I like having classes in a game. There tends to be more variety. Like in daoc, there were many classes.  You choose what type of character you want, like fighter, mage, etc, then can specialize further like a spiritmaster or runemaster. Then as that spiritmaster, you can further specialize how you want your character to progress. Usually there are a few or so common builds, but there is variety. Then you have all those classes with all those different builds.

In a skill based game, you end up having less different builds because certain things are clearly better. Your creativity isn't squashed in a class game, you just choose what you want to do earlier. I often find skill based to be more boring, especially if it has pvp. If it is only pve, well, people end up focusing on what they like anyway, which is what you do when you pick a class to begin with, lol.

I never lacked for choices in daoc because I was palying what I wanted to play. Same thing in other games like eq for me.

I like any class systerm that allows you to change classes and level up multiple classes on 1 character. I extremly hate having to level ALT'S.

Originally posted by Abrahmm

The best class system is no class system. Skill based is infinitely better.

sure if you like making a class wannabe with a bunch of generic skills.

WoW is actually fairly decent when it comes to classes.  Since after all a Druid alone has more abilities to use and choose from then the entire choices from UO.

People may not remember it, but i think asherons call 2 had a fairly wonderful setup for classes, basically you had a bunch of talent trees and each was a class for your race. 

Guild wars is also a fairly solid class based game.

Guild Wars no doubt, there were spefic and diverse classes. You could just about predict what each class would do in each situation and try to counter it, this introduces skill into the game. Not like in WoW where one class always has the advantage over anouther.  I think Guild Wars was able to make it so great was because you are always grouped whether it is with NPC's or players. This gave room for example a monk to heal even when they're alone.

Originally posted by Abrahmm

The best class system is no class system. Skill based is infinitely better.

You can still have a class based system that uses skill advancement.  That's the best combination.

Originally posted by Zindaihas

Originally posted by Abrahmm

The best class system is no class system. Skill based is infinitely better.

 

You can still have a class based system that uses skill advancement.  That's the best combination.

Like SWG where you had the professions and could pick and choose the skills in each profession.

I liked the system in Knights of the Old Republic.

http://swforums.bioware.com/viewtopic.html?topic=360675&forum=26

I prefer classless games.  There has only been one MMO that I have played like that (AC1) and the execution was very poorly thought out.   Even so, I prefered it to that of every other MMO I have played.  

Dragonrealms has a good system as well where classes define what you 'should' focus on but they don't necessarily limit your preferences - most of the game revolved around a set of skills that that any could learn but each class learned a particular set faster than the others.  Each class also had a set of abilities/spells peculiar to them but anyone could be cool in a variety of ways if they spent time at it.

The funny thing about WoW and its system is that currently, by far the most successful and probably popular classes are the ones that can do everything (tank/heal/dps) depending on build and situation.  And they've opened many of the formerly narrowly defined classes to be able to perform in more than one way.  No character is forced to be 'just' a healer or just a tank, for example. 

I suspect that there will be other classless games soon.

Originally posted by Fennris

I suspect that there will be other classless games soon.

There will be.  Darkfall will be a very player-driven and game-play style influenced classless game, but skill-based.

If it's a fantasy game I think there's an RPG / Lore type design element in this choice as well. Do you want tank mages or not? If you want the wizard players to be pointy hatted and squishy then I think you have to split your skill-based system into at least two pieces.

I think my favourite system would probably be a mixture--a small number of very generic classes like fighter, mage, priest, rogue, scout but then give these classes a very open skill tree that gives you a lot of freedom to build them in different ways.

 The best class system, is no class system.

But it's hard to concept.

Originally posted by Abrahmm

The best class system is no class system.

Runescape because you could easily switch from being an archer, to a warrior, to a mage, and they had that Trinity thing going where melee was weak against magic, ranged was weak against melee, and magic was weak against ranged.

There are three key features of a good class system.

1.  Classes should add replay value.  This is really the whole point of a class system.  If you play through the game as one class, and then play through it again as a different class, you should get a meaningfully different experience.

Put another way, if you play as one class, and use tactics that were designed with a different class in mind, the result should be a disaster.  (Think of a healer trying to tank in a lot of games.)   This should happen no matter which two classes are chosen.  If for some pairs of classes, it doesn't work that way, the classes are too similar, and one of them should be nixed.

2.  There should be no unwanted classes.  All classes should be useful, even if not mandatory, nearly everywhere.  Something is seriously wrong if you can play a class that makes it so that half of the time, no one wants to group with you solely because of your class.

3.  It shouldn't be possible to permanently gimp yourself.  If you put points into specializing particular areas of a class, you'd better be able to rearrange those points if you later learn that you chose poorly.  This is equally important in a "skill-based" system without classes.

EQ, DAoC, and Vanguard had the best classes I have ever seen. EQ because they were the first, DAoC because of variety, originality, and RvR prowess, and Vanguard classes were successors to EQ classes. 

I'd say GW. Pretty flexible, allows you to build your very own build, has specific skills per profession and allows you to easily change build. SB also has a great class system. It allows for a huge customization.

Wow class system is not so bad. Sure, each class is very active and fun to play, but I honestly dislike the talent system. It really locks the flexibilty on you character: if you want to do a Holy Priest, you might pick some talents over others, sure, but you'll end up with most of the talents and skills as any other Holy Priest. And the fact that you've got several classes being able of healing/DPS/tank makes you 1 more of the crowd, kind of makes you lose the sense of "uniqueness".

I personally love a skill systemover class system. However, the problem is how to balance it correctly: in most games, there will be usually some builds and choice of skills that will work better than others. Thus, having a mix of class and skills usually ends up working for the better

Originally posted by Abrahmm

The best class system is no class system. Skill based is infinitely better.

Opinion much?

Here, i will do it to, You are wrong.

Skill systems are the best for those people that feel they should be able to do everything, like wear full plate, use a 2H Sword, do full heals and shoot fireballs out of their asses.

First of all to have a good class system you have to throw out the whole balance term. Classes do not have to be balanced but every class should have a use or specialty.
 

Also the best class systems are skill based, like EQ was. You were not able to build all the skills in your class so you actually had to think and make decissions. And no going to some NPC and resetting when you figured out you gimped yourself, you just started over or lived with it.

EQ had a fantastic class system. I thought they did everything well except for perhaps the Ranger, it was really hard being a Ranger because you were so unloved.
Vanguard falls under here also because it was pretty similar.

DAOC had a pretty good class system also.

Coh is the best.