1. Introduction
As an open-world survival game with crafting elements, Once Human's goal is to let players forge their own stories and adventures while exploring Nalcott. Only by supporting diverse playstyles, self-paced progression, and synergistic teamwork can we transform Nalcott into a land where every journey matters.
Initially, we pursued this vision through the Memetic Specialization system. However, long-term data has shown that its randomized mechanics and level-gated unlocks presented restrictions that encouraged min-maxing rather than freedom. Many players end up settling into meta builds, contrary to our goal of playstyle diversity. With this in mind, we're introducing a class system.
This isn't a traditional MMO class system. In Once Human, classes aren't rigid archetypes but specialized jobs that enrich your character progression and exploration of Nalcott.
The first classes available—Chef, Gardener, and Beastmaster—will be available for public testing after the July 3 update.
2. Classes
Each class has a core ability and three unique talents. The core ability fundamentally alters the gameplay rules, while the talents synergize with it to sharpen each class's distinct identity and role.
Chef
The Chef is inspired by real-life cooking, where novices follow recipes, experts refine them, and masters invent them. Breaking from the formula-based cooking system, Chefs can freely combine ingredients to create innovative dishes with dynamic effects. The Glutton talent allows Chefs to stack dish effects, maximizing their benefit from these culinary creations. To record and utilize their recipes, each Chef starts with two items:
Starting Item
Campfire Stove: A portable cooking facility that can be quickly deployed outside your territory. Fully solar-powered, it doesn't require logs or fuel to start making delicious dishes. You can also place dishes on the Campfire Stove for others to use.
Gourmet Atlas: Gourmet hunters use this to note down their creative recipes. All creative cooking dishes you've made will be recorded inside.
Core Abilities
Creative Cooking: Freely choose ingredients to craft unique dishes without being restricted by recipes. During creative cooking, there's a chance for a Success that grants the dish enhanced effects with longer durations.
Talents
Glutton: Can consume more food than normal to gain up to 2 food effects and 2 drink effects simultaneously.
Ingredient Scent: Has a sharp nose for ingredients, with a chance to obtain bonus ingredients when gathering from Fridges, Beverage Machines, and Food Crates in wilderness settlements.
Fine Cuisine: Has a refined palate. Consuming the same creative dish repeatedly will enhance its dish and ingredient effects and durations. Dishes that use different ingredients don't count as the same.
* We will also revamp some existing dishes with redesigned ingredient combination effects and fewer repetitive buffs, so even non-Chef players can enjoy creative cooking!
Gardener
It's known that grafting crops with each other can completely transform their growth patterns. But in Nalcott, you can even graft crops with biomechanical parts. Picture this surreal scene: In a post-apocalyptic wasteland overrun by Deviants, a row of plants stand guard to protect their home. And Biomechanical crops aren't just useful in combat—they can produce and gather resources too. The Portable Planter Box also allows Gardeners to carry biomechanical crops with them, assisting them in both combat and gathering beyond the territory.
Starting Item
Portable Planter Box: Used to store biomechanical crops or cultivate seeds on the go.
Environment Detector: Tracks nearby environmental conditions when held in the hand.
Core Abilities
HP Sewing: Specializes in crops and biomechanics. Can graft crops with other crops or biomechanical parts to yield dual-stat crops or special biomechanical crops. Biomechanical parts are sometimes dropped by Biomechanical Deviants in the wilderness.
Talents
Environmental Expert: Deeply attuned to the natural world. Equipped with an Environment Detector that monitors environmental parameters in real time, and can craft items to restore and enhance soil conditions.
Portable Planting: Has a Portable Planter Box that can store biomechanical parts or process mature crops to mass-produce seeds.
Greenhouse Technology: Has a Greenhouse Module that can manipulate crop growth environments.
* We will also add a Fertility parameter to the soil in the wilderness. Crops planted in fertile soil have a higher chance of yielding bountiful harvests. Growing crops reduces the soil's fertility, but it can be replenished with Soil Solution. Soil will also naturally recover fertility over time. (Low fertility does not result in lower yields, but high fertility will provide bonus effects.)
Beastmaster
In the past, animals in Once Human were just livestock for producing resources, offering no opportunity for interaction, companionship, and growth. But with the Beastmaster class, players can now understand animal conversations and communicate with them freely. On Nalcott, Beastmasters can unleash the full potential of their animal companions. Lead a pack of wolves into battle against Rosetta, have a grizzly bear help you fish for salmon, or use a rabbit's burrowing skills to unearth rare delicacies hidden underground.
Starting Item
Beast Whistle: Summons a Beast Partner to assist in exploration outside the territory. You can link an animal to your Beast Whistle in your territory.
Starting Partner: Pick your starting partner: Pongo, Misha, or Shiro.
Pongo: A green boar that excels at gathering. Can also forage for rare items.
Misha: A golden bear with a larger build than most, serving as a solid wall in battle.
Shiro: A white wolf that is a late bloomer with the potential to become an alpha. Capable of evolving through battles.
Core Abilities
Beast Partner: Uses a Beast Whistle to summon and command a Beast Partner to fight, gather, or mine. The Beast Partner can be changed in the territory.
Talents
Beast Whisperer: Understands the language of beasts. Wild animals will neither attack nor flee from the Beastmaster, who can also view wild animals' stats and traits.
Breeding Expert: Uses mutant genes to change animal traits and raise Beast Partners who can grow constantly.
Wilderness Master: Crafts gear for the Beast Partner to strengthen their combat, gathering, production, and growth abilities.
Notes
1)Launch Time: The class system will enter public testing after the anniversary update on July 3.
2)Availability: The class system will be available in all non-novice scenarios, excluding Once Human: RaidZone.
3)You can choose your class in the wilderness after creating a new character on a server and completing the tutorial tasks.
For existing characters, we will issue a unique item that allows you to change your class immediately.
4)If you cannot decide on a class or prefer not to use the class system, you can choose the Freelancer class. The Freelancer class has no unique abilities, but will be given a class-change item.
5)We will regularly refine and balance the class system based on your feedback, as well as add more classes. When that happens, we will issue class-change items to allow you to reselect your class.
Once Human Development Team
