SW:TOR plans to use class based features as a good selling point for their game.  Personally, I feel that it could make for very interesting gaming experiences, and increase replay value when one makes a new character to test out a class.  Already, they have stated there will be class based missions, and it would only make sense for classes to get certain weapons and armor sets for classes like the Trooper, Bounty Hunter, etc.

 

Depending on what class someone chooses, it would be interesting if they had different equip slots, or even how many they can have equipped.  As a trooper or bounty hunter, one would probably have the most.  Where as a class such as Smuggler or Jedi would have very few.  For the most part, the Jedi don't wear hats, helms, etc, though the cloth hood could count for said gear slot.  But traditionally, they don't wear much, the same can be said for a smuggler who relies on dexterity.  Where a bounty hunter and trooper style character would rely on armor, gadgets, and weapons to fight their opponents.  A Jedi, smuggler, or Sith might have a neck equip slot, where as a trooper wouldn't, since the different classes style characters traditionally wear different styles of armor/clothing.

 

There of course has been talk about space travel, space is an important part of Star Wars.  A feature in SWG was to have your own ship, use it for space combat, walk about in it, travel, and even trade said ships.  Now, I personally would want said feature to be in SW:TOR, but it isn't 100% if its going to be in the game or not.  Now, taking such a possibility into consideration, should it be true that players will have personal ships? Might they be class based too?  A smuggler having something more in the category of the Falcon, where as a bounty hunter will have something more along the lines of the Slave 1?  Troopers will have fighters, I think we all understand the basics.  Now, I have actually wondered about space PvP if ships are introduced, and that could prove for interesting battles. Should ships be classed based?  Smugglers could make runs, fighters would engage, hunter style ships would cripple enemies, and Jedi and Sith could have very interesting effects such as battle meditation, etc.

 

What I do wonder is what exact roles certain classes will play, and if there are multiple roles each class can play.  For example, a Trooper might have training as a medic and have the ability to heal, able to equip heavy armor to tank or use heavy weapons to DPS.  A Jedi might get to buff and heal, block and tank, or DPS with their saber.  A smuggler could DPS mainly (Like a Rogue from WoW, DPS only.)  Sith Warriors could Tank and DPS, Bounty Hunters could DPS, maybe Tank depending on how well their armor could be, we will know more in time.  It just seems that the game could be more fun if classes could have more than one role, rather than if you're a Jedi you're the only healer, Trooper only tank, Smuggler and another class only DPS, the game might get a bit stale, so hopefully multi-role classing will be Bioware's choice.  Will there be talents or specs, such as the game WoW and others which let you build your character for certain roles, or even deeper such as how each role will be done, whether you are one DPS type or another even.  Can classes have further sub-parts which change everyone's gameplay experience?

 

Might there be in game professions, or even class based ones?  A trooper might be able to chose if they want to go into armor making, or a smuggler into ship building, etc.  In most MMORPG games, there are professions players may get to help with money, and with creating useful items they couldn't otherwise obtain.  Might said useful skills be chosen based upon one's class, currently it is unknown.  It could however prove to be an interesting feature, seeing as how certain classes might be more useful for money, where as others aren't.  Classes like Jedi and Sith wouldn't really need money, where the Smuggler and Bounty hunter would spend most fo their time on raising money.

 

Class based economy could also be a possibility, as with going off of my previous idea.  A Jedi wouldn't really need money, they would get items based more off of loot, and quest rewards.  Where someone who would be a Bounty Hunter would have to rely on gathering large somes of money, and buying upgrades.  Now, that would make perfect sense in the Star Wars universe but could cause balance problems.  But I do see ways to get the system working, by having different types of quest rewards, such as Bounty Hunters getting large sums of money for quests and Bounties.  As I said, it could be possible, just a bit tricky.

 

JGard briefly talked about what he thought would be the greatest mission, but what really could be possible missions wise? (I made a pun)  Having to fight your way through entrenched enemies as a Trooper, crushing your way through a Jedi enclave as a Sith, smuggling illegal goods past Sith security, hunting down prime targets though urban, and many other types of environments.  How long should said quests take, and would time be based upon classes?  Maybe a Trooper will have short, action packed missions which will have small rewards, but be in large amounts.  Smugglers on the other hand would have long time consuming missions, which there are fewer of but have greater rewards.

 

As I've mentioned, all of these are merely possibilities which Bioware can put into the game.  I hope that some of the more positive ideas are put into the game, where as the more flawed or negative are tossed aside, who knows.  Game mechanics can always change after release.