Personally I think that specialization should be done purely through equipment. After all, you're a whole new 'character' every time you die.
I'd prefer a game that is more skill based. I'm OK with some races, classes having ups and downs in attributes and abilities, maybes sense. But I want it so that in general skill defines victory. Exceptions I'm thinking of are that there are grades of equipment. But a skilled player with average equipment should be a threat still. About skill trees... Not sure
Skill is important but you need a "buffer" area that enables players less talented, players with less advanced machines/signals or players who have physical limitations and that buffer zone has historically in gaming been gear. Hence why developers try to strike a balance between Gear and Skill and that's important to remember as if a games too skill based the learning curb can be seen as excessive the deter players and if the skill level is too low it's seen as a casual game and turns away the serious competative players.
Higher level players will have more tools at their disposal and look a lot better, but a day one player still has the opportunity to kill a 1 year veteran. That is pretty close to what a Dev said not long ago on the progress topic. The progression will be more horizontal than vertical. If that makes any sense to you.
Well unlike most MMO's this is more of a shooter first and foremost, SO being WAY stronger then everyone else after playing forever still feels wrong. I think the "make a load out" using XP as "money" system works better, The higher your rank the more things you can "buy", but cap it out, like one option per "slot" (weapon, armor, ect.) should do nicely
I like the way battlefield does it: you gain XP in each class not as a character which represents your skill and experience in each class they don't give you more buffs or make you more powerful just give you access to different weapons and accessories. This could be expanded further to XP/challenges for weapons and accessories which would allow unlocking of additions to those weapons and accessories that change the way they are used but not necessarily making them stronger ie bolter drum magazine may slow rof but much bigger mag or different ammo etc. I like the sound of that system also.
This... Racial abilities, skill trees and attribute points, are 3 very different things and having all 3 together is not mandatory.People need to realize that the good old D'n'D system is not a must for every game. You can have racial abilities ( I fully expect them, I hope for balanced things), attribute points (the ongoing debate about gear progression fits right here) and you don't need to have skill trees and character builds in a traditional way... Horizontal progression sounds like you unlock a different weapon(like going from tactical marine to devastator, so basically unlocking the class and upgrading it).It's not like you need (example) to get to level 3 to unlock the "more dakka" ability to do more damage and get a new animation...
