Introducing Mosey

MOSEY

Hello. I'm a long time player introducing a new character: Mosey, the unclassed.

Some of you may have seen him around, especially if you live in Hashan or frequent the area. I must admit, I've had a lot of fun playing him. "But, why?" you ask.

Here are the main reasons:

• I'm too poor to justify buying the credits I would need to feel combat-capable (and, too lazy and dumb to build a good system of reflexes, macros, triggers, etc.)

• I wanted to do something different -- not just from what I've done before, but from what everyone else is doing too.

• I was just plain curious how possible it is to do, and what kind of reaction I would get from others

Some reflections/revelations/thoughts that I've had since creating Mosey:

• Lack of Attainment and Racial Specialisation (class-bound general skills) has been a bit of a disadvantage, but not as painful as I might've thought. (I was aware that I wouldn't have Battlerage, but the lack of racial specialisation wasn't something that I thought of upon creating Mosey -- it just slipped my mind. I was planning to make a Human with Man-at-arms specialisation and Robust for a trait.)

• Weaponry increases damage with lessons, so I immediately transed this skill. The difference in damage that I've noticed from shortsword vs warhammer is minuscule, though it does seem like I get more crits with my WH -- not sure if this is true or not.

• While I do more damage with my main char (about 2% more to the mobs I normally hunt), the way I've built Mosey results in more crits -- Human w/ Lucky trait. Mosey is lvl 58 vs my Druid lvl 80 and really isn't that much slower when hunting due to the likelihood of getting criticals. I got a blessing the other day from the Wheel of Fortune that boosted this even further and it was beautiful (Druid also has str 13 vs Mosey str 12, so damage may be equal if this were accounted for).

Another thing I'd like to mention: I feel utterly and completely reinvigorated in regards to role-playing. Lacking a class has opened doors to rp that I haven't felt in some time. As a classed adventurer, regardless of how you roleplay, you're automatically associated with the traits of said class (foresty Druid, scholarly Occultist, sneaky Serpent). Without a class, I feel free to become whatever I want (what traits can you automatically tack on to a classless? Nothing really, right?) -- I just roleplay the traits I want to express. I know this is possible with a class too, but classless just feels more conducive to this attitude. The doors are constantly open. I'm also not reliant upon class hunting abilities, so my hunting appearance is subject to whatever weapon I happen to want to use.

Continuing on, I think I'd like to customize Mosey using mostly items. I'd like to save up and get an artefact or two, if I can (see comment on laziness/poorness above). I do have a few questions though. Lacking Attainment, does that mean the need to eat and sleep won't go away when he reaches Logosian? What about the ability to become a Dragon, if he ever makes it that far? And, I haven't tried yet, but will he be able to take a trade skill? These are all listed in the Attainment skillset, so that's got me a little concerned.

Lastly, I'd like to say a few words on a topic that I'm sure several Achaeans are thinking about right now: combat feasibility. I don't think it'll happen. Ever.

Unless...

Other adventurers are willing to give unclassed a go. This idea kind of got me excited. I'm fascinated by combat -- the competition, the comradery, the strategy and skills required, etc.

However...

It's just too much. It's too fast, there's too much information, it takes too long to pour over combat logs and to build and tweak a relevant system that can handle it all -- and, it just keeps getting faster, it seems. 

Not so, in my vision. Against other unclassed, there would be no mass spam of messages as your character succumbs to layer upon layer of afflictions. You would be less likely to become paralyzed with the inability to know what the f*** is going on. It would be a slower, simpler sort of combat. A return to the days of yore (or something like that). And, I could easily see a clan forming for adventurers of any city that were interested in having a good old-fashion spar with just a weapon and like one or two afflictions now and again (Brawlers Club?). It would take longer, with the lack of fast kill paths, but that would probably be a good thing for a lot of players. And, it would still have the complexity of character building strategy. Do you max out Avoidance? Which weapon is best? Should you use bombs, tattoos, poisons? Do you pick a Troll and specialise for strength and take Robust?

I hope you see what I'm getting at...

I know that it would quickly become boring if everyone or even a majority of people played unclassed, but (in addition to that never happening) variety is the spice of life and this is just one more option.

