Age of Conan

Assasin

The class lacks survivability and needs a group for pvp or higher level stuff. Yet we lack any use for a group other than for our own protection so groups do not look for assasins too much. We need more useful debuffs or poisons that actually slow or regen more.

2nd tester: Its in its infancy they are not very powerful in pvp or solo pve which means there won't be millions of assassins at level 80 as most get discouraged (low dodge rate a big factor here)

3rd tester: pros: Stealth is great (if its night) its incredible how close you can be and they just don't see you. cons: Having to sheath my weapons to stealth. it drives me CRAZY as then I have to take them back out to attack again.

Barbarian

Very weak when fighting against multiple mobs.
At lv 60, if I want to solo, doing a simple quest takes me hours because I die, die, and die again each time I can't run after killing a single mob...

2nd tester: This could be the most fun class to play if it had been balanced to meet peoples expectations. It's "headline" class of this game, because of the name. Barbarian is compared to Conan, wich was the fighter of all fighters. No one is expecting Barbarians to be the weakest combat class. . Combat style and abilties are just recyled from other classes, nothing unique or barbarian-ish about it.

3rd tester: It has the high damage & light armor. Was surprised to see the class in the rouge branch with access to stuns, stealth, etc. The class can do some great things but it requires some planning and finese as it fragile. It is not the "toe-to-toe" fighter I expected. The key is doing as much damage as possilbe in the shortest amount of time while keeping your foes from hitting you during that time. Hard to do? Yes. Fun to do? Yes

4th tester: HP HP HP HP. Thats about it, our HP is very lacking. Even the ranger has more HP than us, and they can start attacking from range, and have decent melee dps

Bear Shaman

The combat healer idea is solid. However that alone will make for a rather boring trek up to epic content. I predict it will be less than three months and the hardcore bears will be screaming for something fun as an upgrade to the class.

2nd tester: The experience of leveling a bear shaman is one of praying you don't face two mobs at the same time, or that if you do, you manage to kill at least one of them before you die. The only words to describe this class at lower levels are infuriating, frustrating, off-putting and button mashing.

3rd tester: Tortage was very hard, as the BS is a bit weak in the lowlvl, but anyway it is managable and challenging. There are bugs however, the biggest to-date is the stacking battle-roars (bug).
Melee-dps around lvl50 seemed to be too high, especially CrushArmor 3. Well-designed hybrid-class, capable of healing an entire group as well as being capable of supporting by melee-dps. One of the more challenging classes for the player, as it requires good oversight in battle and above-average apm-management. Contrary to the other 2 healers, this is a infight-melee-healer. This is my main class, lvl 50 atm. Will play BS on final

Conquerer

The class can tank well enough and can do enough DPS to survive in PvE. It also has enough pvp related skills to do well in group pvp, but is relatively weak in solo pvp. The class as a whole is probably a bit under powered and strengthening its buffing abilities might be a good way to balance the scale.

2nd tester: they are underpowered in almost every aspect, they cant survive, deal damage, or buff well enough. also AoE swings need to be fixed to at least hit the 3 guys right in front of you...
also furious inspiration seems implemented rather poorly.. for the damage bonus to activate someone other than the conqueror has to be getting hit. correct me if im wrong, but isnt the point of tanking to not let other people get hit? and wouldnt this make it harder for a tank to pull aggro off a melee damage class? as it is, it seems like an ability that is suited for a damage oriented class that isnt expecting to tank but we currently dont do that kind of damage... i guess what im saying is that the conqueror's role isnt defined even as a jack of all trades

Dark Templar

Well I think its a quite versatile class, and the feats really ad some variety. In PVP it can be a force to recon with especially while switching to frenzy stance. Overall I enjoyed my DT Experience very much so far and will roll one in retail.

2nd tester: A real fun life draining dps/tanker, love the gamestyle of him, and does it really well, couldnt get bored of this class even after many years playing it..
Great job on a very good class tho. needs some tweaks

3rd tester: This class is one of the coolest you did and i like it very much. It has some issues and i hope you´ll look into it. The trees are very cool and allow a wide range of different DTs... not like the other classes where you are much more limited... dont change this.

4th tester: a Dt can be a powerful class in a group setting, they are best when combine with other classes and can offset their weekness and help further other classes strengths. Overall a good class to have. don't expect to be a dps machine though.

Demonologist

Very weak, good for pve but terrible for pvp.

