Hundred Tactics
You may have seen references to this in older screenshots of the game, but basically what I wanted (and still want) is a plethora of different Jobs. At the time I knew it would be too much, but it's still a goal I want to work toward, even if it's just starting with 20 and adding on to them as development continues, maybe even after release.
So yes, I spent some of time in 2011/2012 researching as much as I could about Job Systems, one of my favorite features in tactics games and RPGs. I made a huge list of every one I would want, with at least a fourth of them being a bit outlandish, but who doesn't love the Arithmetician, or the Orator?
I settled on a duodecimal layout where we have 12 Basic Jobs which then go on into more advanced tiers. I ended up with around 100+ Jobs, thus I the game was called Hundred Tactics...
Well, let's just say we're starting with 10, however I am still keeping the same system I came up with, that divides the jobs into 4 major groups, with 3 jobs in each. Ultimately this would become the Order System which forms a good part of the game's lore and story.
Ten Basic Jobs
So what are the three basic groups that exist when it comes to the trope of Jobs/Classes? The Warrior, The Rogue, The Magician, we have the awesome Gary Gygax and his tabletop classic D&D to thank for a lot of this, I don't think there's a form of media out there that doesn't at least reference either D&D or Tolkien, and we want something familiar to work from.
My take on it involves Physical, Astral, Mental, which I divided into Offense, Defense, Skill, Faith, Mental. As you can see, it's a lot harder than it looks to meaningfully break down these paradigms without sort of repeating yourself.
I devised a color coded system that would define Jobs by the most general aspects and then slowly get more specific until I eventually reach what I would consider the closest thing to a "starting" position for every type of Job I plan to implement.
I came out with 12, and 10 are currently implemented. Two of the starter jobs will be revealed at a later date, but I do have 10 categories that currently make up the Order System.
*Note: Order names, Job names, categories are most likely subject to change but for right now the 10 basic jobs are pretty much locked in.
| Category | Order Name | Starting Job |
|---|---|---|
| Chaos | Order of Mercus | ??? |
| Weapons | Order of Cratos | Warrior |
| Melee | Order of Makai | Fighter |
| Defense | Order of Soter | Defender |
| Will | Order of Astrea | Page |
| Stealth | Order of Erebos | Rogue |
| Focus | Order of Atomus | Scout |
| Spirit | Order of Panacea | Acolyte |
| Magick | Order of Mnemos | Scribe |
| Knowledge | Order of Minerva | Scholar |
| Science | Order of Hermet | Chemist |
| Law | Order of Sanctus | ??? |
The above table represents information for generic unit Jobs as of 12/19/19 and of course is subject to change.
Below is the table for unique jobs, basically jobs main characters will have access to at the start. These are definitely subject to change, mostly the name of the Job, as the roles are pretty much locked in.
| Category | Order Name | Unique Job |
|---|---|---|
| Weapons | Order of Hera | Ranger* |
| Defense | Order of Nemesis | Duelist* |
| Focus | Order of Kairos | Sniper |
| Spirit | Order of Acteon | Warden |
Some things to note, there are four (4) so far that have been worked on enough for me to post them here, there are definitely more main characters (i.e. main meaning unique, story characters you can recruit). They all have the same categories as those listed above, but different Orders which is something that comes into play with the story.
In order, these jobs are for Alton Alstair, Leone Eidolis, Emma Slate, and Tetra Ralke. These are the current cast of "true" main characters which will be added to, but also kept to a certain limit.
*The names of the Class for Ranger, and Duelist are subject to change.
Ranger was the class I decided for Alton, but what I really wanted was something of a Paladin with Nature/Earth magick instead of Holy, it's not a Druid, but something I've been calling a Teradin, Tera as in Nature Magick suffixed with -din.
Duelist doesn't really fit with the Defender archetype, so this will probably be changed.
This is probably the first place where I have laid out certain names of characters and a full Basic Job list, accompanied with Order names and Categories. I will build upon this as I go forward.
Sub-Job System
I will go more into this when I have time, but there will definitely be sub-classing and mixing/matching Job characteristics, abilities, and passives will play a big role in the game's combat system. I also want to go into changing Jobs and what that means for a unit's stats as I know that's a big issue with people.
Abilities and Passives
I'll finish this section last, it will be a basic discussion of how the ability/passive system currently exists, what it evolved from, and why it is what it is.