So I just thought I would start a discussion of what it might be like.
What would you like to see happen.
Could the base classes will be rolled into one 20 level progression with talent trees having ability modifier prerequisites?
I for one am a big fan of the simplified skill system from SAGA and would like to see that implemented.
Most importantly, I think it best to wait until the thick dust of 4E errata settle before a new edition is released. This way most of the mistakes will be patched by time they turn their attention to Modern.
Seeing the direction of 4e, I'm now unsure how a Modern v.2 would look.
If they follow with the designs of 4e more than SAGA, I have trouble seeing the classes in Modern surviving the translation. Which could make for a nice classless system.
But, my gut feeling is that Modern would be better off reflecting SAGA more than D&D. Not that they won't pick and choose to get the right feel.... but maintaining Modern's current feel would be best done with more of SAGA's influence, imo.
For example, defense. I think D&D's AC (Defense) doesn't have a place in a Modern v.2. SAGA's system of just the 3 defenses would work just fine and capture the appropriate feel.
In contrast though, D&D's HP system (with Healing Surges, calculation of HP, and it's rules for 2nd Wind) are more likely to find there way into a new Modern.
So I don't know. I do know that if I think about it too much, I'll be committed to an insane asylum by the time it comes out. I'm having enough issues waiting for 4e. :P
It really all depends on how 4e handles multiclassing and my impression thus far is its going to be nothing like how 3.5e handles it. If true multiclassing like in 3.5e is impossible, then I'd expect a pretty impressive rewrite of at least the class system.
Do you know where a comprehensive table can be found?
The war pick is the only weapon we have fully known stats on, but several others have been found/reverse engineered and can be found in the 4e PrRC on ENWorld.
I'm kinda digging what I see of 4e and would love to see it applied to d20M. I'd love to see a new version come out, but I'd also like to see some of the old settings come back as well For example, use Top Secret for the default of d20M ... and come out with other settings (like an expanded Star Frontiers, Alternity, Dark*Matter [which is kinda out] and Gamma World), as well as new ones (GI Joe? ;) ).-chris
Skill-monky and Social-type character classes no longer make sense. 4e seems to be moving to the idea that the classes are built around what they do in a fight and that any class could (through feats/talents if nothing else) be either highly skilled, extremely social (ie. lots of contacts or such), or both. The fact that skills are either "trained" or "not trained" and there's no tracking skill points and such really eliminates any incentive to have a pure-skill type class and any class could be very social.
Based on this I'm thinking that a good number of existing Modern classes (heroic, advanced, and prestige) would wind up being transformed into talent trees that someone of any class could take. So "soldier" remains a class (striker) as would "body guard" (defender), but "techie" would disappear and its class features would become a talent tree that anyone could take assuming they met the prerequisites.
The result would be 1-30 progressions of classes that would be extensions of the advanced classes with paragon and epic tiers based on the various prestige classes that currently exist. Strong/Fast/Tough/etc., would be talent trees and the advanced class talents would kick in around level 5 or 6 (rougly the equivilent of level 3 or so in a 30 level instead of 20 level progression). Occupations would stay, but would provide the wealth bonus and add 1 or 2 "trained" skills.
bleargh.
I think that having class abilities and talents relate to that class's role in combat is a good thing. D20 for me has always revolved heavily around combat, if you want a better non-combat system play Whitewolf games, d20 is for fighting, deal with it. And giving every class something interesting to do in combat is a good move in my opinion.
For classes I hope they keep advanced classes, I always enjoyed the higher level segway into specialization.
d20 modern 4th edition wont have the 6 attribute classes... but I expect itll have 4 classes... named striker, defender, controller, and leader.
bleargh.
I'm not sure if that's better or worse than "Strong Hero", "Fast Hero", and so on.
Personally I'd prefer some iconic modern classes, like "Gunslinger" (striker), "Bodyguard" (defender), "Personality" (leader), and so on. But honestly it could work either way. I just think "Gunslinger" sounds cooler than "Striker", and it's probably best to make role name not the same as class name.