"Advanced Classes = Fundamentally Different Class Designs"

Because a meaningless choice is not a choice at all. Allowing people to change classes will have the effect of removing choice from the game, by making it meaningless. It's really as simple as that.

Put the option in, and you are forcing the option on everyone, because people will be expected to use it. If I'm playing a DPS shadow, and the group can't find a healer, there will be cases where I'm expected change my AC to Sage and heal for the OP.

This is simply irrefutable, because it already happens. Play a DPS sage and you will be asked to change to a heal spec if a healer can't be found.

Add in dual spec's and it will become all the more common.

Actually I think that's a bad design, one started by WoW to make the game easier. I much preferred the CoH method myself. That required at least when I played, that you finish a fairly long and difficult trial with at least 6 other people to be able to respec your character. You were also limited to 3 respec's for the life of your character IIRC.

IMO SWTOR would of been better off if they had put more limits on how often and what was required to change your spec.

I do agree that the Sith Warrior/Jedi Knight ACs seem much closer than other ACs. But even within the Bounty Hunter class, both DPS Mercs and DPS PowerTechs use the exact same abilities Death from Above and Explosive Dart in their AoE rotations.

When I see these EXACT same abilities used across ACs within the same CORE CLASS, I am absolutely convinced that at it's basis, the Class division is at the FOUR Core Classes and everything else is a specialization from that point.

As many have pointed out, If they were truly meant to be wholly and separate classes, we would have selected these ACs at the Character Selection screen and the different ACs would NOT share the same Core abilities and rotations (in some circumstances).

Add to this, Bioware's admitting (just four months ago) that it's "very possible that somewhere down the line we find that we want to give people the flexibility of switching ACs" only further's my belief that the system is there, but simply "turned off" right now.

In the case you've outlined below, those players who don't want to heal, don't have to! No one is being forced to re-spec now no more than they would be forced to change ACs.

I'm sorry, as much as I enjoy debating this with you, I feel like you're argument is flawed with Bioware has already allowed re-specing within the AC and the issue that you state as such a negative is ALREADY a possibility in the game.

Yeah, it may have been better to make them completely separate from the start, even if they share the same story. Anyway, it's down to personal opinion for me. I would not like to see AC switching, but if they add it in the future, I would not lose any sleep over it anyways.

That's not true at all, this same system has been used in other MMO's before. It's not something that Bioware came up with. Other games have had you play a basic class for X levels then switch into a Advanced Class based on your basic class.

The way WoW did it, is not the only way to do a class based system.

No they made it quite clear that the system did not exist in the game at launch and they had no intention of adding it at or even shortly after launch. They said they would consider it based on player feedback.

You keep using ridiculous comparisons and have yet to give a valid reason for changing AC other than "I rolled a mage and now I want to be a priest to help fill raid spots but don't want to roll an alt".

You can state you don't like the design by BW to allow players to get a feel for a class before finalizing at level 10, which is fine, but you can't expect everything to be handed to you on a silver plate because you want it without giving enough evidence that the system is flawed. As it stands your posts come across as entitled whining.

Sometimes I just have to laugh. In some circumstances, I think this whole conversation would be a ton more fun over a pitcher of beer.

Please re-read my previous three posts and note the following places where I specifically draw a line between a mage to priest switch and a class that has the same rotation.

I will toss you the same challenge:

For all of those claiming I'm asking for a Mage to become a Priest, please show me a rotation between those two different CORE CLASSES and note ONE ABILITY that is shared between them that is called the EXACT same thing, does the EXACT same animation and uses the EXACT same resources.

You will not find one.

And yet, in SWTOR, these two different "classes" have the same rotation in AOE situations: Marauder Annihilation Spec and Juggernaut Vengeance Spec.

So please stop saying that I'm asking for a mage to become a priest or a warlock to become a rogue or a bunny to become a Ferrari when I am clearly drawing a distinction.

If I thought there was any possibility of my idea gaining traction, I'd gladly try and push for it. But I know that people would be against it so I don't bother. If it were up to me, I'd require something a lot more difficult then paying between 0 and X credits to change my spec.

But that is a completely different thing then changing classes. Changing Spec != Changing Class.

Symantec arguments don't change how the system works, or offer valid reasons for why it should change.

Completely agree.

But I can't help but believe that you're primary reasoning AGAINST allowing ACs is due to a concern that allowing players to change ACs will create an environment that already exists within this game: whereby players will be asked to change ACs (or EVEN Talent Tree specs within an AC) if the need arises.

Oddly enough, this is exact situation that will arise and some (I'd even say alot) of players would be more than willing to make the change if it helps out a team, guild or *gasp* PUG group succeed in their common goal of defeating an end-game boss.

As you seem to mention in your most recent post, you seem to have an issue with the current ability to re-spec as it exists in the current system.

If that's the case, would it not be more prudent to take up a separate argument against that specific issue, rather than fight against a new suggestion that simply builds on the current system?

Its that way in every mmo. If you want to play an assassin with different story play a shadow. Otherwise qq.

Pretty much everything is more fun with a pitcher of beer is involved.

However I would say that the above is not justification for allowing you to change one into the other, because while they may share a few powers, that doesn't mean that they are the same thing over all.

A Powertech speced for DPS will play differently then a Merc spected for DPS.