This is a series of posts for anyone new to the MMO genre of video game.  SWTOR is sure to be very popular and for many people, it may be the first online game that they have played.  These articles introduce the basic aspects of a MMO and offer a few tips along the way. 

SWTOR has 8 main classes to choose from.  How do I decide which one to play?  This is perhaps the most fundamental question in any MMO, and one that must be answered before you can start playing the game.

I envy those people who immediately know which class they are going to play.  They’ve read the forums and scoured the internet for every last tidbit of information about their favourite class.    Most likely these are the type of people who always knew what they wanted to be when they grew up.

For the rest of us, choosing a class can be a very difficult decision.  Each class has something about it that appeals to us (a bounty hunter has a jet pack, but….but….but…..LIGHTSABERS!)  Here are a few tips to consider when choosing your class:

Pick a Faction First.  Good or evil?  Whichever side you choose will automatically eliminate four of the main classes.  Think it will be fun to play a bad guy?  Light-side Jedis, the trooper, and smuggler are off limits.  Want to save the galaxy and contribute to the greater good?  No Sith, imperial agent, or bounty hunter for you.

Pick a Class Based on Your Playstyle.  Once you know your faction, concentrate on what type of playstyle you enjoy.  Do you like to charge head first into battle?  Then, perhaps a Jedi would best suit you.  Do you like to stand back and pick enemies off from a distance?  A trooper or imperial agent may be good at that.  What about using a little strategy when you play instead of aimlessly clicking on the keyboard?  It looks like a bounty hunter or smuggler may be your best bet for that.

There is no “Best” Class.  “What is the best class for this game?”  This question will get asked at least once a day on the official forums.  The answer is usually the same:  there isn’t one.  Most MMO games (and TOR is no exception) strive to ensure that all classes are in “balance” with one another, meaning that one single class does not have an overwhelming advantage over another.  On occasion, this may happen, and players may complain that “X class is overpowered and needs to be made less powerful” (a term called nerfing). 

If developers agree, then any overpowered class will be nerfed, restoring more balance to the classes (and the Force, and your own life….really…just wait).  Each class will have their own advantages and appeal, but MMO publishers want to ensure that one class doesn’t get too powerful, or else everyone will be playing it.  Just as variety is the spice of life, it is one of the key elements of any MMO along with interdependence.

Give ‘Em All a Whirl.  Still can’t decide?  Try them all.  Depending on how many character slots are available, create a character and play it for the first 10 levels or so.  That should give you a good idea about the ins and outs of the class, the playstyle, and most importantly for SWTOR, how well you enjoy the story.

Remember, the best class for you is the one that you enjoy playing.  Don’t be afraid to play a few of the different classes.  It may turn out that the one you thought you would enjoy the least ends up being the one that you take all the way to the end.