Thanks for this. Great speculation post, well reasoned and supported. [quote]For example, on one hand I could imagine that Destiny has five to seven main classes that are all selectable from the very beginning of the game. On the other hand, I could imagine a system where you start your character by choosing to become either a Hunter, Titan, or Warlock, and then as you progress as a character you can choose sub classes to further specialize your role on the battlefield.*[/quote] ... [quote]So how will Class Progression work if there isn't an EXP System? I don't imagine that Destiny will be very RPG-like with complex skill and perk trees, I imagine that their methods of customizing classes will be much more simple. Rather than gaining exp and raising your skill levels, progression in Destiny will be loot driven. Through your adventures, you'll find better equipment which will allow you to specialize your class into a specific role, and the more you play, the better equipment or perhaps sidegrades you'll find, which will increase your character's power and potential.**[/quote] *[b]Re: Stats and Classes[/b] [i]Scenario 1:[/i] If all classes are selectable with their own "sidegrade / perk option" trees tied somehow to book/chapter completion &/or loot acquisition, I'd wager that the ability stats for each class are static. How well that works for players, then would be entirely dependent on how the book/chapter completion choices might tie in with their acquisition. If you get weapons/gear in the "wrong" order for your class you might find PvP frustrating. [i]Scenario 2:[/i] Somewhat similar to Scenario 1. Except now the player has options somewhere in their character progression (again, chapter & loot versus XP driven) to "tweak" those attribute stats. They can switch tracks toward unlocking specific sub-class/class variant sidegrades. This progress would also be a blend of general chapter completion and acquiring loot, but now doing something in the "wrong" order isn't quite as much of a setback as subclass options could offer a way to refine that class according to how the player played their character and what loot they found. [b]**Re: Loot Class Mod Progression instead of XP Progression[/b] [i]Loot in both scenarios:[/i] Granted, in either scenario, a player would want to get all the character sidegrades, and then raids would be a matter of finding more heavily modified loot, (rather than straight "better", think like weapon damage/accuracy/ROF/reload time/etc. sliders). With the "best" loot being the most exotic sidegrades that your character class can make good use of. In other words, no weapon is intended to objectively be better than another. The usefulness of a perk from one piece of armor/gear/accessory is all in how you play and combine it. Theory vs. practice, though, I know. [i]Putting it All Together:[/i] Let's say, there's a rare rifle with extremely high damage that is difficult to aim skillfully, traded off with extremely long reload time, enough to drop a Titan regardless of all but the most powerful Vanguard buff or map pickup in one hit. And as it requires such a very high level of discipline only appropriate subclasses could wield it. Subclasses could then wield the same weapons in different ways depending on their available character and class sidegrades, whether from gear or from skill trees. Just as examples: one class using energy contextually to negate a "flinch" mechanic when taking hits while scoped, or another controlling a reticule drift while moving/uncrouched. [i]Reinventing the FPS:[/i] My dream in the PvP sense, regardless of its viability for e-sports for lack of better terms, is that we're glimpsing a squad shooter that could be tweaked via the base stats and via regulations to fit a hybrid or arena shooter role. One where you also go out into the persistent world to get your characters gear, and one where the SF setting allows for high-risk, quick kill positioning gameplay of a squad shooter alongside gun battles and jousting of your hybrid and arena shooters. That can either partition off those experiences in a way that isn't heavy-handed or forced, or can combine them all in a way that isn't a train wreck.