We like starter classes, its one of the main reasons we all love Valmod. War of the Walkers had a tonne of them, too many and it gave them all to you which became a nightmare when trying to figure which ones where for which class...
I'd like different 'new names' and more adjusted to 'todays standard' and not liking mma since those people have specifically trained for such as opposed to what I'd like as "ordinary" people or general titles.... As for the classes I'd like to see things as a thief (maybe Recon? in addition to using stealth to steal things? Maybe class specific binoculars), Grunt (mele combat specific - not really liking the mma thing; can make all armor and weapons), Ranger (as in old school ranger that roams the woods, uses bow(s), etc.), Medical Doctor? (secondary action with medical stuff to heal others! Chem station supplies that applies to healing. OH Valmod had darts that could heal or infect others, maybe up the firing rate so they could 'inject' others at range with them to heal them lol), Construction Worker (as opposed to those you see in game lol that builds anything), Factory Worker (not sure what name but a specific production type that works with the forges, workbench, etc.), Chef (line cook?) that cooks (add chem station recipes?)... The items any class can produce say for instance the bow - and a ranger making them is that the ranger can make the 'best bows' whereas a grunt can make them but not as good quality and/or mod slots? Along those lines like an MD can cook but definitely not as good as a Chef... Or vise-versa where a Chef can make some medical things but not as good as an MD... Also the special classes can reach max sooner than any other class. Also along the lines of the last example of Chef & MD - the MD reaches max healing faster than Chef and anyone else, but the Chef can reach max before all others. Like MD is 'tier 1' and Chef is 'tier 2' whereas anyone else is 'tier 3.' So Tier 1 reaches max the fastest, tier 2 reaches max the second fastest and tier 3 'takes the longest.' This would help with say like a group in MP that doesn't have enough players to cover all bases can get most covered...
As for their equipment:
Everyone should get:
Basic clothing beyond the initial quests... Quest reward for reaching the traitor?
Basic foods to last a little bit like 10 cans of food, 10 cans/bottles of water; bone shiv.
Thief/Recon: Specializes in knifes/blades - stealth and sneak attacks his their thing maybe 1 or two points for both. He is also good at surveillance and therefor the binoculars:
They get shoes that help with noise? Start with machete and bow. Starts with a 'spy glass' - better than weapon sight of 4x? Whereas binoculars are 16x? Only class that can make them at max tier but once reached can add them to weapons as a 'recon weapon sight.'
Grunt: They can make leather armor and iron weapons from the start, some points in mele weapons... Leather armor and iron club?
Ranger: Compound bow, hunting knife gets point in stealth, leather armor, bow damage. Will be able to make compound bows after a few points spent? Starts with more 'food recovery' than normal. Able to make repeating xbow at max tier.
MD: One or two med kits, starts with medical bandages, able to make all simple medical remedies. Points in medical, healing. Able to craft beaker from start.
Construction worker: Mining helmet, hammer. able to make rebar from scrap iron? Able to make workbench from start.
Factory worker: able to make forge from start, able to make workbench after a few points, then after a few more able to make a chem station?
Chef: Cooking pot, grill machete, able to make bacon & eggs from start.
Would need some balancing, but your beginning wouldn't be always the same.
