Assassin (character class)
Encyclopedia
Assassin is a character class common to many games. Such characters typically combine elements of combat gaming with strong stealth skills, and specialise in defeating an enemy without becoming involved in a protracted melee. They are seen as the "fragile, but deadly" ninja-esque character class and are usually recommended to more experienced players in the game. Assassins have appeared in games like Diablo 2, Ragnarok Online
, Lineage II
, World of Warcraft
, MapleStory
, Guild Wars
, and Conquer Online.
Assassins appear in the Final Fantasy
games series, such as Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
, as well as the Fire Emblem
game series as a class that can only be achieved through advancing the previous class, which is usually the Thief.
, the Assassin class is given a lot of techniques that either interrupt the opponent instantly or knock the opponent down, which is a form of interrupting (often referred to as KD). Usually, the Assassin continues to apply burst damage and degenerative damage while applying a KD when necessary. Also, in the game World of Warcraft
, the Rogue class is given the ability to stun (often referred to as stunlocking). This method forces the Rogue to sacrifice its high damage dealing abilities for more sustained ones while being able to keep his/her opponent from ever retaliating. Many players see this as an unbalanced game mechanic, but most games allow the player being interrupted some type of method of retaliation against interrupting. Interrupting is often abbreviated as rupt., int., or inting.
, Assassins are engineered to kill targets quickly before the enemy can fight back enough to kill the Assassin. Referred to as the "PvP class" in many games, Assassins are the most widely chosen classes to PvP with, since their uncanny abilities to do a lot of damage quickly gives them a solid edge over their opponents. Assassins often target low armor targets such as Mages, Priests, Shamans, and other caster classes, Dervishes, Rangers, Engineers, and other agile classes, and other Assassins. Other martial classes such as Warriors, Barbarians, and Paladins are likely to be strong enough to absorb the Assassin's barrage and retaliate with strong melee attacks against the Assassin. Many players complain that Assassins are given too much power in most situations and that a properly played Assassin never loses a confrontation. Supporters of Assassins simply state that the Assassin's victims should work better at fighting back against Assassins.
Ragnarok Online
Ragnarok Online , often referred to as RO, is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game or MMORPG created by GRAVITY Co., Ltd. based on the manhwa Ragnarok by Lee Myung-jin. It was first released in South Korea on 31 August 2002 for Microsoft Windows and has since been released in many other...
, Lineage II
Lineage II
Lineage II is a massive multiplayer online role-playing game for Microsoft Windows. It is a prequel to Lineage, and is set 150 years before the earlier game. It has become very popular since its October 1, 2003 launch in South Korea, reporting 1,000,918 unique users during the month of March 2007...
, World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game by Blizzard Entertainment. It is the fourth released game set in the fantasy Warcraft universe, which was first introduced by Warcraft: Orcs & Humans in 1994...
, MapleStory
MapleStory
MapleStory is a free-to-play, 2D, side-scrolling massively multiplayer online role-playing game developed by the South Korean company Wizet. Several versions of the game are available for specific countries or regions, and each is published by various companies such as Nexon...
, Guild Wars
Guild Wars
Guild Wars is an episodic series of online 3D fantasy role-playing games developed by ArenaNet and published by NCsoft. Although often defined as an MMORPG the developers define it as a CORPG due to significant differences from the MMORPG genre. It provides two main modes of gameplay—a cooperative...
, and Conquer Online.
Assassins appear in the Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy
is a media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, and is developed and owned by Square Enix . The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and science-fantasy role-playing video games , but includes motion pictures, anime, printed media, and other merchandise...
games series, such as Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
is a tactical role-playing game developed and published by Square for the Nintendo Game Boy Advance. A spin-off of the popular Final Fantasy series, the game shares several traits with 1997's Final Fantasy Tactics, although it is not a direct sequel. The player assembles a clan of characters, and...
, as well as the Fire Emblem
Fire Emblem
is a fantasy tactical role-playing video game franchise developed by Intelligent Systems , the maker of Advance Wars , and published by Nintendo...
game series as a class that can only be achieved through advancing the previous class, which is usually the Thief.
