"Advanced Classes = Fundamentally Different Class Designs"

Of course it dilutes the classes. Assasin and sorcerer would no longer be classes, they would just be specs. We might as well just leave it as inquisitor and have the 5 talent trees in the same window. Picking one point in an assassin tree allowing dual-lightsaber, and not allowing putting points into the sorcerer tree. So yes, it does dilute them.

Diluting the game too much is a bad idea. What's next? Having 4 stats it's too complicated. Lets just replace willpower/aim/str/cunning for "ability". Much easier to make gear for it, and gives people more "choice"!. Let's replace all lightsabers and blasters for "weapon". Woo!! yeah, that gives people more "options"!. That's an extreme example, but that is what it tries to get to when you dilute too much.

I do not want that. I can agree that the spec choice at lvl 10 is not really needed, and we should have the 8 ACs as choices to start with. Still, that is not good enough reason to allow AC switching. Diluting the game in the name of offering more "choice" is not always a good idea.

The Advanced Classes are just glorified specs though. Again there's been no argument that can justify this, most popular is "Cause Bioware said so."

And again you're not proving anything about diluting the class or the game, all you're saying is "If they give in to one complaint, they'll give in to them all!!" which I'm sorry, is a really weak argument.

Some of the points made in arguing for AC switching don't make much sense to me.

One argument is that for guilds that need a player to fill a roll, it sucks to have to level another character. Okay, I get that, but if you have 8 people, and 1 leaves, you now have 7 and you still have to fill that spot.

Secondly, the game has 3 classes that can end-game tank, 3 classes that can end-game heal, and every class is capable of playing DPS.

You don't -need- to change your AC, nor do you have to play through the same story to get an alternative character for filling a roll. Each player in your 'small guild' only needs to level 2 characters. One that is capable of Tanking and DPS, and one that is capable of Healing and DPS.

This leaves them with a vast variety of options on which two classes they want to level without having to play through the same storyline. In addition to that, players will soon be able to dual-spec. Meaning that, they can swap from tank to dps, or vice versa depending on the group needs. As well, healers can do the same. Swap from dps to heals or back.

To me, this argument that AC swapping is a 'quality of life' issue, doesn't hold water. What I am hearing more, is that each class needs to be optimized better to be viable end-game characters so it does not matter if you have a Operative healer instead of a Sorcerer. There should be no 'optimal best in slot class'. So, I vote for class optimization over AC swapping.

The reasoning behind it is simple.. Right now there are 16 classes, counting both republic and empire.. AC swapping reduces the individual classes essentually to 8 or 50% less..

The point of classes is individuality.. If a Jedi Knight can switch back and forth from Guardian and Sentinel.. There is little reason to have the two AC classes in the first place.. Which would be one of the next arguements..

It was a design decision to have it so that no one class can both tank or heal.. So They are either tank and DPS, heals and DPS, or DPS and DPS.. No class can both tank and heal.. AC swapping would break that design rule that Bioware made..

You arguement is all about easy and all about 1 character doing it all.. My only response is that perhaps you should go play Halo or MW3 or something.,. Where one character does it all.. I happen to like a choice, and I happen to like my choices to mean something. I like making alts.. They are fun in of themselves.. I like leveling them again.. Each class give a new twist to what you have already done before..

I am sorry you don't like leveling an alt.. But that in noway means they should ruin the game to accomodate a few players.. Yes it is only a few.. See this thread if you don't believe me..

Really? sure, they are different specs because an assasin plays just like a sorcerer. Same rotations, same skills, just a couple of different abilities... oh wait... Ok, ok, then let's look at the sniper and operative. They both play the same, same rotations, same skills, just a few different... oh wait...

They are different classes. COMPLETELY different classes. You do not seem to understand what "spec" means. It means "specialization". It does not mean "redefinition". A spec is just something to boost a specific playstyle of your class. It does not mean it CHANGES your class. Specs and classes should be kept separate, or, as I already stated, it DILUTES the game. And I know WoW does it with druids and paladins, but I still consider it a bad idea.

And yeah, giving in to one demand will empower the "demandee" to demand more. That's the way things work.

How exactly can you support that statement?? They are not glorified specs.. They are classes.. In every sense of the word.. They are classes..

Please explain otherwise..

Then you're not playing the class right. I can speak from personal experience as I have a sorc, assassin, mercenary, and powertech. My girlfriend has an Operative and I have played with enough Snipers to see how the play style is vastly different in each and every AC.

Example, as a Sorcerer, depending on if you're DPS or Heals, your rotation is VERY different. You have different abilities you use regularly. Even among the two different DPS trees as a sorcerer you are utilizing different abilities as your primary attack. Assassin is the same. Whether you are Tank, or DPS, plays a huge role in your rotation and the only thing assassin and sorc share is 'force lightning'. I wouldn't call that the same rotation. Not to mention, sorcs have heals, assassins do not.

For Agents, Operative doesn't need Cover to do the majority of their abilities. They are a far more mobile class, they are stealth, and they use a lot more melee and close ranged attacks. Sniper is long range, requires cover for the majority of its higher damage attacks, and is not very mobile at all.

Bounty Hunter, mercenaries use tracer, or power shot as their primary attack depending on their dps tree. I don't even need to mention healing, because powertechs don't have the heals at all. They are range, and utilize that to their advantage. They can't take hits nearly as well as a powertech, and they don't use shields. Powertech is melee with a gun. You are up close, in their face, and most of your attacks are fire/flamethrower based as opposed to Mercenaries being missile or blaster based.

Yes you share some of the same abilities across different ACs, but the playstyle and how they are utilized are vastly different depending not only on your AC choice, but your skill tree as well.

So just in the same way that a Feral Druid plays exactly the same as a Moonkin Druid?
Oh wait...

And Mages and Warlocks play almost exacly the same, wear the same gear, use the same stats, play the same roles.. Oh wait!!

A druid is a horrilbe example as it is a shape shifter.. It is a hybrid.. Every paladin spec uses a sword and shield.. Whether it is Holy or Retribution..

Feral is cat or bear and moonkin is a bird.. Do any of the classes in this game shape shift?? Oh wait!!

Edit: They do have shape shifters in Star Wars.. Zam Wesell was a Shape Shifter..

Zam Wesell

So it would be interesting if they added a shape shifting class..

And that shows you did not even read my post. Thanks for pointing that out.

Again, that argument is weak. Just because WoW does it, does not mean it is the ONLY way, or the CORRECT way to do it. It seems your vision is quite limited.