Game features like dungeon finders are either the savior of a game after population shifts, time, and antisocial players or the advent of community destruction, depending who you ask. The relation to the Trinity is a supportive one, since it helps groups and players find one another. I think the rose-colored glasses may set in when it comes to people of the latter opinion, since even with dungeon finders, there's an imbalance in the time it takes for certain groups to pop for more popular classes.

Balance is a tricky concept anyhow, since there are so many layers to it. Ultimately, the answer may be that we're asking the wrong question. Or rather, too broad a question. Reliance on a Trinity or lack of such a rigid setup varies because games are not one size fits all. Where a Trinity exists, it can be a community builder for many people but also leave some in the cold. Those who play better with structure and find organization, team-building, and social interaction at a more deliberate pace are served by that system. Those who enjoy fewer restrictions, soloing, or more casual teaming up (such as that found in Public Quests or Dynamic Events), are probably going to enjoy that better.

The ability to play more roles as a player is appealing because you’re flexible, which ups the fun factor for many people. While certain games like Rift or Final Fantasy XIV have ways to perform different class roles on the same character, games with a stricter format force a greater level of commitment. That could be dedication or you could find yourself bored after 20 levels. Though with today’s fast-moving content consumption for many but the most casual of players, starting over if bored doesn’t take as long as it would have a decade ago.  And sometimes it might just be fear of change behind clinging to such a system. Whatever the reasons, player preferences about the Trinity do actively help shape game communities because of the way players are included or excluded or served by the native systems. Someone who loves to be guided and to fill an archetype might not enjoy The Secret World as much as someone that enjoys experimenting and isn’t heavily into min-maxing.

Naturally, exploring this in more detail with a narrower focus on individual communities is ideal, but asking the question in the first place is still a good start. The Trinity is something that has been with roleplaying games for a long time, though we’re seeing more moves away from it or a desire to fix the system. That isn't to say that games without a strict Trinity lack structure (or don't keep certain classes waiting for groups longer than others), but it's often a looser one.

It might come down to player expectations, but knowing that games can't be all things to all players in our modern day variety pack of MMORPGs is a start. Knowing what kind of player you are is the second part of the equation, because then finding a home in a specific game might have a less bumpy road if more compatible with your real style. But that is a whole topic to itself, possibly for another week.

Where do you stand on the Trinity? Do you prefer it or want something less rigid?

Christina Gonzalez / Christina is a freelancer and contributor to MMORPG.com, where she writes the community-focused Social Hub column. You will also find her contributions at RTSGuru. Follow her on Twitter: @c_gonzalez