High/Burst/"Critical" Damage
One of the factors that make playing the Assassin class a high risk is the way they are engineered to do damage. Assassin classes usually have attacks that cause a high amount of burst damage, which is damage caused in a short amount of time with minimal effort, usually with a single attack. However, an Assassin will most likely expend most of, if not all, of its energy/mana pool in their attacks, usually rendering them useless until they regain their fuel. Sometimes, Assassins are forced to "combo" techniques to achieve an ultimate effect which usually does a large amount of damage, but slows the killing process a bit. Also, Assassins have a chance of scoring something known as a "critical" hit, which is when an attack made by the Assassin does significantly more damage than normal. In most games, critical hits are scored based on a chance upon hit. The critical hit game mechanic varies from game to game and is usually implemented into other character classes. However, Assassins are usually given traits and abilities that make them the most likely to score critical hits, furthering their ability to deal out burst damage . Burst damage is regarded as a high risk method of damage dealing by some for the simple fact that it is less efficient than more steady melee classes (such as the Warrior). Also, some games will make several of the Assassin's abilities dependent on its critical hit chance, furthering its riskiness. Commonly referred to as critting.Interrupting
One major factor of the Assassin class is their ability to interrupt the enemy, or forcing the enemy to stop its current action and often rendering the enemy defenseless, or otherwise incapacitating the enemy. For example, in the game Guild WarsGuild Wars
Guild Wars is an episodic series of online 3D fantasy role-playing games developed by ArenaNet and published by NCsoft. Although often defined as an MMORPG the developers define it as a CORPG due to significant differences from the MMORPG genre. It provides two main modes of gameplay—a cooperative...
, the Assassin class is given a lot of techniques that either interrupt the opponent instantly or knock the opponent down, which is a form of interrupting (often referred to as KD). Usually, the Assassin continues to apply burst damage and degenerative damage while applying a KD when necessary. Also, in the game World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game by Blizzard Entertainment. It is the fourth released game set in the fantasy Warcraft universe, which was first introduced by Warcraft: Orcs & Humans in 1994...
, the Rogue class is given the ability to stun (often referred to as stunlocking). This method forces the Rogue to sacrifice its high damage dealing abilities for more sustained ones while being able to keep his/her opponent from ever retaliating. Many players see this as an unbalanced game mechanic, but most games allow the player being interrupted some type of method of retaliation against interrupting. Interrupting is often abbreviated as rupt., int., or inting.
Stealth
A major stereotype of Assassins is that they are charged with being stealthy, or unseen and unheard. Usually, game mechanics use an Assassin's stealthiness as a form of engagement, allowing the Assassin to engage the target and cause damage before the enemy can realize it. This is often achieved by granting the Assassin abilities that allow them to be invisible or abilities that allow the Assassin to approach the target quickly. One form of this ability is shadowstepping, which is when the Assassin character is allowed to teleport directly to his enemy from a distance away, which is usually used to "shock and awe" his opponent and allows the Assassin to gain the upper hand before the enemy starts to retaliate. Also, the Assassin's stealthiness is used to perform thievery, espionage, or other acts of subterfuge in PvE modes.Degenerative Damage
Another factor that makes the Assassin class deadly is its ability to do degenerative damage, or damage that slowly depletes the enemy's health without the Assassin striking it. This is most commonly achieved through poisons and bleeding effects. Usually the Assassin will apply a number of these effects at the same time and employ a kiting tactic to allow the effects to kill the enemy while escaping enemy retaliation. Often referred to as degen and dotting (dot = damage over time).Kiting/Snaring
When a character class uses kiting, it means they are employing a method of attack where they are doing damage from a distance while evading the enemy. Rangers and caster classes use this method primarily, but many Assassins do as well. An example would be when an Assassin applies a number of degen effects, then "kites" his opponent by running away or remaining at a distance from his opponent while allowing the degen effects to kill his enemy off. Often, the Assassin may use a ranged weapon to assist this process. Also, many times, an Assassin will have an enemy close to death when the enemy decides to flee combat. This is when the Assassin snares, or uses a technique that slows the movement or immobilizes his opponent. This done in most games through a crippling effect, in which the Assassin uses a hex, poison, or technique to "cripple" his opponent, slowing his movement and allowing the Assassin to catch his target.Light Armor and Evasion
