Introducing..

[prizopst]

ME!

I play way too many MMO's... started with EQ..EQ2..WoW..FFXI..soon as d/l finished SoR...thats not to mention all the open betas I play of other games. Hoping to find a game I can play for a while. Even tho SoR has been out a while. The BX(store) on my base didnt even have SoR to buy ;/

Well, anyways hope to see you all in-game.

Quick question. I read about the races in-game, but how do you become a certain class?

[katriell]

There are no classes in Ryzom. The skill system is open, meaning you start with the basic skill tree of Fight, Magic, Craft, and Harvest. You can progress in any of those whenever and however you want, without penalty. It's best to choose one Magic, one Forage, and one Craft action pack in character creation, though, so you don't have to spend 50 Skill Points at a trainer to get, for example, Crafting Start.

As you reach skill tree landmarks (21, 51, 101, 151, 201), the skills branch out further. For example, the melee tree if you were to use a two-handed sword all the way to 250 (the max level):

-[Fight]
--[Melee Fight]
---[Two handed melee]
----[Two handed melee slashing]
-----[Two handed sword]
------[Master two handed sword]
-----[Two handed axe]
----[Two handed melee piercing]
----[Two handed melee smashing]
---[One handed melee]
---[Close combat]
--[Ranged Fight]

You could eventually level all of the skill branches of fight, magic, craft, and harvest to 250.

[prizopst]

So, generally speaking, I could make a "paladin" like class by dabbling in melee and healer magic...hmm.. might have to think this out a bit

[ncrijns]

Generally speaking you see homis with 2 basic skills. And 1 added because it's easy to do. These are any melee line (although the 2 handed are favourite), healing obviously. Just because it's a lifesaver. And the 'optional' one is elemental, altho this one gets switched around with melee alot.

Besides the fighting most homins specialize in some form of digging, for easy dappers (read: money, cast, the stuff you spend to get shineys) and because they dig, one or two forms of crafting. I'm still not sure which of the 2 (foraging or crafting) has the most value potential. Materials you can sell easier then crafted products, but crafted things are just more useful.

Anyway to make a point:
"Class" definitions--
Tank = anyone using a weapon and wearing heavy armour. (staffs, amps and knifes don't count)
Healer = anyone in light armour and casting heals. Note that Healers can easily double as Mages/Elementalists, and the other way around.
Mage = anyone in light armour throwing random spells
Elementalist (Elem) = anyone in light armour throwing fireballs! Or other damage spells
Forage = mud digger
Crafter = maker of shiney goodies

Your "class" changes with your occupation.

[sidusar]

So, generally speaking, I could make a "paladin" like class by dabbling in melee and healer magic...hmm.. might have to think this out a bit

Sure, it's possible (and in fact common) to train both melee and healing, but you can't really do both at the same time. To melee effectively you need to be wielding a weapon and wearing heavy armor, and to heal effectively you need to be wielding amplifiers and wearing light armor. Tanking in light armor means you'll be down in three hits, healing in heavy armor means you'll kill yourself faster than you'll heal your teammembers.

Ofcourse that's generally speaking. Depending on the situation you can sometimes mix classes a bit. With a good healer you can sometimes tank in light armor so you can quickly crossheal. And don't forget medium armor, it's not as good as light armor for a caster and not as good as heavy armor for a tank, but does allow you to dabble in both with only having to switch between weapon and amplifier.

[marct]

So, generally speaking, I could make a "paladin" like class by dabbling in melee and healer magic...hmm.. might have to think this out a bit

I tend to think that you do not need to pre-plan this. You just start playing and continue to do what you like, and stop doing anything that you do not. No real penalty in that.

A good note is some early melee levels will get your HP up faster which can help a bit.

As noted by others. There are not really cross classes. You do one thing at a time, Magic, Melee, Craft, or Harvest. Inside the tree it is easy to switch quickly but switching between melee and magic out fighting is not a heat of the moment change generally.


Noin.

[vguerin]

I tend to think that you do not need to pre-plan this. You just start playing and continue to do what you like, and stop doing anything that you do not. No real penalty in that.

If you want to enjoy the game the most do just as Noin says. Play and have fun doing what you like... your avatar will slowly mold into what you want to be. As your experience increases you can look at cross training to raise certain things (HP for a mage the biggest example, if you want to "paladin" styled you'll need to be able to take a hit).

Use your SP (skill points) smartly early on as it will make growing less painful, later you'll have extra SP to branch out more if you like.