Greetings, followers of the light,
We’re back to talk some more about our third class spotlight, the ever-shiny, never-shady Paladin! These holy fighters are handpicked by the goddess Dione herself to charge into battle and defend their allies from Kharvag’s minions.
We’re going to go a little off course here and share some of what Paladins used to be, because ongoing improvement is always a crucial part of the development process. Much of DK Online is being fine-tuned and overhauled as we continue to work towards releasing the game, and the classes are no exception. This also gives you a glimpse into the game development process as a whole, where things have to be flexible and fluid as certain needs and demands arise.
So what did Paladins used to be? The earlier vision for the class was that of a primary damage dealer and support class. Whereas Warriors once favored the good ol’ sword-and-board and Paladins relied mostly on two-handers (though both classes could use either, they were each designed around a particular weapon), there’s now much more parity between them. Paladins before were best suited to being straightforward dps, but they now have the tools in place to enhance and defend their party as they lead the charge into battle.
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New abilities are also being added to make the play-style more engaging. We felt like the Paladin of old needed more active abilities, and was perhaps too reliant on passive skills. While the class still has very useful passives, we decided that it is important for the Paladin to actively take control over the party’s well-being. We’re continuing to add abilities as we go, so that the end result is fun, interesting, and really establishes the image of the Paladin as a bastion of light.
Our Favorite: Well, in light of all that, it’s hard to pick a favorite skill—but we’re going with Heaven’s Wrath. In addition to having the coolest name, the hard-hitting attack leaves nothing but a crater where the enemy once was. On top of that, enemies that take the hit and are still standing have a chance to be stunned, opening them up for further punishment.
We hope you enjoyed the latest look into the development process. We think it’s good to have a bit of transparency too! Keep an eye out for our next class spotlight as it comes down the pipe!
