ETA on Advanced Class change?

[Ratajack]

I think it would be OK to have a AC change if it could only be done 2 times on a single character.

 

Once to switch to the other AC, once if you decided you made a mistake.

 

Not everyone has the time to level all the way back to 55 on another character, especially if you already played a few 55 alts (which many players have by now to see the stories).

 

I have this problem with a Vanguard. I had a Merc already, so went with the opposite AC on the Republic side. After getting to 55, I really wish I'd rolled a Commando, because the playstyle is much more to my liking.

 

If there is a 2 time limit on switching per character, it prevents "FOTM" changes. Sure, you can switch once, but then the spec isn't likely to stay OP for that long. And if it costs a good amount of coins, people won't be eager to switch so easily.

 

Anyway, my 2 cents. I think BW should allow for this.

 

Folks who are opposed might have way more time to play than most.

 

 

Everyone has time to level that new class. There is no time limit on reaching max level. Its not as if that character will be deleted if it does not reach max level within 2 weeks. It requires even less time now to reach max level with the double XP weekends and the XP boosts you can as quest rewards. Many people are too averse to the modicum of effort required to actually level that new class, though.

 

Putting a limit of two times on class changes would solve nothing. We already have a limit on the number of times you can change your class. That number is zero. Here you are, though, in a 430+ page thread asking that the limit be raised, while many people are asking that it be removed entirely. If they set a limit of 2 times, then the complaints would be "you let me do it twice, why not three times", etc.

 

Let's not give that mouse a cookie.

[Ratajack]

I don't think that means much in the current environment. We had no news on Guild Ships since they were first brought up I believe, and now they are making it into the game.

 

If anything, as players, we can arguably gauge if something has a chance to be implemented now based on coin sales and long-term effects on the game.

 

AC changes would be popular, and, if limited to a specific number, would prevent exploiting newly buffed specs.

 

As far as long-term effects on the game, I don't think the pool of players that level all 16 ACs is very large. It's probably tiny, in fact. BW probably has a lot more to gain by allowing AC changes than not.

 

BW WILL lose subs if they allow class changes. How many they will lose is anyone's guess. Will they gain more in the quick one-time influx of revenue by allowing class changes (since you want to limit it to 2 times, it will not be a steady source of revenue) then they will lose in the long run by losing the recurring revenue of the subscriptions of those who would cancel their subs?

 

Again, I ask you what makes you think that ANY limit on the number of class changes would be enough when the forums are full of threads asking that the current limit be lifted or removed?

 

We already have the means to play any new class we want to play. It simply requires a modicum of effort to actually level that new class.

[Ottoattack]

I wish people would stop necroing this post. You are beating the dirt that the horse has decomposed into by now.

 

Why? Has there been a resolution? No. Devs had not responded and their are people on both side of the argument.

[DOHboy]

I'd say we're beating the envelopes, that were put together with the glue, that was made from the dead horse.

 

There has been nothing new stated on this subject since forever.

 

Think we're probably reaching half-life of the C14 at this point....

[TUXs]

There are players who feel strongly enough about class changing that they WILL lose subs if they allow class changes. How many they will lose is anyone's guess.

 

Look at it from a financial perspective also. Right now those who want that new class handed to them paying and playing by leaving class changes as a "possibility". They also have those against class changes paying and playing by not implementing class changes.

 

If they were to come out and give a definite "No", they risk losing those who want that new class handed to them because they are too averse to the modicum of effort required to actually level that new class. If they implement class changes, they risk losing those players who feel that class changes should not be allowed.

LOL! Even you wouldn't quit if they allowed AC switching...and you're the biggest whiner against it.

[TUXs]

BW WILL lose subs if they allow class changes. How many they will lose is anyone's guess.

Assumption. YOU assume they would, I doubt they would. My guess is zero.

[Sendrel]

BW WILL lose subs if they allow class changes.

 

Doubtful.

[Savej]

Did Wow lose subs when Wow started to allow respecs? When it made respecs painless? When it added dual spec? (Answer: no - and since they added those things everyone has expected them and taken them for granted in all similar games including this one). The only distinction here is that some absolutist and grind-happy nuts can't wrap their heads around the idea that skill tree resets in other games are functionally the same if not identical to AC respecs here.

