It's rather plaintly stated in the article that they are not classes, but just suggestions put forth by the devs for people who want to get an idea of some good, synergistic skillsets. I think it's a great idea, frankly, because a lot of people will inevitably end up taking skillsets that have no synergy and then complain that the leveling system is broken.

The problem too is that you usually have zero idea as a newbie of how skillsets even work long-term, and there almost always is something in class-based systems that can screw a person over. It's hard to really know what abilities and stats are vital just starting out, and it isn't till your character is gimped you find out, unless you religiously follow forums or wiki.

You know for the briefest of moments I agreed with you.

And then I realized you think people are stupid. I don't blame you. What choice could you have other than to believe that people are stupid. Day in and out we see a world around us catering to a least common denominator that doesn't exist.

Somewhere along the line we managed to convince ourselves we're idiots. We managed to convince ourselves we don't know how to read and comprehend.

Who was it that got us all believing that we're incapable of the simplest levels of reading comprehension while simultaneously using a computer?

Uh, it's not reading or anything. I'll use my own example from a level-based game.

In FFXI you have a weaponskill called Slug Shot. It's a powerful attack, and uses agility as a stat to modify-in other words, the more agility you add, the more base damage you gain and the harder it hits.

Now here is the killer-because of the hidden equations behind the game, you actually do LESS damage if you obey the text and stack AGI-the way the damage equations work you need to add STR instead to see more damage return. It's because of the level correction equation and its pretty damn arcane. Link is at http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/FSTR to show you.

There's not reading, but MMOs are full of crap like this. In Mabinogi there is an entire hidden stat called combat power which determines how a mob checks to you, that is never explained in game, and can make something that could take weeks to train take months.

That's the problem, not basic reading or creativity. MMOs LOVE to throw counterintuitive mechanics that are never explained unless people parse and reverse engineer the equations. In FFXI again, you'd think vitality is good for tanks right? Guess what, it's crap, to the point where in experience you get more potential by gearing exactly the same as a damage dealing class, and tanking armor is considered useless except for one piece.

Skill-based systems are not immune to this, and a lot of times you may find that instead of one stat, an entirely different one may have been needed, or one skill is busted in regards to others.