A discussion I’ve started within my guild’s ranks addresses the idea of criticality, specifically in dealing with various classes for raids.  Which classes are “critical” to success and which ones are merely useful.  The question is important in class based raid content, but it’s still relevant within the larger context of class based games altogether.

To many players, this can be as much a serious discussion topic based purely on the emotional attachment many of us apply to our preferred classes.  No one likes to feel left out or less important, and the idea that class X is more highly desired on in a raid (or group) setting can set off a firestorm of commentary regarding game design and developers themselves.

After all, it’s not as if there’s a document in any MMO I’m aware of that states clearly at character creation which classes are going to be considered more critical to grouping or raiding success.  This seems to be a question that developers are more than happy to avoid answering, leaving it up to players to figure it out for themselves.  The obvious problem with this is that most players aren’t going to figure it out till they’ve gained enough levels to start worrying about grouping or raiding, and in lower level content…the differences between classes aren’t typically as important.

No, the real difficulty comes in the later levels, with the content designed after the initial release, where players (and developers) began to really get a feel for the boundaries of skilled play.  Far too often, however, that skill comes in the form of optimizing numbers – “min/maxing” if you will: the specialization of roles, designed to maximize effectiveness with the minimum of effort.

If you’re playing one of those hallowed classes that can bring quite a bit to a raidforce, you’re more likely to be desired when groups start to form up.  If, however, you chose to play a class that doesn’t necessarily bring quite a much to the table as another class, you’re more likely to be left out in the cold when the loot starts to drop.

This is even worse in games such as Everquest II, which maintains a maximum raid size that’s equal to the total number of classes available.  This immediately sets the stage for some classes being left out altogether, because it’s inevitable that some classes will be seen important enough to bring two or three along.  For every class that doubles up, that’s another class altogether that can’t be present – due to the game mechanics.

This, in turn, only exacerbates the normal game balance discussions, because instead of having spare slots available for less immediately desired classes to fill, the competition of finding the right classes only heats up all the more.

I don’t have a solution for the EQ2 developers at SOE.  I don’t envy the corner they’ve painted themselves in regarding the legacy of the archetype system they inherited from designers before them.  That said, I think it’s a good lesson for developers in the future to learn from.

If a game is to include a raid type system, then serious consideration needs to be given to the maximum number of raiders allowed.  Intentionally create some buffer slots to allow less desired classes more opportunity to shine.  Sure, top end raid forces will still stack the deck heavily toward overspecialization, but that’s more to do with personal preference and less to do with restrictive game mechanics.

In the meantime, anyone interested in raiding within games such as Everquest II will continue to ask:  Is my class critical?  Is yours?