 

i can't think of any game that lost subs immediately after giving characters more flexibility with committed leveling decisions (and every single one that i played for any length of time did just that).

 

i can almost guarantee that a reasonably priced CM AC respec will only make BW money: short term and long term.

[psandak]

Did Wow lose subs when Wow started to allow respecs? When it made respecs painless? When it added dual spec? (Answer: no - and since they added those things everyone has expected them and taken them for granted in all similar games including this one). The only distinction here is that some absolutist and grind-happy nuts can't wrap their heads around the idea that skill tree resets in other games are functionally the same if not identical to AC respecs here.

 

i can't think of any game that lost subs immediately after giving characters more flexibility with committed leveling decisions (and every single one that i played for any length of time did just that).

 

i can almost guarantee that a reasonably priced CM AC respec will only make BW money: short term and long term.

 

respec and class change are two very different things. SWTOR already has respec (field re-specialization legacy unlock), class change would be like:

 

• a WoW priest turning into a rogue or warrior (Jedi Sage/Sith Sorcerer --> Jedi Shadow/Sith Assassin = VERY different playstyle)
  
• a WoW paladin turning into a monk (Jedi Guardian/Sith Juggernaut --> Jedi Sentinel/Sith Marauder = not terribly different but still different)
  
• etc etc etc
  

 

I know a lot of players who have played both ACs of a given class and do really well with one and really struggle with the other...and that is WITH having to level a new character. Now magnify that disparity a hundred times when someone changes a level 55 character between ACs.

[TUXs]

respec and class change are two very different things. SWTOR already has respec (field re-specialization legacy unlock), class change would be like:

Oh they are not lol! And when you say "Class", I assume you mean AC...which is wrong. There are only 4 classes per faction and this thread isn't about CLASS changing, just AC changing.

 

AC is basically a tree choice. At least half of your freaking skills are 100% shared no matter which AC you pick and every class shares an entire flippin tree in common, no matter which AC is picked. They should have just made each class have 5 trees.

[DOHboy]

Oh they are not lol! And when you say "Class", I assume you mean AC...which is wrong. There are only 4 classes per faction and this thread isn't about CLASS changing, just AC changing.

 

AC is basically a tree choice. At least half of your freaking skills are 100% shared no matter which AC you pick and every class shares an entire flippin tree in common, no matter which AC is picked. They should have just made each class have 5 trees.

 

Back in the early days, there was going to be one story for all. At which point your AC became your class. When they added in separate stories your "class" became your story, and AC become play style, the tree became your sepc.

 

Per the devs. AC is you class so no, they are not talking about swapping stories, but swapping AC is something devs are against since they have felt from the beginning that AC is the class.

 

So in the eyes of the dev you have story->class->spec/tree

[TUXs]

Back in the early days, there was going to be one story for all. At which point your AC became your class. When they added in separate stories your "class" became your story, and AC become play style, the tree became your sepc.

 

Per the devs. AC is you class so no, they are not talking about swapping stories, but swapping AC is something devs are against since they have felt from the beginning that AC is the class.

 

So in the eyes of the dev you have story->class->spec/tree

Read the very 1st post in this thread.

 

And who cares what THEY planned from the beginning? They didn't plan on the game going F2P or server mergers or GSF or GF or the quick travel terminals or housing or adaptive armor or the CM or lotsa stuff...all that crap was added AFTER their original plan failed.

 

Their plan sucked. The more they add that WE asked for, the better THEIR game becomes. This is one of those things.

[Anzel]

I love that there are literally thousands of responses to this but not one word from EA. This is community management at its worst. I mean really.

[DOHboy]

I love that there are literally thousands of responses to this but not one word from EA. This is community management at its worst. I mean really.

 

they have said before. AC swapping is not something they plan on implementing.

[TUXs]

I love that there are literally thousands of responses to this but not one word from EA. This is community management at its worst. I mean really.

 

Terribly true! It's ridiculous.

[TUXs]

they have said before. AC swapping is not something they plan on implementing.

LOL! Remember when they said they weren't going to go F2P too? I love how long that lasted after they flat out insulted all F2P games.

