Character Customization Speculation!

[voxie]

Just read the info on Character Customization, very interesting! No one can be defined anymore, the PSU online world will be a class blur! I love that, it makes your own character as well as everyone else a whole lot more unique! I used to dislike in PSO how in c-mode, people would complain as soon as they saw yet another FO join the game, when there are already 1 other. Now, it seems you can never really know what kind of class a player is, UNTIL you've seen them equip their weapon etc.

The new point earning will perhaps make quests a lot more vital - not just items or petty meseta, but also points to define your own class! I really don't know what kind of character I'll be!

Also, what does this say about specific weapons? Perhaps most weapons will now be open to everyone? For example in PSO, HUs can't use rifles, like RAs can. PSO also had gender specific weapons like the umbrellas and the stag cutlery, so I can see that being seen again. In PSU, perhaps you would need to have a certain amount of points in a certain class (RA/HU/FO) to use a certain weapon. Or will weapons be racial specific?

I just find this interesting, as they have actually changed the PSO class system, thus everything else!

You will no longer know a player on first entering a room! This makes everything less stereotypical, and just a heck lot more interesting! Players that look like FOs aren't necessarily wimpy with swords etc. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_smile.gif

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: voxie on 2006-04-16 09:27 ]</font>


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: voxie on 2006-04-16 09:29 ]</font>

[Kyunji]

On 2006-04-16 09:24, voxie wrote:
Just read the info on Character Customization, very interesting! No one can be defined anymore, the PSU online world will be a class blur! I love that, it makes your own character as well as everyone else a whole lot more unique! I used to dislike in PSO how in c-mode, people would complain as soon as they saw yet another FO join the game, when there are already 1 other. Now, it seems you can never really know what kind of class a player is, UNTIL you've seen them equip their weapon etc.

The new point earning will perhaps make quests a lot more vital - not just items or petty meseta, but also points to define your own class! I really don't know what kind of character I'll be!

Also, what does this say about specific weapons? Perhaps most weapons will now be open to everyone? For example in PSO, HUs can't use rifles, like RAs can. PSO also had gender specific weapons like the umbrellas and the stag cutlery, so I can see that being seen again. In PSU, perhaps you would need to have a certain amount of points in a certain class (RA/HU/FO) to use a certain weapon. Or will weapons be racial specific?

I just find this interesting, as they have actually changed the PSO class system, thus everything else!

You will no longer know a player on first entering a room! This makes everything less stereotypical, and just a heck lot more interesting! Players that look like FOs aren't necessarily wimpy with swords etc. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_smile.gif


Well, we already know that beasts will not have the ability to use guns, as they "lack the concentration" to do so. Other than that, I suppose that there will probably not be too many limits on weapons, although I do predict that most people will follow the lines of reason presented (e.g. most force-type characters will be newmans, most rangers will be casts or humans). However, there will always be those people that do something completely different and unique with their characters.

Also, judging from the character creation screenshots I've seen, there will be incredibly large amounts of ways to customize characters (multiple menus with many options that range from 8-80!), so I think that there will be almost no two people that look alike (except for perhaps those people who try to make their characters look exactly like Ethan).

[Ryna]

On 2006-04-16 09:37, Kyunji wrote:
Well, we already know that beasts will not have the ability to use guns, as they "lack the concentration" to do so.


I've seen a couple of screenshots of Leo holding a handgun, so I think it is likely that Beasts will be able to use them. The Beast race just may not be as proficient using them as Casts will though.

[EspioKaos]

On 2006-04-16 09:24, voxie wrote:
Also, what does this say about specific weapons? Perhaps most weapons will now be open to everyone? For example in PSO, HUs can't use rifles, like RAs can. PSO also had gender specific weapons like the umbrellas and the stag cutlery, so I can see that being seen again. In PSU, perhaps you would need to have a certain amount of points in a certain class (RA/HU/FO) to use a certain weapon. Or will weapons be racial specific?
From what I can tell from screenshots, certain weapon classes are dependent on the license type (HU/RA/FO) you're training for as well as they level you are currently at in that type. For example, in the type counter screenshots we've got, you can see a list of all the classes of weapons each type can use. (Well, you can see icons for each type, at least. Twenty-three classes, incidentally.) Notice that a lv.1 hunter can use pretty much all HU-class weapons: swords, knuckles, spears, double sabers, twin sabers, twin daggers, twin claws, sabers, daggers, and claws. The only weapon class this level isn't able to use is the axe. It can be assumed, of course, that as you increase the level of your type training, you'll eventually be able to use all hunter-type weapons.



