ETA on Advanced Class change?

You are correct. However, I will point out again that there is a vast difference between a cosmetic change and one that affects fundamental game play mechanics, such as a class change would.

An interesting suggestion but I feel it misses the main reason for having an option enabled to change the Advanced Class.

If you have already levelled a character to maximum level as a Gunslinger I see no reason why I would want to play a second smuggler as a Gunslinger. You would naturally choose Scoundrel, if at this point you don't like the Advanced Class choice you'd just abandon it. Changing it to Gunslinger would be a weird choice as you already have a level 55 Gunslinger waiting to be played. Not to mention the only way to get the second character back to its original state of Scoundrel would be to level a third character to maximum level as a Scoundrel. I would imagine if you didn't like the class enough the first time and wanted to swap out you aren't going to survive the second time either.

My suggestion tries to address the needs of a gamer who has less playing time than seems to be considered the norm, and a lot less experience at what they can expect from late-end game play.

You want to play as a Bounty Hunter so you select the Powertech AC. Things go swimmingly in the early levels and you get to that point where you are getting close to a full rotation and you find you just don't like being a Tank/ Melee DPS. At this point you have probably invested a few months worth of gameplay and time in a guild. That's quite a lot of investment to just shelve it and start fresh, especially if you already have friends in end game content wanting you to catch up.
So you look for an option to keep your character and experience the other side of the coin, the Healer/ Ranged DPS of the Mercenary.
Within the scope of the story both are still Bounty Hunters, they just have a slightly different focus. As long as there is no ability to use the abilities from both classes at the same time there is no dramatic power shift. If there is a suitable lockout period (I only picked a time frame of one week as I liked the Fast Show and can't help but say 'This Week I are be mostly playing as a Powertech') it minimises any form of abuse for AC swapping as currently seems to exist in PvP with spec resetting on the fly.

The prime function of an AC change is to allow a player to dabble in the abilities and specs of the other AC on the way up through the levels (considering this I may have set my costs a little high but they are easily set depending on how much a player base would/ would not be willing to pay, I largely went on how much it currently costs to unlock a new species you haven't already levelled to 50).

Your suggestion would mean to select a Mercenary I would have to level one to 55 and to select a Powertech I would need to level one to 55. It is really just another way of saying level the other AC to max. I can understand the sentiment of players that take this line as nobody likes to see their efforts lessened or their skill set taken as easy to master. But at the end of the day you still have the advantage of multiple characters and all the bonuses that brings with it, more inventory space, more earning potential from repeating dailies, more support to your guild as you can run OPs multiple times (locked out on one character swap to the other), more craft skills available to you.

We all know what happens when you assume.

thats no different then saying they should just give a max level toon of every class but you do not have to take it.

Giving people a new max level character is not a quality of life change its a pay to win option.

The sad thing is you guys do not know the difference in quality of life option and giving someone the option of skipping the game. Quality of life like making a UI change so something is easier to see, that is far and away different then giving someone a class they have never played at max level.

Who wants a new max level character?

Please quote someone that said they want that. Oh wait you can't and you are moving goal-post to try to help what litle argument you thought you had. You failed.

When you level a toon up to 55 and change AC's, does that add a fresh new level 55 character in your character slot for the account? Please answer this.

Allowing class changes would still allow a single character to fill all three roles, which goes directly against the devs design intents.

it gives you a character you have not leveled... that would be a new character.

it gives you a character you have not leveled... that would be a new character... it does not matter if it removes the old one its still a character you did not level. An assassin is not a sorcerer, anyone moron knows this... Asking for a sorc to become and assassin is moronic. It is no different what so ever then asking Blizzard to turn for priest into a rogue in wow.

it gives you a character you have not leveled... that would be a new character... it does not matter if it removes the old one its still a character you did not level. An assassin is not a sorcerer, anyone moron knows this... Asking for a sorc to become and assassin is moronic. It is no different what so ever then asking Blizzard to turn for priest into a rogue in wow.

as long as mirror AC count ( like they do for class buffs - which are shared by both AC's btw, further adding evidence of AC not being a separate class), then I can see it as possible compromise. not my favorite option for several reasons, but it IS a compromise that among other things, takes into account people who prefer not to replay the same story twice.