2nd tester: Demonologist lvl 43, after the 12.05 patch i decided that i will NOT play this class as my main, and i rather switch to playing Necromancer(love the variety of pets and their different roles in the gameplay) or Tempest of SET(Lightning nuking class with far better variety of Crowd Control spells, healing abilities, and comparable dmg to that of Demonologist class)

3rd tester: -lack of defense/escape spells when melee suddenly appears next to you,
-lowered burst damage since the last patch,Demonologists are pure Damage dealer class, and yet their damage can be comparable to some of the hybrid healing/nuking classes or even heavy armor classes 

4th tester: Tomorrow I will simply choose either a tanking, priest or rogue class.

Guardian

Very good pve class, it can hold up several mobs (3-5 same level, 4-7 lower levels) bad pvp class

2nd tester: In pve it's slightly overpowered (not too much) but in pvp it's heavily underpowered to the same level as barbarian/assassin is. Can't resist against ranger or mages.

3rd tester: I'm not stuck doing #1. I can play my class in pvp at any point and not suffer like a normal tank does in most MMO's.

4th tester: Wellrounded, has some issues, but mostly feel great to play. I haven't PvPed with it so there might be issues there I'm not aware of though. Definitively a class I will play after launch.

Herald of Xolti

Interesting, loads of potential. My class of choice, in hope of patches and improvements. I'd really like to see it leaning slightly more towards the mage aspect (not too much, but a little more).

2nd tester: In PvE the class is -alright- tho still way to fragile. The demon buff lasts to short for when you need it, as you need it when you're in big trouble so it never lasts long enough to get the job done. Fights Barbarians and Assassins have little trouble with at all.

Necromancer

I found the class to be a bit boring, a bit weak and couldn't hold himself very well in pvp.
Not many spells I found a use for(although I'm only 41), and the two feat aoe's (one that works with mobs above 90%, and the other 10%) is very situational. Two dots and a nuke is pretty much all I use when solo. I have to click around 12 times to get all my buffs, they should be better consolidated into less buffs. Lack of any decent CC that works.

2nd tester: Underpowered

3rd tester: So far the general feel of the necromancer is good. I love the class personally and that comes from a person who loves playing necromancers in every game they play that has them.

Priest of Mithra

The class is fun and interesting to play - more so in pve than pvp. It is missing the key ingredients that would make it perfect, especially early in the game. Most players will leave the class long before they get a chance to see its potential.

2nd tester: Lacking CC. With Repulse being a longer cast which clearly telegraphs your intentions, and a 15 sec cool down (more than long enough for anyone to finish you), the PoM has no option to defend himself in PvP.

3rd tester: The class definitely has a 'holy caster' feeling to it, with the names of the spells and the abilities, although why have a mana cost on an invulnerability spell? The heals at the first few levels were pitiful, but then I had to remind myself that the heals I received in EQ were also very small (I recall healing a ranger 7 times to bring him to full health at level 12). I did not like the fact there were heal pots in the game but they seemed expensive enough for me to notice that most real 'newbies' won't afford to spam them, and there was a cool down timer on them, so that helped as well.

4td tester: Like all spellcasters(except HoX and Bear Shaman) the PoM in AoC is not so much player-skill dependent like the melee classes with their combos and the directional combat. I really miss something that sets the AoC casters apart from the casters of other games, something that reward the player for playing good that stands above the typicall "use the correct spell in the right situation". I hope spell-weaving will do this job. I also like the idea of a real blind for the priest of mitra in terms of pvp. Something like the classical Flashbang in FPS-Games. That would improve the CC-Abilities in a very interesting way. Even Meridian 59 had this type of CC.

Ranger

The ranger is a medium-ranged dps class with lots of abilities, but their abilities take a long time to get off. While able to survive in melee for a decent amount of time, they do not possess any competant melee damage skills. If the enemy snares them before they can snare back, the ranger is doomed to run away slowly while getting clubbed in the back. ouch.

2nd tester: Range is crap, dmg is okey after the last patch, could be better,
This FPS mode wich gives you what. 25 or 50% range isnt even worth going for... takes too long time to zoom in.. This class is a mess at the moment. decided not gonna play it tho i really really wanted to, It needs more fixxing, Should be renamed to Scout instead of Ranger... nuff said..

3rd tester: Good bow combinations at range but would have liked to have had some simple melee combos

Tempest of Seth

Funcom's failure to tap into the potential of the class is realized pretty early when you are charged by a Priest of Mitra to deliver a healing potion to a weak, old man. WTF? Whereas the class is fun to play, it needs more than just Lightning and Thunder if its going to be the representative of Set in the AoC MMORPG.

