Warning: Swim at your own risk.

Today, I am going to address the ongoing debate of the "trinity" system in MMO's and the problems that exist and the reason that I think that they don't need to go anywhere.

Looking at polls on certain forums, a sizable portion of the community does not like the trinity system. Do I blame them, absolutely not. Yet the problem still remains, that without a trinity system, what are we left with. A lifeless genre with no PvE elements left to enjoy with your friends. Could an MMO survive without the trinity system? It is possible, but it would leave a chasm in the game that I think could tear it from the inside out. Unless something is done with how we see normal classes and class roles in a video game.

Take The Old Republic for example. Every single class, can fill a vital role other than damage dealing, of course with a re-specialization to advanced classes (Which is, in and of itself, a heated debate to let characters change their advanced classes). This fact, I think, leads to my conclusion that the trinity system, will not be an issue in a game where you need a classic "trinity".

In World of Warcraft, you needed specific people for specific jobs. Warriors, were needed to tank. Priest were needed to heal. Not until later in the games lifetime did real options start to open up for other classes to heal, and tank. That is something that I hope BioWare capitalizes on early in its lifetime, and makes me really excited to play this game. Every character is a hybrid of sorts, being able to fill a niche role in your group.

Here is something that has occured in my small group of friends for example. We have two people wanting to play Jedi Knights, and two people who want to play Jedi Consulars. Now from what I have learned and under stand, Jedi Knights have the ability to tank, and have the ability to fill the DPS role. Now that leaves myself and my other friend to debate and take turns over who is going to tank what instances, and the same could be said for the healing role with the Consulars. We will not have to create an entirely new character to fulfill any of the less popular roles. Unless that is of course, we are not allowed to change Advanced Classes. Which I believe has been stated by the developers that they are going to allow it, but put it on a sort of cooldown, which the time has not yet been determined. Even if they put it on a week, which may be kind of long, in my eyes. So what? You can still go about your questing ways and such with your companions if you are now tank/healing specialized. God forbid in WoW, if you tried to quest as protection or healing specialization before dual specialization came out.

Hopefully, this game lives up to its potential, it certainly has a lot of it.