Samurai/Bard Hybrid

[Sarrin Kanth]

If you are interested in reading about my ideas, check it out at Sigil's forum here http://www.sigilgames.com/forums/sho...?threadid=2694

Edit: Oh yeah, Furor, since you enjoy the way of the warrior so much i suggest you pick up a couple of books i posted in the thread. I think you would enjoy The Book of the Five Rings and Hagakure the most.

[xregg]

I would love to play a samurai class so it could match my tattoo

[Furor Planedefiler]

in various chats over the years. This is one of those classes that if done properly, would be simply awesome. The problem with a class like this in EQ is the 'hybridization.'

The bard in EQ is already a very problematic class. It is THE class that has led to more headaches for the developers (in EQ) than any other combination of classes combined. Had they simply not HAD a bard class at all and instead taken the 'song' aspect of the class and broken it up and given several classes different portions of, for example, the current bard song lineup, we'd have a much, much cleaner game and far less class balance issues. This would have allowed for the true utility and 'fun' factor that the pure melee classes need(ed). This is something that you see being done right now in World of Warcraft. There is no Bard class, but there are 'song' like effects - i.e. shouts from warriors, or auras from paladins, etc...

A very, very long time ago (this was probably even Pre-Kunark) the development team for EQ wanted to actually give the Warrior class battle chants. I think at that point they realized the issues it would cause with Bards and the game at large and scrapped the idea entirely.

So anyway, the basic problem of a class like this in Everquest ends up that it either (a) becomes superfluous (lacking the power or efficacy to fill out any real role properly) or (b) becomes overpowered, eclipsing its parent classes and thus marginalizing them to support class status or 'virtual' trash. Achieving balance in an already out of balance gameworld becomes nearly impossible.

For a new game, it would be entirely possible to incorporate the Samurai class in the manner you listed keeping the aforementioned caveats in mind. For Everquest, it's just adding another class that will become muddled and lost in the fray while having no real identity. Something I would consider a tragic waste. Something that will more than likely happen with the Berserker.

[Severak]

Fucking kickass idea bud, and to the poster above......cool tatoo......but ouch <-------has Needlephobia

[Olio]

I thought the new berzerker class was to be a bad warrior with battle chants. I would expect the yells to be a melee and combat oriented subset of the bard spells though, IE no mez, charm, invis, etc.

Olio

[Sarrin Kanth]

I wouldn't necessarily place this idea only for EQ. Infact i had in mind a 3rd or 4th generation MMORPG. Feel free to post copy and paste your comments here into the thread i gave before:

http://www.sigilgames.com/forums/sho...?threadid=2694

Edit: Or, with your permission i can copy and past your reponse in this thread to that thread if you wish not to bother with registering for another forum.

[Lleauaric~EW]

I always hoped for an "eastern" themed expansion from EQ.

Not with necessarily new classes but sub classes.
How Natural would Warriors (Would personally say Mongol type Warrior
SKs (Ronin) and Pallys (Strict Bushido Samurai) be Samuri sub classes.

Rogues into Ninja type subclass

Monks.. cmon monks? Could it be a more fitting match?

Japanese had bard called hoshi (BEE-wuh HO-shee) or "lute Priests"

here is a nice link about Chinese magic
http://saturn.ihp.sinica.edu.tw/~bencao/0309.htm

Mudang is a Korean Shaman who used Runes and Curses and healing...

Rangers could also draw from Korea being Hwarang, Warriors who used swords, but focused mostly on Archery

Fangshu is the Chinese magic use to preserve the Body and Health. Aka Clerics

Druids would fit into the japanese form of Onmydo

In onmyodo philosophy there was no particular concern with (or belief in) life after death. It's primary focus was on the identification and avoidance of troubles and disharmonies in the here-and-now. Through an understanding of the natural laws of the universe, and through the application of ritualistic practice based on yin-yang/five-element theory, onmyodo sought to bring order to a world perceived as being, in the main, completely chaotic.

Beastlords? Damn.. no idea.

[Digo]

It's funny how much we hate Everquest, yet continue to play it, and think about all potential MMORPGs in terms of it.

I remember a friend telling me about the game shortly after Kunark was released, holding the RoK box in my hand, and reading the marketing blurb inside the flap:

"Don't buy this game for a friend or loved one if you ever want to see them again."

I don't regret a second of it.

[Sarthis]

Beastlords would need to go on a quest to find their animality.

[Silva]

What's wrong with your arm man?

[xregg]

stretch marks from working out for the last 16 years

Unless your talking about the red part which is a misty womans face tattooed on my bicep. Hard to see it on that angle though.

[Directive]

Originally posted by Sarrin Kanth
I think you would enjoy The Book of the Five Rings and Hagakure the most.

Miyamoto Musashi owns.

[PigBenis]

Book of Five Rings is the own

[Zarseem Nasaar]

In that line of excellent books, may I also recommend San Guo Yan Yi as an EXCELLENT book on the melding of warfare, strategy, and political necessity and subtlety

[Sarrin Kanth]

thanks bro.