Class Popularity?

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

I think rangers are popular because:

1) You finally get to play a non-magic ranger.
2) You finally get to play a non-wimpy ranger. (That was the main beef with alt.rangers, although the original ranger was also wimpy.)

 

[Tuerny]

In contrast, of the groups I have run I have only seen one, bow, ranger. Fighters and rogues seem to be the most common, with warlords only slight less so. Everything else is inbetween, with ranger being the scarcest.
Currently my two groups have 2 defenders, a controller, a striker, and a leader and 2 defenders, 1 leader, 2 strikers

 

[ThirdWizard]

Lets see, I've seen 2 rangers, 2 warlocks, 2 clerics, 1 fighter, 1 paladin, 1 barbarian, 1 warlord, 1 wizard in two groups. The ranger, however, is played by the same person in both groups. So far, the classes played that people weren't happy were both warlords, and both times in parties that only had one other melee character.

So far, the classes that people seem most happy about after actually playing them are fighter, wizard, and cleric. I haven't seen anyone play one of those and not come away happy.

 

[avin]

First game I DMed: 1 warlord, 1 fighter, 1 wizard, 1 rogue
My current campaign: 1 cleric, 1 fighter (switched to Swordmage), 1 rogue (left group, another rogue came in), 1 wizard.

No rangers, no locks, no pallies so far.

 

[TerraDave]

Definatly seeing the striker love, and the sudden popularity of the ranger.

Also seen a tendency to misunderestimate wizards and clerics, and to a lesser degree fighters, but I think this will fade as people play them.

I am wondering if the "war" classes will become longer lasting disapointments, or if they will also look better as time goes on.

 

[vagabundo]

My group - playing since June - feylock, rogue, fighter and wizard.

No ranger interest yet.

 

[Shroomy]

Our part consists of a fighter, star pact warlock, artificer (multi-classed with rogue), and a wizard (or new player joining the campaign tonight). If I croak, I think I'm going with ranger for two reasons: one, I want to use the new quarterstaff feat from the "We Who Are About to Die..." article in my character concept, and because our party cannot inflict much damage (mainly because our star lock has a problem hitting stuff).

 

[andron]

Currently, our group consists of:

Human Wizard
Halfling Rogue
Half-Elf Rogue
Dragonborn Paladin
Eladrin Wizard
Dwarven Fighter
Eladrin Warlord

Since we have had only one adventure, I am letting the players rework their characters. I know the player playing the Eladrin Wizard is switching to a new class. I think he is going to a Dwarven cleric. I also found out that the person playing the half-Elf Rogue is switching to Ranger.

Personally, my favorite classes have been Wizard, Cleric, or Druid in earlier editions. This time around, though, if I get a chance to play I'll probably try a fighter or a Ranger. For some reason, the "fighter" classes are holding more appeal to me with this latest edition.

 

[wedgeski]

We've had one of everything in the campaign as PC's have died, NPC's have been replaced, and new people have joined the group. Currently Wizard, Warlock, Fighter, Paladin. No over-abundance of Striker-love.

 

[Cadfan]

I think rangers are popular because heavily armored dudes are out of vogue in modern fantasy.

I cannot prove this is so, but I think it.

There's also the appeal of a very well rounded melee combatant who is partially striker and partially defender and who still has great skills, but I think that part of it is just trends in fiction and movies.