[Themanthatisi]

I have said it many times myself, AC changes would be a wonderful idea...

 

Keep leading the charge TUX...

[OddballEasyEight]

Assumption. YOU assume they would, I doubt they would. My guess is zero.

 

I am completely against allowing Advanced Class changes because they are vastly different in most cases (some even having different armour capabilities which could lead to all kinds of trouble if you switch), but I agree that they would lose all of zero subs over the decision either way.

I do not believe for a second that there is anyone who feels so strongly about advanced class switching that they'd unsubscribe because bioware decided one way or the other.

 

On the other hand, apparantly someone just unsubscribed because bioware deleted their mail after 30 days, so who knows

 

But I doubt it would be more than one or two seriously unstable people that would quit.

[Infernixx]

Swapping from class to class at endgame is both counterproductive and a bad financial idea.

 

I wouldn't expect to ever see this happen in TOR.

[Sendrel]

Swapping from class to class at endgame is both counterproductive and a bad financial idea.

 

Can you maybe elaborate on that some more? Not seeing how its either counterproductive or a bad financial idea.

[Lorrimar]

Swapping from class to class at endgame is both counterproductive and a bad financial idea.

 

I wouldn't expect to ever see this happen in TOR.

 

 

I really don't understand what the big deal is. I have a 55 gunslinger that I am never going to play because I have 3 other 55's who I enjoy playing as DPS more. My 55's are all pub side & recently I have started an operative on Imp side. I love the way that the operative heals, but I DESPISE both dps specs. I'd happily pay $20 bucks or so to change my gunslinger's AC so that he's something that I want to play & so that I don't have to suffer through quests on a DPS character that I loathe.

[Oneirophrenia]

Can you maybe elaborate on that some more? Not seeing how its either counterproductive or a bad financial idea.

 

Right now if you wanted to experience the abilities and play styles of every class in SWTOR, you need a *minimum* of 8 characters. In other words, one for each AC. For particularly devoted players who also want to experience every storyline along with every AC (despite the Imp/Pub ability mirrors), that number grows to 16. It may not be difficult to grind a new character to level 55 but at least it will still keep the players busy for a while, especially those who do not spend 40 hours per week in game. Now if BW allowed for AC respec/change then that number would get cut in half or in other words:

 

"Durr, I have 4 max level toons and I have experienced every class SWTOR has to offer, durr."

 

Which MMO do you know of allows for that? I can't think of a single MMO where having 4 characters would translate into having played every single class in the game. Frankly, BW/EA may as well put their business plan into the shredder and be done with it if they were foolish enough to implement this.

Edited April 21, 2014 by Oneirophrenia

[SgtJeremy]

Why not just make a new character. The story beats all the end game stuff by a mile anyway. And there's the whole deal where your weapons and armour become obsolete in some if not all cases. And like I said the story is enjoyable enough that playing through it again is fun. What I do is I don't roll one character for 50+ levels. I roll a mixture of 2-4 characters so I don't get bored quickly.

[TUXs]

Right now if you wanted to experience the abilities and play styles of every class in SWTOR, you need a *minimum* of 8 characters. In other words, one for each AC. It may not be difficult to grind a new character to level 55 but at least it'll still keep the player busy for a while, especially those who do not spend 40 hours per week in game. Now if BW allowed for AC respec/change then that number would get cut in half or in other words:

LOL! Whatever...the people that care about experiencing all the freaking classes, ROLL those classes. This is about playing an AC that people LIKE! This is about helping players ENJOY the game, not punishing them for not picking heads or tails correctly 45 minutes into playing the flipping game.

[TUXs]

Why not just make a new character. The story beats all the end game stuff by a mile anyway. And there's the whole deal where your weapons and armour become obsolete in some if not all cases. And like I said the story is enjoyable enough that playing through it again is fun. What I do is I don't roll one character for 50+ levels. I roll a mixture of 2-4 characters so I don't get bored quickly.

Why does it matter to you? Why do YOU care what AC I play? What YOU enjoy, I may not (leveling). Just because YOU like all the story crap, doesn't mean everyone does...Jedi Consular story sucked! So does the Knights.