It has recently come to my attention that it is significantly more difficult to level as a class that does not use slaves when compared to a class that does. This becomes extremely evident with classes such as zerker and seer, which are practically impossible to level as until level 100 or even as high as 250.

My idea for a solution is that, upon choosing a class, you immediately receive a large boost along the lines of that class. This already takes place to some extent with the Engineer class; upon getting level 1 in drone mastery, you immediately get the ability to deploy 4 rather than three drones, giving you a massive boost along those lines. What we need to do, then, is give all classes either a class boost that allows them to immediately exploit their class, or change their skills to a more immediate reward system, allowing them to more accurately play that class playstyle immediately.
For example, at level 1 in zerker and the subskills, a zerker might get the ability to multifire, as well as a significant boost to resists. A gunner might be given a small missile launcher as well as directions to hyperion; a shield monkey would get a big boost to shield bank and a smaller boost to slave damage. A seer would be given an actually decent cloak and a low tech high damage per shot weapon, as well as getting the “shot from behind” bonus immediately.

All just ideas, but the point is to make all the classes relevant at an earlier point in the game, making them actually have a point for their first 200 levels or so. Thoughts?

you recently seem to complain more then basta. and how the things are currently are fine for me.
/unsigned

I'm not complaining, I'm giving legitimate criticism. I find it flawed that choosing a class has effectively no significant impact on your character for the first 200 levels and 10 skill levels in the class, since it is one of the most significant choices you will make for a significant period of time.

Before you comment, have you attempted to level with a zerker or seer playstyle recently? Even if not, you should know that they're nearly impossible, and you can't agree that that's right.

Cyg is right.

Things like this could easily be done by introducing pretty strong items that have a high level lock. As in you can use this cool pretty much broken-at-current-level Seer weapon but at level 75 you no longer can.

All classes could have items like this that help them through the tough early stages and give nubs an idea of how the class is suppose to be played.

I don't really like the idea of a large initial boost... it seems rather hax to spend a few SP and get a massive boost.

I think there should be some sort of power boost curve, relatively high boosts early, and then scaling off the improvements the more levels you put in.


Rewards early investment, but not too much, and makes getting those last few levels more of a fine-tweaking thing, like bar skills or imp skills. When you can afford to spend a ton for a small improvement.

You could have the power boost on a quadratic curve - large boosts at the beginning and end with a not so large one in the middle.

Either of these seem like good ways to go. The trouble with items is the same as the trouble with the extremely good super items on early-game ships; once you have them, there is very little incentive to upgrade past them, even well beyond the point where you normally would have done so.

In many games there are curves, and Star Sonata should have them as well.

In Star Sonata, there are no skill curves and it causes many potential p2p'ers to leave because of absolute boredom.

People want immediate gratification as well as skills tailored to their desire playstyle.

In my opinion, Players should be given a description of each class at the start of the game, they should be able to class into that skill, and they should receive starting gear for said class. While they are level 30 or lower, they should be given unlimited free reclasses in the Nexus. Classes should also feature a skill curve that decreases in the higher levels to plateau the power.

This way, the player is allowed diversity, instead of being forced to be a medium ranged fighter using magcannons or pulses. Not only that, but other MMO's do this as well. No one likes stale combat, and everyone in the MMO business has realized this years ago (except for Runescape, but Runescape sucks so it doesn't count).

FlyFF is the only one I know of that does that, and it's a shitty MMO.

Look at WoW, Guild Wars 2, SWTOR, Rift, DCUniverse, etc..