In roleplaying games (RPGs), player classes can usually be boiled down to three basic roles: The warrior, the rogue, and the mage. In web development, we see the same three basic archetypes.
Concept art for the three basic classes of the first Diablo.
The Warrior
As the heavy hitter (he’s the guy with the big ax in the picture), the warrior ends up doing a lot of the damage.
But he’s more useful for the damage that he takes. A team of adventurers will have a hard time functioning without a crazy guy up front, swinging around his weapon and taking all of the big hits.
In web development, the warrior is the back-end programmer. It’s a dirty, bloody, sweaty job, but somebody’s gotta do it.
The Mage
After slinging around a few magic missiles, the mage is the guy on the team that gets to act like the whole thing was no big deal. He drops a few tidbits of wisdom on awed onlookers in his fancy robes while the warrior gets to pick bits of ogre out of his ragged warrior beard.
That’s right; the mage is the designer. Everyone see the lights of his fireballs from the village, and comes running to congratulate him on a job well done after the village is saved.
But if a Goblin were to slip by with a spiked club, the mage and his fancy robes wouldn’t last long. The Mage has the hardest time on his own.
The Rogue
The Rogue is the most versatile of the three classes. He can attack from afar, like the mage, with his bow and arrow. He can also mix it up in the front lines with his dagger, particularly if he can position himself correctly (ideally, behind his opponent).
It’s this versatility that lends the rogue his real strength. He can be where the team needs him to be. In web development, the rogue is the guy with an unusual combination of skills. He’s sometimes called a sweeper or just a jack-of-all trades.
Building your team
Putting together a web development team is just like putting together a band of adventurers. You need a balance of classes.
If you have three people, aim for one of each class. Sometimes it’s okay to have two warriors and a mage, or similar combinations. Having three of the same class is almost always a disaster.
With two people, the combinations become a bit more limiting. Obviously Warrior/Mage or Warrior/Rogue is a good combo. Notice that having at least one warrior is always a good idea (the converse, having all warriors, is just as bad as that idea is good, however).
Watching out for the know-it-alls
Adventurers are a boastful bunch. Watch out for the warrior who says he knows everything there is to know about magic, or the mage carrying around a great sword that’s taller than he is. For every day an adventurer spends learning more about the intricacies of shooting fireballs, the less he learns about swinging an ax. There’s lots to know in fantasy adventuring, and there’s even more to know in web development.
We’re long past the days of one person being able to know everything. A balanced team of specialists will always beat out a team of know-it-alls.