Most like Necro

[Aggelos]

I don't thing that would be that difficult, I mean, we have all the class bases, just adding idk 10 more levels and two more subdivisions for each class and you get all the classes you imagine, I mean, from SM -- Necro (Black magic/death master) and Elemental Master, from Chanter -- Monk and Shaman, etc, etc.

[Karnage]

That could be cool. Maybe if they made one huge expansion after a year or two they could pull it off.

[Dez]

Guild Wars had expansions every 6 months, gief imho.

[Karnage]

The only problem I could see with expanding the classes would be getting duplicate builds from supposedly different classes, ie Shaman and Element Master being so similar that it wouldn't be worth having both in one group.

[Aggelos]

How come? I didn't understand what you mean. Elemental Master'd be from SM and Shaman from Chanter, no way to be similar.

[Karnage]

I was just pulling two random classes out, I guess a better example would be what would happen if you split the Templar up. You would get one class that specialised in shield and blocking combat, and another that did what? If you had it focus more on weapons, then you cross over into Gladiator territory. Have it focus on buffs and you're making a heavy armor Chanter. What's left? Magical damage, you're stealing the mage's thunder. The only thing you might be able to do is make it focus almost totally on taunts and give it some heavy health, but then you've got an almost useless PvP class. Sure it would work great in giving Chanters a more combat oriented class or one that is better at buffing, or in making a Necro class, but the Templar and even the Assassin would lose out in the end.

[Marten Knbk]

For the Templar split, one could be specialized in self-defence (blocking and shield combat, like you said), and the other could be specialized in the more offensive way of defense: use attack skills to weaken and hinder your enemy. This could include skills which stun or knock the back, make him move slower, let him deal less damage (some mighty blow might weaken him) or interrupt them. This way both are capable of defending their party, but one is a real tank, and the other is more an offensive tank. I bet NCSoft can make many more different splits, different from each other, but still the same function.

Anyway, an expansion could also include a whole new base class with 2 specialized classes, where they could add a sort of Necro.

[Writh]

I don't agree with the idea of new classes, yeah it is a traditional method and all but it lack the imagination that is so unique to Aion. On top of that when you have classes the fill the same role you some one is going to end up riding the pine, we are already can kinda see a bit of conflicting interest between Assassins and Gladiators, melee damage dealer. With this in mind I certainly believe new classes are unnecessary and just a bad idea.

So what do we do? We get creative, like Aion. Our beloved stigma system, yeah it can do quite a bit for us just by transplanting existing class traits and skills to their user. Why not take that a bit further; why not make it so that we have a stigma that not only gives you one skill but one that can slightly redefine you. If I lost you, here is where I break it down:

You wanna be a necromancer, get a necromancing stigma. Let's say it gets you 4 or 5 new skills and/or traits. Wanna be a monk type fighter, try a monk stigma, gives you attack speed and damage bonuses for fighting without a weapon and maybe dodging and parrying bonuses for wearing cloth armor, as well so some cool kung fu attacks or skills.

Originally Posted by gaeanprayer

Ninja - no, Assassin isn't enough; I'm talking the teleporting, ninjutsu-using, shuriken throwers

Aion assassins have a flashstep, like a teleport but it sends you behind your target, ranged abilities and other things you could parallel to ninjutsu (unless you watch that horrid Naruto show, in which case dear god I don't want those types of ninjas)

[Marten Knbk]

The problem is that there is nothing like a Necro in-game, with or without stigmas. There are Spiritmasters who are only a little bit similar to MM's, but nothing is even close to what Necro's really are. And there is nothing that even comes close to one of the primary roles a Necro has, using skills to shutdown and punish melee and casters. You can't implant that with just stigmas, it would require a whole new (sub-)class. There won't be any problems with 2 classes with the same roles, because no one has this role yet. Even Assassins and Gladiators fit different roles, although these roles are close to each other. Assassins are stealthy characters sneaking up to a character, unleash a high-damage chain and run. Gladiators are DPS machines, rushing into a battle and deal constant high damage, while their armor protects them against the hits they'll surely take.

So I agree that there shouldn't be 2 classes with the same roles, but that doesn't mean there shouldn't come any new classes. Stigmas aren't enough in all situations.

[Aggelos]

Or maybe, as we are playing around the light vs darkness theme, Elyos evolve into a Light class and Asmodians into a Dark version of it, I mean, if you choose Asmodians probably you like the Dark lore, so, for instance, Elyos SM evolves to Elemental Master, using the four elements to summon and white magic, and the Asmo SM evolves into Necromancer, with undead minions and black magic.

The same could apply to Templars, Elyos evolves into a Paladin, a self-sacrifice/healing Tank, and the Asmo evolves into something like L2's Dark Avenger or Shillien Knight, with blood sucking spells, bleeds and stuns, vampire cubics, etc.

That way we don't have balancing problems (cause we aren't adding new classes, just making them unique for each lore).

[Hexxeity]

Is it really a problem that there's no Necro clone? Aion is its own game, not an expansion of GW.

I don't think they'll add future classes as further splits off of the existing ones. This is because I wouldn't expect them to increase the level cap. They want people to get into the PvPvE part of the game, and they know that players are reluctant to do that until they hit max level.

So I'd expect new classes to be added at the same place as other advanced classes, as new options from the 4 main schools. This would also keep classes organized into the 4 main roles, allowing for better balance.

[Anjeru]

Im going to take a random stab in the dark here and say they will maybe act like wow's warlocks ??? sorry i havent read up on this class yet but was highly interested

[Celebrity]

Well i just don't see how a necro class would fit the game. It would end up looking like a spiritmaster with some sorcerer skills. Actually the mage here looks pretty much like wow one (better effects obviously) but it has blink, poliform, aoe and direct spells, so it's good

[justamemory]

Aion's Necro Class

[Akaris]

Epic. Gief teh Shugoz.