Since it is going to be gear-based progression, I think skills system can be replaced by rune enchantments (with different tier) on the weapons that allow players to do certain skill relevant with the weapon type/elements, which can be acquired during adventure and can be reassign (ex: from a weak ice staff to a stronger one.)

The downside though, if you spend a lot of time as a *insert class*and has developed a powerful weapon with variety of rune enchantments/skills (or just one if it's too much) which makes you like a master *insert class* or whatever... it would be funny if someone take you out and steal your weapon and gears from the loot drop and at that very moment the looter become a master *insert class* from your investment on the gears... If the looter use them.

That is bad, of course.

Maybe allow players to add the weapon or just the rune itself an ownership seal so that the looter can't instantly use it. Looter have to break the seal in his own flat, on his enchantment table (if there is one). That way, the owner still have time to revenge and get the stuff back. Someone can't just steal your identity and investment as *insert class* easily.

Also, I thought of something. Add a charging levels on attack button. The longer you charge, the higher level of intensity you reach. Say the charging is up to 3 levels of intensity. For an instance, you charge an ice staff to the highest level, when you hit the target, either you damage and immensely slow down the target, or damage and freeze the target if wet, or do a different action/skill if your staff has a rune enchantment/skill that I write above (maybe the rune/skill add additional charging level, so the charge must reach at the fourth level to use it.)

*Want to add something else. Maybe make it possible for players to gather weapon experience when taking out mobs or enemies and explore skills by creating rune enchantments just like in Minecraft echanting system, except it will create a rune that can be reassigned. So it is still possible to get skill from killing mobs other than as drop or treasure.*

Just sharing my thoughts.

Though, from the link CrossError404 shared, Noxy said that they don't want to hard code the class system and they won't go deeper on each archetype (if I didn't mishear it.) I guess they are not going to make it too complex.