Is it a damage-dealer? Is it the world's greatest tank? TERA's Lancer can do it all!

Just two days ago, we dropped a nicely laden info-bomb on all of you TERA fans out there with our exclusive in-depth look at TERA's Lancer class, so it seems necessary to follow that up with... even more information! After getting the inside scoop on this ultra-tanky class, we also managed to Q&A it up with En Masse Entertainment's Lead Writer, David Noonan about some more specifics of the Lancer. For this interview in particular, we focused on some of the key roles the Lancer will play in PvP and PvE encounters, as well as that ever dreaded problem of balancing tank classes when taking a magical beating.

In other words, if you were intrigued by our initial exclusive in-depth reveal, then you'll really want to check out the rest of our interview!

ZAM: Hello there and thank you for answering a few questions we have about TERA's upcoming tank class, the Lancer!

David Noonan: You kidding? I can talk about this stuff for days.

ZAM: With any other class, we might ask about some of the Lancer's 'signature' moves, but given that massive shield and the Lancer's massive armor, we're willing to bet that the Lancer's Stand Fast tanking ability is going to define this class for what it is. But what about unique abilities that really set this tank class apart from all of the other tank classes in other MMORPGs? What ability (or abilities) do you think make the Lancer unique to TERA alone?

David: Because TERA is an action MMO, the players are constantly in motion. When you play the lancer, you feel a bit like a fulcrum. All that action-whether hostile or friendly-is revolving around you. It's not just a case of dragging the boss to the corner or staying out of the green fire. You have to improvise throughout a fight, based on what your friends and enemies are doing.

ZAM: When looking at specific abilities like Shield Bash and Shield Wallop or Lance Charge and Onslaught, it appears that the Lancer will be a class that focuses on choices; as in deciding if you want the guaranteed stun of Shield Bash or the higher damage and possible stun from Shield Wallop, or the lower MP cost Lance Charge versus the stronger and more mana intensive Onslaught. Is this idea of making split second decisions between similar abilities (with different benefits and situational appeal) going to lie at the core of the Lancer class?

David: Yes, and more broadly it's part of TERA's overall combat design. We want lancers-and everyone else-really living in the moment, not just executing an optimal key sequence over and over again.

ZAM: When it comes to tank classes in TERA and the fact that all races can play all classes, some players are concerned that there will be a lot of player bias against smaller modeled races, like the little Popori, as the Lancer is virtually defined by his ability to stand on the front line and shield all allies directly behind him. This is obviously a problem when, say, a Barakas Sorcerer takes refuge behind a Popori Lancer, as the Barakas will simply tower over his protector. How have you worked around this issue of character models versus hitboxes, or will size play a role in the potential of a Lancer?

David: We've done a lot of work with hitboxes to ensure that size doesn't play a meaningful role. As they say, it's the size of the fight in the dog that matters, not the size of the dog in the fight.