Switch Advanced Classes

Agreed. I just figured that since Bioware's taking the game in a one-size-fits-all direction anyway, why waste the time and expense of dragging it out and simply get it over with?

The devs have stated that the classes were designed intentionally so that no single character should fill all three toles AT ANY TIME, not just "at the same time". The operative term is AT ANY TIME.

You can google the statements if you want to read them. I will not do your research for you.

The devs intended that no single character would be able to be a tank for this fight, then DPS for the next fight and heal for the third fight.

Notice that no single class (AC-treated as full classes per the devs) has a tanking spec, a healing spec and a DPS spec. Do some classes have a heal spec and two DPS specs? Yes. Do some classes have a tank spec and 2 DPS specs? Yes.

Can a character heal one fight as a sorcerer then change to DPS for the next fight? That sorcerer, however, cannot tank for the third fight. Allowing class changes would negate this design intent, allowing that sorcerer to change their class to assassin and then tank for the third fight.

It's not just a matter of a character being able to tank while having access to healing skills.

Prior to 4.0, I suggested a compromise in other threads regarding this topic. With the changes implemented ion 4.0, I do not think that compromise is a viable option any longer. This is why I said earlier that IF BW were to implement class changes they do it something like:

-class change would require a CM item, such as a token
-the class change token cost is the same as the cost to create an instant level 60 character
-the class change token is a single use consumable and not an unlock allowing unlimited class changes
-the class change token can ONLY be purchased with CC's
-the class change token is bound to legacy, so that it CANNOT be sold on the GTN
-the class change token has a 30 day cooldown

Making the class change token bound to legacy and unable to sold on the GTN means that no one would be able to use their overabundance of easily obtained credits to fund their FOTM flip-flopping class changes.

I don't care, a whole lot of other people don't care, and that argument falls flat on its face in the volume of changes that have happened since launch.

If your whole defense is that, then you have nothing to stand on.

That is one possibly way to go... Or you could keep it if people are attached to the names of the AC.

More or less. You could call one a Merc and one a PowerTech, but have them effectively the same trees.

Or perhaps Merc gets one DPS tree and PowerTech gets another. Or perhaps the trees could be different between them.

Either way, the idea is to allow all classes (or ACs) to have a heal tree, a tank tree, and a dps tree.

It is any more than the companions losing most of their unique abilities and being able to be any role, and also removing all stats from their gear at the same time?

That was a pretty darn big change. How about the removal of the skill tree system?

Perhaps a compromise would be 1 tank tree, 1 heal tree, and 2 dps trees, to give some variety?

As for not seeing it happen, keep in mind that a LOT of things that are true post-4.0 would have been unthinkable at launch. No CD quick travel, speeders at level 1, species and appearance change, no gear on comps, instant level 60 toons, and a hundred other changes.

First of all, the number of alts is insane. I'm guilty of this, with over 30 alts myself. Having played Final Fantasy XIV over Christmas, the idea that I can have one toon and she can be any class by just changing weapons is so brilliant I'm shocked more games don't do this.

Of course you have to level each class separately, but that's fine and reasonable, given the lack of instant level 50+ toons for sale there.

As for the various classes, keep in mind the trees don't have to all be the same. A Commando will tank differently to a Guardian... but perhaps tank the same as a Vanguard.

The lack of new ops and other end game content clearly indicates that Bioware is more focused on newer players than the old hands. Those who have been around awhile and have 30 alts are simply not of much further value to Bioware, clearly given the choices in the past 6 months.

What makes you think allowing each class to play all three roles is "dumbing this game down" at all?

In fact, if anything, it may be lifting it back up. Many people won't level a healer or a tank, but might play them at end game. Not everyone has 30 alts, some people have just a few.

To you, perhaps... and to the launch customers...

But how many of those are still around? What efforts is Bioware making today, in 2016, to keep them? What efforts is Bioware making to attract new customers?

SWG was a long time ago, in game and MMO terms, the customer base was different, the competition was different.

SWTOR was designed with far more complexity and far slower leveling in mind, its "design intent" if you like. Much of that has been washed away in the past year, first by 12x XP and then by 4.0 which brought about insanely fast leveling.

SWTOR as it existed 4 years ago is gone, KotFE replaced it with something modified for a different player. I think some of the butt hurt is the old hands not wanting change.

Might I suggest a read of a very fine book: "Who moved my Cheese?"

So, what you are saying is that it's "OK" for others to feel diminished as long as you get what you want?

I don't care how much you all-caps it, I don't care how much you DeepSkyBlue it, I don't care how much you try to emphasize it, you keep treating AC swapping like class changing. No. We're not asking to switch from Shadow to Scoundrel, we're not asking to switch from Gunslinger to Guardian, we're not asking to switch from Mercenary to Marauder. Even if you supply proof that the devs said what you say they said, you are the only one in these forums that believe them. Advanced Classes are actually just Sub Classes; cousins. They're already 95% of the way to being eachother, stop trying to blow it out of proportion by treating it like something else. (I think that's called making a mountain out of a molehill.)

You know what, I actually agree with all that. Subclass swapping is enough of a change that they should stick with it long enough to actually try it out. I never tried to imply that it's a change to be taken lightly. A cooldown for the Subclass swap token would ensure that they can't just switch it up on a whim. It's a choice to be taken after careful consideration, but at least players would have the freedom to choose, one way or the other.

"If you like your plan, you can keep your plan! If you like your AC, you can keep your AC!"

(Sorry ... had to be done)

In a more serious manner, Subclass abolishment would be a bad idea. That's where Ratajack's argument that people can respec for healing, tanking, and DPS on a whim comes true. Plus, all the Subclasses have their own set of disciplines. Did you want to get rid of those as well? There is still a difference between the Subclasses, and abolishing Subclasses to merge the two together? No, let's not kill the diversity.

I think the OP was asking to be able to hop the line between Subclasses (not entire classes, mind you, Ratajack); not for the line to be blurred into oblivion.