Just in time for your weekend reading pleasure, it's yet another edition of Ask Massively, purveyor of advanced philosophy for MMORPG addicts far and wide since Paris Hilton was a tramp-in-training. This week is a homecoming of sorts for us here at Ask Massively. The past several columns have all been high-level philosophical treatises on MMORPG philosophy. What makes an MMORPG successful? Should certain games really be classified as MMO's? Will World of Warcraft realize its vision of intergalactic conquest and turn us all into gibbering idiots while feeding at their gaming trough like starving piglets?
The ivory tower is a fun place to visit, but it's not healthy to stay there too long. This week, we're going to get into the nuts-and-bolts of Tabula Rasa, NCSoft's latest and greatest entry into the universe of MMORPGs.
Dear Massive-head
I just picked up a copy of Tabula Rasa, and I'm a bit lost. I knew that there were not mages, necromancers, rogues, or bards in this game, but I'm having a difficult time trying to decide what I want my character to be. I can see that some classes are fairly obvious analogs to classes that I am familiar with from other games, but some of the others are downright confusing. I like the look and feel of the game so far, but what's a noob to do?
-Bill S.
Well, Bill, you're in luck. I think I can answer this one for you. I have been playing Tabula Rasa for a few weeks now, and I might be able to help you map the similarities between TR's classes and classes from games that you know and love.
If you have a question for us here at Ask Massively, then drop by our tipline or send us an email to ask AT massively DOT com. I'd like to add that I really don't need cheap copies of Microsoft Office or Windows Vista, so if you're selling those, you might want to go somewhere else.
At level 5, you get to make the first of your three class defining decisions. You can choose to become either a Soldier or a Specialist. Soldiers are, as you may have guessed, the primary damage dealing and tanking classes while Specialists will become primarily healers, buffers, and... well... Specialists. Later on, at level 15, the player will choose a more specific type of profession (choices include Commando and Ranger for Soldiers and Sapper and Biotechnician for Specialists) Each profession choice will provide the player with additional skill sets and abilities. By the time characters reach level 15, the player will observe significant changes in individual playstyle and combat roles.
Finally, at level 30, the player gets to choose his class. This choice will provide the player with his character defining abilities and skills as well as the character's Signature Ability. Signature abilities are unique to each class and don't have ranks or levels. These classes have analogs to classes from more conventional MMORPGs. For example...
Grenadier
Official website says:
"The Grenadier is the ultimate expression of controlled aggression on the battlefield, available for those that wish to move into a highly specialized version of the Commando class. The Grenadier's job is to dominate the battlefield quickly and efficiently, destroying attackers in swift, overwhelming attacks. The mindset of the Grenadier is pure aggression, where, as the old adage goes, the best defense is the best offense. Grenadiers can also assuage their fellow soldiers in combat, increasing their firepower, while directing the assault, not from the rear, but from the front, where they belong."
Ask Massively says:
The most obvious parallels here are Everquest's Berserker class or a Fury spec'd Warrior in World of Warcraft. Your job is to do damage, and do lots of it. Staying alive is useful only insofar as it lets you do more damage. You kill things, you break things, you smash things. This happens to be my class of preference in Tabula Rasa, for now.
Abilities:
Guardian
Official website says:
"This military tactician concentrates his efforts on close combat and territory control. Once a Guardian digs in, it takes overwhelming force to displace him. Their offensive skills, while especially lethal in melee, are deemphasized in favor of skills at displacing damage, and securing the frontline against all odds. Squads interested in holding positions even under extreme circumstances should seek out the Guardian."
Ask Massively says:
This one is a no-brainer. You're a tank. Every MMORPG has them, and this is Tabula Rasa's flavor. Sure, you can deal damage as a Guardian, but mostly your job is to do enough damage to keep a monster focused on you and not the squishies in the back row. If the bad guys are hitting anyone else in your party, then you're not doing your job.
Abilities:
Shield Wave (Signature ability) 
Reflection 
Conversion 
Vortex
Sniper
Official website says:
"This military marksman is master of the rifle, long ranged warfare, and striking from cover. Delivering devastating surprise attacks on hostiles, these weapon experts are the scourge of the enemy. Any squad looking for someone to soften up the enemy before openly engaging them should seek out the Sniper."
Ask Massively says:
The first mental picture that leaps to mind is that of a Ranger in Everquest. You stay far away from the bad guy and toss out large amounts of damage from a distance. This reminds me of one of my favorite old EQ jokes.
"A Ranger walks into a bar... LOADING, PLEASE WAIT..."
Since Snipers are a specialization of the Ranger subclass, you'll get to use Stealth Armor which should improve a Sniper's survivability considerably. Just don't try to tank anything... ever.
Abilities:
Spy
Official website says:
"This expert of subterfuge excels in moving into enemy territory undetected, and wreaking havoc through deception and misdirection. While still an expert with a gun, this class specializes in the stealthy aspects of war. Any team looking for a soldier who can move unseen, gather vital enemy information, as well as silently eliminate threats should look to recruit a Spy."
