11/6/2026
Update #2 - Ditching Hard Classes for an Organic "Title" System
Hey everyone,
A quick update on the mechanical side of things. Since I am building this as a massive, open-ended sandbox, the traditional "Pick a Class at Level 1" structure felt entirely wrong for the vision. I wanted a system that rewarded organic play but still gave players distinct identities and powerful builds.
We completely ripped out hard classes and replaced them with a two-tier progression system: Organic Stats and The Rune Tree.
Tier 1: The Organic Foundation (Stats & Skills)
At the base level, you have your classic attributes: STR, INT, DEX, PER, WIS, CON, CHA.
Beneath that is a purely organic skill system inspired by Oblivion and Kenshi. If you want to get better at swinging a two-handed sword, you have to go swing a two-handed sword. If you want to run faster, you run. Your base character organically shapes itself around how you actually play the game, rather than what buttons you clicked in a menu.
[Tier 2: The Rune System (The Specialization Engine)
- The Point Cap:At maximum level (100), a player will have exactly 45 points to spend across the Rune Trees.
- The Trees: There are 10 Fundamental Trees: Tank, Warrior, Holy, Elemental, Curse, Druid, Rogue, Hawkeye, Arcane, and Bard.
- The Threshold: It takes 20 points invested in a single tree to unlock its ultimate "Strong" rune.
- The Opportunity Cost: Because of the 45-point cap, a player can perfectly master exactly two trees (20 + 20), leaving 5 points for utility. If they dump 26 points into Warrior, they permanently lock themselves out of a second ultimate rune.
The Payoff: The Dynamic Title System
This is where it all comes together. How you spend those 45 points, combined with what weapons you actively have equipped, dynamically assigns you a [b]Title[/b]. That Title isn't just text; it grants a massive, build-defining passive effect.
(Note: The specific percentages below are just placeholders for testing the logic).
The "Pure" Masteries (Requires 40+ points in one tree):
If you dump almost all your points into one tree, you gain a Pure Title that ignores weapon types. It is raw, specialized power.
| Main Tree | Title | The Boost / Effect |
| Warrior | Warlord | Physical attacks gain innate cleave damage to adjacent targets. |
| Druid | Archdruid | Summoned roots and nature entities have double health and duration. |
| Curse | Lich | Enemies that die while cursed grant you temporary mana regeneration. |
The 20/20 Weapon-Conditioned Hybrids:
This is where the sandbox gets fun. If you perfectly split your points (20/20) between two trees, your Title changes based on the weapons currently in your hands.
Example: Tank (20) & Warrior (20) — The Frontline
| Weapon Equipped | Title | The Boost / Effect |
| 2H Weapon | Titan | Heavy attacks cannot be interrupted. Taking damage during a swing increases final damage. |
| Dual Wield | Berserker | Lose X% armor; taking damage increases attack speed by X% (stacking). |
| 1H & Shield | Crusader | Blocking stores kinetic energy; next shield bash stuns and releases physical AOE. |
Example: Druid (20) & Curse (20) — The Decay
| Weapon Equipped | Title | The Boost / Effect |
| Staff | Warlock | Nature spells (vines/roots) deal rot damage over time instead of physical damage. |
| Scythe/Polearm | Reaper | Killing a cursed enemy with melee summons a temporary blight-treant from the corpse. |
The "Free Hand" Specialists
I also wanted to explicitly support players who want to use a one-handed weapon with absolutely nothing in their offhand (the classic duelist or spellsword vibe), rather than forcing everyone into dual-wielding or shields.
- Warrior (20) + Rogue (20) [1H + Empty] -> Duelist: Dodging/parrying guarantees the next strike is a crit that ignores X% armor.
- Curse (20) + Warrior (20) [1H + Empty] -> Spellbreaker: The free hand acts as an anti-magic vacuum; you can parry and absorb magic projectiles.
Discussion
I am curious to hear from anyone who has built complex attribute/skill systems
Thanks for reading!