAL grant feats as you level up (with SPECIAL's feats far more unique and special better than those of 3e).

 

I would prefer if these additional things were integrated into the game more - you gain certain unique skills by taking a certain path in a main quest arc, for example... in some way representing an aspect of a class or perhaps representing your uniqueness as a person. In PS:T the main char got skills like raise dead and speak to the dead. I'm not saying the main char should be a super hero or a uniquely capable of saving the world... but I'm saying that it wouldn't hurt if they had learnt certain skills in their past that made them unique as a person/warrior/leader/whatever... aside from the basics like gun handling and "hacking"

Edited June 24, 200718 yr by Krezack

IF there are to be 'thieves' lets have a logical explanation for it, such as starting the game as an inmate on a prison colony. Creating a character a la D&D would take away from the realism imho.

Rather than classes, I'd rather that they had "pasts" or "presets", like Colonial Marine, Engineer, Xenobiologist in the vein of System Shock 2. You could do whatever, shoot, hack, research, haggle and none of the presets would be hindered in any of the venues, but certain backgrounds would give you unique assets, knowledges and skills. In essence, this doesn't differ so much from choosing classes, but you wouldn't be tied to any path.

 

I'd like the new system to distance itself from class-based systems like D&D as much as possible.

Yeah, that ^^ was what I was going for.

 

I think that there will be a focus on creating your character as the game/story progresses, probably featuring a sufficiently diverse character creation to allow for replayability of different character types.

...

I would prefer if these additional things were integrated into the game more - you gain certain unique skills by taking a certain path in a main quest arc, for example... in some way representing an aspect of a class or perhaps representing your uniqueness as a person. In PS:T the main char got skills like raise dead and speak to the dead. I'm not saying the main char should be a super hero or a uniquely capable of saving the world... but I'm saying that it wouldn't hurt if they had learnt certain skills in their past that made them unique as a person/warrior/leader/whatever... aside from the basics like gun handling and "hacking"

I like this idea; sort of like a more granular approach to skillsets, so that a "tech" class is just as able to pick up a new weapon proficiency as gain betterment in hacking (or whatever) ... though obviously there is a distinct advantage to specialise in some skills, whilst having a basic grasp of a wider group of skills. So a super-researcher might be able to research the cause of a poisonous toxin, but wouldn't get to the library because the PC had no gun skills.

 

Adding reward skills for quest completion is a logical and elegant way to facilitate this.

System Shock 2 had neat character development, and also illustrated (incompletely) how tech and biological skills could come in handy.

Didn't system shock have some kind of venting machine you spent your attribute increases in ?

Didn't system shock have some kind of venting machine you spent your attribute increases in ?

 

Correct. I think we could replace those with Scooter Libby.

Not strictly classes, but assuming you're part of a crew on a ship for example, your character should have a job on the ship and a set of skills to match. No blank-slate 'prisoners in the hold' or 'strange new recruit the Jedi brought on board' or equivalent.

I liked the whole "year-long training mission" mechanic of System Shock 2, too.

I rather have a skill based and level-less system. As you solve quests or achieve story points you gain a number of improvement points. Skill, Perks, and Attributes can be increased with these Improvement Points, each costing a different base amount, and scales upward as the scores become higher.

I don't want that approach, unless some skills only become accessible after certain storypoints, like xenobiology after finding archives etc. You make it sound like all the skills are present from the start, but I'd like that at least on the first playthrough you couldn't plan ahead to micro your experience, since not everything was available for improvement from the start.

Not all skills available at the start? What, we play through the game and get power ups so now all of a sudden you can learn new skills? I thought this was suppose to be a CRPG.

 

All the governing skills should be available at the beginning of the game. That would be like them, in NWN2, making Use Magic Device not available til level 10. That is just stupid. If you want to put 3 points in a Science skill then you should be able to put 3 points in that Science skill. Any perks you qualify for at the beginning of the game you should be able to make use of them.

Edited July 5, 200718 yr by Sand

Not all skills available at the start? What, we play through the game and get power ups so now all of a sudden you can learn new skills? I thought this was suppose to be a CRPG.

 

All the governing skills should be available at the beginning of the game. That would be like them, in NWN2, making Use Magic Device not available til level 10. That is just stupid. If you want to put 3 points in a Science skill then you should be able to put 3 points in that Science skill. Any perks you qualify for at the beginning of the game you should be able to make use of them.

You're too obsessed with D&D it seems. Think of them as Prestige Skills. Some skills don't make any sense having at the beginning, either. Should someone in D&D be skilled at lockpicking if he grew up in a society with no locks? By the same token someone who's never encountered or learned anything about Aliens before shouldn't be particularly skilled at Alien related things such as Mus's mentioned Xenobiology. Or heck, here's another example, Torment's class system.

 

 

Personally, I like Mus's motivation but I don't see it working. It would only mean anything for the people who play the game first before any guides come out and people start sharing information. Which would probably mean only a minority of players would ever be in the situation Mus describes of not being able to micro their way through the game. But I like, in general, ideas that promote character design and development situationally and individually not strategically.

Edited July 5, 200718 yr by Tale

That is just a lame way of doing it. Instead a better way to do it would be have a baseline skill called Biology, and when dealing with alien physiology place a penalty or a higher difficulty value to the die roll, then as one gains more experience let the player have the ability to purchase a Xeno-perk to offset the penalty.

Yes! If I want to put 15 points in quantum phsyics before I can do basic maths then fine! WEEEEEEEEEE!

Personally, I like Mus's motivation but I don't see it working. It would only mean anything for the people who play the game first before any guides come out and people start sharing information. Which would probably mean only a minority of players would ever be in the situation Mus describes of not being able to micro their way through the game. But I like, in general, ideas that promote character design and development situationally and individually not strategically.

Yeah, I don't see my motivation working either, but that's how I'd like the system to be. Best case scenario and all.

 

Another idea I'd like to see is one where you choose a set of new skills during the campaign when you, e.g take on a new career.

 

Of course, the most probable one is a system where you pick Fallout-like perks and perhaps awards as you go further, e.g "Xenomorph Anatomy: +15% damage to alien breeds and +17% to success rate of acid harvesting", etc. I'd still like to see skills as rewards instead of compact perks or traits.

Yes! If I want to put 15 points in quantum phsyics before I can do basic maths then fine! WEEEEEEEEEE!

Actually I don't think the skill system, or at least any skill system that I have run with, PnP or PC, is that detailed. It could be just the Science skill with Basic Math have a difficulty value of 2 with Quantum Physic with a difficulty value of 40.

Silent Storm tells you everything you need to know about classes in a gun based RPG.

I think a class based on System Shock 2 with more variety and much more detail mechanics would be great.

Some interesting ideas in this thread.

 

Personally, I'm a tad sick of the level 1, level 2, level 30 etc system. I think a few of the ideas mentioned in this thread could be viable replacements. I'm especially keen of moulding (part of*) your character as you go - specialising as the game advances and you choose or gain unique skills/abilities that combine together to form your character's own unique 'class', as Metadigital elaborated on.

 

*Some core stats/skills/whatever should be decided at the start... perhaps things like intelligence and strength... as well as basic skills all characters will have and use and perhaps branch out from.

The one thing I really like in Bloodlines was its character advancement system. Skill based, no classes or levels, and it is story goal oriented.