2nd tester: PROS:  * The class is required to use a combination of stuns, HoTs and offensive spells in combat to survive against groups of two or more mobs in certain scenarios, and the class is fun to play when in a 'crunch' situation. Moderately good synergy of healing vs offensive abilities (see below).
* Healing feels moderately useful while grouped (which is meant to be much more powerful later on).
CONS: An extreme lack of offensive spells. Two lightning attacks makes the class feel like an afterthought when it came to handing them offensive spells.
* The two offensive lightning attacks do not share a synergistic cooldown, resulting in periods in which you have no offensive spells to use. I took to meleeing a mob during the 'gap,' but the 'global cooldown' you get when switching from weapon attacks to spell attacks isn't practical to use with the class either. So I HoT myself while waiting or just plain wait until the cooldown expires on one of my spells, since they do more damage than whacking the mob.

Its clear that almost all classes need some tweaks  especially casters, but we havent seen their full potential untill spell weaving comes.

Who knows though, the most gimped class might get buffed to become the most imba next patch, or the patch after. We all remember how warlocks was the joke because it was so weak, and look now what its become 

So basically, according to this list, every class sucks except Dark Templar.

I don't understand how nearly every class can be 'lacking in PvE and PvP'. What are you comparing the classes to? Other games or DTs?

^ This topic has a lot of great info.  it would be nice if the comments could be updated.  As the poster above me has stated, it seems rather odd that all classes could lack in PvP.....maybe the game is balanced around group PvP?  Someone has to win in 1v1...Good posting overall.

Well here's my look at a few classes I played.

Bear Shaman:
  My main character.  Horrible to lvl up between lvl 7 - 15.  After level 15 the class opens up to its full potential.  It is extremely efficient with mana and keeps a decent amoutn of stamina in a fight too.  Tons of utility spells that cleans debuffs, heals, debuff enemies, and buff team mates.  Along with spells are comboes that debuff the enemy and do great damage. 

The downside are too many abilities.  Lowest DPs of the 3 healing classes.

This class performs ok in PvP, but all the melee classes are at a slight disadvantage in PvP combat due to combies with slow animations missing targets that move.

Priest of Mitra:  I thought I would like this class, but then I realized I would be a one trick pony with my defense.  this classes only relaly good defense is repulse and high DPS.  The strongest of the ehalers though.

Tempest of Set:  You love Ae DPS?  Then you'll love this class.  Plus you get to pass out heals as an afterthought.  Downside is a somewhat uncontrolable AE attacks.  This class gets aggro very easy, but all of that AE damage could help in PvP instances.  Don't play any other caster class if you want REAL caster DPS.

Herald of Xotli:  Give me Hitpoint or give me defense.  This is THE highest DPS class in the game.  Also one of the most badass (in spell animations and moves).  You will be lopping off heads right and left,  burning fools and watching them dance about,  gutting fools and laughing as you sling them behind you.  This is badass class made for professionals. 

This class is extremely hard in PvP.

Guardian:  Awesome tank that can actually hold his own in PvP ok.

Dark Templar:  About the same as guardian but not as good with tanking.  Great in groups with buffs, debuffs, and life leeching.  Lots of variety.  This class along with the Bear Shaman, and Herald of Xotli offer the most from Conan's combat system.

Weak in PvP damage.

Demonologist:  Not enough damage.

Necro:  Interesting class.  Kinda feels like the Necro from Diablo 2 ported into an MMO world.  You raise multiple pets and then raise even more temporary pets to add damage.  Downside is that the pets really don't hold any aggro unless you use special abilities.

This is an odd class to play with a bunch of self buffs and an interesting twist on murdering enemies.

Rogues & Barbarian:  Never played the class, but from what I hear a barbarian makes a better rogue then the rogue class.  Just make sure max out the "Hiding" skill and you will own fools.

Ranger:  A straight forward ranged DPS class.  Most gankers in the PvP servers are rangers.  They are the easiest to play so far.

I'm sorry but OP... your observations are incorrect.

I have seen first hand, barbarians 2 shot someone 15 levels above them.

I have seen them take down 5 equal level mobs in 4 combos.

Demonologists do not suck in PvP.  I have gone toe to toe with Tempest of Set (3 levels higher), Guardians, Rangers, Other Demos, Assassins, etc, and even 2 or 3 on me.  And walked away.  Some even thinking I was a Tempest of Set.

Get your facts straight.