On 2006-04-16 09:37, Kyunji wrote:
However, there will always be those people that do something completely different and unique with their characters.
Heh heh. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif I'm planning on making a FObeast as my main character. Despite them not being able to use technics very well, I'm still going to focus as much as possible on teaching him every tech I possibly can.

[Saraphim]

It says that Casts will be the most profecient with guns, but I suspect all races will be able to use them, just as in PSO. It's all a matter of how you raise your skills. In PSO your lvl up ata boost was set. Sure you could get a Dex mag, or equip an XXXX/Arm unit, but the actual boost that is permanant with your charachter is set.

With this new system, it is no longer set. However, by their very nature, Casts will be the only race to use the "uber" guns (and let us not forget about the SUV Weapon attack!).

Thats my take on it. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_smile.gif

[OdinTyler]

Espio, you saw an axe??? WHERE??? Is this just from the pic on Moatoob showing behind the shopkeeper with the glaive/poleaxe or are there separate axes? If so...SHOW ME! http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif

[Ryna]

On 2006-04-16 16:18, OdinTyler wrote:
Espio, you saw an axe??? WHERE??? Is this just from the pic on Moatoob showing behind the shopkeeper with the glaive/poleaxe or are there separate axes?


If you look carefully at the "Battle Of" video, you'll see Ethan using an axe against a SEED Vance.

[OdinTyler]

A 1h or 2h axe? I'll have to check the video at some point. Happen to know the exact timeframe in the vid? http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_smile.gif For my beast, I intend to employ 1h, 2h, & poleaxes. Use em all...why not! http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif

[Ryna]

On 2006-04-16 16:33, OdinTyler wrote:
A 1h or 2h axe? I'll have to check the video at some point. Happen to know the exact timeframe in the vid? http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_smile.gif For my beast, I intend to employ 1h, 2h, & poleaxes. Use em all...why not! http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif


It was a two handed axe. You can see a screencap of it here:
http://www.pso-world.com/images/psu/weapons/axe.jpg

[Kupi]

On 2006-04-16 10:37, EspioKaos wrote:
Notice that a lv.1 hunter can use pretty much all HU-class weapons: swords, knuckles, spears, double sabers, twin sabers, twin daggers, twin claws, sabers, daggers, and claws. The only weapon class this level isn't able to use is the axe. It can be assumed, of course, that as you increase the level of your type training, you'll eventually be able to use all hunter-type weapons.


Without sounding like I know this for certain, I'm pretty sure that this is going to change for the main release of the game. I can't imagine someone booting up the game, throwing together a character, and instantly having access to almost every single melee weapon in the game. It would seem logical to start everyone off with the dinkiest weapon set for each Type; you get Sabers, Handguns, and Canes, and work up from there.

Changing tracks, I read somewhere else on this board that the counter might actually be a place to dramatically alter your Types, rather than increase the individual Types by steps. That is, you can use the counter to change from one Type to another, which will instantly alter your stats and weapon proficiencies dramatically. I hope this isn't the case; all that would accomplish is the Hunter/Ranger/Force divide without the binding a character to a single Type at character creation.

Of course, even if it turns out that you can invest bits and pieces into whichever Type you want, I'm still going to wind up avoiding the whole min/maxing game. For better or for worse, I'm putting everything into Force as a Newman. Let everyone else break the cliches with their sword-wielding Newmen and gunslinging Beasts and magical androids; I'm sticking with the traditional role. At least, on my main guy. Hopefully that won't leave my DFP too low... ^_^()

[vitius137]

i know what you mean, i like sticking with the most obvious powerful combinations.... but occasionally i like to experiment with other kinds of builds. im really gonna have to do some reasearch on possible pwnage builds........... give my newman a gun??????? lol. thats starting small.

[DizzyDi]

I wonder if type also effects what kinda armor you can equip as well as weaponry.
It'd make sense. If you're a hunter you should be able to equip something with more defense than a force or ranger.