Since Assassins are high damage dealers, one of their balancing factors is that they are given armor with low protection value. This is another factor of the riskiness of playing the Assassin class. If an Assassin is unable to perform its attacks and strategy correctly, he/she won't last long once the enemy retaliates. Therefore, an Assassin must quickly eliminate its target or risk being in danger of dying. This is a main factor that furthers the perception that the Assassin should be reserved for more experienced players. To compensate for the low armor protection, Assassins are given many evasive abilities that allow them to escape conflicts or dodge attacks, extending them a lifeline in certain situations. Alternatively assassins may rely on allies to make up for their lack of innate defensive abilities.Daggers/Katanas/Shortswords
Daggers, katanas, and shortswords are typically bladed weapons that are weaker than their counterparts (such as maces, hammers, two-handed swords, and regular longswords), but swing faster and allow the player to attack faster. Assassins are likely to be limited to using daggers and shortswords to qualify for most of its abilities, since it would cause a game imbalance otherwise. In some games, the daggers may be used as projectiles and the Assassin may be able to dualwield such weapons. This fits well with the Assassin's stealthy nature (see above) - daggers, shortswords and the like being small, light and therefore easy to conceal and quick to draw - which is often stated or implied as the in-universe rationale for the Assassin's reliance on such weapons. Katanas, on the other hand, are neither small nor concealable, and are typically included in this list only because of their widespread (though historically inaccurate) association with ninja in popular culture. The picture of the Warrior always had his armed with a sword; Katanas were the noble weapon, or so the grand lie proclaimed. The irony was that a sword was a defensive weapon - the reason for having such a long blade was to keep opponents at a distance; in close-in fighting, which was what almost all battle came down to in the end, that length was a disadvantage, preventing the assassin from putting precision and strength behind the blade's point. For close-in fighting, to protect themselves, an assassin needed a dagger.Player vs. Environment (PvE)
In PvE, Assassins are given the task of causing a high amount of damage to single targets, such as bosses and fortified enemies. They also are given abilities such as lockpicking and alchemy (used to make poisons), which allow them to fill many niches in PvE gameplay. Assassins in game lore are seen commonly as:- Thieves - Known for picking locks, pickpocketing, disarming traps, stealing treasures and the like, Thieves are not always aligned to evil, but seeing how thievery is illegal in most in-game societies, they are perceived as such. They are often dishonest and untrustworthy, although many Thieves have been perceived as smooth talkers, often relying on wit and tongue to get them out of situations.
- Rogues - Rogues are a bit more cunning and combat adept than Thieves, Rogues are portrayed as stealthy brawlers and manipulators. Often used for espionage or other acts required from stealth. Ingame intelligence agencies (For example SI:7 from the game World of warcraftWorld of WarcraftWorld of Warcraft is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game by Blizzard Entertainment. It is the fourth released game set in the fantasy Warcraft universe, which was first introduced by Warcraft: Orcs & Humans in 1994...
) often employ Rogues for various missions, but some games feature Rogues as muggers and gang members. - Assassins - The deadliest of the three, their job is simply to kill whatever they were hired to kill, often with ruthless efficiency and/or minimal collateral. In the best situations, Assassins are anti-heroAnti-heroIn fiction, an antihero is generally considered to be a protagonist whose character is at least in some regards conspicuously contrary to that of the archetypal hero, and is in some instances its antithesis in which the character is generally useless at being a hero or heroine when they're...
es fullfulling an honorable and necessary role, as they provide swift justice to those who believe they are above the laws of nature and society. In the worst situations, Assassins are soulless killers belonging to a cult or organization of some sort which is predominately evil in nature; their loyalty ultimately lies to whoever is paying them better. Also, Assassins are known to use "dark" arts that are looked down upon and sometimes incriminated for in the PvE society.
Player vs. Player (PvP)
In PvPPlayer versus player
Player versus player, or PvP, is a type of multiplayer interactive conflict within a game between two or more live participants. This is in contrast to games where players compete against computer controlled opponents, which is correspondingly referred to as player versus environment...
