ETA on Advanced Class change?

I dont think an early AC change would solve this problem, most people dont get a feel for their AC until later in the game. I think a 1 to 2 time change PER character would be perfect, 1 to change if you dont like the other one either, either change back, or stick with it.

That way it prevents p2w and fotm, and everyone goes home happy.

yet i was in everything pre launch of this game. i know it was not there, you were there so i know you are not speaking the truth.

There was NEVER an option to change your AC in this game at any point.

This is absolutely accurate, at least with respect to the decision to not allow it before launch. The reasons are less clear, but one could infer the following based on their very comments....

They viewed AC's as a class, or at least inferred that they are "like" classes.
It is likely they felt that AC change would have some form of detrimental effect on the game.

It is also likely that there are some folks on the current team that are not wild about the idea...hence the "discussion" they indicated they were having internally.

you were not in the alpha and beta stages of the game i was. ACs have never been something that was changeable. Infact they added additional notifications that it is a 1 time choice, there is no changing it. That is why you can now even look at talent trees before you pick them.

They view the classes as the vanguard or the sentinel. Trooper or jedi is simply the story so they only had to make 8 stories instead of 16. They told the testers this during the beta stages while the NDA was in effect.

To the devs changing from a commando to a vanguard is no different then changing a commando into an assassin.

They even told us they made every class use a unique weapon/stance so that you could easily tell what class someone was by their weapons. IE a merc has 2 pistols a powertech has 1.

The option was likely in their internal build and presented as such in multiple public statements and Q&A sessions. I don't remember it ever being in release. I also don't believe I ever indicated it was. If it seems like I did I apologize, but that may be because that point was already hashed out earlier in the thread.

Examples below.

1) Originally the Advanced class system was not designed as an individual class, but actually was a refinement of a current class to cover play styles...

Georg Zoeller - Principal Lead Systems Designer

“As you know, a core feature of Star Wars: The Old Republic is that we are shipping the game with eight classes – each with an epic story, full voiceover, quests and cinematics. This creates a very unique game experience for each of them, something never done in an MMO before.

Furthermore, we wanted to ensure that we had the flexibility to support several play-styles within each of these eight classes. So we built Advanced Classes into the game from the ground up to provide us with the ability to create and support different gameplay and roles inside each class. “

Can't find the original developer's blog, but I have the article that refers to it with the quote here.


2) Originally they intended for AC choice to be permanent, then decided to allow open changes...see the video here, SWTOR Q&A session, 7-21-11 Comic-Con - 7:40 to 8:40

James Ohlen - Game Director

JO: So the question is, um, in Star Wars the Old Republic you have advanced classes that you get to pick at a certain level, um, where you specialize your class...can you, uh, switch once you have made a choice in advanced class, that's the question? So, currently we are going to be allowing you to respec your advanced class... and the reason we went that way is because it is a big choice and some people might make the wrong choice.

So, the very first time you decide to respec your advanced class it's not going to be super expensive, uh we are going to make it relatively affordable, and then after that it will become a lot more difficult. We're going to let you correct your mistake...so for example, if your a Sith Warrior, you decide to pick the juggernaut route, and then two levels in you are like "i didn't want to be a juggernaut"...that first correction will be easy, but then after that we"re going to make your advanced class choice very difficult to respec.


Dallas Dickinson - Director of Production

July 2011 - Interview at SDCC 2011

What prompted the class design change from choosing a permanent Advanced Class to having the ability to switch?

DD: I think we just decided that it is just such a significant choice that you make. We try to give you as much information as possible so you make a good one, but we know that there are some people who choose to play as a Juggernaut, play for three levels, and are like "aww man!" We want to make it so that the first time you choose to respec your Advanced Class, it is relatively painless; it is going to cost some credits, but it is not going to cost a ton. Though after that, we want to make it very difficult. We don't want people to hot swap their Advanced Class willy-nilly; we want to make sure it is something you don't do all the time.


3) November of 2011 they decided to remove the option to change advanced class and make it a permanent choice.

They spoke of this in a german interview...if anyone has the translation please post it, as I no longer have it. But I do have the gist of what was spoken with relation to AC and AC change....

From this recent Interview Bioware has changed their mind again about Advance Classes and the ability to respec between them. (eg. Juggernaut to Maurader or Powertech to Mercenary)

They have decided that your AC choice will be a permanent one at level 10. They believe that once you choose your AC at level 10 you are to stick with it since if they allow you to switch between AC's it will allow for FOTM gameplay and thats not something they want.

Is it possible to change his Advanced class?

We have changed her mind again. It will not be possible to modify the Advanced class. We believe it is currently not necessary. Talent trees are to be reset but can not continue to the advanced class. At least not at launch. Probably not.

Just to bring some clarity. Never did they indicate in this process that AC was a unique class...rather a refinement of the current class with respect to new abilities for playstyle choice. It also demonstrates that they, at one time, did allow AC change or at least intended to do so for the reasons demonstrated, and chose to remove that option out of fear of abuse..NOT because the AC was considered a unique class.

The unique class viewpoint was one that Bioware evolved into to explain removing the change option. It is as simple as that, and WAS NOT in place at the very beginning.

This also proved that, before launch, Bioware had intended to allow AC change and stated the reasons clearly, ones that line up with the most common reasons posed here.

It is just not accurate to claim that they have always called advanced class a unique class, designed them that way from the beginning or that they never intended to allow AC change.

Its hard to take you serious when all you do is tell people what they do or dont know, or calling them names, you know its possible to make a point without being hostile or rude.

They did not choose to remove the option to change AC until November of 2011. Proof posted above. If you have proof to the contrary you are welcome to post it.

I'd also like to point out something, there has been quite a few threads around claiming people want End game Defection, and theres a lot of people on board with that. I personally dont see that being much different then AC changing. You'd be switching from one faction to the other, similar abilities, but not the same, would take time to learn, just like AC switching.

you also do not know what "fundamental" means either...

I appreciate your opinions, but in this case, you are addressing the wrong person. LordArtemis has been very respectful and acknowledges both sides of this debate. I also agree with him that the best compromise and the most likely to address at least most concerns on both sides of this issue is that allowing class changes should reset the character to level 10.