I’ve never been a big fan of Rogues in any MMO. That’s not to say that I didn’t want to play as one. Quite the contrary; they are deadly, and often look amazing. They’re usually not quite as potent as the “glass cannon” Mage, but I prefer survivability above kill count. I tend to prefer that survivability so much that I’m lead to play tanks, or at least a hybrid that can self heal.

The real reason I avoid the class is because it’s inevitable that in any MMO, there will tend to be a large population of rogues. I personally prefer to play a class that is useful more than just playing a class that is fun. Sure, you need DPS, but you only need so much. Going into a PvP instance when more than half the team is comprised of knife-wielding caffeine induced stabbing machines is, to me, no fun.

But it seems as if every new MMO that comes out has a new sales pitch for their version of the rogue. “Come on out and try the 2011 Rogue! It’s five times more badass than you’re your old model, and it comes with an iPod dock, standard.” So while I’ve been planning to play some form of a tank in Guild Wars 2 and I have been adamant about my decision to play a Trooper in Star Wars: The Old Republic, it should come of no surprise that each of their versions of the rogue looks amazing, and I am once again filled with mixed emotions on what my day one decision will be.

Let’s go over the options, shall we?

Star Wars: The Old Republic – Smuggler

Back when I played Star Wars: Galaxies (albeit not for a very long time) I initially started my journey with a goal: become a Bounty Hunter, and rule the galactic paper towel market! Joking aside, I wanted to be Boba Fett. He was, without a doubt, one of my two favorite characters in the Star Wars universe. Most of my childhood desire to replicate him virtually came from my awe of his looks. I don’t know of anyone who can say he doesn’t look badass.

The other character I was always quite fond of was his antithesis; Han Solo. The two of them were like some sort of inverted spin on the classic law-man and law-breaker relationship from the Wild West…but with LASERS and SPACESHIPS! I eventually gave up on my quest to be the next Mand’alor and switched to becoming a Smuggler. This, eventually, showed me that while Galaxies was a great game in some regards, it wasn’t giving me the Star Wars experience I desired. The Old Republic will be another shot at giving me what I want in an MMO from a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. The only problem is that while I’ve learned over the years that it will probably be in my best interest to start out as a Trooper or a Jedi Knight, the Smuggler trailer does not help my decision. Albeit a bit on the cheesy side, it does show off a taste of the experience I was looking for in Galaxies.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDUFWioEr6o']

UPDATE: It was pointed out to me by Pitrelli that the Smuggler really won’t be the rogue class of TOR. That title can be reserved for the Sith Assassin and Jedi Shadow. This was a complete oversight on my part but I’ll blame my dog. I glanced at her briefly while writing this and that lazy eye of hers threw me off.

Guild Wars 2 – Thief

First, I must point out that I fully agree with Syp on the class. Guns, does not a Thief make. I prefer the title “Mugger,” but no matter. What’s really important is that the class looks, and sounds like it could be, amazing. Not only will it be the light armored, high damage class we’ve all come to know, it will also put a new spin on what “stealing” means. Now, when I initially heard that it would be able to steal from its enemies, I thought it was an interesting throwback to older games like Everquest when you could actually loot coin from a mob while fighting. Instead we’re getting something so much cooler.

Upon seeing that you would be able to “steal” a temporary weapon based on the type of mob you are fighting, I was hooked. I was reminded of Gau from Final Fantasy VI (III in the States). He was a little beast-child that you could have in your party who would attach himself to an enemy and leave the party for an extended amount of time. Upon his return, he would learn one of those creatures’ abilities. This sounds similar, but temporary and way more dynamic. I love it, and again, I am cursing another MMO developer for making a class I know will be overplayed look and sound so amazing.