I'd like to hear your thoughts. Let me know what you think about this or if you're interested in hearing updates on him. Thanks!

Ryx

I'd love to hear updates on this! I love this sort of thing.

Cooper

Sinistar did this exact thing for quite a while. The only thing that really matters in the end is if you're enjoying it (assuming you aren't hurting or harassing others like some characters do).

You won't be effective in combat ever, and your bashing will be significantly slower than any class. You'll also be restricted to areas that don't damage a lot, because unclassed people can only wear chainmail and don't have any basic damage reducing defenses or healing abilities.

If you ever want this character to be relevant in PK or bash to a decently high level, I'd suggest picking up a class. Maybe you can be a monk that only uses his fists ever?

MOSEY

Ryx said:

I'd love to hear updates on this! I love this sort of thing.

 Thanks, Ryx! I was hoping there would be some interest!

Cooper said:

You won't be effective in combat ever, and your bashing will be significantly slower than any class. You'll also be restricted to areas that don't damage a lot, because unclassed people can only wear chainmail and don't have any basic damage reducing defenses or healing abilities.

 15 years on main and I'm still not combat-relevant.  I get the feeling it has a lot more to do with me than whatever class I choose or don't choose. :P Also, it doesn't feel that much slower than my druid, for reasons stated in my original post.

Cooper said:

If you ever want this character to be relevant in PK or bash to a decently high level, I'd suggest picking up a class. Maybe you can be a monk that only uses his fists ever?

 Just gotta make it to 80

Shirszae

For the kind of combat thing you propose I'd probably prefer something like ritual dueling since it at least offer much more expression. Unclassed would probably give straight advantage to whoever had best stats or more lessons, even more so than classed combat. 

Mind, it's an intriguing idea overall, and some of reminds me of permanovices from RO, which is always nostalgic, but at the same time the complete lack of any of the more thematic class abilities would make me not want to stick with it. 

MOSEY

Shirszae said:

For the kind of combat thing you propose I'd probably prefer something like ritual dueling since it at least offer much more expression. Unclassed would probably give straight advantage to whoever had best stats or more lessons, even more so than classed combat. 

 That's kind of what interests me about it. Granted, I'm not even close to as informed about the meta data of combat as some, so maybe I'm just totally misjudging the implications of this, but let me give you an example:

Troll w/ Robust lvl 60: str 13 dex 12 con 13 int 11
weaponry: transed
prof: warhammer
racial trait: chance of stun on blunt damage

vs

Rajamala w/ Robust and Light stepper lvl 60: str 12 dex 13 con 13 int 11
weaponry: trans
avoidance: trans
prof: dagger (with shield) + venoms
racial trait: additional chance to dodge attacks

Troll would do more damage per hit and may stun, but Raja would hit faster and afflict. Raja might be better at taking the damage overall though because CON is equal but he is also benefiting from racial and trait dodging bonuses. This all interests me very much. 

Continuing on further...

How would a Horkval compare? Or, a Xoran with envenomed daggers and firebreathing. Would you want to fight a Grook in a watery environment, if he webbed you and got stabby with toxins?

...fascinating stuff. And, not too overwhelming for the pea-brained among us (pointing at myself).

MOSEY

I'm surprised no one is offering any insight about the combat I mentioned above. Or about the questions I raised in my original post. No one wants to weigh in?

Cooper

Unclassed combat is not viable in any way.

Look into the ritual dueling mentioned above.

Shirszae

I just can't imagine a whole lot of people wanting to go for the unclassed experience, I guess. 

MOSEY

Shirszae said:

I just can't imagine a whole lot of people wanting to go for the unclassed experience, I guess. 

Yeah, I guess this about sums it up. It's nice to dream though.

Rispok

I can't imagine somebody without a class ever doing enough damage to kill another adventurer, nor deliver enough afflictions to set up for a behead. I just don't think it's possible.

Antonius

I think you'd end up giving afflictions at about the same rate as they're cured, so you may as well just not be giving afflictions at all unless your strategy is to hope they run out of herbs/minerals faster than you run out of venoms.