Fruition Online- Stats and Templates
Other games I have played have one template. Fruition Online has three.
New game accounts only have one template to start with. That is the "standard" model that other MMOs and many console RPGs use, so everyone's used to it (close enough). Kill monsters and do quests to get experience. Get enough experience, and you level up. Level up, and you have more health and mana than you had before, do more damage, recieve less damage, etc. Furthermore, Class characters are designed to be used primarily in Party settings. That means you'd need a Tank (Shieldmaster, Ninja, or other class designed to take damage, or at least attention, from the monster), Healer (someone like a Medic or Priest to recover the Tank's injuries), a Damage Dealer (a wizard, sniper, or other glass cannon), and a couple others to give relief to those three as recovery becomes necessary.
Once enough levels are gained through your Level character, your account unlocks the ability to create a Skill character. Only one MMO that I can name has this template, which surprises me that others haven't done the same. Once enough skills are mastered, the account unlocks the third template. Skill character templates go on the assumption that you played properly as a Class character and know how those classes work, and are perceptive and creative enough to either go off of someone else's combination of individual skills taken from Class characters, or design your own character. Holy and Profane at the same time? High-tech rifle, magic, and a bone club at the same time? Your character. Your choice.
The second unlock is the Template, Race, and Class "Doppleganger". See "Races" for more.
Class Character Template
Class-Based characters have something annoying they ALL have to do. There's no choice. Every 5 levels they have to return to an NPC trainer, or find another player who has already passed that training session. Class characters start at at Class Level 0 and skill level of 1 in each of the skills their current class allows. Skills might gain on their own while using them, but all the skills must be at the maximum of 9 in order to reach Class Level 1. Every level caps at 9 higher than the minimum. Once a Level 0 character hits Level 1, all of their skills instantly go up to 10 (of the skills for that class, that is).
Class characters gain experience through combat and questing. They can use these experience points to purchase skill increases. This is especially helpful and useful when a Psychic is trying to level up his Evasion skill- why would you want to be hit constantly just to make your magic-user better? Just use experience instead.
This Skill characters do not have any formal training, and don't need to find an NPC or better character in order to advance- but they also don't get the 20% Primary Class bonus.
This is unimportant to a Skill character though, because they can fully customize their current skills and become far more versatile than any other character can ever be.
They do not gain experience, and have to advance all of their skills through use alone. Do not assume that just because it is a harder template to work and access that these characters are always better- remember that 20% bonus that Class characters get?
Skill Character Template
The Nine Basic Character Stats
Physical Stats
There are three Physical stats:
Health: Determines the amount of Hit Points you have. Hit points are reduced temporarily when injuries occur to the torso. You can be knocked out due to blood loss / pain / injury if you take too much "HP" damage, or overuse Health-based skills.
Constitution: Determines Hit Point recovery rate.
Strength: Deciding factor in hand-to-hand weapon damage bonus and what strength-based equipment is able to be used effectively. You can always use stuff you don't qualify for, but it will be bulky and uncomfortable and forces serious penalties. Also decides carry capacity.
Evasive Stats
There are three Evasive stats:
Stamina: Determines the amount of Stamina Points you have. "SP" are temporarily reduced when injuries occur to the arms or legs. You can be knocked out due to exhaustion from overusing special abilities that use Stamina or taking too much Stamina damage.
Agility: Decides critical-hit and dodge basic chances (certain skills exist to increase these). If significantly high, decreases or eliminates evasion penalties on armor.
Dexterity: Decides Stamina recovery rate and "lower stamina cost" effects.
Mental Stats
There are three Mental stats:
Willpower: Deciding factor in how much "WP" ('Willpower Points' or 'Mana') you get. Can be knocked unconscious due to mental fatigue if you use too many spells or get too many injuries to the head.
Intelligence: Determines Magic damage. Sure you can have 1000 WP, but with low Intelligence, your spells will be weak and useless. Also decides what Intelligence-based abilities can be gained.
Wisdom: Stat responsible for calculating WP recovery rate and "lower mana cost" effects.