[EspioKaos]

On 2006-04-16 17:37, DizzyDi wrote:
I wonder if type also effects what kinda armor you can equip as well as weaponry.
It'd make sense. If you're a hunter you should be able to equip something with more defense than a force or ranger.
From what's been said, armors and shields have been done away with. At least the forms of them from what we're used to with PSO. Now the Shield Line System imbedded in your character's clothing -- the glowy photon lines and patterns -- serve as your protection. From what I remember from my translations, changing clothing will have no effect on your defense, and the only alterations that can be made to your defense will be in the elemental resistances each photon color has. And that can be changed on the fly. As far as the story elements of the SLS go, as a physical (and possibly technic) hit makes contact with you, the photons in your clothing's SLS will gather in the region of the impact to absorb the hit to reduce the amount of damage you end up taking.

[Shade-]

Odin, I pointed out the axe when the "Battle of" video came out and I was counting different weapon types. To quote myself



well, since this is on weapon types, I figure this is the best place to put this, a new list I made of confirmed weapon classes that have been shown on the PSU website or in videos.

Most are already shown in pictures from the Nov 11 update, but there are a few new ones (or ones I personally just found, I'm slow sometimes)

Saber
sword
dagger
dbl saber
claw
partisan/spear
Axe 1:20 (!!!)
Knuckle 0:57
Katana? 1:01 enemy, curved blade

Handgun
rifle
mechgun
shot
launcher/laser
bow

Wand
Rod


Times are where they appear in the "The Battle of PSU" video. Oh, and with pointing things out in that video, at 1:27, Maya's boobs jiggle a lot... *ahem*

Anyway, that's 17 of the 20. This is assuming the axe is seperate from thw sword and spear class, and the Katana class is seperate from saber. So I guess it's at 15-17 classes, depending on interpretation. As for the remaining 3-5, I hope we can assume that slicers will be in there, and I'd like to hope that they put in a Card/throwing item class this time. But even with both of those returning, that should give at least one more new class we have yet to see. Tell me if I forgot any.


We even talked about them after I posted that. XD

otherwise, as I understand it, every race can use every weapon class, maybe not at the beginning of the game, but none are locked away from any race. And as I understand it, the proficencies go as:
...........HU..RA..FO (weapon type)
HUMAN:...B...B...B
BEAST:....A...C...B
CAST:....B...A...C
NUMAN:..C...B...A

That's not to say that a beast might be able to use the most powerfull rifle, because if they use the same weapon requirement as PSO did, they probably dont naturally get enough accuracy to use them, but they can still theoretically use them.


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Shade- on 2006-04-16 19:48 ]</font>


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Shade- on 2006-04-16 19:51 ]</font>


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Shade- on 2006-04-16 19:51 ]</font>

[DizzyDi]

On 2006-04-16 17:47, EspioKaos wrote:


On 2006-04-16 17:37, DizzyDi wrote:
I wonder if type also effects what kinda armor you can equip as well as weaponry.
It'd make sense. If you're a hunter you should be able to equip something with more defense than a force or ranger.
From what's been said, armors and shields have been done away with. At least the forms of them from what we're used to with PSO. Now the Shield Line System imbedded in your character's clothing -- the glowy photon lines and patterns -- serve as your protection. From what I remember from my translations, changing clothing will have no effect on your defense, and the only alterations that can be made to your defense will be in the elemental resistances each photon color has. And that can be changed on the fly. As far as the story elements of the SLS go, as a physical (and possibly technic) hit makes contact with you, the photons in your clothing's SLS will gather in the region of the impact to absorb the hit to reduce the amount of damage you end up taking.



I seriously doubt defensive gear has been done away with all together, that just wouldn't make sense. Sure theres the shield line system and all that jazz but if defense is done away with that means that a force using Human will be able to take as much damage as a melee focused one, and thats not to good for balance. I'm thinking maybe you'll be able to buy upgrades to your shield line and other goodies. But I REALLY REALLY REALLY doubt defensive gear is gone, that doesn't just doesn't make much sense to me.

[Kupi]

Well, there's always Type to consider. Sure, a Hunter-type and Force-type human might get the same defense out of their Shield Line Systems, but the Hunter will get more defense out of their Type than the Force will. Perhaps there are upgrades to the SLS, but the Frame/Armor distinction has been done away with (and Barriers and Shields may well have been rendered irrelevant, considering the SLS is a full-body type thing).

