Summary
Role-playing gameshave long been a staple of gaming, from titles created decades ago, to modern developments that continue to push the genre forward. As these games are often filled with content and long hours of gameplay, a core feature of RPGs is classes. Players can decide between different playstyles to play through the game. These can have drastic effects on how the game is played, and can be a careful consideration depending on the game.
With RPGs being such a storied genre, there have been numerous games that feature classes. Some have many base classes, others focus on the abundance of subclasses and further investment in a class, and others have different ranges of classes to play. Several games feature a huge range and variety of classes, making for vast replayability.
World of Warcraftis a behemoth of a game, known even by those who don’t play video games. As an MMORPG, a core tenet of the gameplay is the class system, with13 different classesto pick from. These can change somewhat depending on the expansion.
However, the base classes further diverge into their own unique specializations, such as the Frost spec for Death Knights, the Restoration spec for Shamans, or the Protection spec for Warriors/Paladins. Some share the same name, but are mostly specific to their own class. Most classes usually have at least three specs, but some — like the Demon Hunter and Druid — don’t follow this, adding to the variety within the base classes.WoWalso adds new classes occasionally, but it isn’t as common compared to some other MMOs.
Pathfinder: Kingmakerwas the predecessor toPathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous. The first game had a large number of classes to choose from as well, butPathfinder: Wrath of the Righteouscomes with an increased numberof 26 classes.
However, it goes beyond that, as those are only the basic classes.Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteousalso possesses prestige classes, of which there are 13, making for a game that should satisfy any players who want to try out a huge number of playstyles.
To improve on a first game, introducing more classes than what was previously playable is something to aim for.EverQuest 2engages in this. The second gameincreased the number of classes from 16 in the first game, to 26.
Some of these are the traditional MMO classes, with roles such as dealing damage, tanking, or healing. Some of these roles include Assassin, Inquisitor, and Guardian. However, there are additional classes for crafting, such as a Tailor, Alchemist, and Carpenter. The former choice of classes is labeled Adventurers, whereas the crafting classes are labeled Crafters.
As an incredibly successful video game franchise,Final Fantasyhas created a vast array of classes across the many games in the series. Except, they aren’t called classes in the series, but rather jobs, withFinal Fantasy 5having 26 jobs overall.
Some well-knownFinal Fantasyjobs appear in the game, such as Black Mage and Dragoon. Other, more uncommon jobs also exist in the game, such as Mime. Furthermore, there are jobs exclusive to the platform players playFinal Fantasy 5on, such as Necromancer and Cannoneer.
As an MMO,Final Fantasy 14has added new jobs to its repertoire throughout its lifetime. Originally starting with fewer classes (or jobs, as they are called in the franchise), this number has since been expandedto 21 jobs.
The different jobspertain to the different roles players play within the game. Some, such as Dark Knight, are tanks; some, such as Astrologian, are healers; others, such as Viper, deal damage. The damage dealers also vary themselves, as they can be a melee DPS, a ranged DPS, or a magical DPS. When counting the Disciples of the Land and Hand jobs, as well as the limited job Blue Mage, thenumber further increases to 33 jobs, making for a well-rounded number of jobs that only grow with each expansion.
As is made obvious by the franchise’s prevalence on this list,Final Fantasyhas included a vast number of jobs throughout the series.Final Fantasy Tacticsshows some of these jobs, as it is theFinal Fantasygame with the most jobs.
Involving 33 jobs, they range from Time Mage, to Soldier, to Geomancer, to Dark Knight. There are generic jobs, with additional special jobs. Special jobs are unlocked after completing prerequisites.
Games that allow players to choose from different classes usually let players further progress their class via subclasses. Sometimes RPGs will even let players journey into multiclassing by taking on aspects of numerous classes.
Grim Dawnhas a focus on multiclassing.There are only 10 classes(orMasteries, as they’re known in Grim Dawn), yet thisincreases to45when combining different masteries. Dual Classes offer a huge amount of selection for players beyond the usual single classes of other games.
While not as huge in the west,MapleStoryis a massively played game, especially in Asia. As an MMORPG, there arenumerous classes in the game, which belong to different class archetypes.
Hero falls under Warrior, Bowmaster falls under Bowman, Corsair falls under Pirate, and so on. To be even more specific, some classes further fall under the overall branch they belong to, such as an Explorer, a Cygnus Knight, or Flora. Overall,there are 50 classesto play, making for a lot of selection.
TheFire Emblemseriesis another franchise that has been around for decades now. Throughout the time it has existed, there have been numerous classes to grace the games, andFire Emblem: Radiant Dawnfeatures a ridiculous number of classes.
There are over 80 classes available, each of which uses different weapons. Some of the classes can be promoted to other classes, which helps boost the number of classes up to 80.
