KahnyaGnorc

F2P CEO attacks the main competition (subscription-based MMOs).

In other breaking, totally-unexpected moves, Comcast attacks Satellite TV, and DirecTV attacks cable TV.

Being the 2nd tank on a one-tank fight, or the 3rd tank on a two-tank fight, etc.

A large number of class specs in the old 40-man vanilla WoW raids seemed superfluous, except for certain buffs/debuffs (CoE, Blessings, etc). aka being the raid's "token" X.

A +Insert damage type+ specced character against +damage type+ immune mobs. (I got this as a Fire wizard in DAoC a number of time)

The crafting system sounds like a bit of RTS mechanics added in to the game. Resource management, but, instead of gold, stone, iron, etc., the resources are your companions: One companion to go adventuring with you, another to go gathering, another to craft, and still another to follow that treasure map you got in that hive of scum and villainy (in an RP sense, not a gameplay sense).

Imagine a "War of the Shifting Sands" (AQ opening event), except that the questline branches, like TOR quests, so the event is different based on the choices the character who did the questline made. Obviously, this kind of work would necessitate the even be repeatable, but with a significantly long and complex questline and maybe a cooldown between completions (the completing NPC would be unavailable, either dead or away, for the duration of the cooldown) would prevent the event from being overdone.

For additional points, actions taken during the dynamic event could further alter the outcome, even reversing the desired outcome of the completing character.

If "mob shows up and kills you" and "empowering griefers to ruin your play-time" are the best "dynamic events" Blizzard can think of, they shouldn't bother. However, with the destruction of a class spec (bear tank) that I fell in love with in Vanilla and further loved in TBC seeming to be complete in Cataclysm (practically everything I loved about bear tanks have been destroyed either in Wrath or Cataclysm), I won't be playing anyway.

My Jedi is going to be a good Jedi, not necessarily a good Jedi. She will do what is right, regardless of the Code, and she's definitely NOT gonna be a serene monk-type. She may show flashes of anger (like if anyone hurts or threatens loved ones) but is too happy a person to stay angry or be consumed by it.

Basically, in certain raids, you get hit by a stat called Gloom, which reduced your morale, damage done, healing received, increased damage taken, and reduced your effective level for skills (I think that's it). Radiance is required to counter Gloom, and it only appeared on certain, class-restricted sets. The +25 Radiance pieces are universally considered to be subpar compared to the +10 Radiance pieces but are needed to counter the higher gloom numbers in the top raiding instance.

LotRO's warden.

As for some of the previous "unique" class designations, dual-wielding 2hers have been around since before MMOs (table-top RPGs), as have been full plate wearing healers (Holy Paladins in WoW are basically D&D clerics) and characters who "tamed" pets (Animal Friendship) or shapeshift (or both, D&D Druids). However, I don't know any other rpg class with a system like the warden gambit system.

They use terms that, 3,000 years later, appear to be insults.

A LOT less than 3,000 years ago, "homely" was complimentary, while now, it is insulting. "Aristocratic" is another term that has gone from positive to negative connotations.

Do people think that a game set 3,000 years in the past should be nigh-identical to the movies? That is like expecting Ancient Greece (circa 1,000 BC) to be nigh-identical to modern times (circa 2,000 AD).

I'd try it, as long as leveling doesn't consist of "Farm these camps of mobs until you ding, then move onto other camps" and/or "Be VERY cautious of everything you pull, because one bad pull could undo hours or days of progress." In DAoC, that was my biggest gripe.