Pros and Cons of Dual Advanced Classes

Exactly!
that is the point!

if anybody could roll any class and then switch advanced classes a plethora of unskilled (at certain roles) players would be unleashed.

The solo content in this game is easy enough that an unskilled healer, tank, or dps can survive without too many deaths/repair bills
however it could, and in my opinion would, damage group content because unskilled players would be experimenting with new roles.

I rolled a healer for the first time in this game. After grinding up through the levels, i have become, IMO, fairly competent and able to contribute to groups.

Somebody who switches from a dps to a healer, and then is responsible fora group wipe because they were busy slicing and dicing is only possible with Dual AC

as for arguments that say its an option, it doesnt affect you,
that is straight up wrong
Any choice the developers make to the structure of the game has an effect on everyone playing it, whether detrimental or beneficial

I put this in anther thread and I'll repeat it here.

As players it should be our goal to see this game live on for years and continue to grow and develop. People need to get past the entitlement view of "give me what I want now" and realize its not what is best for the longevity of this game. Options are NOT always better.

Its a commonly held belief that raising your child by structuring their choices and guiding them to make the right ones is vastly superior to allowing them to do whatever they want whenever they want. Offering vegetable A or fruit B is a better option than "pick something out of the kitchen for dinner". They'd invariably choose the candy every time. By limiting their choices you are teaching that child how to make the right decision when they get older. "Candy is not appropriate for dinner".

The same can be applied here. Sure, we can let players do whatever they want. PvP and buy PvE gear with the reward. Go RP with someone in a cantina for 6 hours a day for a month and get to level 50 with max PvP gear. Pick whatever class you want - it doesn't matter because you can change it whenever you like. Players will go on a frenzy of playing and no one will want to stop. Until there's nothing to do anymore. They've played all the classes. They have 8 sets of PvP, PvE and social gear. They are bored. They have one character. They quit the game.

By forcing you to make the choice of what class you want to play, Bioware has guided you towards certain options in the game. Yes, there is choice within that class as to what tree you want to play (the best decisions made for someone always look like they have options within that choice) but you're still committed on some level. In the end, if you want to change your choice, you'll need to work for it and develop another character. It increases replayability and extends the life of the game exponentially. Which should be important to all of us.

Yes advanced CLASSES are classes. You choose them at the beginning of your levelling process once you get used to the basic play style of the game. This game has 8 classes, not 4.

Somebody who switches from a dps to a healer, and then is responsible fora group wipe because they were busy slicing and dicing is only possible with Dual AC

You can still essentially do this as long as you spend more time miserably grinding through the same content twice for each class, experiencing the same exact story(which is supposed to be unique to your class). I do not believe that is replayability. People still play nonstop until they're bored regardless of switching ACs, and playing nonstop leveling to get the part you actually enjoy is worse than playing the part you enjoy until it's boring, especially when the former option can cause you to quit before you actually even reach the part you enjoy.

If you don't enjoy a certain aspect of the game, but are forced to do it just so you can experience the aspects you DO enjoy, then you either spend less time playing, or spend the same/more time and foster contempt for the game based on that and quit earlier than you would had you been able to enjoy it more often. So essentially it reduces replayability and decreases your enjoyment, interest, and time in/on the game.

Well, we have two very similar discussions rolling in the SUGGESTION forums right now. I posted something similar in the other forum and I think the points could be useful here for discussion sake, so I'll summarize my thoughts here:

With all the back and forth, the argument usually boils down to the definition of classes.

The PRO-AC change side believes that Advanced Classes are spec-related, NOT CORE-class related.

The ANTI-AC change side believes that Advanced Classes are CORE-class related.

We can call it semantics, but since I'm on the PRO-AC change side, I'll illustrate the reasons why I believe Advanced Classes are more spec-related and less class related.

REASON# 1: Bioware introduces AC selection akin to Talent Tree Selection

Because the first 10 levels are IDENTICAL regardless of the AC selection, the choice at level 10 doesn't feel like a different class, but rather, a specialization choice. As a Sith Warrior, you've entered combat primarily through Force Leap starting at level 2. At level 10, you will still enter combat primarily through Force Leap REGARDLESS of your AC selection. Further to that point, your combat resources remain the same as does many other aspects including story, companion, ship, etc.

REASON# 2: Advanced Classes are NOT as clearly defined as Core Classes

When a player select an AC at level 10, they have two tabs of abilities. One is defined by their Core class (i.e. Sith Warrior) and one is defined by their AC (i.e. Marauder). An Annihilation Marauder will always have (and train) Sith Warrior abilities while an Immortal Juggernaut will ALSO have (and train) Sith Warrior abilities. Regardless of the selection of Marauder or Juggernaut, the character will always be a Sith Warrior at it's core.

Not only do the different ACs share common abilities based in the CORE CLASS, but the two ACs share a common Talent Tree as well. This is where the CLASS delineation breaks down even further.

These two points boil down into quite an ambiguous definition of Advanced Class. It's obviously not a CORE CLASS (since you can't select a Mercenary AC while playing a Warrior); it's not a COMPLETELY different set of Talent Trees (since the two ACs share a common Tree) and it's playstyle is not entirely UNIQUE between the two ACs (Both Juggernauts and Marauder's Force Leap into combat).

Actually, it's quite possible now, even without Dual AC. I doubt that a Mercenary who's leveled from 1 to 50 as Arsenal will be any better equipped to be an end-game healer if they decide to re-spec to Bodyguard at level 50 prior to an Operation.

Learning to play is completely separate from this conversation as long as Bioware allows Talent Tree respecs (two within an AC). Why not allow all four Talent Trees (within the CORE class)?

REASON# 1: Bioware introduces AC selection akin to Talent Tree Selection

Because the first 10 levels are IDENTICAL regardless of the AC selection, the choice at level 10 doesn't feel like a different class, but rather, a specialization choice. As a Sith Warrior, you've entered combat primarily through Force Leap starting at level 2. At level 10, you will still enter combat primarily through Force Leap REGARDLESS of your AC selection. Further to that point, your combat resources remain the same as does many other aspects including story, companion, ship, etc.

REASON# 2: Advanced Classes are NOT as clearly defined as Core Classes

Another argument against Dual AC is that it reduces replayability, because you can be every single role, and in the case of consular/inquisitor and Imp Agent/Smuggler even dabble with long range dps/heals and switch to close range melee dps/tanking
why would I spend time leveling alts when i can just switch my main to a different (to varying degrees) playstyle

also, you are not forced to play the same story, i have a 41 sith sorc and am rolling a jedi conselor alt to try out the tank-asin build to see how i like it

Why should bioware give you more choice when you have limited yourself to playing one and only one faction?

Why? Becos it will be fun for me and I won't feel like : Oh, I am stuck in this role and this group just need a healer which my AC cannot spec.

If you then ask "Why not bring the other alt I have which is the role that the group wants?" My answer is the 10 alts are all spread between two servers and two factions and are of VARYING levels. So let's say if someone wants a healer in cademimu and my healer currently is level 10 but my level 30 char, which can be a healer if AC respec is possible, cannot run because he is not a healer at the moment.