Lucent Heart asks: What's your sign?

Lucent Heart, the free-to-play anime-flavored MMO by BeanFun, takes a different approach to its combat-role system. Although you do find the classic trinity of tank, support, and DPS buried in the system somewhere, the roles are broken into the 12 signs of the zodiac. Each of the four base classes and all of the eight advanced classes can take on any of these roles. The Zodiac System adds enhanced flavor and strategy to the game. When Lucent Heart asks you, "What's your sign?" it's not trying to ask you out on a date.

The developers of Lucent Heart gave Massively an exclusive break-down of each of the zodiac roles. For instance, those born under Sagittarius take on the classic DPS role. They hit hard and keep the damage coming. Sagittarius has its own special armor to help differentiate it from the other classes. Hop past the break to see the zodiac system exactly as the developers gave it to us. Then be sure to jump to the BeanFun forums for more information on how you can join beta testing.

Aries
Aries are best-suited for fighter classes. Their zodiac abilities mainly focus on faster in-battle HP and MP regeneration rates and the potential to deliver higher critical hit damage. However, this power comes at a cost. Players who choose faster rates in-battle will develop slower rates out of battle. Likewise, those who favor increased critical hit damage will become more vulnerable to being critically hit themselves.

Taurus
Taurus excel at support. Taurus' zodiac abilities allow for aggression reduction and the recovery of HP and MP. Depending on which ability is chosen at each Astrolabe level, players can increase their character's recovery rate in and out of battle, determine how positive and negative emotion is accumulated, critical hit damage output, and the damage taken from critical hits. The only downside: Taurus are more dependent on using abilities than any other sign.

Gemini
Gemini are the jacks of all trades and masters of none. They're well-rounded, making them suited for any class, but not specialized in any. Gemini's zodiac abilities tend to focus on speed. Players can choose to increase their character's casting and attack speed, recovery rate, or movement speed and will gain the ability to teleport at level 35.

Cancer
Like their namesake, Cancers make great defenders. Their zodiac abilities allow them to increase their physical defense to the point of nullifying critical damage entirely. However, that incredible defense can come at the cost of slower casting and attack speeds. At level 35, Cancers can learn an ability that prevents critical attacks from doing any damage to them at all!

Leo
Leos are the kings (and queens) of tanking. They're able to mitigate damage just as well as they inflict it. Their zodiac abilities provide them with a strong offense and abilities that increase their defense at the cost of HP and MP. Leos can also learn a skill at level 35 that will inflict fire damage to all enemies within a 15 meter radius.

Virgo
Virgos make excellent damage dealers. Their zodiac abilities allow them to deliver high damage critical strikes -- up to 250%! As with the other classes, there is some give and take to Virgo's abilities. For example, Nitpick (the skill Virgos learn at level 15) will increase critical hit chance for all attacks (excluding fire) by 75%, but will cause attack and casting speed to be reduced by 100%.

Libra
Libras are born defenders. Their zodiac abilities allow them to mitigate critical damage. Although they're not quite as strong as Cancers during longer conflicts, they make up for it in other ways. Libras have a distaste for fighting, so many of their abilities prevent the use of certain skills or grant protection against critical hit damage and physical, fire, and air attacks.

Scorpio
Scorpios are incredible damage dealers. Their zodiac abilities increase their attack power and critical damage dramatically, at the cost of decreasing their defense against critical damage. Scorpios also gain an ability at level 35 which reduces a target's movement by 100 points and HP by 6% every 6 seconds.

Sagittarius
Sagittarius are also natural damage dealers, particularly when it comes to sustained damage. They can sacrifice their HP and MP to maximize the damage they inflict. At level 15, Sagittarius can increase their attack and casting speed by 75%, but at the cost of HP and MP. They also gain an ability at level 35 that guarantees that their next attack will result in a critical hit.

Capricorn
Capricorns are excellent attackers. Their zodiac skills not only give them the highest critical chance rate of all signs, but can boost their damage or self-healing as well. For example, Aim for Perfection increases the critical hit damage of all attacks by 100%. However, these skills come at the cost of Capricorns' HP and MP regeneration rate, which can become slower or delayed.

Aquarius
Like Gemini, Aquarius is also very balanced. They excel at support, thanks to skills like Unrestrained, which removes an ongoing effect that would otherwise restrict mobility or movement speed. They can also reduce multiple targets' HP and increase their physical or magical attack and critical hit chance.

Pisces
Pisces are pros when it comes to mitigating damage and reducing aggression. This makes them great candidates for support classes. Pisces' zodiac skills can enable them to increase their evasiveness and movement speed, reduce hostility, guarantee critical attacks and even prevent any attack damage.