[OdinTyler]

I agree with armor not being done away with. It would be VERY un-RPG like to not have armor. However, Espio is onto something about the elements. The photon lines would help absorb elemental damage, thus doing less or no damage from a particular element. However, that doesn't take into account physical attacks. There would be some armor in the game. We just must wait & see. As for the axe, thanks for the info guys. Just wanted to be sure. My beast kinda depends on axe availability. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif I'll check the vid when I get a chance. I need a better pic to view than that stillframe as I can't see the axe.

[EspioKaos]

Actually, the SLS covers physical damage as well as elemental. And according to what I translated from the official site, armor and barriers are done away with for this game. Check out my translation here (http://www.pso-world.com/sections.php?op=viewarticle&artid=2381#Shield).

[ANIMEniac]

And as I understand it, the proficencies go as:
...........HU..RA..FO (weapon type)
HUMAN:...B...B...B
BEAST:....A...C...B
CAST:....B...A...C
NUMAN:..C...B...A



now im not saying that you are rong or that i am right but wouldent Newmen be more of B...C...A.
i say this because, 1) is shows in their ATA on PSO that as a race Newmans generaly have beyond awfull acuracy,and there fore there were no RAnewm or RAnewearl chars.(other than the fact that it dosent sound elegant stated verbaly). and 2) they made ok hunters b/c again as a race they were quite nimble and have good EVP. but if that is how you see it translated then i cant argue because the only character i can reed in Japanese are "no" and thos that make up my name lol.

[Kupi]

Well, it's been firmly established that Beasts are the worst at guns and best at melee, Casts are the best at guns and worst at techs, and humans are all-arounders, so the only possible configuration for Newmen that balances is "best at techs, worst at melee", with guns somewhere in-between. It's not in line with the traditional Phantasy Star racial physics, but oh well.

To EspioKaos: Even from your translation, I'm not quite convinced that the game won't have some kind of equippable armor-ish-thing slot. I seriously doubt that the Shield Line technology is beyond improving, so perhaps what the article meant by insinuation was that the Shield Line System stays the same no matter what clothes you put on (making your look independant from your statistics, unlike most ORPGs). However, consider yourself in possession of one Official Triumphant "Ha" Coupon, redeemable for one triumphant "Ha" on the condition that I am proven wrong.

EDIT: It just occurred to me that what I'm saying is that they're doing the exact same thing they did with PSO. It didn't matter what Frame or Armor you put on; your character looked the same (barring rare armors). Basically, they've just given us an official explanation as to why your armor doesn't change your appearance.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Kupi on 2006-04-16 22:05 ]</font>

[DarK-SuN]

In my opinion, the SLS will be able to be upgraded with new "SLS upgrades", which acts like armors.
Even in PSO you didn't have a physical representation of an armor, it was an effect most of the time (specially for rare armors), so consider the photon line colors in the SLS system to be the equivalent to the PSO armor effect.

Notice how the SLS can change color, depending on the type/element of SLS you're wearing; each SLS "armor" (to call it something) surely has their own elemental defenses and attributes much like PSO armors had, but the external appearance just won't change that much appart from the lines color.

Just speculation from my part, but makes some sense I think.

[OdinTyler]

I hope to God that armor wasn't done away with completely. For elemental damage, those lines are a great, novel idea. However, to play an RPG without armor? It can be cumbersome as it takes up extra space in your inventory & the race to find better & better armor can be taxing. However, it's part of RPG gaming & I'd feel weird not having to do so. Maybe not everyone can understand that, but, playing RPGs as long as I have, I don't know if this is a change I like. Guess I'll have to wait & see.

[DarK-SuN]

Odin, as said, SLS = PSO armors (or so it seems so far).
Even in PSO you had "invisible" armors with "glowies" around them to differenciate them visually (along with a different name), the SLS is essentially that.
So, to put it simply, you do have armors, they're just not called armors; don't worry so much, it wasn't "done away", it was just named differently.

If it does end up being that SLS only protect the character from a specific elemental damage and not "specific elemental+normal damage", I agree it may seem strange from a traditional RPG point of view.

