I would like to propose a revision to the spellcasting system, it will make it more closer to how D&D works but this is not my main objective, what would happen by bringing it is that the warrior class would be more useful and more desired in groups.
Basically there are two ideas behind this revision:
A-Being unable to cast spells while fighting, this would force the player to make decisions (cast or fight), meaning that the cleric would have to choose either between heal a companion or fight, making no-spellcasters classes dedicated warriors and so more useful.
B-Attacks of opportunity, casting while in the front line would incur in an attack of opportunity by all the hostile mobs/characters, casting while in the middle rank would only grant hostile mobs an attack of opportunity between 10% and 33% of the times (percentage to determine), no attacks of opportunity granted by casting in the back rank.
All this would bring the game more closer to D&D, add some strategy to the group formation and make the warriors way more useful.
Revised spellcasting and warriors
I understand that this proposed revision may bring us closer, but it won't make Warriors and their higher tiers any more necessary.
Spell casting times are already highly increased. Even if divine/arcane casters were limited in attacks, melee damage doesn't do nearly as much as its D&D counterpart if compared to magic damage.
Even still, there are plenty of things that are immune to weapon damage as a whole. Some are immune completely to multiple forms of physical weapon damage.
It would be very difficult to make a step one way or another until the things already in place are changed (such as the aforementioned mobs taking little/no damage from melee weapons).
Spell casting times are already highly increased. Even if divine/arcane casters were limited in attacks, melee damage doesn't do nearly as much as its D&D counterpart if compared to magic damage.
Even still, there are plenty of things that are immune to weapon damage as a whole. Some are immune completely to multiple forms of physical weapon damage.
It would be very difficult to make a step one way or another until the things already in place are changed (such as the aforementioned mobs taking little/no damage from melee weapons).
This land shall come to the God who knows the answer to War. -Ninety-Nine Nights