@GamerSeuss said in End game?:
The main deficit that the newb will have in the battles is a lack of combat options, as they will only have unlocked the starting skills for their archetype in this scenario, and they will not have increased their Talent Tree abilities at all yet. Both of these things are nice, but neither by themselves is gamebreakingly going to set a character above the others in a Raid Group.
No, either is a colossal disadvantage. It won't turn the tide of a group fight, but it will decide which characters make up the casualties.
Talents not only can add to stats (which have exponential effects, especially past 20), but include perks such as complete immunity to poison. Talents combined with gear define leagues.
The starter skills are completely laughable. Veterans will shrug them off with the myriad of heals and buffs available, especially in a group full of specialists. Words of Power are disproportionately strong and the only fresh character who can take them on is a tank build... which Fractured intentionally makes expensive and newbie-unfriendly.
Progression is inherently vertical; what has "no vertical progression" has no progression. Knowledge Points are just experience points with non-static level ups.