Ask Massively says:
This is another obvious analog. If you are a big fan of Rogues in pretty much any game since the original Dungeons and Dragons hit the shelves 30+ years ago, then this is the class for you. Since this is one of the few, if not only, classes that uses bladed weapons in Tabula Rasa, your job is to sneak in close and shank an unsuspecting mob.
Abilities:
Demolitionist
Official website says:
"This military specialist is a demolitions expert, and utilizes a wide range of large scale attacks which can alter the course of battle. The Demolitionist can deliver massive attacks with timed precision or unleash wide spread damage across the battlefield. Any squad looking for someone to bring mass chaos and destruction to the battlefield on an unprecedented scale then the Demolitionist is the person for the job."
Ask Massively says:
Most of the Soldier professions are fairly straightforward. Now that we're discussing the Specialist classes, you might see a little more hybridization and departure from the typical MMORPG classes. For instance, while Mages and Warlocks in World of Warcraft can toss out a high amount of area damage (AoE or Area of Effect), that isn't their primary purpose in the game. Demolitionists, on the other hand, focus almost entirely on making things 'go boom' in a large area. Why control crowds when you can just blow them up? To me, this is closer to a City of Heroes Blaster archetype. Pick a spot, and make sure that any enemy that enters that area gets toasted.
Abilities:
Explosive Wave (Signature ability) 
Explosive Nanites 
Reality Ripper 
Controlled Fission 
Self Destruct
Engineer
Official website says:
"The Engineer represents the culmination of effort in the Combat Support classes, a highly specialized form type of Sapper that is an operations expert and versatile squad support class. Engineers can deploy portable generators and other battlefield devices to increase the staying power of a squad in the field, and can contribute to the battle by constructing temporary structures and disposable weapons. An Engineer is indispensable to squads looking for long-term deployments."
Ask Massively says:
From the description, this sounds like a World of Warcraft Shaman. Instead of totems, the player uses "field generators" and "drones", but it's the same idea. Perhaps a Defender in City of Heroes might be an apt comparison as well. Whether it is by using totems, bubbles, radiation, or drones, your primary job is to keep the rest of your party in the fight for as long as possible.
Abilities:
Base Wave (Signature ability) 
Turret 
Bot Construction 
Trap 
Feedback
Medic
Official website says:
"The Medic is an expert of microbiology and organic chemistry. They use this knowledge to heal and even resurrect allies, and inflict disease and death on the enemy. They are able to spread microorganisms across the battlefield for constructive and destructive purposes. Any squad looking for a military expert who can control the flow of battle through biochemical warfare should enlist a Medic."
Ask Massively says:
Sorry folks. I'm drawing a complete blank here. For those of you with your sarcasm filters set too high, this would be your run-of-the-mill Priest/Cleric/Healer. The "microorganism" angle is a nice touch for this class, giving a Medic more utility than your average "stare at the wall and hit your heal macro over and over again" healer. Bear in mind that as a Medic, you retain all of the earlier skills from your Recruit-Specialist-Biotechnician levels and are still capable of functioning on your own if you have to. Unfortunately, one of the more common complaints about Tabula Rasa is the de-emphasis on "health" at the expense of "armor". As I understand it, the Tabula Rasa folks are going to be tweaking this in the future, so Medics may become a lot more popular.
Abilties:
Exobiologist
Official website says:
"The Exobiologist specializes in alien biology, and uses knowledge of anatomy coupled with the power of Logos to great effect. This class creates biological pets that other players can use. Additionally, the Exobiologist can gain some degree of mind control over creatures to calm them down or turn them against each other. Advanced knowledge of biochemistry lends itself to particularly deadly Logos-based attacks."
Ask Massively says:
While the "mind control" aspects of the class are a homage to Enchanters from Everquest, it also looks like they found a way to make Necromancers "high tech". Just look at these abilities...
I'd like to thank the folks at TaRapedia for the links to information on class abilities, and would heartily recommend the site to anyone else who wants more information on Tabula Rasa. I would also recommend checking out the official website for Tabula Rasa as it contains a wealth of background information on the game. As you can see, Tabula Rasa manages to take classes in a new, and Sci-Fi-friendly, direction while still remaining close enough to traditional MMORPG archetypes that new players won't get lost. I would definitely recommend the game to anyone who is interested in a sci-fi MMORPG. While not perfect at launch, and let's be honest here, what game is? Tabula Rasa has a few new twists on the MMORPG genre that should keep it interesting and viable for the foreseeable future.
On that note, it is time to bring this week's edition of Ask Massively to a close. Feel free to chime in with your questions or observations either here, or on our tipline. If you have something that you'd like for us to tackle, you can also drop us a line at ask AT massively DOT com.
