The Controller Role Doesn't Exist

[Green Knight]

Well, despite the fact that your tone seems to defy anyone to disagree with you, the Wizard remains the very definition of battlefield controller to me. Whether future classes will share in that role remains to be seen, but it is alive and well in that class. Dropping walls of fire to split the enemy, sending villains into planar prisons, all while flying or plane-shifting around the battlefield out of danger... why is that not the controller role again?

Wall of Ice is a really good one. Not only do you damage to the enemy, but you throw down a pretty big obstruction which slows the bad guys down (slows them down by making them around this really long wall, to be exact) and splits them up. It's great.

 

[I'm A Banana]

Whatever we do, we DARE NOT remove them from our Bookmarks folder!

DON'T CROSS THAT LINE! It's too drastic!!!!!11!!!11!

 

[Wormwood]

... the cake is a lie?

Despite your
violent behavior, the only thing you've managed to break so far is my heart.

 

[Scribble]

Controllers force the enemy to act in ways that they dictate, either directly (charms, illusions, shifts, paralysis, whatever) or indirectly (If he can hit area 4, we need to stay 5 squares apart. If he can hit a burst 3, we need to stay 4 squares away from him).


The Controller exists. I've got some minor issues with the Wizard being the only one at launch, but it's there, and it's distinct.

My guess is this is because the controller will be the most "difficult" class to learn to use most effectively.

I mean with something like a striker, sure it might take some getting used to to figure out who the best target to hit with your extra damage is... But damage always helps a situation...

A controller on the other hand puts a wall in the wrong place? Suddenly you just gave your enemy a cover bonus and you're cut off from the priest... oops...

 

[Dragonblade]

I demand that this issue be put to the ENWORLD council.

I will take the ring to Mordor! Oh wait...wrong council...heh...

 

[I'm A Banana]

My guess is this is because the controller will be the most "difficult" class to learn to use most effectively.

Yech, I hope not!

4e has clamored on a lot about how easy it is, and attracting a new audience is one of the stated goals of 4e (eventually), and "easy peasy!" is part of that goal. The Wizard is one of the most iconic fantasy archetypes around, the one every newb is going to want to play. If it is ALSO the most "difficult" class, that is going to turn a lot of first-timers into only-timers as they go "I am confused! I will not play again!"

My main issue with the Wizard being the only one is because they spent so much time and effort and space making sure that each party didn't need a Cleric to be its most effective at launch...only to turn around and make the Wizard "necessary" for a party (since it is the only class which fills a role -- just like the cleric in earlier editions). So that's (a) a bit of 4e schizophrenia for you, and (b) not really fixing a problem they set out to fix.

Still, with the amount of base classes that will probably see publication by the end of the year (let alone next year), it probably won't be a problem for very long, before we get a few more controllers out there. Still, it's one of those things that factor into me not buying the core books at launch.

 

[Zamkaizer]

Well, despite the fact that your tone seems to defy anyone to disagree with you, the Wizard remains the very definition of battlefield controller to me. Whether future classes will share in that role remains to be seen, but it is alive and well in that class. Dropping walls of fire to split the enemy, sending villains into planar prisons, all while flying or plane-shifting around the battlefield out of danger... why is that not the controller role again?

Planar prisons seem more fitting for the repertoire of defender of a more supernatural persuasion, since tying up opponents is their specialty. Flying, being a form of mobility, should be the domain of the striker. Walls of fire I might give you, but is their really enough design space for a role that deals with them and their ilk?

And powers that allow one to cover their own ass should be meted out according to power source and not role, as whether one casts or does not cast seems to dictate who many fleshy bits one leaves exposed.

 

[hendelmasad]

Does the Role have any game effect anyways?

Other than deciding how to play your class, what game effect does Role play anyways?

 

[brislove]

The controller is a difficult role in the party, I think there are a few reasons why only one is included.

1. There aren't many classes who can perform this role, i'm sure the druid will be a natural control, however in 3.5 the wizard was pretty much -the- controller, nothing else came close.

2. It's more difficult to play, and extra controllers are generally superfluous. There won't be many encounters in the standard 5 player party that need 2 controllers. (the game is designed for 3x total defender/striker, 1 leader, 1 controller).

The only reason there are 2 leaders in the PHB is because they wanted a NEW class to be in there, and a cleric is a different kind of leader (from what we have seen) then the warlord. Cleric seems more protective/defensive, while the warlord is more tactical/offensive.

 

[Scribble]

Yech, I hope not!

4e has clamored on a lot about how easy it is, and attracting a new audience is one of the stated goals of 4e (eventually), and "easy peasy!" is part of that goal. The Wizard is one of the most iconic fantasy archetypes around, the one every newb is going to want to play. If it is ALSO the most "difficult" class, that is going to turn a lot of first-timers into only-timers as they go "I am confused! I will not play again!"

eh probably should have picked my words better... Not so much harder to learn to play... Harder to learn the best tactics for?

Like poker... It's not that hard of a game to learn the actual rules for... but knowing the best tactics is a different story.

So it will be easy to pick up the controller and know how to use it. But how to use it most effectively might be harder.