, Assassins are engineered to kill targets quickly before the enemy can fight back enough to kill the Assassin. Referred to as the "PvP class" in many games, Assassins are the most widely chosen classes to PvP with, since their uncanny abilities to do a lot of damage quickly gives them a solid edge over their opponents. Assassins often target low armor targets such as Mages, Priests, Shamans, and other caster classes, Dervishes, Rangers, Engineers, and other agile classes, and other Assassins. Other martial classes such as Warriors, Barbarians, and Paladins are likely to be strong enough to absorb the Assassin's barrage and retaliate with strong melee attacks against the Assassin. Many players complain that Assassins are given too much power in most situations and that a properly played Assassin never loses a confrontation. Supporters of Assassins simply state that the Assassin's victims should work better at fighting back against Assassins.
Examples of Assassins in computer games
- World of WarcraftWorld of WarcraftWorld of Warcraft is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game by Blizzard Entertainment. It is the fourth released game set in the fantasy Warcraft universe, which was first introduced by Warcraft: Orcs & Humans in 1994...
- Rogues fill the "Assassin" class slot. Rely heavily on stealth, burst damage, poisons, and stunlocking. - Guild WarsGuild WarsGuild Wars is an episodic series of online 3D fantasy role-playing games developed by ArenaNet and published by NCsoft. Although often defined as an MMORPG the developers define it as a CORPG due to significant differences from the MMORPG genre. It provides two main modes of gameplay—a cooperative...
- Assassins are a class that rely heavily on burst damage, degen, interrupting, snaring, and shadowstepping. - The Elder Scrolls IV: OblivionThe Elder Scrolls IV: OblivionThe Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is a single-player action role-playing video game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks and the Take-Two Interactive subsidiary 2K Games...
- Assassins are fast moving, agile characters that rely on stealth, alchemic poisons, and kiting to combat their enemies. - Ragnarok OnlineRagnarok OnlineRagnarok Online , often referred to as RO, is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game or MMORPG created by GRAVITY Co., Ltd. based on the manhwa Ragnarok by Lee Myung-jin. It was first released in South Korea on 31 August 2002 for Microsoft Windows and has since been released in many other...
-Assassins are the only job class in the game to dual-wield daggers, swords, and one axe with one dagger. They are also the only job class that can use Kataras (कटार) (in the game, is considered a two-handed weapon). Their damage, depending on the build, relies heavily on the status points. (Critical Build->Luck, AGI/DEX, Dagger, etc.). In addition, they deal extra damage on the initial attack on the enemy when cloaked. - MaplestoryMapleStoryMapleStory is a free-to-play, 2D, side-scrolling massively multiplayer online role-playing game developed by the South Korean company Wizet. Several versions of the game are available for specific countries or regions, and each is published by various companies such as Nexon...
- Thieves, also commonly denoted as "sins" (referred to their second-job advancement), are known for their ability to dish out huge amounts of damage in a short fashion, all while being extremely mobile. They are one of the most common classes in Maplestory, and are also known to be a primary factor in the ongoing KsingKill stealingIn online games and especially first-person shooter games, MMORPGs and MUDs, kill stealing is the practice of arranging to get credit for killing an enemy, when it should have clearly been another player's kill. An example is when a player in a first-person shooter whittles an enemy's health down...
involved with players. - Aion: The Tower of Eternity - The Assassin is an offensive class with various acrobatic attack skills that can inflict severe damage on the enemy within a short amount of time. While their defensive capability is relatively low, Assassins possess exceptional evasion skills. They can perform many counterattacks that can stun opponents and, in some cases, leave them open to attacks from behind.
- AdventureQuestAdventureQuestAdventureQuest is an online flash based single-player RPG developed by Artix Entertainment in 2002. As of June 14, 2010, aq.battleon.com, the game's hosting website, and www.battleon.com, the game's homepage, have an Alexa rating of 3,041...
- The Flash-based in-browser MMORPG features the Assassin class in a progressive style. One must take on the Rogue class to the maximum, the Scholar class to level 5, and the Ninja class to the maximum in order to achieve the Assassin class. - Dragon Age: OriginsDragon Age: OriginsDragon Age: Origins is a single-player role-playing video game developed by BioWare's Edmonton studio and published by Electronic Arts. It is the first game in the Dragon Age franchise...
- This game features the Rogue class a base class that can be specialized into a Bard, Duelist, Assassin, Ranger, Shadow, or Legionnaire Scout class.