[Sev]

I don't really get it. Why is it weird to not need armor?

This isn't a Fantasy RPG... This is a Sci-Fi RPG. It's no different then having a force feild covering your body like it would a ship. It really doesn't seem out of place to me. I could see a Fantasy RPG with no armor, but with their advance technology who needs it?

I think the only other way to alter your DEF would be through directly altering your DFP through the points system. This makes perfect sense to me, as training would allow you to take your blows better. The SLS cannot remove copmlete impact, therefore you TRAIN to take more impact instead of packing more armor on. This basically does away with the need for armor... And first the SLS reduces the blow, then depending on your ability to take hits, you'll take less damage. It seems alot more fitting to a Sci-Fi RPG then the idea of still having to wear armor.

And remember, most everything is done through Photon. And if it's how you would think... Photon has no trouble cutting through most substances, that would make it one of the stronger forces in the Universe. Why not turn that into a system that can protect the body from both physical and elemental damage?

[Kupi]

Okay, to clarify for everyone: OdinTyler is talking about the gameplay mechanic of "armor", or an item designed to fill a particular equipment slot that raises the character's defenses. Presumably, these come in different levels of quality, with incrementally better items becoming available as the player progresses through the game. An RPG that does not have "armor" in this sense would be breaking tradition.

Sev is talking about the actual physical object of "armor", such as, say, a leather jacket or a suit of platemail. It does not make sense for a sci-fi themed RPG to use this kind of armor; indeed, PSU has employed the much-discussed Shield Line System to explain the characters' defenses.

These are not divergent concepts. Odin's just saying that it would be weird if, mechanically, there was no equipment slot for defensive equipment. In this case, it would be the Shield Line System, which, as I said previously, can't possibly be a perfected technology.

[Sev]

If it was perfected, then the game would probably be meaningless, seeing as you would take 0 damage every hit. To make up for that imperfection, you would most likely have to train to do so. You would need to raise your defensive stats accordingly. Whether or not there will be slots to place upgrades to the SLS, I guess we don't know yet.

It also hasn't been said that there would be different types of SLS available based on the profession you lean toward.

[Sinue_v2]

Let everyone else break the cliches with their sword-wielding Newmen and gunslinging Beasts and magical androids; I'm sticking with the traditional role

Well, technically, the Melee/Tech hybrid is the Numan's "Traditional" role. Both Nei and Rika from the original series were hybrid characters - as was Myau the MuskCat (the template for the Numan character). Even in PSO, this tradition was carried over with Sue and the HUnewearl character who were designed after the original Numan template. However, PSO is the first apperance of a non-melee tech-only Numan... and this was done mostly for the sake of balancing the classes. The balance of the classes is also the reason why the HUnewmn was created, but never implimented in the game.

[OdinTyler]

Wow. I'm actually agreeing with another thing you're saying, Sinue. I think one of us has a fever. LOL Anyway, it's surprising when some ppl think Newmen don't make great Hunters. If Myau (we both agree as the template), Nei, AND Rika aren't great examples of the cat people's prowess, then, Idk what is.

[Kupi]

On 2006-04-17 12:11, Sinue_v2 wrote:

Let everyone else break the cliches with their sword-wielding Newmen and gunslinging Beasts and magical androids; I'm sticking with the traditional role

Well, technically, the Melee/Tech hybrid is the Numan's "Traditional" role. Both Nei and Rika from the original series were hybrid characters - as was Myau the MuskCat (the template for the Numan character). Even in PSO, this tradition was carried over with Sue and the HUnewearl character who were designed after the original Numan template. However, PSO is the first apperance of a non-melee tech-only Numan... and this was done mostly for the sake of balancing the classes. The balance of the classes is also the reason why the HUnewmn was created, but never implimented in the game.



*holds up a finger*

...

...

...

I knew that.

In my defense, I meant the cliches in regards to PSU's continuity. In terms of PSU's racial cliches, I'm going with the "proper" paired set of Newman and Force. "Traditional" was the wrong word, maybe.

[Sev]

Meh... It's not like it really matters. Whatever Nei, Mayu, and Rika were has no bearing on what these characters are. As the game is completely seperate. Of course, we all know that.

