Making a Fun Support Class

[Tech]

Nobody seems to like playing as a support class. It seems to be more like playing as the team waterboy, running around with a tray of snacks while everyone else has fun. What are some ways we could make support classes more enjoyable?

For example, I had thought of a variant Necromancer who uses life-draining abilities to power an aura that grants buffs to their allies. Any thoughts? Any other ideas? And is this the best place to put this thread?

 

[Bendyizzt]

I don't really understand...as in a kind of bar place?

 

[Tech]

I don't really understand...as in a kind of bar place?

No, nobody mentioned a bar or a place. "How do we make the Support Party Member as satisfying to play as any other class?" Nothing about bars.

 

[Bendyizzt]

Oh, then that explains everything...sorry...

 

[TheoAllen]

It seems to be more like playing as the team waterboy, running around with a tray of snacks while everyone else has fun.

Here is the question. Why not join the fun?
You can make a support role class that also dealing damage.

 

[Tech]

Well yes, but that's the thing: How do we tie it back to the class' strength?

 

[gabrieldiastche]

I don't like to work with this old stereotype characters I like to make like a "combination" character like in Final Fantasy X that basically every character in the beginning has 2 jobs, like Tidus is a Warrior/Time Mage, Wakka is a Archer with some debuffs, Lulu is the elemental mage and the character with most evasion, and that keeps going... I think this kind of character like focused on just something isn't a lot useful anymore unfortunaly.

 

[Bendyizzt]

Sorry, if I do not understand this right but can't 'support class' like a healer, or are those two diffrent things?

 

[TheoAllen]

Well yes, but that's the thing: How do we tie it back to the class' strength?

The simplest solution is, you deal damage while doing support.
For example, you deal damage that also recovers all party member's HP.
Or, recover allies HP first, then deal damage based on the party member's HP.
Or, you deal damage while buffing the party members.
Or, gain a buff that massively increases attack after heal a party member.

Personally, when designing a class, I always think that every class is basically a DPS class but also has a second role. A DPS that tanks. A DPS that buffs. A DPS that also debuff. etc.

 

[Froggo32]

I, honestly, like support classes. I've always liked things where characters deals little damage but they're really helpful in other way. Don't ask me why, I just like it OwO If I ever played a MMORPG where I could choose my class, I'd be Healer with one or two attacks
I think that...uh...you could make a class/character who have a specified class Healer/SP Healer, but they can deal powerful damage with one of their attacks (but they have to use lots of SP/TP to do it) and they aren't attacking much because of their great power that they can't handle well? But when they're needed, they unleash their strongest attack. One or two is fine, as long as they actually can deal any damage.

 

[Tech]

Sorry, if I do not understand this right but can't 'support class' like a healer, or are those two diffrent things?

Support classes usually heal; they can often give out buffs and debuffs too. They bolster the other characters in some way. They just often end up being unapreciated for it.

 

[alice_gristle]

I dunno, honey... if ya think support stuff is gutless and boring, how 'bout making it OP? Like, yo support person has buffs that make their targets invincible, or increase attack power tenfold, or grant a crazy counter-attack ability. You'd hafta tweak yo game balance accordingly so yo game wouldn't get too boring... Like maybe all the party's attackers are kinda sucky without the support person? Or summat.

Another thing I can think of is if yo support person has abilities that are totally bonkers. Like, they have spells that affect the whole battlefield: everybody (players and enemies) gets fire vulnerability! Then you'd exploit the altered situation with yo other guys. Or everybody's attack becomes sealed. Or everybody gets physical attack immunity. Or... summat.

Ooor... maybe yo supporter has skills that, like, polymorph yo enemies... and/or your own dudes? Or maybe polymorph is a bit too much to program. But maybe they have like... skills that transform other players or enemies? Like, they can turn yo dudes into fire-resisting drakelings temporarily? And maybe you could use that same skill on enemies, to buff them into drakelings... and the kicker is, the drakelings are also weak to cold, so you could then spam yo ice spells on the newly-vulnerable enemy.

 

[estriole]

Suikoden II manage to make support role (Hero's Bright Shield Rune = mainly healing based) as Main Character...