It's hard to stop though. It's hard to not compare them with things we've previously seen. From PSU's standpoint, Force and Nu/Newman (I'm sorry, I don't know which spelling to use anymore T-T) is the traditional type of the character. This is indeed correct.

If it's correct, and you use some techs as a Hunter, this would still balance out a Nu/Newman hunter with other hunters right?

[Kupi]

Since those Techs that they do use will be better than those same Techs used by other races with the same amount of effort put into it at the cost of their meleeing abilities being slightly worse than other races who put a similar amount of effort into it, I would assume so...?

[Kano-Okami]

But generally speaking, Meleeing is more effective then Teching, so the Teching Hunter > Meleeing Force in an enemy situation.
Muscle last longer then fluids, unfortunately.

[Sev]

Actually it all depends. If your tech blows the enemy away before my sword... Then it does. That's just how it is. Depending on things like gear and character build, no one charactre will be better then another. It's all in how you make the character, but there's shouldn't be too clear of an advantage.

And yes, I would assume that a Nu/Newman doesn't have to put as much effort into tech casting, considering that they can do it naturally. So more or less, it all depends on the player and not the build.

[Shade-]

About the Numans being better at HU weapons than RA weapons.

I guess I didn't take into account the fistory of the NU, but was rather fitting the trend, that Beasts are better with blades, and weaker with guns, casts are stronger with guns and weaker with tecs, and numan are better with techs, and it was never really specified what they are average and weak at, but since no other race was weak with blades, it fit the trend to say they have average gun skill and weak blade skill.

[shinobu_seta]

I just hope the Newmans don't suck too terribly with melee weapons in PSU. HUnewearl is my favorite class in PSO. I like meleeing with the added convenience of decent spells. I guess I would just like to be able to emulate my PSO character as I'm sure many other people do.

I think being strictly a tech user is boring, as is being human. Newmans have such a neat history.

[Lux]

I think being strictly a tech user is boring, as is being human. Newmans have such a neat history.

Stop it, you make people cry! http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_smile.gif

[Ryo_Hayasa]

On 2006-04-18 20:30, shinobu_seta wrote:
I just hope the Newmans don't suck too terribly with melee weapons in PSU. HUnewearl is my favorite class in PSO. I like meleeing with the added convenience of decent spells. I guess I would just like to be able to emulate my PSO character as I'm sure many other people do.

I think being strictly a tech user is boring, as is being human. Newmans have such a neat history.



I second this. completely.

I want my Katana and Pistol Wield Newman-male.

Knowing my luck Newmans won't be able to get high enough ATP to use that weapon.

The answer to this would just be: Use the beast class, or another class/Race.

But.... but what if i like Newmans for the purely cosmetic purposes?

-saw the perfect hair for his ninja newman kitty in the trailers-

[Kupi]

In PSO, were there any weapons that were completely locked out from a particular racial combination by virtue of their not attaining the required level of the requisite stat? By which I mean, was the weakest member of any given Type unable to utilize one of their pieces of equipment? I'm pretty sure that a HUnewearl could equip all the blades, the RAcaseal (did they have the worst max ATA of RAs?) could equip all the guns, and the FOmarl could learn all the Techs. It might take some extra effort, but I think it'll be more than possible to use all the things available to your Type.

[BORBAN]

I'm making the strongest character possible. (Beast)
That or the best looking.(Cast)

[Ziro_Natsuke]

im making my usual male hunter but ill probly duel wield a saber and handgun or two sabers. hehe my own musashi

[Ryo_Hayasa]

Well if you also remember, in this particular game, there isn't one race that's "fitted" for a class.

Sure there are suggested classes, but you can pick any race and be any class: EI: a cast that's a force, as opposed to a Cast that's a Ranger.

Because of the Cast's low Mst (or whatever mental stats it's called now) It may be impossible for it to get a particular tech because it will NEVER get that high, even with stat boosters.

Sure, this is going out on a limb, but for the particular character(s) i want to make, i really hope that there is a class of weapons that are "Katana" types and that Katana aren't just rare weapons.

Shoot, i guess it really means that i'll have a horrible character, then again if i dual weild i can use a hand gun to even out the fact that my Newman is using a blade. Then again wait...

If a newman has accelent ATA, wouldn't that make for a better melee fighter, since it's accuracy is pretty good?

Bah, once again: I can't wait for this game to release.